At last week’s Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) District 10 Spring Leadership Conference in Frisco, two Western Grayson County Retired School Personnel Association (WGRSPA) members were named among the District 10 Stars. Doris Haynie and Cladene Belcher were recognized for going above and beyond expectations of the TRTA mission. Haynie and Belcher are two of the group’s most involved members, and WGRSPA is immensely proud of their achievements.
Twelve WGRSPA members attended the conference last week in Frisco. In addition to Haynie and Belcher, they were Mary Nan Story, Sue Barker, Glenda Coulson, Harold Tamplen, Frankie Tamplen, T. R. Fletcher, Carol Golden, Carol Pike, Sharon Golden and Sharon Lively. The session brought all attendees challenges concerning the futures of retired school personnel.
Keynote speaker Dr. Ann Poore discussed the concerning trend of decreased memberships in organizations. She noted that screens in our lives and Covid are blamed by researchers as factors for these trends toward becoming loners. She reminded us of how TRTA had a burst of enthusiasm, involvement and forward motion when the organization was successful in its last cost of living drive and urged attendees to figure out how to make that happen again.
Thomas Poore, longtime TRTA legislative expert, energetically cautioned attendees to avoid thinking that everything is going to be fine. He said that we should be aware on all levels of government as things get dismantled, and the question needs to be, “Who’s next?” With that in mind, WGRSPA members should rise up to protect their interests. They must have involvement, make anyone they wish to recruit as members feel valued, and do what it takes to reverse the decline in joining.
Susan McDaniel, retiring District 10 president, installed new officers, including WGRSPA’s Glenda Coulson as corresponding secretary Monday at the Spring Leadership Conference.
WGRSPA member Harold Tamplen donated one of his beautiful hand-crafted food-carrying boards as the chapter’s door prize. The proud new owner was Helen Bradley of Irving.