An important message from Sherry Gummer, HCRTA President
Dear HCRTA members,
I just wanted to reach out to each of you and make sure you are not “stuck at home” but “safe at home” which is a more positive way to think about our current unprecedented times. If you are like me, your emotions have been all over the place the last few weeks so please find as many positives and uplifting parts of your days to focus on. Instead of worrying about what we cannot control please read, journal, exercise, play, pray, and create and don’t forget to reach out by phone especially to your families and friends. Get some fresh air as our spring days become more abundant and most important of all STAY HOME and WASH HANDS and DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE! I care about each and every one of you and I know that we will get through this. A little bright news came from our governor when he said that according to statistics they are seeing our age group 60+ has shown a little bit of improvement in flattening the curve which he attributes to our ability to do a superior job of STAYING HOME! So Congratulations and keep up the good work and be proud of yourself for how hard you are trying!
I also wanted to give you information about the impact the pandemic will have on our two organizations: our local organization (HCRTA); the state organization (IRTA); and the state scholarship and endowment organization (IRTF):
• HCRTA: We will NOT have a meeting for our local group in May. It currently is our plan to resume meetings with our September meeting.
• IRTA: The Representative Assembly Meeting scheduled for June will NOT happen in the usual large meeting format but business will be conducted by mail/email or internet. A condensed Representative Assembly Book listing all committee reports and other relevant information will be provided to all delegates who normally would have attended the meeting in person. I should receive information on our delegate allocation in mid April. Please contact me if you are interested in being a delegate. Being a delegate would allow you to vote electronically or by mail on all motions introduced. Please keep in mind that delegates must be members of IRTA as well as our local chapter HCRTA.
• HCRTA: All certificates and recognition for service hours and service projects which are normally awarded at the Representative Assembly will be given at the HCRTA September meeting by Barry Conrad or Trish Whitcomb.
• IRTF: With no face to face Representative Assembly Meeting occurring there will thus be no Silent Auction. If you wish to make an individual donation to the Foundation you will find a form and mailing address at retiredteachers.org or you may give your check to our local chapter treasurer Linda Szewc designated for the Foundation and she will send it for you.
• IRTF SCHOLARSHIP: The scholarship application has been extended to May 15, 2020. If you have a grandchild, neighbor, former student or friend in college
and preparing to go into teaching, you still have time to get those applications completed. The application is on the IRTA website.
• IRTF AND HCRTA: If you know a member who is having financial problems during this crisis, the “Hand-Up” application is also available on the IRTA website.
If you have any questions on any of the above items, please contact me Sherry Gummer at 317-839-3616 for local concerns; or Linda Morris, IRTF Board President at 765-730-4497 for questions on the IRTF.
I also wanted to give a "shout out” to Jeff Thompson for his extremely generous donation to our local chapter. It is the largest donation our treasurer Linda Szewc has ever remembered receiving! So Jeff Thompson, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
I also want to thank all of you for responding to Linda’s dues notification for those who had not paid their dues this year. Sometimes people think if they pay their IRTA dues that they automatically become members of their local chapter too, but that is not the case. You have to pay your local chapter dues to HCRTA to be a member of the local chapter and those are typically collected in September.
Again, I reiterate, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS! STAY HOME so there can be NO TRANSMISSION of the virus and your children have peace of mind for your safety.
NOW BACK TO MAKING MASKS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR WHEN WE MIGHT NEED THEM,
Sherry Gummer, President HCRTA
I just wanted to reach out to each of you and make sure you are not “stuck at home” but “safe at home” which is a more positive way to think about our current unprecedented times. If you are like me, your emotions have been all over the place the last few weeks so please find as many positives and uplifting parts of your days to focus on. Instead of worrying about what we cannot control please read, journal, exercise, play, pray, and create and don’t forget to reach out by phone especially to your families and friends. Get some fresh air as our spring days become more abundant and most important of all STAY HOME and WASH HANDS and DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE! I care about each and every one of you and I know that we will get through this. A little bright news came from our governor when he said that according to statistics they are seeing our age group 60+ has shown a little bit of improvement in flattening the curve which he attributes to our ability to do a superior job of STAYING HOME! So Congratulations and keep up the good work and be proud of yourself for how hard you are trying!
I also wanted to give you information about the impact the pandemic will have on our two organizations: our local organization (HCRTA); the state organization (IRTA); and the state scholarship and endowment organization (IRTF):
• HCRTA: We will NOT have a meeting for our local group in May. It currently is our plan to resume meetings with our September meeting.
• IRTA: The Representative Assembly Meeting scheduled for June will NOT happen in the usual large meeting format but business will be conducted by mail/email or internet. A condensed Representative Assembly Book listing all committee reports and other relevant information will be provided to all delegates who normally would have attended the meeting in person. I should receive information on our delegate allocation in mid April. Please contact me if you are interested in being a delegate. Being a delegate would allow you to vote electronically or by mail on all motions introduced. Please keep in mind that delegates must be members of IRTA as well as our local chapter HCRTA.
• HCRTA: All certificates and recognition for service hours and service projects which are normally awarded at the Representative Assembly will be given at the HCRTA September meeting by Barry Conrad or Trish Whitcomb.
• IRTF: With no face to face Representative Assembly Meeting occurring there will thus be no Silent Auction. If you wish to make an individual donation to the Foundation you will find a form and mailing address at retiredteachers.org or you may give your check to our local chapter treasurer Linda Szewc designated for the Foundation and she will send it for you.
• IRTF SCHOLARSHIP: The scholarship application has been extended to May 15, 2020. If you have a grandchild, neighbor, former student or friend in college
and preparing to go into teaching, you still have time to get those applications completed. The application is on the IRTA website.
• IRTF AND HCRTA: If you know a member who is having financial problems during this crisis, the “Hand-Up” application is also available on the IRTA website.
If you have any questions on any of the above items, please contact me Sherry Gummer at 317-839-3616 for local concerns; or Linda Morris, IRTF Board President at 765-730-4497 for questions on the IRTF.
I also wanted to give a "shout out” to Jeff Thompson for his extremely generous donation to our local chapter. It is the largest donation our treasurer Linda Szewc has ever remembered receiving! So Jeff Thompson, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
I also want to thank all of you for responding to Linda’s dues notification for those who had not paid their dues this year. Sometimes people think if they pay their IRTA dues that they automatically become members of their local chapter too, but that is not the case. You have to pay your local chapter dues to HCRTA to be a member of the local chapter and those are typically collected in September.
Again, I reiterate, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS! STAY HOME so there can be NO TRANSMISSION of the virus and your children have peace of mind for your safety.
NOW BACK TO MAKING MASKS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR WHEN WE MIGHT NEED THEM,
Sherry Gummer, President HCRTA
