AftertheBellLunenburgCountyBranchRTONewsletter–Volume7Issue1

President’sMessageDebraFeatherby

It was the best first day of school

EVER!Andindeeditwas-adelightfulvenuewith

all of the beautiful plants atWile's FarmMarket

and superlative food.There were some new

facesinthecrowdanditwasgreattoseepeople

reconnect.The noise level was like the first day

with students - everyone excited about the

comingyear.Asweshouldbeexcitedtoo.

Somanyoftheretireeshaveembarkedonsecondcareersor

taken up fascinating hobbies or done some jetting to faraway

places.Othersarecontenttobeabletospendqualitytimeathome

and with family. Whatever you have chosen to do - do it with

gusto.We are usually such a humble group -we toiled for years in

classrooms,sometimeswithscantresourcesandoftenwithnothanks

forourefforts.Wequietly slippednewpencils intoa child'sdeskor

sharedourlunchbecausewe"couldn'teatitall".Wespentcountless

hours on the road with teams only to get home to a mountain of

correcting or spent hours rehearsing a Christmas concert.And we

didn'taskforpraiseorrecognition.Itwaspartofthejobandwedid

itbecauseitwasimportanttothestudents.

But now it's our time.Andwe have time to create, travel,

volunteerandfinallycleanouttheattic.Butweneedtotaketimeto

stayconnectedtoourpast.Itwasahugepartofourlifeandweneed

toacknowledge itandhonourour careers.So comeout tothenext

RTO dinner in October.Reminisce and seewho is looking great for

theirageandwhomayneedtotalkabouttheeventsintheirlife.We

supported each other through some rough patches in our working

lives,let'scontinuetodosonow.

October3

December6

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

SavetheDate

THANKSGIVING DINNER

Italy Cross Fire Hall 10:45 for 11 am

Wills and Estate Planning Turkey Dinner $14

CHRISTMAS DINNER Hebb’s Cross Fire Hall

10:45 for 11 am Seasonal Music - Students of

Hebbville Academy Turkey Dinner $14

Dinner notifications are sent out in several ways - via email and Facebook, by way of the caller’s list, and info is posted on the Branch website:

rtolunenburg.weebly.com

If you would like to join the Facebook group contact our Activity Chair, Vicki Trenholm (vickitrenholm@hotmail.ca).

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

Congratulations

NewRetirees!CharlotteBrooks(ParkViewEducationCentre)DaleBruhm(NewGermanyRuralHigh)SusanChandler(ChesterAreaMiddleSchool)EricDolliver(ParkViewEducationCentre)RonaldDoucet(BayviewCommunitySchool)HesterGibson(NewGermanyRuralHigh)PaulGilbert(ParkViewEducationCentre)CarolHipwell(ChesterAreaMiddleSchool)N.ScottLeonard(ParkViewEducationCentre)KristaLongard(ParkViewEducationCentre)MarkMacLeod(SSRSB)PaulaMcIsaac(NewcombvilleElementary)JeffNorman(SSRSB)ElizabethSutherland(BigTancookElementary)

ImportantCommunicationsReminderWearehaving difficulty communicatingwith someofour

retired members. Often, people change their email

addressesorcontactinformationandforgettotellus.It is

soimportantthatwehavecurrentinformationinorderto

keep you informed on activities, meetings and branch

happenings.

If you have made changes in how we can keep in touch

with you, please contact both Debra Featherby and

JohnsonInctoupdateyourinformation.

Debra-dfeatherby@ns.sympatico.ca

JohnsonInc–902-453-9543/1-800-453-9543

Alternately, a form isnowavailableon theprovincialRTO

websitethatyoucanprintandupdate. Itcanbefoundat

http://rto.nstu.ca/Documents/RTOinfoupdateform.pdf Photo Liz Hamilton

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

BookReviewElizabeth(Liz)Hamilton

2

poorchildren–eachhadoneparentwhoworkedofWal-Mart. Often,Wal-Mart isthenumberoneemployer inastate.Heclaims that its business is “stagnating”butappearstobegrowingbecausetheycontinuetoopennewstores.Fishman lays it all out, which becomessomewhat over-whelming. The power,image and effect that this store has isworldwideandiscertainlysignificant.Having read this book one now has agreat deal of information and a clearpictureofWal-Mart,butIsuggestthatifone is a regularWal-Mart shopper, thisbook may do little to change one’sshoppingpatterns.

1

Many of us sense there are reasons tonot be aWal-Mart shopper, butwe areprobably unable to state the exactsource of our belief or explain why anegative cloud shrouds our reasons forfeeling this way. Most of what wepurchasewe couldbuyelsewhere–butoften not as cheaply, or so we believe,andthatbringsusbacktoWal-Mart.Thisbookisthoroughinitsresearchandapproach. It sheds light on theunderbellyofthelargestcompanyintheworld, one which employs over 1.6million people. It cites poor labourconditions which range from exploitiveto illegal, and harps on how thesupplierstothe“beast”arecontinuouslyaskedtolowertheirprices.Often swirled in a blanket of secrecy,Charles Fishman found it impossible attimestoevengetdatesastowhensomestoreswere opened. He fills each pagewith research on everything fromWal-Mart’ssuppliersoflawnmowerstofreshsalmon, how the suppliers are treated,andwho survives. Some of the findingsaresurprising.CountrieswhichhaveWal-Martshaveahigher rate of poverty - he believes itmaybethatjobsarelostwhenWal-Martopensinanarea.In the state of Georgia, 10,261 kidsenrolledinthestate’sinsuranceplanfor

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

NoBellBreakfast,2017VickiTrenholm

This year, the RTO gathered together at the Annual No Bell Breakfast held at Wile's Lake Farm Market on Tuesday, September 5th. The breakfast was held in a sunny and cheerful greenhouse setting where members were surrounded by colourful plants. Close to 50 retired teachers came together to socialize with former colleagues and to welcome the newly retired teachers to the fold. There were lots of smiles and chatter amongst the members who enjoyed the delicious breakfast prepared by the Market staff who made the occasion very special with their extra added touches. Thanks to the staff at the market for doing such a fantastic job! We were delighted to have three retired teachers, who are published authors, display their works for our perusal. Special thanks goes out to Rose Marie Lohnes Hirtle, Janet Barkhouse and Heather Stevenson for sharing their works with us. Once again, the members of the RTO were very generous in donating school supplies. This year we gathered enough school supplies to deliver a box to the food banks in Bridgewater, New Germany, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg and Chester as well as Harbour House and the Family Resource Centre. Many thanks to all those that contributed to this worthy cause. We wrapped up our morning events with a door prize draw. The lucky winners were: Donna Publicover, Dan Thimot, Pat Townsend, Dave Pottie, Paula McIsaac and Rhoda Crouse-Eisner. Congratulations to all the winners! We hope to see everyone again next year on the first day of school when we once again gather for the No Bell Breakfast. Thanks again to all the Activity committee members: Yvonne Rafuse, Pat Townsend, Olive Joudrey and Vicki Trenholm for organizing another successful breakfast.

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

ComeJoinaGroup!

BookClubMeetings

TheBookClubmeetsintheCommunityRoomatSobeysat10

amonthesecondTuesdayofthemonth.Comeandjoininthe

fun.FormoreinformationcontactLizHamilton(902-634-4093)

orWendyRichardson(902-5437076).

WeeklyKaffeeklatsch

TheKaffeeklatschCrewmeetsonThursdaysat10amatFancy

Pants Café at 807 King St. Come on out and join us for an

informal hour of chatter and coffee. If you would like more

informationcontacteitherDianeLivingstoneorSusanAliphat.

Hopetoseeyouthere!

Diane-dclgreen@gmail.com

Susan-susanaliphat@gmail.com

PoolPlayers

Thisrecreationalgroup(RT’sandCues)meetsonThursday

afternoons, starting at 12:30 pm, at the Bridgewater

Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Drop in! New

membersarealwayswelcome.

October3rdMeetingUpdate

MsTabithaWebber,a lawyerwithMacleodWebber inBridgewater,will giveapresentationonWillsand

EstatePlanningatourOctober3rdmeeting.

If you have specificquestions for Tabitha,please submit them toGlennDemone.Glennwill forward the

questionstoTabithaandtheywillbeusedaspartofherpresentation.

Thispresentationhasbeenmadepossibleby theLegal InformationSocietyofNovaScotia.Membersare

remindedthatthepresentationwillbeginat11:15sharp!

Glenn-glenndemone@gmail.com

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

Member@LargeReportBonnieMahaney

Another year has begun and I am pleased to have the opportunity to represent the Lunenburg County Branch on the Provincial Executive. It has been a busy start to 2017-2018 and the upcoming months promise to be productive and exciting. The three branch presidents held a Regional Meeting in late June. Various topics were discussed. It was great to get together to share ideas and have conversations regarding programs and branch activities. The RTO Standing Committees – Research and Review (which I chair), Membership, Communications, and Pension and Benefits held their first meeting on September 6th, 2017. Reports from each committee will be posted in the October issue of the RTO Newsletter. If interested, I encourage you to apply to serve on a committee - applications will be available in the spring. The RTO Executive met on September 12th and 13th, 2017 and here are highlights from the meetings:

• Branch Program Initiative Fund (BPI) - All branches are eligible to apply for funding to promote the wellness of its members and enhance branch programming. The branches must completed the required official application form and forward it to the RTO treasurer, Peter Lewis lewisp@ns.sympatico.ca. This form will be available on the RTO website and will also be distributed to Branch Presidents at the Presidents meeting in October. Upon approval and completion of the program the branch is required to forward a follow up document reporting on the initiative or event.

• Adjustment to Retirement (presented by Fran Reddy Chisholm) and Advance Care Planning programs continue to be offered. Several regions have booked Fran’s session for the fall and this could be something to consider for our South Shore region.

• A Wellness Symposium is being held on October 30th, 2017 at the Brightwood Golf Club in Dartmouth. Each branch is invited to send two delegates; they along with the M@ls, Table Officers and presenters will total 63 attendees. The daylong event is varied of consists of a “mini expo” with 15 or so presenters, a panel discussion with 4 panelists, and interactive activities. The expectation is that delegates will return to their respective branches with ideas and suggestions to initiate their own “wellness event”.

• The RTO Banner is available for branches to use to promote our organization and can borrow it by contacting Gary Archibald (Communications Chair) archibaldg@eastlink.ca.

• The Presidents Meeting will be held on October 12th and 13th, 2017. There will be opportunity for the presidents to discuss topics of interest at a Round Table session and Regional session.

• Curling Bonspiel - The Shelburne County Branch is hosting the RTO Curling Bonspiel on December 1st and 2nd, 2017 at the Shelburne Curling Club. Information regarding registration and/or particulars will be in the October issue of RTO Newsletter. Contact person for the bonspiel is Elizabeth Acker cessam@ns.sympatico.ca. The bonspiel is always a fun time to socialize with members across the province. If you are interested in hosting a future Curling Bonspiel or Golf Tournament please contact me. There is always a need.

• Pre Retirement Seminar for South Shore Regional School Board will be held at Days Inn in Bridgewater on December 14th and 15th, 2017. I, along with the three branch presidents in our region, will be doing a 30-minute presentation.

• RTO Hotel – The Delta Halifax has the contract for NSTU and RTO. Please note, however, there is a “90% Occupancy Clause” which states that if the hotel is 90% booked you will be charged between $109.00 to $149.00 per night, depending on date and availability. This rate will not include parking or breakfast. It is suggested you inquire as to the room rate before you make your booking/reservation.

If you have a concerns/questions, or if I can be of help in any way do not hesitate to contact me. My email is bgmahaney@nstu.ca and phone number is 902-875-4636. I look forward to joining you at your branch meeting at the Italy Cross Firehall on October 3rd.

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

RetiredTeachersFoundation(LegacyFoundation)HerbSeymour

For years, the Lunenburg County Branch of the RTO has made a practice of making a memorial donation to the Retired Teachers Foundation (Legacy Foundation) whenever a former Lunenburg County teacher dies. But … just what is The Retired Teachers Foundation and what does it do? The Retired Teachers Foundation, as established by the RTO Executive in November of 1994, shall support sick and/or challenged children of the Province of Nova Scotia. Objectives of The Retired Teachers Foundation:

1. To operate a fund exclusively for the benefit of sick and/or challenged children in the province of Nova Scotia;

2. To solicit, accept, receive, acquire by grant, donation, legacy gift, bequest; or otherwise; any kind of real or personal property and to enter and carry out agreements, undertakings and conditions in connection therewith;

3. To disburse annually the interest on deposits. Guidelines:

1. This annual disbursement is to honour the life and work of former teachers in Nova Scotia;

2. This annual disbursement is to benefit sick and/or challenged children younger than the age of 21 years;

3. This annual disbursement may benefit institutes which are defined as a society or organization founded for an educational, medical, social, or similar purpose;

4. This annual disbursement may benefit charitable organizations that work for the benefit of sick and/or challenged children.

Procedures:

1. The Board of Directors shall be the RTO Executive Committee who shall serve on a voluntary basis and not be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses;

2. Expenses for postage, stationery and promotion will be borne by the RTO 3. All donations to The Retired Teachers Foundation will be invested in term deposits,

deposit certificates, government certificates/savings bonds or other avenues as approved by the Board of Directors.

4. The interest on deposits shall be disbursed annually to assist charitable institutions that provide service to sick and/or challenged children in the Province of Nova Scotia.

We encourage members of the RTO, and also active teachers, to consider The Retired Teachers Foundation as a charity to make memorial donations on behalf of deceased loved ones. Donation materials/packets are available from members of the Lunenburg County Branch (RTO) Executive. The Foundation is a registered charity under the Societies Act of Nova Scotia and receipts will be issued for donations of $10.00 or more. If anyone has any questions about The Retired Teachers Foundation you can contact a member of the Lunenburg County Branch Executive of the RTO.

InMemoriamWehavenot lostanyofourmembersor retired teachers since the lastnewsletter.

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

21

The RTO Activity Committee organized a Day Trip to the City. Unfortunately, only twomembers - Olive

JoudreyandVickiTrenholm-wereabletoattendbuttheycertainlymadethemostoftheirdaybytouring

theHalifaxCentralLibraryandtheArtGalleryofNovaScotia.

Duringthemorning,OliveandVickienjoyedaguidedtourofall5floorsoftheverymodernHalifaxCentral

Library.Theywereveryimpressedwithallthelibraryhastooffer.Resourcesincludeeverythingfrombooks,

computers,gamesystems,audiovisualcollections,localhistoryroom,meetingandstudyrooms,andmedia

studios, as well as a large hall for hostingmajor events. It is awonderful asset to the area. Both ladies

decidedtotakeoutalibrarymembershipsotheycouldenjoyallthefacilityhastooffer.

TheafternoonwasspenttouringtheArtGalleryofNovaScotia.Particularinterestwasshowninviewingthe

MaudeLewisGallerywheretheyenjoyedseeingMaude'spaintingsandherquaintlittlehouse,beautifully

paintedwithheruniquefolkart.

TheywerealsogivenaveryinformativetourofthestorybehindtheSalzinnesAntiphonal-anilluminated

over-sizedmanuscriptintheformofachoirbookthatishand-scribedonvellum.Themanuscriptisaunique

16th century cultural artifact of international significance, and the story behind the artifacts was most

fascinating.

Theladiesmostdefinitelyenjoyedtheirdayawayandmarveledatalltheyhadlearned.Itisindeedtruethat

wearelifelonglearners.

ActivityCommitteeUpdateVickiTrenholm

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LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

Photo Brenda Zwicker

A lot of Wellness resources are available on the

provincial RTO website (http://rto.nstu.ca/). Topics

include health and positive aging links, alzheimer

and cancer support groups info, advance care

planning, and community links. The McMaster

Optimal Aging Portal is a comprehensive site and

focuses on research and information on specific

healthconcerns.

AnotherusefullinkistheGettingHomeSafelyguide

and checklist. This 10-page booklet outlines things

to consider and questions to ask when being

dischargedfromhospitalafteran illnessorsurgery.

Find it at

http://cgna.net/uploads/DischargeGuide_final_Sept

2013.pdf

Besuretochecksomeoftheseout!

___________________________________________

WellnessResources

The recipient of the 2017 Lunenburg County

RetiredTeachersBursary in the amount of $500

wasJulieCookofNewRoss,daughterofAnthony

andDebbieCook.

Julie attendedForestHeights CommunitySchool

andispresentlyattendingAcadiaUniversity.Her

futureplansareVeterinaryCollegewithaviewto

havingherownVeterinaryClinic.

Photo Brenda Zwicker

RTOBranchBursary

LUNENBURGCOUNTYBRANCH,RTO SEPTEMBER2017

BranchExecutivePresident - Debra Featherby dfeatherby@ns.sympatico.ca Vice President - Dan Thimot jcorr@eastlink.ca Past President - Glenn Demone glenndemone@gmail.com Treasurer - Brenda Zwicker blzwicker@nstu.ca Secretary - Herb Seymour hseymour@east link.ca Activity Chair - Vicki Trenholm vickitrenholm@hotmail.ca Member@Large - Glynda Wimmer gdwimmer@nstu.ca Member@Large - Olive Joudrey ojoudrey@east link.ca Website: rtolunenburg.weebly.com

Photo Brenda Zwicker

Membership

As a member of the RTO, a $3 membership fee is

deducted from your monthly Teachers Pension, for a

totalof$36peryear.

Membership entitles you to both provincial and local

branch status.Membership includes:votingprivileges;

theabilitytoholdanexecutivepositionwiththeRTO;

provincial and branch RTO newsletters and

communications; and access to NSTU deals and

discounts (outlined on the provincial website) by

Ifyouhaveoptedoutofbeingamember,youmaystillattendRTOactivitiesasanon-votingguestbut

may not receive notifications. Unsure of your status? Checkwith Herb Seymour orGlenn Demone

(emailaddressesbelow).

Further information, the membership brochure, and application forms can all be found on the

provincialwebsite(http://rto.nstu.ca/).