The purposes of this Association are to:

  • The purposes of this Association are to:
  • A. Promote and protect the interests, rights, and welfare of the retired educators of the Stevens Point area in conjunction with the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).
  • B. Monitor and work to improve the benefits for retired educators and other members of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).
  • C. Encourage Association members to maintain membership in the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).
  • D. Develop working relationships with local service organizations whose main emphasis is on aging groups and with organizations sharing goals similar to those of the Association.
  • E. Inform Association members about and advocate for educational and other relevant societal issues.
  • F. Inform members of activities in the area provided for senior citizens.
  • G. Encourage Association members to be active participants in community affairs on an individual basis.

2017 January Newsletter

Luncheon reservations for January: 
Call Sherilee Wallerman at (715)344-0031
Please call by noon on Thursday, Jan. 5

STEVENS POINT AREA RETIRED TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION (SPARTA) 
MEETING AT SKY CLUB, PLOVER, WI
                        Monday, January 9, 2017

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

SPARTA OFFICERS
President: Santha Bickford
Vice President: Open
Co-Secretaries: David Blado, Laure Isberner
Co-Treasurers: Janet Langton, Arvalea Crawford
Immediate Past President: Joyce Chekouras

                    AGENDA
11:00 Socialize; 11:30 Business meeting called to order and lunch; 12:20 Program; 12:50 Business continued

BUSINESS MEETING:
Call to order; Pledge of Allegiance; Time of reflection; Guests and New Members Introductions; Drawing for door prize.
Consent Agenda/ Officers’ Reports: Minutes of previous meeting as written on the final page (automatically approved unless corrected); Treasurer’Report

Program: “Meet the New Superintendent” by Craig Gerlach

Business Meeting Continued

1. Committee Updates:

Legislative: Joyce Chekouras; handouts WREA Legislative Priorities 2017-2018.

Program: Santha Bickford :new idea for September kick-off. Members will be contacted.

Sunshine: Mary Beth Anday (Apr-Dec), Suzanne Fee(Jan-Mar)

Social: Eileen Payne: Fireside trip is planned for the  summer of 2017

Grants: Janet Swiston has agreed to chair the committee through this year. Fall grants have been distributed and applications for spring grants are now being considered.

Book: Nancy Kemmeter, Janeen Kwarciany: Spring sale will be held in May. Intake days will be  from 10am-3pmon Jan.23,Feb 27, Mar.27, Apr24,and May 22. The book committee has also been exploring additional space needs, particularly for the future.

Ad Hoc Tee Shirt Committee: Judy Zimmerman: T shirt color and design have been selected. We will order them from our local business Point Embroidery and Screen. Cost is $12, and we will incorporate the logo designed by Shirley Multauf.

Health: Jerry Kasdorf, see article after New Business

2. Thanks for stepping up!

Education Week: John and Marge Laude, Sally Dehlinger, Mary Zinda, Darla Hakala, Janet Swiston, Mary Moore, Joyce Chekouras, Lauren Isberner, Judy Zimmerman, Eileen Payne, Barb Clementi, Carol Van Alstine, Sandy Schroeder, Mary Ann Krems, Nancy Kemmeter, Santha Bickford, Janet Langton, and Santha Bickford.

Reservations and meal arrangements: Sherrilee Wallerman

Help with Data Entry: Eileen Payne and Dave Blado

Submitting pictures and articles to the local papers: Dave Blado

3. Volunteer Hours
Remember to record your volunteer hours each month to be turned in September, 2017. Forms are available for those who haven’t yet picked one up.

4. Opportunities
The office of vice president remains unfilled. One duty of the vice president is to serve as chair of the program committee. Currently the president has had to take on this additional role.  Please consider if this could fit with your time and talents!

NEW BUSINESS:
1. How can we remember SPARTA members no longer living at home?

2. Would Ed Week representatives be willing to work with membership to keep in touch with their respective schools and inform us of staff who may be retiring?

3. We have a web-site!!Kudos, admiration, and thanks to our web-master Janet Langton!!

4. We have money to fully endow our scholarship account with the Community Foundation if that is the will of the majority.


 Treasurer’s Report; January 09, 2017

For security reasons, financial details not listed on the website.         


Jerry Kasdorf, chair of Health Committee, submits this article on Beets for our consideration. It was originally published in Berkley Health News Letter.

Beets are a root vegetable, and both the root and the green leaves are edible. In ancient civilizations, people ate only the green part of the beet plant. The roots, which did not have the enticing look of modern beets, were primarily used as medicine. There are conflicting accounts of when the rounded beets like those we eat today were developed, but it is estimated to be in the 1500s.ypes of Beets

Types of Beets:Most beets in supermarkets are the familiar red beets. But these earthy root vegetables come in a variety of hues, including purple, pink, golden, white, and even striped beets.

Beets nutrition: Beets are a good source of fiber, manganese, and folate, a B vitamin. Beet juice is also an excellent source of nitrates, which research suggests can help lower blood pressure.Notable for their sweet, earthy flavor, beets have the highest sugar content of any vegetable, while still remaining very low in calories. And unlike many other vegetables, their full flavor is retained whether they are fresh or canned. Interestingly, because of a genetic predisposition, some people cannot properly metabolize betacyanin, the pigment that gives beets their deep ruby color. The betayanin passes into their urine and feces, which turn pink or red for a day or two. This is harmless, and no cause for alarm.

November Minutes Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers’ Association

Regular Meeting: On Monday, November 14, SPARTA met at the Sky Club with 28 present. Attending was guest speaker Jim Harris . The door prize was won by Elbert Rackow. Congratulations!
Our veterans, Elbert Rackow, Jim Krems, David Crawford, and Jerry Kasdorf, along with their spouses, were seated together and were recognized for their service to our country. An anonymous donor paid for lunch for our veterans and presented each with a copy of the book America’s White Table. Thanks to our vets and to our generous donor.

Officers’ Reports: The secretary’s minutes were accepted as printed. As of November 14, the Treasurer reported a balance of $xxxxx in the checkbook.

Ongoing Business: Committee Reports:

Book: We have had another successful book sale due to the  hard work of the committee and time dedicated by SPARTA volunteers. Approximate sales: $xxxx. The next book sale is planned for Wednesday, May 3 through Saturday, May 6th, 2017.

Historical: We continue to receive items of interest for our collection. Thank you for contributing.

Legislative: Joyce Chekouras reminded members to be aware and vigilant with the upcoming changes in government.

Program: Santha Bickford wants members to know speakers have been booked for the first half of 2017. If you have ideas for other presentations, please let the program committee know.

Social: Eileen Payne reminded members that trips to the Fireside Theater will be every other year.  Feel free to offer suggestions for other activities.

Volunteer Hours Recorder: A simple reminder to continue to keep track of your volunteer hours. The recording sheet is available on the front table.

Grant Committee was formed to review grant requests and update application forms Recipients for the first distribution of this year’s grants have been selected and will be notified. If you have other grant requests, see Janet Swiston for the new forms. A motion was made by Elbert Rackow with a second by Joyce Chekouras to approve grant selections. Motion carried.

A thank you to all members for recognizing our schools during this American Education Week.

New Business:
An ad hoc committee will be formed to further investigate details of having shirts made for members. If interested, please contact Judy Zimmerman.

Please contact SPARTA officers with names you feel would be deserving of the AARP community service award.

Joyce Chekouras and Santha Bickford visited with the new superintendent Craig Gerlach. He will be our guest speaker at the January meeting.

Barb Towey reminded us the River City Jazz Band is performing at the Sky Club Friday, Dec. 9th, 8-10pm. The event is free. She also asked us to check local calendars for the Master Chorale public concerts.

Laurel Hoeth reminded members of the Academic Decathalon which will be held January 6th. She asked members to try to keep their calendars open and consider volunteering.

Jan Langton could use a volunteer to read for her as she inputs information to the computer program.

Volunteers are needed to help take reservations for our next meeting as Mary Ann Krems will be unable to attend.

FORMAL PROGRAM: Jim Harris, former teacher and principal, presented viewers with brochures, photos, and slides of his work in Laos helping to clear unexploded land mines left from the Vietnam war.

Next Meeting: The next meeting will be Monday, January 9th, 2017, at the Sky Club. The speaker will be Craig Gerlach, superintendent of the Stevens Point Public Schools.A motion to adjourn was made by Judy Zimmerman and seconded by Laurel Hoeth. Motion passed.                                                                                                    
   
Respectfully submitted by Lauren Isberner





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