President’s Message

Rosalie Bornn

RTAM President 2017-2018

RETIRED TEACHERS’

ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA

As I complete this post-AGM 2017 report for KIT, in our cabin area there are fish in the lake and morel mushrooms in the woods to interfere with my concentration, but first things first –

Sincere appreciation is extended to Ed Richenhaller, President of the Swan Valley Retired Teachers and his trusty committee for their assistance with the planning and the hosting of the well-attended rural 2017 Annual General Meeting of RTAM held in Swam River, MB. All RTAM members and guests in attendance were treated to some terrific Swan Valley hospitality.

AGM 2017 was a bit of a project for our organization. After several years of receiving the suggestion to do so in feedback from previous AGMs, RTAM followed through with securing the services of an independent chairperson to support the flow of the business meeting. Thank you to RTAM member, Dorothy Young for her meticulous planning and supportive direction while acting as independent chair. We learned a great deal from this process and will use the meeting feedback from participants to determine whether the experiment will become a more permanent practice for RTAM in the future.

At AGM 2017, most of our Board of Directors sought re-affirmation to their Director positions. In addition, we welcome aboard two additional Directors, new Director Alison Logan of Winnipeg and returning former Director, Judy Olmstead of Brandon. We also bid farewell to three departing Directors, Bill Cann, Vel McAdam and Wayne Hughes, and extend our sincere appreciation for their collective years of dedicated service to the RTAM Board and its membership. The RTAM Board may according to the Bylaws, have a total of between twelve and twenty serving Director members. Additional appointments can yet be made, should the need arise.

The morning immediately following the AGM, a short Board organizational meeting was held in Swan River. The next meeting of the Board on June 14 will see the appointment of our committee membership for the operational year. We look forward to following through with our Strategic Planning initiative to set short, mid and long range goals for both decision-making and the operation of our growing and maturing RTAM organization.

In this issue of KIT, an edited version of the AGM Committee

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