SPR I N G 2024 • VO LUME 4 6
Never In A Million Years PAGE 4
Resilience PAGE 6
Outreach
Celebrating 50 Years PAGE 3
a beautiful rebellion PAGE 10
Message from the President WRITTEN BY: DOUG STILL
The courage of Irmgard Mueller to share her journey after a cancer diagnosis speaks volumes about the need for self-advocacy and the need to request available diagnostic procedures. We also know that physical well-being that can be addressed solely by a visit to the doctor, pharmacy, or getting diagnostic work done is only one aspect of self-care. The “Social Determinants of Health” (SDOH) are multiple interconnected factors that directly impact well-being. The determinants include education levels, income levels, employment, inequality, safe communities, nutrition and diet, exercise, housing, isolation, disease prevention, loneliness, social connections, transportation, recreational opportunities, meaning and purpose, and access to health care. Like a spider’s web, the determinants are interconnected and do not exist in isolation.
The social determinants of health impact and guide research to support older adults who are hearing much about Age-Friendly Communities, Home Supports, Social Prescribing, Aging in (the Right) Place, and Seniors Mental Health. In the theme of self-care, our writers encourage self-advocacy for available medical screening, understanding the importance of resilience and how to protect yourself from fraud. We continue to share member photos of the joyous 50th Anniversary celebrations that have taken place over the past year as well as amazing member photos of the natural beauty of Saskatchewan. Articles in Outreach will continue to remind members that well-being is complex and multi-dimensional. Awareness of the social determinants of health provides a powerful tool in supporting the well-being of each one of us, and the communities in which we live. ●
Outreach
ISSN 2817-1721 (Print)
For any changes to your address
ISSN 2817-173X (Digital)
and/or Group Benefits coverage,
All articles in Outreach represent the information and opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the STS. Reminders STS Group Benefit Plan holders who are eligible for the
please contact the STS Office directly at 306-373-3879 or email sts@sts.sk.ca. Have a story idea or a topic you would like us to include? We’d love to hear from you. Reach us at sts@sts.sk.ca.
Saskatchewan Seniors’ Drug Plan
Content Curator
may be eligible for a reduced
Kevin Schmidt
premium by providing the STS
In this Issue
With the refreshed Outreach, we are seeking to have a few articles that fit certain themes. Well-being through self-care is a common thread in this issue and will be present in many issues to come.
Member Photographs
1
Journey Into Retirement – Part III
2
Join an STS Chapter
3
Never in a Million Years
4
The Role of Resilience in Mapping Our Best Aging Journey
6
Protecting Yourself From Fraud
8
The healing medicine of language
10
Book Review – The Good Life
12
Office with a copy of the Seniors’ Drug Plan confirmation letter. For information on the Saskatchewan Seniors’ Drug Plan, please speak
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with your pharmacist or contact the Seniors’ Drug Plan office at 1-800-667-7581. If you live in Regina please call 306-787-3317.
www.sts.sk.ca
Back Cover
Spring 2024 • Volume 46 Member Photographs
Member Photographs
B
ELOW IS A selection of photos by members of the STS. Do you have a photograph, idea or a topic you would like us to include? We’d love to hear from you. You can reach us at sts@sts.sk.ca.
Bryna Nevill
Lynda Gudjonson
Wayne Busch
Laine Slowski
Denise Schmidt
Angela Dogniez
Outreach
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Transitions
Transitions
Spring 2024 • Volume 46
Journey Into Retirement, Following A Path of Adult Development WRITTEN BY: DAVE DERKSEN
Part III – Self Awareness from Adult Development Theory Studying adult development theories has prompted productive reflection and self-analysis. By bringing my motivations and their underlying beliefs to consciousness, I am starting to see which of my actions align with who I want to be and where I am out of sync with my true self. Looking back at my journey through various stages of development has helped me understand some past mistakes. If I wake up in the middle of the night cringing about things I’ve done or said, I try to understand the priorities and motivations from which I was acting. I was doing the best I could at the time. This realization helps me to feel better, but also to know better and to do better.
Learning about these stages has made it clear that what I think about anything is just a perspective from my current developmental vantage point. Learning about these stages has made it clear that what I think about anything is just a perspective from my current developmental vantage point. Without this understanding, I might become emotional and judgmental when people act in ways that I would not. This can lead to damaging conflict. Knowing that my thinking reflects only my current development, not the absolute truth,
allows me to move from “being” my opinions to “holding” my opinions. The difference is this: • If I hold opinions and those opinions are challenged, I can engage with other perspectives and look at mine objectively. I can change my opinions in light of new understandings. Even when I maintain my opinion, I acknowledge how, with a certain set of priorities, a different opinion can make sense. • Being my opinions is different. If my identity is inseparable from my opinion, other perspectives are received as a personal threat or assault, and I am likely to react defensively, even aggressively. Moving from being my opinions to holding my opinions has led me to more talking “to” and less talking “about,” more commonground dialogue, and less polarized thinking – valuable given the adversarial tone that seems to be prevalent these days. More openness and objectivity are also allowing me to consider new possibilities for my life. One by-product of increased objectivity about myself has been a growing capacity for empathy. In Part IV, I will share how adult development theory has affected how I relate to others. ● Dave Derksen spent 31 years with Saskatoon Public Schools. In retirement, he enjoys life with Marlys, his wife of 35 years and their growing family. He features diverse human experiences on his podcast Stories told by Friends and is a regular guest on TPI’s The Kitchen Table.
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Spring 2024 • Volume 46
Chapter Engagement
I
Chapter Engagement
Join an STS Chapter WRITTEN BY: DOUG STILL F YOU ARE one of the nearly 1,800 members of the STS who has not joined an STS Chapter, please consider the following:
There are around 12,200 members of the STS who comprise 41 Chapters with 37 Chapters in Saskatchewan, two Chapters near the Saskatchewan-Alberta border and two Chapters in British Columbia. Superannuates join the provincial STS through an application and payment of a $30 annual membership fee with the option of joining one of the Chapters at no additional cost.
Chapters provide an opportunity for members to connect with colleagues in their area, to engage in advocacy efforts, and to participate in recreational and social events. Individual members determine their own degree of involvement. Many Chapters communicate regularly with members through regular mail, email, Facebook and through their website to let them know of future events. Members can choose to join any Chapter and if a member wants to change their membership due to a move, a quick call to the STS office is all that is needed. Chapter membership provides a forum for individuals to forward ideas to be discussed, advocated for, and possibly adopted by the STS. Non-Chapter members are able to submit resolutions, but working within a Chapter can increase the number of voices speaking to issues that are important. Chapter members can also seek to become Delegates and attend the STS Annual General Meeting to thoroughly engage in discussion of such issues.
rebate program. The STS rebates $8 per member annually to the Chapter to support local programs and activities. At present, there is approximately $14,400 in rebates not being provided to Chapters because there are approximately 1,800 superannuates who have not joined a Chapter. Membership benefits both the member and the Chapter by supporting the sustainability of the Chapter and providing funding to support Chapter initiatives. So, if you have not joined a Chapter, please consider doing so. ● Doug Still is currently in his second year serving as Provincial STS President.
Joining a Chapter provides an immediate benefit to the work of the Chapter.
Joining a Chapter provides an immediate benefit to the work of the Chapter through the STS
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Health
Health
Spring 2024 • Volume 46
Never in a Million Years
S
WRITTEN BY: IRMGARD MUELLER
HORTLY AFTER MY 65th birthday, the result of my 2021 FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) came back abnormal, whereas two years prior (2019) it had been normal. A subsequent colonoscopy revealed colon cancer, stage 2 or 3, I was told. A shocker, no question, but still manageable I thought. Further imaging determined that the cancer had metastasized to my liver: I had “graduated” to stage 4. Yikes! I was devastated. Colon cancer does not run in the family; consequently, it had not been on anyone’s radar, not mine, nor my physician’s. To have a colonoscopy had never even been suggested.
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Spring 2024 • Volume 46 Health
The following is a synopsis of what a (timely!) colonoscopy could have prevented in my case: a blood and an iron infusion (anemia due to undetected blood loss), a right hemicolectomy (ascending colon removal) including removal of my appendix and 9/16 lymph nodes in that area, one month of self-injecting an anti-blood clotting agent after the hemicolectomy, one PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan, numerous CT (Computed Tomography) scans (radiation anyone?) MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and ultrasounds, two liver biopsies (one of which was very painful), 24 (and counting) rounds of chemo with accompanying side effects and medications to counter these side effects, lab work before each chemo treatment, two PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line insertions to facilitate the liquid chemo meds, two gastroenterology exams, one NanoKnife surgery, not to mention the many episodes of anxiously awaiting test or imaging results.
Where colorectal cancer is concerned, colonoscopy is still the gold standard. I cringe each time I hear someone say that they do not want to participate in any form of cancer
screening. Where colorectal cancer is concerned, colonoscopy is still the gold standard. Please do not let anyone deter you from getting one on the premise of “receiving a false positive”. Which would you rather have: a false or a real positive? I wish someone would have provided me with all the info that I have now. The FIT test in my case was not sufficient screening: no blood in my stool was ever detected until it was too late. I badly needed a colonoscopy! On the upside, I am still alive and feeling reasonably well two years since my diagnosis but have been on chemo for most of this time. My quality of life is no longer the same of course: no more swimming, no more big trips, no more mingling in crowds, I can’t tolerate extreme heat or cold, have neuropathy in hands and feet, etc. So, I really want to stress, take advantage of screenings being offered. Advocate for yourself if you meet with resistance. You have worked hard to get to this point in your life and my wish for you is to stay in the best of health for years to come! You deserve it! For greater details on my living with colon cancer, please check out my blog: www.chemoandsavvy.ca ● Irmgard Mueller, Retired French Immersion Teacher at several schools in the province: Nipawin, Ponteix, Zenon Park, Prince Albert, Melville, Yorkton, and Regina.
Colorectal Cancer: • Like most cancers, it does not develop overnight.* • It may go undetected until well advanced.* (me) • If it spreads, it will usually spread to the liver and/or lungs.* (me) • The average age of diagnosis is 64.* (I was 65.) • 75% of colorectal cancers develop in people over 50 with no known risk factors.* (me) • 75% of those who develop colorectal cancer are the first ones in their family.* (also me) *Source: “The Intelligent Patient Guide to Colorectal Cancer”; Michael E. Pezim MD and David Owen MD, Second Edition
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Health
Health
Spring 2024 • Volume 46
The Role of Resilience in Mapping Our Best Aging Journey WRITTEN BY: JOAN ZARETSKY The following is an article that was published in “Keep in Touch”, the Manitoba magazine for retired teachers. The article has been condensed and reprinted with permission.
W
HAT IS RESILIENCE? Resilience can be defined as an individual’s ability to bounce back. We often hear the word “resilience” in relation to sports figures who have been injured and their ability to quickly return to their game. In this setting, resilience is used to describe a person who bounces back physically from an injury or crisis. However, there is a lot more to resilience than this usage would suggest. Eldon Dueck, a retired Hanover school principal offers workshops entitled “Resilience: The Invisible Backpack”. He describes resilience as the ability to reframe an adversity and to view it from a different perspective, preferably one of a growth mindset, whereby we may ask ourselves, “What have I learned from this experience to make me stronger in the future?” Michael Ungar, the Director of the Canadian Resilience Research Centre housed in Dalhousie University, whose research my course is based upon, defines resilience as “our capacity,
individually and in groups, to navigate our way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain our wellbeing, and… our capacity individually and in groups to, negotiate for these resources”. Resilience for older adults provides support in maximizing enjoyment of their last decades on life’s journey. Ungar developed a list of twelve resilience resources, shown in the following table, which enable adults to build on their current understanding of resilience.
A Dozen Resilience Resources 1.
Structure/routines
2. Consequences/ accountability 3. Intimate and sustaining love from others 4. Lots and lots of supportive relationships
5.
A powerful identity
6. A sense of control 7.
A sense of belonging/ culture/spirituality/life purpose
9.
Our basic needs are met
10. Positive thinking 11. Physical wellbeing 12. Financial wellbeing
8. Rights and responsibilities
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Resilience for older adults provides support in maximizing enjoyment of their last decades on life’s journey.
Spring 2024 • Volume 46 Health
Sue Lantz was a presenter at the AGM for the Retired Teachers’ Association of Manitoba. Sue presented “Options Open” to support older adults in making proactive and preventative plans to arrange their best aging journey. Sue identified a five-strategy framework guiding older adults: 1) Health, 2) Housing, 3) Social Connections and Network, 4) Caregiving Team, 5) Your Resources. Her framework aligned with Ungar’s resilience resources. Sue’s Health strategy identified the resilience resources related to physical health such as the meeting of basic needs and physical wellbeing. For mental health, Sue aligned with Ungar in maintaining a powerful identity, a sense of control over our decision making, a sense of life purpose, and positive thinking. Sue emphasized older adults need to continue to build Social Networks, and Ungar refers to resilience resources for building and maintaining lots and lots of relationships that foster intimate and sustaining love from others. Ungar and Sue both speak to having a sense of belonging in a community whether based on friendship, culture, or spiritual commonalities. The mapping strategy of planning our Caregiving Team is tied into Ungar’s description of the significance of having lots and lots of supportive relationships to call upon when we start to prepare our list of future caregivers. It is important that we have a sense of control in our selection of those individuals who we trust to best support us in specific roles, as outlined by Sue. Sue’s strategy to leverage various Resources is a call for older adults to review and implement Ungar’s complete list of resilience resources to guide successful movement through the aging journey. Ungar’s last resource is financial wellbeing and Sue emphasized that financial wellbeing is directly tied to choices made in the other four strategy areas of our lives. The final word goes to Ungar, and he concludes that; “Finding the resources we need for success depends on the quality of our social, built (created) and natural environments.” All aspects of our life intertwine to support our resilience and wellbeing as we map our best aging journey.
Outreach
Sue Lantz’s Five Strategy Framework and Michael Ungar’s Dozen Resilience Resources align so well, and woven together, allow for better preparation, ability to mitigate known risks, and guidance to map the best future ever. Let’s benefit from the wisdom gained by these two Canadian experts as they share their insights with us. Ungar and Lantz provide more depth in the following resources: Ungar, Michael. “Resilience on the Job and at Home: Maintaining Our Capacity to Cope During Times of Change and Challenge”. Online as presented for the New Brunswick Association of Social Workers. https://www.nbasw-atsnb.ca/assets/UngarHandout-Resilience-on-the-Job-and-at-Home.pdf Lantz, Sue. “OPTIONS OPEN: The Guide for Mapping Your Best Aging Journey” ©2020 https://optionsopen.org ● Joan Zaretsky is a retired Manitoba educator who teaches a course on Resilience at the University of Winnipeg.
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Self Care
Self Care
Spring 2024 • Volume 46
Protecting Yourself From Fraud WRITTEN BY: ALYSON EDWARDS
What is fraud? According to Merriam-Webster, fraud is: • intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right; • an act of deceiving or misrepresenting; • a person who is not what he or she pretends to be. Thank you to the Saskatoon Police for providing an abundance of information on fraud. This issue of Outreach will share guidance on how to protect yourself from fraud and how to report if you feel you have been a victim of fraud. The following two issues of Outreach will share the various fraud schemes to provide greater awareness to mitigate the risk of fraud.
Protecting Yourself From Fraud
Remember: "If it sounds too good to be true..." Do not bow to time pressure imposed by the individual – any legitimate deal will be there tomorrow. Always guard your personal information – do not give it out over the phone or the Internet unless you are 100 percent certain of the individual at the other end. You may need to verify the source through other means. When making purchases over the phone or Internet, take the time to verify the source of the communication through a third party. Most websites have a verification service and reporting system – use them. When you are sure of what you are purchasing and where it is located, use one of the established, thirdparty payment companies. Review the following tips to further minimize your risk: 1
Never send money to someone claiming you've won a prize.
Thousands of Canadians are defrauded each year. Scams are initiated by contact in several ways – over the phone, on the internet, or in the mail.
2
Before you reveal any personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and if it will be shared.
The first line of defense is to be skeptical of any approach that you did not initiate.
3
Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time.
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Spring 2024 • Volume 46
4
5
6 7
Guard your mail. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery. Ensure mail is forwarded or re-routed if you move or change your mailing address. Utilize strong passwords on your credit card, bank, and phone accounts. Avoid passwords that use easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, and the last four digits of your SIN or your phone number. Minimize the identification information and number of cards you carry. Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you're dealing.
8
Give your SIN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
9
Don't carry your SIN card; leave it in a secure place.
Self Care
Reporting Fraud When you have been defrauded, we recommend that you report the matter immediately to the local police with jurisdiction for where the fraud took place. If you have been victimized while using a legitimate web-based company; you should use their system to report the fraudulent activity. If you believe your personal information has been compromised, contact your financial institutions as soon as practicable. Access resources to stay informed. Below are some third-party monitoring agencies that may assist in tracking and reporting the latest internet and telephone scams. Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre 1-888-495-8501 info@antifraudcentre.ca CRA Charities Directorate 1-800-267-2384 Credit Bureaus Equifax: 1-800-465-7166 TransUnion: 1-866-525-0262 Financial Consumer Agency of Canada 1-866-461-3222 ● Alyson Edwards is the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications for the Saskatoon Police Service.
Always guard your personal information. Outreach
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From Our Readers
From Our Readers
Spring 2024 • Volume 46
The healing medicine of language WRITTEN BY: RITA BOUVIER A note about the author’s works: Rita’s poetry collections
sailing the deep I will take with me miyomaskihkî – sacred medicine nimoshôm’pan – my late grandfather a way of being with you in silence
can be purchased in Saskatoon bookstores McNally Robinson and Turning the Tide or online from Thistledown Press.
nimâmâ – my mother a presence at the end of the line ninâpîm – my one man a good love like no other no osis – my son a tale of spiders in rubber suction boots nisîmis – my younger sibling a belief there is always room for one more niwîcîwâ anak – the ones with whom I make a path a reading of the great mystery nohkom’pan – my late grandmother a prayer when there is no where else to turn Source: papîyâhtak
wordsongs of a warrior what is poetry? how do I explain this affliction to my mother in the language she understands, words strung together, woven pieces of memory, naming and telling the truth in a way that dances, swings and sways why the subject of my poetry is sometimes difficult to deliver why my subjects are terrorized even controversial, why the subjects are the essence of my own being – close to the bone. na amowin’sa – wordsongs, I say kahkiyaw ay’sînôwak kici ta sohkihtama kipimâsonaw kitahtawî ayis êkwa kam’skâtonanaw
Rita Bouvier is a Métis writer, editor and retired educator. Her fourth book of poetry, a beautiful rebellion, was released April 2023 by Thistledown Press. Rita’s poetry has appeared in literary anthologies and journals, musicals and television productions, and has been translated into Spanish, German and Cree-Michif of her home community of sakitawak— Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, Canada situated on the historic trading and meeting grounds of Cree and Dene people (Treaty 10).
wordsongs for all human beings to give strength on this journey one of these days, for sure now we will find each other
Source: papîyâhtak
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Spring 2024 • Volume 46 From Our Readers
a place I know at the mouth of the Canoe River yôtin is arrested stillness
wind
sound amplified nature’s symphony playing a harmony of wings quacks and splashes as each sound seeps into my weary body a memory comes rushing in harvesting duck eggs the warmth of the sun on my back moshôm motioning directions nitânis ôtî
my daughter over there
he says as we weave quietly ceremoniously through tall reeds ducks scattering today sîpî is a mirrored sky of blue and white I dip my paddle into ever so delicately
the river
keeping time as I churn wispy clouds sailing by below me look! I whisper to my canoeing companion pointing to the lily pads pops of yellow surprise as perfect backdrop on this glorious day the waterway lined with obedient bowing reed heads is the path taking us into the interior! Source: a beautiful rebellion ●
Resolutions for Annual General Meeting
Nominations for Provincial Executive
Please look for resolutions in the March Issue of Executive Notes or go to the STS website.
Please look for nominations in the March Issue of Executive Notes or go to the STS website.
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Book Reviews
Book Reviews
Spring 2024 • Volume 46
Book Review
The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Study of Happiness WRITTEN BY: JOAN ELLIOT
T
HE GOOD LIFE , by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Dr. Marc Shultz, shares key findings from the renowned Harvard Study of Adult Development which began in 1938 with the aim of investigating what enables people to thrive and live happier and healthier lives. The authors, both of whom are current directors of the study, point out that their research was augmented by hundreds of other scientific studies, as well as by detailed personal stories. The essential question at the heart of this book is: What is the key to a good life? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the book concludes that a happy and fulfilled life is most likely to be the result of warm relationships that are protective of both mind and body. Noting that life is not easy, and that stress is an inevitable part of our lives, the authors found that strong relationships, whether they are with family, friends, colleagues or in clubs, are powerful stress regulators that have a calming function that leads to less inflammation in body systems. Participants in the study who had good relationships were less likely to develop depression, heart disease or diabetes and their broader social networks resulted in slower rates of cognitive decline. Arguing that social fitness is as important as physical fitness, the authors suggest that we should step back, take a broad view of our lives, and ask ourselves if we are lonely and have the kind of relationships we want. They then provide invaluable insights into how we can strengthen our relationships by paying attention to them, adapting to challenges, establishing routines with friends or co-workers, and connecting with others in the community about shared interests, among many other practical ideas. Waldinger and Schulz state that it is never too late to be happy and that we can continue to grow and change even later in life. By taking care of
our relationships and staying connected, we can combat loneliness, feel understood, and have a support network for the challenges ahead. ● Joan Elliott is the librarian/manager of the Emma Stewart Resources Centre. She and her team are honoured to provide library services to educators throughout the province.
Did You Know? The ESRC collection includes extensive resources about K-12 education, wellness, social justice, and truth and reconciliation. Award-winning books by Saskatchewan writers and several Canada Reads titles are in the collection. We provide a free mailout service to anywhere in the province. You can browse the collection in person at 2311 Arlington Avenue in Saskatoon or use our online catalogue at www.stf.sk.ca (no log in required). CONTACT US Please call us at 1-800-667-7762 or email esrc@stf.sk.ca to request materials.
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Spring 2024 • Volume 46 Anniversary Celebrations
Albert Chapter STS Moosomin Chapter
STS Lloydminster Chapter
STS Nipawin Chapter
STS Last Mountain Chapter
STS Wakaw Chapter
STS Biggar Chapter
STS Potashville and Esterhazy Chapters
STS Estevan Chapter
Outreach
13 STS Weyburn Chapter
STS Lloydminster Chapter
Anniversary Celebrations
STS Prince
MARCH
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Resolutions Deadline for Distribution
3-4
1
Provincial Executive Candidate Nomination Deadline for Distribution
11-12 Provincial Executive Meeting
29
Provincial Executive Meeting
10-11 Provincial Golf Tournament – Moosomin
13-14 Provincial Wellness Retreat (hosted by Regina and Last Mountain Chapters)
Office Closed for Good Friday
MAY
1-2
Provincial Mah Jongg Tournament – Regina
7-9 20
Annual General Meeting Office Closed for Victoria Day
Are you moving and want to join the STS Chapter in your area? Contact the STS Office to do so, or for Chapter contacts.
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