ORTA Trustee Report
Trustee Report by Helena Parry, February 2016
It has been requested by Carol Remington, President of ORTA, that as the Trustee for PCRTA, I serve on Survey/Needs Assessment Ad Hoc committee, as well as help to review the chapter report forms. The past PCRTA trustee, Ron Snowberger, will remain active in ORTA as part of the Membership and Finance Committees. Dave Gynn, Past President of ORTA, will serve on the ORTA Legislative Committee.
The responsibilities of a Trustee are to serve on ORTA committees as well as represent the local chapter’s concerns and support to ORTA.
Trustee Report by Ron Snowberger
It has been a great opportunity and pleasure to serve as the PCTRA Trustee for ORTA the past four years. As the term cannot exceed four years, I get a rest. Your new trustee will be Helena Parry, who will do an excellent job. Helena and I will be going to Columbus to attend the Fall Board meeting for ORTA on October 22. We will have a report for you at the November Board and general meetings.
Please give Helena your full support as she will be your eyes and ears on matters such as social security, STRS, charter school concerns and legislative matters. Your STRS and health benefits are dependent on YOU and your contributions.
RON, THANK YOU FOR THE DEDICATED SERVICE TO ORTA/PCRTA.
Trustee Ron Snowberger, September 17, 2014
Vice-president and program chair Georgia Darrah provided many interesting programs for the 2014 year. March featured George Sleigh who was in his office on the 91st floor of the New York World Trade Center on September 11 when the plane crashed only 50 feet above his head; May featured Ron with a power point presentation of his educational trip to China; July featured our scholarship program; September will feature Sharon Hunter from Streetsboro telling how she came to write her first book; November will feature Mike Kerrigan of NEOMED presenting the new facilities and tour of STEM school and buildings; December will close with our Christmas luncheon and music by Field School Falcon Academy, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade choir.
Community Service chair Judy Morgan continues to challenge PCRTA with volunteer activities. We currently serve local churches, Portage Center of Hope, Portage Clothing Center, Big Brothers and Sisters, North Eastern Ohio Medical University, nursing home visits, local libraries, school supplies for kids and much more. PCRTA is proud of their over 11,000 volunteer hours so far this year. Edith Scott, proctor chair for NEOMED, reports that our volunteer hours totaled 977 hours for the school year.
Dual membership continues to grow with the work of chair Judy Hendershot. We currently have 420 dual memberships in PCRTA and ORTA. We expect at least eight new members yet this calendar year.
Although I could not attend all the meetings, I am privileged to serve on the ORTA finance and visions/goals committees. The chairs are doing and have done a great job. I plan to attend the fall conference meetings.
Legislative chair, Dan McCombs, has arranged for a Meet the Candidates day at the Kent Free Library on Monday, October 13 at 11:00. All are invited to attend. Presenting their platforms for election will be representatives and Ohio Board of Education candidates. Letters were emailed to AARP regarding their position on mandatory social security.
Our July scholarship presentation by chair Jim Montaquila and his committee was outstanding. The program featured a revised theme, a power point presentation, introduction of the scholars, their parents and guests and the scholars’ response to a variety of questions. PCRTA was proud to present SIX $1,500.00 scholarships to future teacher students representing five Portage County high schools.
Our local newspaper carried a full page presentation in color, another plus in PR for PCRTA and ORTA. President Helena Parry encourages all members and others to visit our updated web page (pcrta.net). We hope you will visit us on this page which is prepared by Webmaster Connie Evans and assistant Karen Balog. The pre-retirement workshop was a grand success as reported by chairs Richard and Mary Ann Brockett.
THE PCRTA WOULD LIKE TO THANK RON FOR TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPRESENTING OUR PCRTA AT ORTA. THROUGHOUT RON’S TWO YEAR TERM TO WHICH HE WAS ELECTED BY OUR EXECTIVE BOARD, REQUIRES SEVERAL TRIPS TO ORTA IN COLUMBUS. OUR GROWTH IN MEMBERSHIP IS IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO KEEP A TRUSTEE POSITION AVAILABLE FOR PCRTA.
Responsibilities of the Chapter Trustee
By Dave Gynn
The 10 chapters maintaining the highest paid-up dual membership shall be entitled to elect one Chapter Trustee per chapter to represent them on the Board. Upon submission of the paid-up dual membership of each chapter the Executive Director shall determine the top 10 chapters. In the event of a tie for the 10th position, the tie shall be broken by a toss of a coin. Trustees may be elected for a two year term or the remainder of an unexpired term and may succeed themselves once.
1. Responsibility to the ORTA Board
a. Attend ORTA Board meeting in Columbus, held in May and November, and any special called meetings.
b. Prepare a report of chapter activities for such meetings, providing the State Office with an advance copy.
c. Attend respective Area and District Conferences and participate, as needed, in committee training sessions.
d. Chair, or serve on committees, as appointed by the President and approved by the Board.
e. Participate in the decision-making and policy-making functions of the Board, considering the needs of ORTA and his or her chapter
f. Bring to the attention of the State Board matters wherein the concerns, interests and views of the chapter differ from those of the State Board.
g. Cooperate with his or her District Director in working to secure the full support of their own chapter in policies and activities initiated by the ORTA.
2. Responsibility to Local Chapter
a. Attend meetings of the Chapter Board.
b. Report the activities and decisions of the ORTA Board and of the Executive Committee, and work with chapter officers in the implementation of those policies and actions.
c. Serve as a resource person for members to call for information on local ORTA problems.
d. Promote regular and life membership in the local, state, and the Retired Teacher Division of AARP.
e. Encourage attendance by his/her chapter members at ORTA sponsored meetings.
f. Assist the District Director in the work of the ORTA within his/her local chapter, urging participation in committees approved by ORTA.
g. Give special attention to the ORTA legislative program, urging active participation to secure enactment of ORTA sponsored and supported legislation.
h. Urge members to become personally acquainted with legislators.
Trustees are reimbursed for all reasonable expenses incurred while attending ORTA Board meetings or conducting ORTA business other than at their own chapter or chapter board meeting.