Welcome to 2024! A new year for MRTA, let's hope it's a good one. As you know, this is a nominations year. It would be wonderful to have some new people run for officers or become committee chairs. Please consider stepping up and serving MRTA. We work well together and help each other so no one job is overwhelming. Please let me know if you will give it a try! We will be selecting a nominations committee in April, and we need your help.
Our meetings are again at Drake's Landing this year. The menus have been set, and they are ready to accommodate. us. Remember, our meetings are always the second Wednesday in March, May, June, September, November and December. The executive board meets the second Thursday of January, April, August and October.
Inflation is hitting all of us hard. Everything is going up but our incomes (thanks to STRS). That being said, we DO NOT want to increase the cost of the luncheons. At the luncheons, we also pay for our speakers and special guests' meals, plus one MRTA member per meeting whose name is picked. The 50/50 raffle helps supplement the additional cost (MRTA) pays $18l00 per lunch so continue to buy the tickets for the 50/50 and fabulous prizes!
We will also take any ideas you have for speakers. Remember, we don't pay them, so if you hear someone you like, tell them they'll get a free lunch, but the talk is gratis. We would like a mixture of informative and entertaining presenters. In March, the Austintown concert choir under the direction of Bill Klein will entertain us. May's speaker will be announced later and in June, Dr. George Beelen will talk about his new book, Genius Knows Bo boundaries'''30 Years of the Ohio Cultural Alliance. Our job is to make it interesting for you, so that you'll want to join us for lunch. ORTA Pension Defense Fund Last year, in the wake of Wade Steen's dismissal from the STRS Board, ORTA started a fund to provide resources for legal and professional assistance in fighting for Ohio's teachers. ORTA's Executive Council determined that the first action from the Pension Defense fund would be to support Wade Steen's legal battle to be reinstated to the STRS Ohio board. To help in this endeavor, MRTA will take up a collection for the Pension Defense Fund at the March meeting. MRTA will then match the amount collected. Mr. Steen supports the return of the COLA and is pro-reform. We hope you will give generously.
Anything I can do to help you enjoy and improve MRTA just let me know. I am here to serve you. Welcome to a new Year!