Vol. 29 | No. 2 | Fall 2017 206 - 1555 St. James St. Winnipeg, MB R3H 1B5 | 204-889-3660 | Toll Free: 1-888-393-8082 | info@rtam.mb.ca | www.rtam.mb.ca RETIRED ASSOCIATIONTEACHERS’OFMANITOBA
Published by 206-1555 St. James Street Winnipeg, MB R3H 1B5 Phone 889-3660 • 1-888-393-8082 Email: info@rtam.mb.ca • www.rtam.mb.ca Editor-in-Chief: Doreen Sage Box 252, Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0 Email: Executivedsage@mymts.netDirector:Mary-Anne Slegers Member Services Coordinator: Nicole Welwood Board of Directors 2017-2018 President: Rosalie Bornn Vice -President: JoAnne Hoyak Secretary: Joan Dawson Treasurer: Carol Pelton Past President: Directors-at-LargeVacant Ralph Cibula Jack Fraser Guy Hansen Guy JohnWallyBethRayDoreenPeggyJudyKenAlisonLacroixLoganMalcolmOlmsteadPrendergastSageSitterSmithStoykoSushelnitsky CreativeGaylDesign:PunzalanDirector, Blue Ink Media Email: Website:gayl@blueinkmedia.cablueinkmedia.ca Images : freepik.com, except the ones provided by the Copyrightcontributors.© 2017 by RTAM All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RTAM, 206 - 1555 St. James St. Winnipeg, MB R3H 1B5 KEEP IN TOUCH Vol. 29 No. 2 • Fall, 2017 RETIRED ASSOCIATIONTEACHERS’OFMANITOBA CoNTeNTS RWEA Chapter All materials for the next issue of KIT must be emailed with no formatting to dsage@mymts.net and received by November 07, 2017, 5:00 p.m. Materials published here do not necessarily represent the policies or views of RTAM. The Editorial Committee reserves the right to print, reject and/or edit for clarity, all materials received. President’s Message 3 Automated External Defibrillator 4 “Your Health Care Directive – Power Of Attorney, Wills & Help” 5 ACER-CART AGM 6 What Do I Do Now? How to Avoid Surprises with Your Insurance Coverage 8 Say Cheese! 11 On the Road to Mamma Mia 12 In Memoriam 13 Why Not Go "Blind?" 13 Life Members 13 My Experience Volunteering in Guatemala 14 A Good Week! 20 WREA Riding Mountain Excursion 21 Dr. Louisa Loeb Permit Teachers Of Manitoba 13Th Annual Reunion “Teachers and Students Together Again” 26 A Pioneer Permit Teacher 28 By the Book 29 Nicole Welwood 30 NOTICES & COMING EVENTS 31 2 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
RETIRED ASSOCIATIONTEACHERS’OFMANITOBA
Rosalie Bornn
G
• As Mother Nature puts the finishing touches on Summer 2017, we look to embrace the joys of Fall 2017, and hope for a long and mellow glorious autumn period.
reetings to all KIT Readers, and especially to those newly retired members who have just received their first official membership copies of KIT!
local eclipse viewing experience estimated for April, 2024.
• RTAM now has a Strategic Plan to help direct our operations. This is a new venture and we do hope that it is a successful addition to our tool chest.
It was a season of gorgeous mornings for sipping coffee on our lakefront deck, contemplating what the day had to offer: so different from more recent soggy Manitoba summers where carp lazily floated around on the lawn where we would normally have been cutting the grass. The arrival of our second grandchild, a baby girl, on August 11, was an obvious summer bonus to our family.
• My summer was a true Manitoba stay-cation. I am so fortunate to have enjoyed the thirtieth summer of our cabin on Lake Manitoba.
• The RTAM Office remained open through the summer where staff has been busy with routine tasks such as getting our financial records ready for the annual audit, as well as prepping for our September meeting of the Board of Directors. I do officially welcome our new Monday to Friday Member Services Coordinator, Nicole Welwood, who joined us mid May. Our part time Executive Director, Mary-Anne Slegers, is in her second year of assisting and guiding us. Do remember that ours is a small office environment that may close occasionally for small periods of time. I would suggest that you call the RTAM office prior to visiting to ensure that staff is available at the time that you wish to be there.
2017-2018President Continued on page 4
President’s Message
RTAM.MB.CA n 3
• Today, August 21, I witnessed the “not-so-total” eclipse of the sun. The sun burned off the early morning cloud and drizzle to make for a viewable experience in my part of Manitoba. My memory flashed back to February, 1979, where as a mom with a seven-month-old on “unpaid” adoptive leave, I got together with another stay-at-home mom to watch the eclipse with protective welders’ eye shields. I now wonder just where I will be for the next
• The ten-year period of Bill 45 that restricted our TRAF pension annual COLA has ended. The MTS/RTAM joint agreement for disbursal of the approximately $27 million accumulated restricted surplus fund was forwarded to the Government by the TRAF Board following their June meeting. As yet, RTAM has not been updated on that process.
RTAM
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
COMMITTEE REPORTS
President’s Message (continued from page 3)
4 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
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• Thank you for reading this quarterly edition of KIT. I do know that the Editor and KIT Committee members are always pleased to receive responses to their editions and submissions for print from the RTAM Happymembership.Fallto one & all!
intention known and to get the particulars of the upcoming meeting.
Training was provided by Andrew from the First Aid Centre-CRCTrainingINC.
By Mary-Anne Slegers, RTAM Executive Director; Photos by John Sushelnitsky
n automated external defibrillator (AED) device has been purchased and installed in the RTAM offices. The installation was in response to an emergency situation which had occurred at a seminar held in the RTAM boardroom. Johnson Inc. generously funded 50% of the cost of the AED purchase, installation and training. A training session was held for all Board Members and staff. The AED is registered with the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba ensuring that the information needed by Emergency Medical Services during a cardiac arrest is available to them and our community members.
• RTAM has a complement of seventeen, mostly returning, volunteer Directors, prepared to “serve and advocate for all retired teachers” as our Mission Statement states. I encourage all members to consider serving for a time as Board or Committee members. I also encourage those who may have an interest to attend one of our monthly Board meetings. Just contact the RTAM Office to make your
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Automated DefibrillatorExternal
Gordon Howard Senior Centre. All seniors in the Interlake, Beausejour, Lac du Bonnet and West St. Paul area of Winnipeg are welcome to attend. Program information and registration details will be posted on the RTAM website when finalized.
We are planning a similar Wellness Seminar for Carman with the RTAM Boyne Chapter for November 1 for the area that includes Winkler, Morden, Steinbach and the South East area of Winnipeg and St. James ForumAAssiniboia.Senior’sAdvocacywillbeheldat the
Date: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017
SAVE THE DATE
Sharon Tod, B.A., LL.B., - St Mary’s Law, 619 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, is the presenter. Her preferred areas of practice are Wills and Estates and Real Estate.
Time: 1:30 p. m. - 3:30 p. m.
1:30 – 1:40 Opening remarks
WELLNESS SEMINAR
Place: Arts Forward Gallery, 293 Mountain Avenue, NEEPAWA, MB
Please bring $5.00 cheque, payable to RTAM, to the Seminar. ¡
...........
TO REGISTER
...........
3:20 – 3:30 ........... Evaluation and Closing Remarks
PROGRAM
Phone the RTAM Office at: 204-889-3660 or 1-888-393-8082 (Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) OR Email your name, address, postal code, email and phone number to office@rtam.mb.ca with “October 4 Registration” in the subject line.
1:15 REGISTRATION
COMMITTEE REPORTS
“Your Health Care Directive –Power Of Attorney, Wills & Help”
........................
November 8, 2017
SEMINARWELLNESSUPCOMING
RTAM.MB.CA n 5
PLEASE REGISTER WITH THE RTAM OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Registration fee: $5.00. Registration will be limited to 60 participants and will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis.
1:40 – 3:20 Preventing Financial Abuse – Power of AttorneyHealth Care Directive, Wills and HELP for all of these areas of our lives.
• Shared Risk plans are not a compromise. They accomplish all employer goals at the expense of plan members.
• Small changes in complex economic models resulted in huge result changes. CUPE’s analysis indicates that government statistics are a best case scenario, oversold security and downplayed risk shifting.
ACER-CART AGM
to calendar year of birth not subject to age/ service-related reduction rules; Same Survivor Benefits for both single and married members; and Pension Formulas based on career-average price or wage-indexed earnings.
On the afternoon of June 11, 2017, a pre-AGM orientation for new ACER-CART directors and observers was conducted by Executive Director Roger Régimbal. It focused on the structure, roles and priorities of ACER-CART.
• CUPE maintains that it is wrong in principle to retroactively change pension promises to active members and retirees. The best security for workers and retirees remains a legal Defined Benefit guarantee.
Mark Janson, Senior Pensions Officer, CUPE, offered a presentation on Myths about “Shared Risk” Pension Plans. In addition to providing the background information from the 2012 Pension law amendments in New Brunswick, Mark challenges the main arguments used to promote Shared Risk plans:
2. Guideline for DB Pension Plan Design based on: Pensionable age set in reference
1. Financing Policy based on: Ongoing valuation basis as opposed to the solvency basis which produces overly volatile and conservative actuarial valuation results; No Asset Smoothing; Realistic steady long term assumptions; No Contingency Reserve; and Amortization of any Surplus or Debt over 15 years.
The orientation session was followed by two presentations on Bill C-27, both of which are available from the RTAM Executive Director.
• Shared Risk plans place the burden of risk on plan member through possible contribution increases, failure to provide indexation and possible unlimited cuts to benefits.
Respectfully submitted by Bill Cann
Bernard Dussault, Consulting Actuary for the C.D. Howe Institute presented a very interesting Counterproposal to Bill C-27. He uses the analogy of being a pension doctor who recommends treating a pension with lack of sustainability (due to equity, affordability, solvency and cost fluctuation issues) with two vaccines:
6 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
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Bill C-27
ACER-CART
• There are no benefit guarantees in a Shared Risk plan. All benefits, including base benefits (for both past and future service) can be reduced without limit.
he ACER-CART AGM was a very interesting and stimulating experience, which left me humbled by the amazing work being done for retired teachers by our national organization as well as those in our sister provinces and territories. I have decided to structure my report around the following bold faced themes:
• A very effective political advocacy strategy is to request members who are currently making annual contributions to political parties to notify the party that future donations will be withheld until Bill C-27 is withdrawn or defeated and until a National Public Drug Plan is established.
RTAM.MB.CA n 7
Highlights from Across Canada
ACER-CART
Membership Recruitment
• In the spring of 2016, the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors began a wide-ranging project to recognize the contributions seniors provide and to help government integrate new thinking about older persons and their contribution to the province. Fifty recommendations were included in the publication SHIFT – Action Plan for an Aging Population.
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National Public Drug Program for All
• SERFNB is distributing its magazine Entre Nous electronically by email at a saving of thousands of dollars annually. Individual members may still elect to receive paper copies.
Timed presentations from both the Canadian Health Coalition and Johnson Inc. stressed the need to develop a national public drug plan which would provide prescription drugs to all Canadians in a fair and equal manner, with oversight and some funding by the federal government. Canada is the only country in the world with public health care but no matching national drug plan. This leaves one in every ten Canadians unable to afford prescribed medications. Only a third of Canadians are covered by public drug plans which vary from province to province. Most are covered partially through their workplace by private insurance plans that are expensive and often unreliable. A drug manufactured and vetted in Canada sold in Canada at $30 per capita and in New Zealand at $1.06 per capita. Recent research has shown that a national public drug plan could save the Federal Government as much as $11 billion annually.The Canadian Health Coalition website can be accessed at pharmacarenow.ca
ACER-CART Past President, Jo-Ann Lauber, outlined the history and efforts by many organizations and individuals to develop the Declaration Concerning a National Health Care Strategy for Seniors. RTAM has endorsed this declaration and has posted it on our website.
During the member reports, ACER-CART President Brian Kenny frequently remarked on the similarities of the challenges faced by provincial organizations and on the uniqueness of the many attempted solutions. Here are a few highlights from those reports;
National Health Care Strategy for Seniors
community, such as child care, educational assistants, school boards, colleges and universities. These individuals enjoy full benefits along with associate memberships.
Both Ontario and Alberta have significantly increased membership by making their group insurance plan available to employees and retirees from other members of the educational
• Only Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island have representatives as Group Insurance Trustees.
8 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
COMMITTEE REPORTS
NoDoWhatIDoW?
How to Avoid Surprises with Your Insurance Coverage
L
eaving your passport on the kitchen counter and only realizing it halfway to the airport – or worse yet, while standing in front of an electronic check-in kiosk – is like experiencing a real-life version of the dream where you show up to a final exam and remember you haven’t attended a single class all
If you have the Premier Travel Insurance Plan and have been declared medically fit to travel, you will very likely be covered for any health emergencies experienced while travelling. To be considered medically fit, the following criteria must be met:
• you are not travelling against medical advice or with the intention of obtaining medical treatment abroad
Losing a spouse is a traumatic event that can plunge the surviving spouse into a world of uncertainty. Ideally, you want to worry about taking care of yourself, rather than worry about whether someone will be there to take care of you if a medical need arises. For RTAM members, the surviving spouse of a full/associate member who was enrolled in an RTAM sponsored plan at the time of death may keep the current coverage without a gap in coverage by applying for an associate
• there has been no hospitalization or referral to a specialist (made or recommended) and there is no further investigation for which results are pending
membership of their own as soon as is reasonably possible.
When and how should I contact Johnson Inc.?
• address update
COMMITTEE REPORTS
• change in supplemental travel plans
• general questions about Johnson Inc. insurance plans
We are always happy to receive your phone calls and emails! RTAM members, can call 1.877.989.2600 (Select Option #2) with any questions, especially time-sensitive issues. You can also email us at pbservicewest@johnson.ca for any of the following updates or requests:
• request a current policy booklet (Certificate of Insurance)
• there has been no test result showing a deterioration
• request a call back– be sure to include your phone number and best time to call ¡
RTAM.MB.CA n 9
• change in banking information for premium payments
• any policy changes
You never want to submit a large claim and have it denied, resulting in significant financial hardship. We don’t want that either! The best way to prevent this is to familiarize yourself with your coverage, so you know before making any decisions whether the claim is likely to be approved. Do you have Extended Health Care? Do you have coverage for medical emergencies while travelling? Are you covered for home care, hospital, and ambulance? Hearing aids, medical devices, or paramedical practitioners like physiotherapists and psychologists? If so, how much is covered and for how long? If you have any doubts, it would be wise to contact Johnson Inc. before incurring any expenses.
semester. Something has gone terribly wrong but it’s too late to do anything about it. What do you doYounow?likely want to do everything you can to make sure you don’t ever experience that particular sinking feeling. This includes familiarizing yourself with your insurance coverage. It is better to know ahead of time what to expect and what is required from you, so that you don’t end up scrambling to gather information in an emergency or time of great upheaval in your life. We’ve compiled a list of four scenarios that might result in that “What do I do now?” feeling, and some tips on how to avoid them.
What is my coverage?
Am I covered for an emergency while travelling?
Will my coverage continue if my spouse passes away?
Note: if you are at all concerned, you should consult with your physician about your travel plans and medical fitness for travel, and request that a statement is placed in your medical file to be reviewed in the event of a claim.
__________________________________________
The KIT editorial committee’s photo contest entry deadline is 3:00 p.m. on November 8, 2017.
PHOTOGRAPH TITLE: (optional)
Photography CONTEST
DATE________________________
PHOTOCOPIED.BEMAYFORMTHIS
You can find the contest rules at: http://bit.ly/2wg0hVm
· Canada Day: Any picture taken on Canada Day which shows what Canada means to Canadians.
All entries to be sent by postal service, courier or hand delivered to:
DeCLARATIoN
RTAM
10 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
I agree to abide by the RTAM SUMMER 2017 PHOTO CONTEST RULES as set forth by RTAM and posted on www.rtam.mb.ca. and in KIT. I also agree that RTAM and its officers, directors, and employees shall not be liable, without limitations, for any claims based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy. I also confirm that I am a member in good standing of RTAM.
RETIRED TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA (RTAM)
PLeASe PRINT ADDRESSNAME POSTAL CODE PHONE EMAIL CATEGORY
Summer 2017 Photo Contest Official Entry Form
RTAM SUMMeR 2017 Photo Contest, 206-1555 St. James St., Winnipeg, MB R3H 1B5 or emailed to: office@rtam.mb.ca
ENTRY DEADLINE: 3:00 p.m., NOVEMBER 8, 2017
Two categories:
SIGNATURE
· Autumn Foliage: Any plants or trees showing autumn colours.
I confirm that all information given by me in connection to the photography contest is true and correct.
A copy of this form must be attached to the back of each entry submitted by mail or filled in, signed by photographer and mailed to the RTAM office where it will be attached to the emailed photo ❏ Canada ❏ Autumn
3. Identify a focal point. If you are taking a picture of a field for example, find a tree, or maybe a wisp of cloud, a hut, or a pile of hay to make your focal point. Lack of focal point makes the scene empty, or dead.
• Delete the closed eyes shots and ones when people just look downright awful.
“Buying a camera does not make us a photographer. It makes us a camera owner.” Same goes with “buying a car doesn’t make us a driver.” Even if you had all the money in the world to buy the most expensive car, if you don’t know how to drive it, that most expensive car is just furniture. Okay, so how do we “drive” our camera then? Here are some tips.
Say Cheese!
Photographing an Event
Photography gives me a sense of peace and reprieve whenever I’m out to take photos. It is especially gratifying when I see my captured images in a big screen – where I can closely look at the vibrant colours and details of each photo.
• Whenever possible, try to get your group outside.
Event photography credit: imagemaven.com
• Avoid taking photos of people shoving food into their mouth or when their mouth is open. They’ll hate you for it.
• Get people on different levels as opposed to standing all in a row. ¡
5. Consider the time of the day. Photography is about light. The best time to take a landscape photo is when it’s sunny and bright. This is between 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you want a dramatic, or dreary effect, do it a little before sunrise, or sunset.
• Don’t bother with room shots unless you are taking it to show how big the crowd is.
RTAM.MB.CA n 11
By Gayl Punzalan, Partner & Creative Director at Blue Ink Media
2. Use a tripod. When you are shooting with less amounts of light (like maybe 6:00 p.m. in the autumn season kind of light), you have to have stability or else your image will be blurry.
1. Use high depth of field. When I am taking long shots, I make sure that both foreground and background are sharp.
My love for photography started when I was around ten years old, I held that type called waist level viewfinders – where you peek from the top and click! Yeah, remember?! I was awe-struck by what it did that I just wanted to click all day. I was even more excited to see the prints that my dad brought home, and we would sit as a family and look at them one by one, laughing at how badly we looked on some of them.
For group shots:
4. Capture movement or action. When you are at a shore, for example, and want to take a picture of the lake, time it where you will capture the wave in action.
Landscape Photography
• Don’t take photos of people’s backs or top of their head.
On a personal note, the actors included a varied ethnic mix and and a good selection of body types, since in the real world, one size does not fit all, just like a single lesson plan in the classroom!
The rest of the trip home was very quiet, after the supper stop . Getting back to the play, I still felt that a live stage performance is better then a movie, for as Shakespeare said, “The play’s the thing!”
Kel Smith ready to enter the Rainbow stage theater
12 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
Tour leader Captain Smith said about the day, “We saw Rainbow Stage at its very best,” and I believe our crew of 44 will agree with this statement! I highly recommend “Mamma Mia” to all of you.
This year’s destination was very different in content and date, when the group decided to motor to Winnipeg on the air-conditioned bus borrowed from the local Virden hockey team to see Mamma Mia at Rainbow stage in Kildonan Park. Since the total package included the bus, all meals, tickets, bus refreshments and games, it was important to fill all the seats on the bus.
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The whole group of intrepid educators after the event on the trip home.
Written and sent by Ed James at the request of Kel Smith and Ed Arndt
M
ost teachers are an adventurous lot and the former school employees in the SWA Chapter are no exception. I have also found that they tend to be life long learners as the world is constanly changing. Our local chapter meets every so often for a lunch to remember the “Good Old Days “ or talk about their newest adventure.Atmost of these luncheons there is a guest speaker with a topic of interest to us! One of the yearly highlights of the group is a spring road trip to some location, that in the past have included all four points of the compass. The location is decided by majority vote and plans are made by the trip co-ordinator, who for the last several years has been well-known locally and almost retired teacher, Kelvon Smith.
On the ride home there was a stop at a Portage la Prairie hotel for the Sunday night buffet and our group took no prisoners with the dessert bar being very popular.
On the Road to Mamma Mia
Kel opened the trip up to chapter family members and before we knew it, we had 44 people ready to go, on that hot August afternoon. During the drive, there were movies, bingo and trivia games, along with lots of fellowship and fun! The trip was well worth it and the play was very well done had most of the group singing and clapping along with the stage action.
Helga S. Anderson, Winnipeg Sandra Helen Arthur, Brandon Laurie Ann Bjornson, Portage la Prairie Rita M. A. Bohemier, Winnipeg Derek Thomas Burgess, Winnipeg Roger R. Carbotte, Winnipeg Cornelius Vincent Furdievich, Portage la Prairie H. Diane Gerhard, Winnipeg Alfred G. Goebel, Winnipeg Margaret Eleanor Harris, Neepawa
RTAM.MB.CA n 13
MAY, 2017
may have noticed that when sending an email to an address you have the option of sending a CC (carbon copy) or a BCC (blind carbon copy). You may have wondered about the blind version, how this works, and why in the world you would need this.
A useful function for some BCC use is to streamline the receiving email to something less cluttered when several dozens of email addresses need to be copied. In this way an email can be sent to the sender’s own email address with all the other email addresses located in the BCC line, Recipients then will have a much shorter email to review upon receiving it.
The “To” line is used when you want the email sent to someone from whom you may desire a reply, You want them to do something, or the email is for their information as they have been previously engaged in the discussion or may be in the future. For those whom you may wish to be made aware, but from whom you do not expect an answer, a CC serves the purpose.
Wilfred L. Arnason, Gimli David James Bertnick, Winnipeg Debra Chorney, Winnipeg
In Memoriam
William J. Birtles, Winnipeg Lois I. Finch, Winnipeg William R. Howe, Winnipeg Donald Andrew Hutniak, Winnipeg Helen Jane Jeffrey, Holland Christopher S. O’Grady, Winnipeg Joseph J. Rebizant, Malonton Russell Roney, Brandon Laura Heidi Sawatzky, Kelowna, BC William Van Rooy, Ottawa, ON
JULY, 2017
Harold D. Christie, Winnipeg P. Joyce Aitken, Winnipeg Dolores E. Broadfoot, Nanaimo, BC Gordon Kehler, Morden Dorothy M. Sadler, Swan River Helene Rousseau, Winnipeg
J. Helen Compton, Aurora, ON Edward Tomchuk, Winnipeg Margaret Wiens, Winnipeg
There may be occasions when the topic is a sensitive one and while you want to alert another party of the discussion you are having, you don’t want the initial recipient to be aware. That’s where
Linda Marie Henry, McCreary Marylouise Carmela Lisi, Winnipeg Peter Maendel, Portage la Prairie Bruce J. Mintenko, Oakville Zainool Mohammed, Winnipeg Lois G. Peterson Gervais, Nanaimo, BC Rose Marie Pratt, Winnipeg Velma Wayne, Brandon Heather Yeo, Portage la Prairie
April, 2017
JUNE, 2017
You
Florence A. Curtis, Denare Beach, SK Margaret J. Dumontet, Winnipeg Bernice Eleanor Graham, Winnipeg Phyllis W. Johnson, Starbuck Mari e Louise Last, Ile des Chenes Douglas Lawrence Lindsay, Sandy Hook Patricia Ann Lohr, Winnipeg Kathleen Major, Victoria, BC Charles Emmanuel Newman, Winnipeg Katharina Ostermann, Winnipeg Sheila Lyna Perlmutter, Winnipeg Robert G. Sadler, Niverville Josef A. Segal, Ottawa, ON Gene Ross Walker, Vancouver, BC Gertrude I. Wotton, Swan River
First, one should understand that there is some etiquette to the manner in which copies are distributed. One should always ask oneself who really needs to see the email you are sending. When emailing the same message to a large number of people, using their visible addresses in the “To” line or the “Copy” line allows all the recipients to see the names and email addresses of all who were sent this email. For some this is an invasion of their privacy.
Life Members
Why Not Go "Blind?" Vaughn Wadelius
June, 2017
a BCC is useful since any name and email address located there is not visible to any of the recipients, and if one wants to give a heads up to another party this can be a way to do it.. Using this line, however, has a possible problem if someone subsequently uses the “Reply to all” function, as the reply will go to all those who received the initial email including those on the BCC line that were unseen by theSomereplier.may feel awkward when they are the recipient of a BCC email. Do they have to reply? Are they supposed to know what the topic is about? This dilemma is resolved by simply not responding to it, or sending a separate email to the initial sender and asking to be removed from the BCC option in the future.
E. Clarice Brown, Portage la Prairie Peter Friesen, Winnipeg Jean Cyrus, Edmonton, AB Elizabeth Doell, Altona W. June Cook, Minitonas Vera I. Wylychenko, Lethbridge, AB Hendrika Hartman, Winnipeg Evelyn Striemer, Kelowna, BC
May, 2017
Email can be a real drain on management time, so less is more when it cuts down on the emails received.
We are a group of six volunteers who have come to work with five teachers and the students of Joya Verde School. Five of us are retired teachers. Our sixth team member is a financial planner, a Rotarian and our team leader. We will stay for four weeks, sharing and demonstrating different teaching strategies and activities. We are here because of Rotary. Rotary 5550 district extends from Saskatoon in the west, to Sioux Lookout in the east, to Flin Flon in the north. The district initiative called The Ripple Effect Program is committed to creating a positive change in educational opportunities for disadvantaged
e first spot the Guatemalan village as we round a bend in the steep mountain road descending into the valley. Looking down, we see the corrugated metal roofs of homes built on the side of the mountain. As we get farther down the valley we see the metal roofs are supported by corrugated metal walls. Some of the buildings have windows or doors, but most just have openings where these might go someday. We note that a few buildings have brick walls and a few more are under construction. There are chickens, roosters and turkeys roaming about; they seem to be at peace with the numerous dogs who have come to greet us. Children and adults wave to us as we continue our descent. At the very
bottom of the valley we see our destination, the K-6 school in Joya Verde.
My Experience VOLUNTEERING IN GUATEMALA
Submitted by Ron Nordstrom
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children. This is accomplished through funding to build schools in underprivileged areas. The program also provides some school equipment, scholarships and offers teacher training programs. Much of their effort has been put into Guatemala.
A guitar attracted quite a few singers at recess time.
We celebrate Canada during a Monday morning assembly. The Santa Catalina Arch is one of the most iconic images of Antigua, a World Heritage Site.
play area is surrounded by a tall fence like a tennis court to keep the equipment from rolling down theWemountain.arrivedin
Joya Verde School is a Ripple Effect school. Joya Verde started as a squatter’ village; just three or four shacks, built on the side of the mountain. As the community grew, a school and church were built. The two-room school was built on the side of a steep mountain. During rainy season, the path to the school becomes unstable and dangerous. In addition, numerous mudslides dumped debris against the walls and on the roof of the school. The community quickly outgrew the school. That’s when the Canadian Rotarians stepped in to provide funding for the new sixroom school in a safer location. One of the rooms is a computer room with twenty computers. There is also a concrete surface multi-sport play area with soccer goals and basketball backboards. The
Most of our new Rotary friends spoke English but Spanish was going to be our main language for the next four weeks. Fortunately, we would be communicating with the parents through a translator. Our translator, Gretel, is a Rotary member who translates for high ranking
Guatemala last night, around midnight. We were met at the airport by members of Rotary Norte, a local Rotary branch, our partner in this venture. This morning we had brunch at a Rotarian’s home where we had a chance to meet the rest of the club. We were greeted by a marimba band as we entered the yard. The marimba is the national instrument and Guatemalans love to dance to the music. By 2:00 we arrived at Joya Verde School to introduce ourselves to parents and students and explain what we will be doing for the next month.
RTAM.MB.CA n 15
Ron Nordstrom with his Joya Verde School partner Jamie Chavez.
international dignitaries who need her services. All six of us have been studying Spanish since we were first chosen for this program; five months ago. I thought I would be fairly fluent by now. I was actually feeling pretty good about my Spanish, as I knew how to order food, how to get directions, how to speak to a cab driver or ask for a room and use other phrases that would be handy for a tourist. Unfortunately, the language needed to talk about reading, writing, math, physical education, art, music and computers was not part of my Spanish course. Rotary Norte had contracted three university students to translate for us during school hours and when we held workshops for the Guatemalan teachers. Although there was no cell signal in the valley, I had the foresight to download Spanish to work offline on my phone with Google Translate. This would prove to be an invaluable, although a somewhat slow, avenue to communication. Education in Guatemala is free and compulsory up to grade six. After grade six, it is the responsibility of the parent to fund education. The country has the lowest literacy rate in Central America with one quarter of the population over 15 unable to read. In rural areas like Joya Verde, 60% are illiterate. Only 34% of children go to middle school with even fewer going on to high school. High school costs between $600 and $1200 per year depending on the subjects. This cost is prohibitive for much of the population. In addition, most high schools are located in cities, so rural students do not have access to them. Education is underfunded, especially in rural Guatemala. With class sizes of 35 - 40 students, classrooms do not have enough space, teaching materials or furniture. Many rural schools do not have water or proper washroom facilities. School uniforms, books, supplies, and transportation are not supplied by the government. Joya Verde only has a K - 6 school. Students wanting to attend grade 7 must fund it 100% from home, but also have to walk a few kilometres up the mountain to catch a bus or two to get them to school. We knew we were not here to fix the system, but to do what we could to improve the future opportunities for
The Canadian team consisted of Eva Vida, Carolyn Hudson, Doris Mengleberg, Ron Nordstrom, Margaret Ronning, and Mariette Baker.
Three Joya Verde students.
CHAPTER REPORTS 16 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
There was one particular grade 5 girl who was a natural leader. She seemed to know instinctively how to organize a small group of kindergarten students for reading time. She engaged the younger students by asking them questions about the pictures and the story.
RTAM.MB.CA n 17
140Ourchildren.firstfew days with the teachers and students were spent watching and learning the daily routines and teaching methods. We would be here for the month of February. The school year in Guatemala starts in January and ends in October. I am paired with Jamie Chavez who teaches 34 grade five and six students. I discover he is an engaging speaker who is well liked by his students. He works a second job in the evening driving a three wheeled taxi called a tuk-tuk. Teachers are not paid much and many need a second job. The school day runs from 7:30 - 12:30 p.m. After school, Jamie does lesson planning and correcting at home before going to his second job. Teachers in Guatemala have different qualifications, depending on their placement. Those most qualified tend to teach in cities, with the least qualified ending up in small villages. Less qualified does not mean less dedicated. It only means the teacher could not afford to continue teacher training. We discovered some very good teachers who only knew a very traditional approach to teaching. Our job was to show them different approaches.
A needs survey was completed by the Joya Verde teachers; their top priorities were strategies for reading, writing, and mathematics. In addition, they wanted strategies to motivate students and build the students’ self-esteem. I taught physical education for 18 years and was a divisional Computer Coordinator and art teacher for another 15. I was also a classroom teacher for grades 3, 4, 7, and 8 for a few years before I retired. Fortunately, as a Computer Coordinator I had the opportunity to learn teaching strategies from some amazing teachers and I felt confident I could handle whatever challenges presented themselves.Wequickly found the students were very passive in the classroom. They read a text or listened to a lecture then answered questions which were reviewed later in the class or the next day. Students were silent unless called upon for an answer. There was very little interaction between students. This was not an environment to build
CHAPTER REPORTS
self-esteem. We could understand the issue with low student motivation.
Twice a week, after school, we held workshops demonstrating ways to make their learning environments more active and engaging for the students. For example, we saw teachers using flash cards. They held up one card and asked a specific student for the answer. Different students are asked until the correct answer was obtained. We showed the teachers that if you give each student a plastic plate and a whiteboard marker, all students can answer each question and hold up their plate to show the teacher. This way the teacher gets immediate feedback as to how many students know the answer. We also used decks of playing cards with the face cards removed to do math games. For example, students could pair up and play “War.” Each student has half the deck; they both place a card down at the same time, multiply the numbers and call out the answer. The student who gives the correct answer first gets both cards. We demonstrated how to modify the game by instead adding the numbers, squaring the numbers, adding a third card, or identifying
when I think of the joy on the students’ faces as they took turns using the ropes. We used recess to incorporate activities that were not part of the Guatemala curriculum. Juggling is a cross brain activity that improves concentration, relieves stress and can improve self-esteem. After a quick demonstration, the students were eager to learn the skills. We stretched balloons over sandwich bags filled with rice to create inexpensive juggling balls. Every recess the students would race to the bag with the juggling balls and work on their skills. After a month, there were some pretty good jugglers. I also took this time to bring out my guitar and sing with the students. They taught me songs in Spanish and I taught them English songs. One student in particular wanted to learn “This Land is Your Land.” We also introduced recorders and showed the students a rhythmic cup routine. These activities were meant to be fun but also increase the self-esteem and motivation of the students. Success was measured by the huge smiles, the laughter and the unbridled enthusiasm demonstrated by the students.
We knew that success in school had direct implications towards student motivation and selfesteem. We also knew that one teacher with 34 students in an active classroom would not work. We needed 35 teachers and 35 students. Ask any teacher, the best way to learn anything is to teach it. We demonstrated how the students could work together with their peers to reinforce concepts. We started a Reading Buddy program with older students pairing up with younger students.
18 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
CHAPTER REPORTS
In Guatemala, students need to have a birth certificate in order to attend school. There are a number of reasons why students would not have a birth certificate, including a home birth. Getting a birth certificate requires a lawyer, a lot of meeting time, patience and money. Parents have the time and patience, but not the money. We were able to secure birth certificates for three students while we were there. A ten year old girl was able to go to school for the first time. The joy and pride on her father’s face each day as he brought her to school was one of those priceless memories I will always treasure.
With school ending at 12:30 each day, we wondered what we would do the rest of the day. Would we be bored? The answer presented itself very quickly. We planned and implemented the teacher workshops twice per week. Local Rotarians were wonderful hosts planning evening tours, suppers and meetings with us. We met with a local university to create an approved curriculum for the Joya Verde teachers. They would be able to earn a certificate and upgrade their teaching credentials, which meant more pay
the greater number. Many other strategies were demonstrated including using dice, dominoes and tools like a hundred chart in math, or poker or bingo chips with the Spanish alphabet for word games in language class.
A ten year old girl was able to go to school for the first time. The joy and pride on her father’s face each day as he brought her to school was one of those priceless memories I will treasure.always
There was one particular grade 5 girl who was a natural leader. She seemed to know instinctively how to organize a small group of kindergarten students for reading time. She engaged the younger students by asking them questions about the pictures and the story. I see teaching in her future. We also brought down two donated data projectors, so students could present to their peers. We had students working in pairs on novel studies. We had students standing in front of the class leading flashcard drills. Wherever we could, we gave students leadership roles and responsibilities.Studentshad one break during the day, a 30 minute recess. This was my favourite time, (some things never change); I got to play. On our first day we brought out skipping ropes. I still smile
ruralOurstudents.monthflew by and before we knew it we were in our final week. The school hosted a learning fair to celebrate all they had learned. It was very well attended by the community, local politicians, representatives from the university and local Rotarians. A lot of eyes were watching to determine the success of our program. Even the local newspaper and television station were in attendance.
RTAM.MB.CA n 19
Would I do this again? You bet, but I hope my Spanish is better next time. ¡
for the teachers. We shopped for school supplies, furniture for the school and our own food. We made presentations to other Rotary clubs, to describe what we were doing. And of course, being teachers, we did lots of planning for demonstrations in the classroom. We had long days. We were never Guatemalabored.isabeautiful country; we had a chance to see some of the top tourist spots over two weekends. One weekend we went to Antigua, the old capital, which is now designated as a World Heritage Site. It was a photographer’s paradise with so many old restored buildings and others that were never restored after earthquake damage. We also had a chance to visit a coffee plantation where we learned the process from planting to packaging. Guatemala has some of the finest coffee in the world and we were happy to drink as much as we could.
Volunteering in Guatemala has to be one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences I have ever had. Everyone was so grateful we were there. When we first landed in Guatemala the pilot thanked us for our volunteer service. Local Rotarians were constantly thanking us. Students, parents and teachers were very happy we came. When we talked to waiters or street vendors about who we were and why we were here, they all thanked us for working with their students. We felt good about what we had accomplished but we know that so much more is needed.
A few of the Joya Verde students.
CHAPTER REPORTS
On our final day, the grade 5 and 6 class had a farewell party for us. We ate, drank, talked and hugged; it was very emotional. It is surprising how connected you can become after spending only a month together. We had a firecracker sendoff during our final exit from the community. As our van headed up the steep hill, students and dogs raced along side us as people lit off strings of firecrackers along the road. It was a fantastic exit.
On another weekend, we were able to go to Panahachel, a small community on the shores of Lake Atitlan. The lake is picturesque, surrounded by volcanoes. On the same trip we also went to Chichicastenango, a town known for its open air market and indigenous Mayan culture. The area is famous for textiles so the market is a sea of amazing colour. That same weekend we visited a university to see how teachers were being trained. We were pleased to discover they are learning all about active learning and were using many of the same activities we demonstrated at Joya Verde. Hopefully, some of these teachers will end up in small villages to provide quality education for
had a very good week at work. On Wednesday, we had a coffee & cake event to celebrate National Public Service Week. The staff managed to totally surprise me when they announced that they had submitted my name to the COR Happiness-at-Work Award. Out of 173 nominations across Canada, I ranked 5th. They presented me with a certificate and a card with the comments (from) various colleagues made with the nomination. They relished the fact that they
Saskatchewan-based Canada 150 Video Cat & Staff Jan Cote, Norbert Philippe, Hakibu Tanko, Serena Ward, Yvonne Sparvier, David Lee (GIS Manager who plotted the Canada 150 logo in the combine’s GPS), Allan Ng, Pierre Corriveau.
#
A Good Week!
Mr. Philippe is the retired superintendent of St. Vital (Louis Riel) S.D. 06
DMCA Presentation
20 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
I
Submitted by Marcel J. Mayer, recognizing the awards presented to Mr. Philippe
had kept it a secret and had surprised me. The next day, Pierre Corriveau, Assistant Deputy Minister of AAFC, arrived in Regina from Ottawa to present awards on behalf of the Deputy Minister. Our Canada 150 video team was awarded one of four Deputy Minister Commendation Award. The ceremony was videoconferenced across Canada to all Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada offices. A special event is being planned for the children in the video. ¡
Article and photos by Judy Olmstead
ExcursionWREA Riding Mountain
On the only sunny, calm, warm day in two weeks, 19 WREA members and friends drove to Clear Lake, in Riding Mountain National Park, for their excursion made possible by the RTAM Chapter Initiative grant. We chose Riding Mountain for our trip this year as the National Parks offered free admission in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, and a cruise around Clear Lake aboard the Martese was our special event.
The group met at 10:30 a.m. in Brandon to carpool for the one-hour drive to Riding Mountain National Park. Upon arrival, some went to a restaurant for lunch, while others enjoyed a picnic lunch outdoors. Touring the local shops entertained us for the next hour until we met at the beach for our 2 p.m. cruise on the Martese. Once we departed the dock, the young captain informed us of the geology and history of Riding Mountain National Park.
Our Trip
The Martese that cruises Clear Lake
RTAM.MB.CA n 21
populations of furbearers were depleted, with species such as the otter, marten, fisher and wolverine disappearing completely.
WREA members meet to travel to Riding Mountain National Park
Between 1731 and 1749, Pierre de la Verendrye and his sons explored the region and traded with First Nations. A trading post was first established on Lake Dauphin, north of present-day Riding Mountain National Park in 1741, and by the Hudson Bay Company in 1744. By the 1800s, the highland was surrounded by fur trading posts and a rich harvest of furs travelled to European countries. After 150 years of exploitation, the
In 1895, 3975 square kilometres of land in Riding Mountain was designated as a timber
During the last ice age, most vegetation in the Riding Mountain region was eliminated and remained that way after the retreat of the glaciers 12,500 years ago. About 11,500 years ago, a spruce dominated forest began to grow. This vegetation changed as the climate changed until grasslands and boreal forests appeared and began to resemble the ecosystems of today.
Pacific Rail reached Brandon in 1881, settlers established themselves on the plains around Riding Mountain. These settlements used the highland as a source of timber for building, for railroads, firewood, and wild meat to supplement their food supply. Since riding was the easiest means of exploring the rugged highland in search of furs and game, the original name of Fort Dauphin Hill was changed to Riding Mountain.
The area was inhabited by native people at least 6000 years ago. More recently, the Assiniboine and Ojibway fished and hunted in the area.
History
In 1858, Henry Youle Hind, a professor of Biology and Chemistry at the University of Toronto, became one of the first Canadian explorers to reach the area of RMNP during his surveying of present day Manitoba and Saskatchewan.AftertheCanadian
22 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
In 1906, Superintendentthe of Forests monitored permits for cutting timber, which was intended only for settlers of the region. Many portable mills, as well as stationary mills, were set up in Riding Mountain. The Peden brothers ran a mill on the shores of Whitewater Lake from 1910 – 1938. Alex Kippen also had portable and stationary mills in Riding Mountain. He provided a camp for his workers. They produced lumber for the relief camps of the 1930s and for cottages built on the lakes. Original log cabins from the 1930s – 40s are still used on the north shore.
of 1933, 10 men from the relief camps stood on the ice at Clear Lake and played hockey games against the Intermediate hockey
The quick development at RMNP throughout its first decade could not have been accomplished without the depression of the 1930s. The economic conditions had put a huge labour force out of work, and the severity of the situation prompted the Federal Government to enact relief measures designed to make work for the vast numbers of unemployed. This federal aid was designated for relief work in Canada’s National Parks, and supplied funds for the establishment of
RTAM.MB.CA n 23
Most of the public infrastructure in Riding Mountain National Park was created during the 1930s by the labourers participating in Canada’s great depression relief programs. There were 10 relief camps supervised by James Wardle with funding provided by the 1930 Unemployment Relief Act and the 1934 Public Works Construction Act. A large portion of these funds was allocated for construction of specific types of buildings in the parks, namely administration and community buildings, garages, warden cabins and staff headquarters. Many of the local craftsmen hired to design and construct these buildings were Swedish immigrants who had settled in the area. In RMNP, 86 buildings of various descriptions, including the one and a half story interpretive centre, the Park theatre, and the east gate entrance, were built between 1930 and 1936 through this program. In 1932, most relief workers were British and over half were from
reserve, by the Department of the Interior, due to the quality of resources available to locals. A thriving logging industry was established due to the variety of trees in the forest. The white spruce, black spruce and jack pine were used for lumber; tamarack, oak and birch were used for fuel.
The forest reserve was set aside as a national park in 1929. The park opened to visitors on July 26, 1933, with thousands attending the opening ceremony held at Wasagaming. The East Gate is the original park entrance built in 1930, and is a National Historic site as the last national park log entrance still operating in Canada.
work camps in many National Parks, with Riding Mountain sustaining the largest relief camp operation. The camps employed over 1200 men on various projects from1930-34.
Winnipeg.Inthewinter
Depression Relief
During World War II, a fuel shortage brought on by the war left many Canadians dependent on cord wood, so Riding Mountain was made accessible to rural municipalities for the cutting of fuel wood again. Urban centres such as Winnipeg were also supplied with fuel from the stock cut by German prisoners of war interned at Whitewater Lake from 1943 to 1945. They cut wood from a fire-killed stand located east of the lake.
P.O.W. Camp
Due to its remoteness and available wood supply, Riding Mountain was considered a desirable place to have a Prisoner of War camp. The Camp was surrounded by bush and distant from the park boundary and outlying communities. Located within central Manitoba, in the centre of Canada, escape from the country was considered to be virtually impossible. The Camp was unique in that it had no fences or walls enclosing it. Construction began in the summer of 1943, with 15 buildings erected, including five bunkhouses with complete washroom and bathing facilities, administrative staff quarters, an administration office, a large cookhouse with dining room to accommodate the entire camp, a store, garage, blacksmith shop, power plant, machine shop, barns for horses and a small hospital. By October, 450 German prisoners, captured in North Africa, arrived at the camp to reside and work.
24 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
In April 1931, Grey Owl (Archibald Belaney), having been offered a job by the Park Commission, arrived at a secluded lake with his two pet beavers, Rawhide and Jellyroll. His main goal was to re-establish beaver colonies in areas where they had been exterminated. He spent six months
The park is 2969 square kilometres (1,146 sq. metres). It sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment, 457metres above the prairie farmland surrounding it. The park is a rolling landscape of mixed forests and grasslands, dotted with lakes, streams
living in a cabin studying and working with wildlife. He was not successful in establishing a beaver colony at that time due to a drought which lowered the level of water in the lake. He, along with Rawhide and Jelly Roll, moved on to Prince Albert. His cabin at Beaver Lodge Lake, now known as Grey Owl’s cabin, still stands and is a tourist attraction.
Grey Owl
Guards present at the camp were responsible for standing guard while the prisoners cut cordwood. They also accompanied the prisoners to Dauphin to pick up daily rations. Each prisoner was paid 50 cents a day for cutting the required amount of wood, (a cord per day). Since this was a “minimum security” camp, the prisoners often fraternized with guards, helped farmers, slipped away to visit local villages, and attended district gatherings.Theprisoners entertained themselves with a choir and an orchestra and played numerous sports. One popular hobby was wood carving and building dug-out canoes, some of which can still be found on the banks of Whitewater Creek. In the summer of 1945, with a fuel wood surplus, the prisoners were put to work on the Central Trail. At the end of the war, they were sent back to Germany.
Due to its remoteness and available wood supply, Riding Mountain was considered a desirable place to have a Prisoner of War camp.
team from Dauphin. These men were part of the Riding Mountain Relief Camp All Stars, a group of hockey players from various camps around the lake who would play against teams from the surrounding communities. RMNP was the only park at the time that had organized sports events for camp workers and on some Sundays, a thousand people would gather around the board to watch the games. Their goalie, Walter “Turk” Broda, from Brandon, would go on to win five Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Overview of the Park
In 2015, very cold temperatures and calm winds as the lake was freezing in the fall, combined to create clear ice so that you could see straight to the bottom of the lake. It was amazing to skate on the ice surface and see the sand and rocks at the bottom below your feet!
There are many hiking trails, paddle routes for canoeing, and fishing lakes in Riding Mountain. You can fish for lake trout, northern pike, perch, walleye, and whitefish. There are more than 19 wilderness campsites in the park for backpackers or horseback riders to enjoy. You can walk one of the self-guiding trails or go dip netting on the Ominnik Marsh boardwalk. There is so much to do and enjoy even in winter. You can ice skate, cross-country ski, snow shoe, slide down the toboggan hill or ice fish. We enjoyed our trip to Riding Mountain National Park. Why don’t you plan a visit to a “free” National Park this year? ¡
There are 1900 lakes within Riding Mountain National Park, with Clear Lake being the largest. Clear Lake is much larger than the small area visitors see from the beach area at Wasagaming. It is approximately 4.5 km wide and at least 5 km long with a long finger extending to the east, which is the Wasagaming cabin and golf course area. The lake has a surface area of 29.37 square kilometres. Its maximum depth is 34.2 metres (or 110 feet) with a mean depth of 11.5 metres. Clear
Lake’s water comes from underground springs rather than from streams. A sand bar, which shifts shape from day to day, separates Clear Lake from South Lake.
and bogs. It was designated a national park because three different ecosystems converge here: the upland boreal forest, the prairie grasslands and the eastern mixed deciduous forests. In its habitats, 233 species of birds, 60 kinds of mammals and 10 species of reptiles and amphibians thrive. Elk, moose, wolf, beaver, black bear, white-tailed deer and a herd of bison are the parks largest inhabitants. It has one of the largest populations of black bears in North America. In 1931, 20 bison were reintroduced from Alberta to re-establish the bison population. In 2016, the bison herd numbered about 40 animals.
CANADIAN SNOWBIRD ASSOCIATIONThe Voice of Travelling CanadiansThe Canadian Snowbird Association is a national not-for-profit advocacy organizationdedicated to actively defending and improving the rights and privileges of travelling Canadians. The RetirementSnowbirdKit 1-800-265-3200 www.snowbirds.org SPECIAL OFFER Call for your FREE Snowbird Retirement Kit! Travelling during your retirement involves keeping informed on critical issues: • Trip planning • New border-crossing protocols and customs requirements, especially when travelling to the United States • Safety issues for Canadians • Importance of travel health insurance • Restrictions and limitations of government health insurance plans The free Snowbird Retirement Kit is for all retired people who like to travel. The package includes: • A one-year complimentary CSA membership. • Information on retirement abroad. • Snowbird Currency Exchange information which could save you hundreds of dollars moving money between a Canadian and U.S. bank account. • CSA Travellers’ Checklist. • CSA Travel Information Guide. • Medipac Travel Insurance Plan. • CSA Auto Club. • CSA Personal Accident Insurance Plan. SPECIAL OFFER RTAM.MB.CA n 25
Reunion Chairperson, Theresa Antoniuk, welcomes attendees at the 13th Annual Reunion
Front Row, L-R: Theresa Antoniuk - Committee Chairperson; Edith Alexiuk - Registrar; Karen Boughton, Vera McCallum - Student Representative; Margaret Lesperance, Lavone
BackLesperance.Row,L-R: Wally Stoyko, Andy Alexiuk, Ralph Trombo, Mel Bodnarus - Treasurer; Bill Badiuk. Missing: Ed Arndt - Secretary
13th Annual Dr. Louisa Loeb Permit Teachers of Manitoba Reunion Committee
26 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
presented an “In Memoriam,” followed by grace. Following a delicious lunch prepared and served by the staff of the Viscount Gort, Member Bill Badiuk introduced us to the wonderful music of David Smith and Dennis Carlson of the Gimli-Selkirk area. Bill Badiuk presented an
Wally Stoyko, Meta Johnson and Audrey Clayton (student of Meta Johnson)
Theresa Antoniuk, Dora Maendel, Anna Maendel (guest speak ers) awarded a gift of appreciation by Margaret Lesperance
Mary Zadorzny (Winnipeg), is acknowledged by Theresa Antoniuk (right) as the “First to Register”
L-R: Hilliard Sawchuk (Brandon) and Shirley Armstrong (Brandon) receive their acknowledgement from Chair, Theresa Antoniuk for “Coming the Longest Distance” to attend the reunion
RTAM.MB.CA n 27 Continued on page 30
During the winter months, Arnold Peters, the Mennonite Teacher in New Rosedale School, offered the men of the colony evening classes in Math, Science and English. Peter was an enthusiastic participant.
In 1960, Peter enrolled at the Manioba Teachers’ College in Tuxedo where I was a fellow student. Peter was already in his mid-thirties and the rest of us were just a bunch of young rambunctious fellows in our late teens and early twenties, full of “spice and vinegar.” Peter resided in “Fraser Hut,” the same hut as I and, during that year, we considered it the “elite” hut!!! Because of Peter’s modest personality and his deep religious faith, he probably would not have agreed with my assessment! Peter fit in very well with us despite our ignorant, youthful exuberance, served as a “leavening agent” and mentor to many of us including a spiritual mentor; and thus began a lifelong friendship with many of his colleagues at Teachers’ College. My late wife, Lorraine, and I cultivated an ongoing friendship with Peter and we got to know and appreciate Peter’s family and really enjoyed our frequent visits to the Fairholme Colony.After
During the latter months of the Second World War, Peter bussed to Port Arthur, Ontario, along with fellow Hutterites, to work in the shipyards as conscientious objectors corresponding to their Pacifist views and his faith.
Peter’s life began as a member of the Hutterian Faith on the Rosedale Colony, northeast of Elie, Manitoba. After his marriage to Sarah Wurtz of the James Valley Colony, he and his new bride settled into the newly founded New Rosedale Colony. Their marriage was blessed with three sons and nine daughters.
After returning to New Rosedale, he was elected to the position of Hog Barn Manager, a new job involving a lot of learning about animal husbandry, which he enjoyed and thoroughly understood; and probably served him well in dealing with his rambunctious Teachers’ College colleagues some years later!
In 1955, the New Rosedale Brotherhood elected Peter to the vocation of teacher, an historic first for Manitoba /Canadian Hutterites. In order to prepare for this new and pioneering responsibility , Peter registered at the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, a decision based
Teachers College and teaching for one year, Peter enrolled at the Gimli Summer School Camp in July and August of 1962 and earned his Permanent Teaching Certificate, an historic first for the Hutterite Community. For twentyfive years he taught Grades 4 - 8 in the two room Fairholme Colony Elementary School.
on the common Anabaptist Faith background of both Mennonites and Hutterites. He studied during the summer months as well and he managed to complete Grades 9 - 12 in just two and one half years! During the 1959 - 60 school year, Peter taught as a Permit Teacher, from September to Christmas ,at the New Rosedale Colony School and then from January to the end of June at the new daughter colony –Fairholme, located south west of Portage la Prairie.
Written by former permit teacher, Ed Arndt, Virden, MB
28 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017 Next page
S
This year, instead of relating a number of permit teachers’ experiences, I would like to highlight the contributions of one Permit Teacher, the late Peter Maendel, whom I consider a “Pioneer in the Field of Hutterite Education.”
A Pioneer Permit Teacher
ome of the readers may recall seeing an article entitled, “A Vanishing Species” published last year in papers throughout Manitoba. In that article , I briefly outlined the history of the permit teachers in Manitoba. I also shared with readers a number of experiences of permit teachers throughout the province.
After Fairholme established Windy Bay Colony near Pilot Mound, Peter was elected as Fairholme’s minister, on October 28, 1979, ordained in 1989, served and led with skill, dedication and enthusiasm.
Louisa Loeb 13th Annual Reunion of the Permit Teachers of Manitoba, which was held on July 13, 2017, where they gave a presentation of their father’s life in the field of education.
These three retired teachers are anything but "retired." Not only will their legacies be the education of the thousands of children they taught, their lessons by example of giving and life-long sharing of books ensures their place in history and in our hearts. ¡
RTAM.MB.CA n 29
Gerrie Prymak is a retired teacher who reads to children. As a primary teacher in the core area she saw many children who did not have access to books at home. For the past decade Gerrie has used her skills in retirement to volunteer on behalf of Stay and Play Resource Centre. She is a driving force behind Little Stars Playhouse for children 0 - 5 years of age which will open in 2018. Along with Karyn Davis, Gerrie is bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children in the Point Douglas area.
Pat Herman is a retired teacher and school counsellor who volunteers her time with the Children’s’ Hospital Book Market.
RWTA member, Oriole Veldhuis and her book, For Elise
Every week Pat sorts and prices books that are donated to raise funds for medical research and equipment at Children’s Hospital, Winnipeg. Former students and colleagues love to visit with Pat at the sales held three times yearly at St. Vital Mall.
Heather Emberley, RWTA
For more information about our upcoming reunion, please contact our registrar, Edith Alexiuk: 204-256-6484. ¡
eachers + books = a winning combination. We read them, we write them, we share them. Books of all genres have played a central role in the careers of teachers and continue to do so for three retired teachers in particular.
Pat Herman
A Pioneer Permit Teacher ... (continued from page 28)
By the Book
Following the example set by Peter, two of his daughters, Anna and Dora Maendel, were awarded Bachelor of Education Degrees from the University of Manitoba in 1985. During the decades of 1994-2004, nearly a hundred other Manitoba Hutterites have gone on to obtain Bachelor of Education Degrees from Brandon University. In 2013, the first group of four Hutterite women graduated from Brandon University as Registered Nurses: three of Peter’s granddaughters and one great niece. Peter was indeed a “Pioneer” in the field of Hutterite education.
T
Anna & Dora have both graciously accepted an invitation to be our guest speakers at this Dr.
Gerrie Prymack, Little Stars PlayHouse and Karyn Davis, The Dollywood Foundation
It is always wonderful to see Oriole at RWTA's luncheons. It was even more wonderful for me to see Oriole at the Whistler, BC, Writers' Festival, where her book was nominated for best book in the non-fiction category.
Our theme again for this year is, “Students and Teachers Together Again” and you are once again encouraged to bring a former student or students ,with whom you taught on permit, to the gathering. Next year, our reunion is planned for July 12, 2018 , at the Viscount Gort.
Be sure to see her there September 28Oriole30. A. Vane Veldhuis is a retired teacher who has written, For Elise: Unveiling the Forgotten Woman on the Criddle Homestead.
The same Reunion Committee will remain to plan the 14th Annual Reunion tentatively scheduled for July12, 2018. ¡
taken consisted of the 1940-1948 and 1950-1960 and and later.
December 14, 2017 > Holiday Fun
September 28, 2017 > Fashion Show
Retired Women Teachers' Association Luncheon Dates:
Photo Sessions were taken of the permit teachers who allowed their photo to be
R
honorarium to these musicians in appreciation of their“Memoriescontributions.ofPermit
Your RTAM KIT is mobile-readable!now To receive your digital copy of KIT instead of a paper copy, send your e-mail address info@blueinkmedia.cato
Teaching Years” - Open Mic was led by Mel Bodnarus. This provided an opportunity for attendees to share their experiences as permit teachers in the rural one roomTwoschools.Group
Nicole Welwood Member Services Coordinator
February 22, 2018 > Raging Grannies
30 n RTAM KIT Fall 2017
TAM would like to welcome Nicole Welwood who joined us in May 2017 as the Member Services Coordinator (MSC). This new position was created through a re-structuring process to better serve both the membership and the organization. Nicole is in the RTAM office Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ¡
Door prizes were presented by Wally Stoyko throughout the reunion. Our thanks are extended to the many generous donors.
Dr. Louisa Loeb Permit Teachers Of Manitoba ... (Continued from page 27)
April 26, 2018 > AGM
September 14, farewell breakfast CanadInns, Portage la Prairie, MB.
· 12:45 PM to 3:45 PM;
Oak Bank Elementary School 50+ Anniversary Celebration Thursday, October 12th, 2017 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Oak Bank Elementary School
· 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
The Manitoba Museum is looking for English and Bilingual Volunteer Tour Guides to deliver curriculum based education programs. Volunteers receive free admission to the Museum, Science Gallery and Planetarium along with discounts on Museum Shop purchases and continued learning opportunities. A bus ticket and parking subsidy is also available. A history, science or education background is an asset, though not necessary as comprehensive training is provided on all programs delivered. Program delivery is flexible depending on your interests and availability. If you enjoy working with children (K – 12), and have a minimum of 3 hours per week to volunteer, the Manitoba Museum will be a great fit for you! For more information contact Noreen at (204) 988-0633 or by email at nhees@manitobamuseum.ca.
Contact: (204) 475 7549 (church office for information)
St. Paul’s Fort Garry - 14th annual BrushWorks
NOTICES & COMING EVENTS
Come and share the opportunity to view and purchase original art work by 36 Manitoba artists. Framed and unframed oils, watercolours, pastels, prints and art cards will be available.
Souhaitez-vous participer à une expérience unique? Un voyage humanitaire en République Dominicaine avec le groupe Franco-amigos pourrait fort bien vous intéresser. Nous vous invitons à visiter notre blog: vous(ÉvidemmentangleseptembreUne256outlook.comparintéressé.e.sdupourÀhttps://francoamigosmbrd.blogspot.ca/présent,noussommesàrecruterdesparticipant.e.sunpossiblevoyagehumanitairedanslapériode19ou20janvierau2ou3février2018.Sivousêtescontactez-nous.Onpeutnousrejoindrecourrielàl’adressesuivante:FrancoAmigos2018@ouvouspouvezappelerDianeau(204)2797.premièrerencontred’informationauralieule7à18h30àlaBibliothèquedeSaint-Boniface,rueProvencheretrueTachéàStBoniface.cetterencontreauradéjàeulieuquandlirezceci.)
· 12:45 p.m. to 2:45 PM;
Place: St. Paul’s Fort Garry, 830 North Drive
CUBA – ‘Spanish Studies in Cuba’ (Havana), $4,700.00 CAD for 4 wks. Hotel with breakfast and dinner, tuition fee. (Air fare not included). 250.478.0494 http://spanishstudiesincuba.cassic@telus.net
· 5:15 PM to 7:15 PM; or
Normal School Reunion Class of 1952 – 1953 Tuesday, September 12, reception Wednesday, September 13, tours, activities, lunch and Thursday,banquet
Date: Friday, October 13
There will also be raffles of art work and a cafe for you to enjoy while contemplating which art piece will be perfect for that special wall space.....Be sure to tell your friends!
The Winnipeg School Division Adult EAL Program
Located at 275 Portage Avenue, is seeking volunteers to help adult newcomers learning English, starting in or after September 2017. Activities include assisting students with classroom activities, leading conversations in small groups, or helping students one-on-one. Volunteers must have experience assisting learners, good command of English (equivalent of CLB 7 or higher), good communication and interpersonal skills, and should be willing to accept directions and supervision from staff. The minimum time commitment is once per week, for two months, at one of our daytime class schedules:
· 9:15 AM to 12:15 PM;
For more information, please contact volunteer coordinator Val Castellanos at (204) 953 1070 extension 8, or at Note:vcastellanos@wsd1.org.TheWSDAdultEALProgram will be closed during July and August. We will be able to return your calls and messages after September 12, 2017.
RTAM.MB.CA n 31
Notice from ÉMR chapter
For further information: Email: obe50@sunrisesd.ca Or Web site: Informationhttp://www.sunrisesd.ca/school/oakbankwillbegintobepostedasofJune15th,2017
For more information contact: Al or Frederica Borys 67 Baldry Bay, Winnipeg, Mb. R3T3C5 204-269-3408, alborys2@gmail.com
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wine and cheese Saturday, October 14 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday,Cafe October 15 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cafe
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