President's Message

Linda Blair

RTAM President 2022 - 2023

RETIRED TEACHERS’

ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA

By the time that you are reading this issue of KIT, our summer of 2022 will be ending. I hope that you have been able to enjoy your summer in a much better way this year. COVID restrictions have been lifted. Inperson meetings have become almost normal or a new normal.

This summer has been a busy one in our RTAM Office as well as with many of our Board Members. Some of us have been able to steal away for vacations. Our RTAM Trips to Haida Gwaii were special experiences for several of our members and their guests. Leaving Prince Rupert on a boat trip to see the bears was awesome. Watching the eagles swoop in to pick up small pieces of suet thrown out on the water was unbelievably beautiful. Those eagles have big wing spans! Then we went to the island to learn about the people of Haida Gwaii. Totem poles now hold a new meaning for us.

Gabe Mercier and his Wellness Advocacy Committee have been busy making plans for events in 2022-2023. Unfortunately, the small number of registrations for the September Photography Workshops meant they had to be cancelled. Look for information on upcoming events scheduled for October and December on the RTAM website.

Dave Najduch and the Benefits Committee along with Jessica Simpson from Johnson Insurance have been busy planning presentations to welcome members of the Winnipeg Teachers’ Association (WTA) to join our health insurance when their plan will expire in January. RTAM wants the WTA members to be aware of the health insurance benefits of RTAM membership.

Joan Zaretsky and Bob Davies were busy coordinating and organizing the details of this KIT. This issue is the last one that Gayl Punzalan and her team at Blue Ink Media will be involved in producing with us. We at RTAM wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Several Board Members have been busy preparing for the start of our 2022-2023 year. Internet connections at remote locations have made some of this planning a challenge. With the return to urban areas, the challenge should lessen.

Many of you, our members, have been busy signing up to volunteer with Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO) and Newcomers Employment and Education Development Winnipeg (N.E.E.D.S.) to assist refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan. In our first outreach, we at RTAM are aware that 115 members have committed to volunteering, with more than 25% of them coming from rural communities. Well done! If you want to join this group of volunteers, please contact the office.

As we officially move into our Fall season, I invite you to keep up to date on RTAM happenings by checking out the RTAM website as well as our Facebook page.

“Communication is like riding a bike or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” - Brian Tracy 