Message from the KIT Committee Submitted by Gisèle Grégoire
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uring the coming year, the new KIT Committee will be revising the Kit manual. Once the work is done, we will let you know what changes we are planning for the magazine.
The following suggestions could possibly inspire you:
On another note, the Committee would like to invite you to share with us some of your experiences that you believe might be of interest and could benefit RTAM members.
• Seminars you have participated in.
• Book review. • Books you have read. • Workshops that you have attended. • Travel tips. • Recipe sharing.
A reminder from RTAM that all members add the following email addresses, office@rtam.mb.ca and info@rtam.mb.ca to their address book so that the RTAM e-newsletter and other important information, from the organization, are not filtered into Junk Mail.
• And other ideas.
ACER-CART Report from AGM in Ottawa May 31 to June 2 Submitted by Gabe Mercier, RTAM VP, ACER-CART Director for RTAM
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’Association canadienne des enseignantes et des enseignants retraités – Canadian Association of Retired Teachers (ACER-CART) is a bilingual association of Members representing over 167,000 affiliated members located in all regions of Canada. 1. ACER-CART is the national voice of retired teachers. It is a bilingual association of Members representing over 160,000 retired teachers from Canada’s ten provinces and Yukon Territory. The organization consists of 13 provincial and territorial association members operating in the interests of its members, facilitating liaison and mutual assistance among them, promoting, and supporting public education; serving its members as a voice on the national scene and maintaining good relations with other seniors’ organizations on matters of common concern; and existing since 1991. ACER -CART held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ottawa May 31 to June 2, 2023. All the provinces in Canada were represented except Yukon Territory. As part of the meeting, an election was conducted with the following results-- President (0NT.); Bill Berryman - Vice-President (Nova Scotia); Sharon Penney – Regional Representative, East (Newfoundland and Labrador); Martha Louise Foster – Regional Representative, Central, Ontario (President/Chair of RTOERO); and Marilyn Bossert - Regional Representative West (Alberta). Some organizational highlights worth mentioning are: the election of members to the Executive is for a year term; Canadian Association of Retired Teachers Investments consist of 6 GIC’s with the Bank of Nova Scotia amounting to $63,095; the budget for this year- 2023 to 2024 is $ 62, 100.00 (about)
6 RTAM KIT / Fall 2023
and the Executive Director/Directeur général (Honorarium) is $15,500.00; $ 12,500.00 (actual); $ 15, 000.00 (2023/24), which indicated a low activity part-time position. Some activities conducted by a couple of sister organizations are: Prince Edward Island Retired Teachers Association held an annual golf tournament last September; Nova Scotia held its annual golf tournament in September at Mountain Golf Club in East Mountain, Nova Scotia, with approximately 80 golfers participating; and Nova Scotia had their annual Curling bonspiel in March, hosted by the Cumberland Branch at the Amherst Curling Club, with teams from across the province participating. ACER -CART Priorities for 2023-24 a) Advocate for the development and implementation of a national seniors’ strategy. b) Advocate for the federal government’s implementation of a national universal pharmacare program including the establishment of a Canada Drug Agency and implementation of a national formula. c) Advocate for a public health care system that prioritizes care in seniors’ own homes for as long as possible. d) Advocate for public health care to combat the move towards privatization. e) Advocate for regulations governing retirement and long-term care homes with emphasis on improving patient respect, working conditions, training, and staff wages. f) Support members in their efforts to achieve the full cost of living pension adjustments. g) Complete the strategic plan.
