Four ladies from Fulton county Retired Teachers Association traveled to Indianapolis on Wednesday June 19, 2015 to attend the 49th Representative Assembly for Indiana retired teachers.  Ilene Howard, Kay Horn, Patti Hiatt, and Linda Wade.  The IRTA Mission is to promote the welfare of Indiana’s retired educators, to encourage and perpetuate education in the state of Indiana, and to provide community leadership, service, and guidance.

   Carol Grieser, out-going president from Goshen called the assembly to order and the choir sang the IRTA song.  Rev. Jim Lund, outgoing area #3 director gave the invocation.

After the pledge to the flag, Carol Grieser gave her remarks and introduced new president Tom Mellish. 

Various committee reports were given which highlighted the budget and financial statement and auditing report.  A report by the Legislative committee, various membership concerns and the public relations committee reports and awards.

 

Kay Horn accepted the award for the outstanding news releases and also an honorable mention award for the Fulton county Retired Teachers  website* (2nd photo)

Barry Conrad, Wabash gave the retirement planning committee report.

Carol Grieser recognized the retiring board members and gave the election results.  Barry Conrad will be the new secretary-treasurer after defeating James Pierce from Sunman, Indiana.

After the luncheon the community service awards were handed out.  For Area #3, Linda Wade from Fulton, IN was chosen as the top volunteer for Area #3 which includes Cass, Fulton,Miami,Howard,Carroll, Clinton,White,Tippecanoe,Benton, and Newton counties.

 

Linda’s list of volunteer activities is very impressive.  She volunteered 648 hours last year.  She volunteers with many organizations in the Fulton County area.  The majority of her time was occupied with the Fulton County Fun Festival sponsored by the Fulton-Liberty Lions Club.  As chair of the Planning Committee, Linda begins preparation for the next festival springboarding ideas prompted by the recently finished festival.  This involves phone calls, emails, on site visits, meetings, news media submissions, and running the parade.  In addition, Linda wrote a grant for funding, gathered support through the lions club and the community for financial backing in coordination with Dairy queen’s Sponsor Night and Beacon Credit Union’s Project Spotlight.

  Linda is involved with the Liberty Township Advisory Board.  As a member, she took on writing a grant application in the summer of 2014 for four large projects at the local park.  The grant was for $60,000.  Though the Northern Indiana Community Foundation did not select that grant in the very competitive competition, Linda found the process enlightening and prepared to write other grant applications.  She and two other Lions club members obtained barrels and planted flowers and maintained them during the summer to help beautify the park.

  Linda directs the choir at the Fulton Baptist church and is a member of the Fulton County Choral Club which provides shows throughout the area.

Linda volunteers at  local schools, helping students with sixth grade math.  She, also, assists in first and second grade classrooms with reading.  Linda enjoys teaching youngsters in scripture reading at the weekly Youth Club at the Baptist church.  She teaches Sunday School as well.

 

Area #3 volunteer hours totaled 104,401 and this was added to the state total volunteer hours for 2014 which was 1,112,406.  This has saved the taxpayers many dollars.  Each volunteer hour is worth $20.14.

  Honorable mention volunteer awards went to Marge Zartman, Kay Horn and Ilene Howard who will receive certificates.

 

Carol Grieser received a Sagamore of the Wabash plaque for all the work she has done for Indiana’s retired teachers.

New officers were installed by Bob Kraft and Eugene Wease installed Dennis Bourquein as the new president for IRTA for the coming term.

The Assembly was adjourned.

 

Kay Horn, Sec.

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