APRIL NEWSLETTER

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING. PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND.

Next meeting: Wednesday, April 13, 2016

**********Location: Charlotte County Family Services Center**********

21450 Gibralter (corner of Easy Street)

Port Charlotte, Fl. 33952

Time: 9:30 am…………Social Time (Bring your own beverage)

10:00 am…………General Meeting

Program:…………FRAUD AND SCAM presented by Punta Gorda Police

Hostesses:………Laurel Aumend and Judy Kline

Noon-Adjourn to a local restaurant for lunch and social time.

Food Donations at this meeting for the Back Pack Kidz.

COMMITTEES:

ABC Crafters’/ Public Relations: Handy and popular items such as the bowl warmers and now the lid grippers are always available at our meetings along with other items made by the crafters for the benefit of the scholarship fund. They make a nice gift item for neighbors, friends and family. Arlene Kincaid continues to be in contact with the local Charlotte Sun to get our meetings and events published. THANKS, Arlene.

Nominating Committee: Chairperson, Ann Stout, reports that Julee Craig will be our historian. ABC Crafters and Membership chairpersons are requesting assistance.

Sunshine/Cheer: If you know of any member who is sick, shut-in, or hospitalized, please let Louise Ratliff know so that she can send cards and/or make visitations.

Social Event: On March 31, members traveled to the Broadway Palm Theater in Ft. Myers and enjoyed a great show (SISTER ACT) and a tasty buffet lunch.

Literacy/Volunteer Services: Laurel Aumend, chair, did a great job of tallying our volunteer hours and submitting it to FREA. It was complete and in perfect order. Thanks so much Laurel for taking care of this for CCREA.

FREA News: FREA is holding its annual convention/conference April 9-14, 2016 on the Brilliance of the Seas ship of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Sue Dalson is attending as our Delegate. Others attending include Joyce Powell and Irene Jones.

Hostesses for our general meetings for the ensuing year will be recruited at the April 13th meeting.

May 4th Scholarship Luncheon Details and Reminders: Once again, our lovely scholarship luncheon will be held at the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church. The cost is $5 per member along with a covered dish to share. We have many guests at this affair along with the scholarship recipients. You do NOT need to bring serving utensils for your dish as they get mixed in with the church utensils. At the April meeting, there will be a sign-up sheet for your food donation for this event. The cost is $5 to pay for the entrée. Please put your name on your dish or use a disposable dish instead to make things simple. We also welcome auction items (minimum $10 value) for sale at the Scholarship Luncheon in May. When you arrive at the church, give your auction items to Laurel Aumend. You may call Nancy Overman at 941-637-8140 to make your reservation if you do not attend the April meeting but plan to attend the May 4th Scholarship Luncheon to honor our recipients. If you are a volunteer worker for the luncheon, please arrive at 10:30; otherwise, plan to be at the church at 11:00 am.

Meeting location news: The GFWC Woman’s Club of Port Charlotte has agreed to allow the CCREA to hold their general meetings at their clubhouse at 20271 Tappan Zee Drive for the months of Oct, Nov, Jan, Feb, April and the Scholarship Luncheon in May for the ensuing year. A vote will be taken at the April 13 general membership meeting.

to our members celebrating in April

March 2016 Newsletter

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D.

Next meeting: Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Location: GOLDEN CORRAL 10:00 MEETING 11:00 LUNCH

When you arrive at the restaurant, pay $10.75, get your beverage and proceed to the meeting room in the back. Buffet, beverage and gratuity are included.

Hostesses: Nancy Overman and Sue Dalson

CULTURAL AFFAIRS: CCREA is having another Visani’s Comedy Theater event on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The two comedians are Troy Thirdgill and Frank Del Pizzo. The food is always tasty and the entertainment is great. A fun evening. If you plan to have dinner, call Visani’s and ask to be seated in the area reserved for CCREA. If you are not having dinner, there is a two item minimum purchase (have desert and coffee if you wish) but ask to be seated with CCREA.

Broadway Palms Theater event- “SISTER ACT”, Thursday, March 31. Twenty tickets at $49 each have been reserved for our group and/or friends. Contact Louise Ratliff if you have any questions about the event. Carpooling will be arranged for those interested. Your ticket price includes a buffet luncheon and the show. Checks are to be made out to Broadway Palms. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for fun and fellowship and a great show.

Food Donations: NO FOODS WILL BE COLLECTED AT THE MARCH LUNCHEON AT GOLDEN CORRAL. We will collect in April for the Back Pack Kidz.

STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEW GENERAL MEETING LOCATION The future of the Charlotte County Family Services Center has not yet been determined by the County. Therefore, we have been exploring alternate locations for our meetings in the future.

Literacy/Volunteer services: CCREA members logged an impressive 6,262 total volunteer hours from March 2015-February 2016. Volunteer hours for FREA will now be tabulated from March 2016-December 2016 so that we can change the hours recorded for the calendar year from now on.

DUES ARE DUE. Please pay your CCREA ($15) and/or FREA ($35) dues by the April meeting. All CCREA members can join FREA even if retired from another state. Many benefits are available through FREA. You can also combine a scholarship contribution with your dues but just make a note in the memo line to avoid confusion. All checks to be made out to CCREA. See Sue Dalson, our membership chairperson.

NOMINATING: Ann Stout reports that we continue to need other members to step up and assume the chairperson position for the ABC CRAFTERS AND THE HISTORIAN.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR-LORINDA KU

SAVE THE DATE: Scholarship Luncheon, May 4^th, First Presbyterian Church, Burnt Store Road, Punta Gorda. We need to increase our membership attendance at this very important event. The Scholarship recipients and their families, teachers, and/or counselors look forward to this event and we need to be there to offer congratulations on their accomplishments. Please try to attend this year.

to all of our MARCH celebrants.

February,2016 Newsletters

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D.

Next meeting: Wednesday, February 10, 2016

9:30- Social time 10:00 business meeting 11:00 a.m. Program

12:00 noon Adjourn/Interested members will go to LUIGI’S to enjoy lunch and socializing.

Hostesses: Lola Casey/ Irene Jones

Location: Charlotte County Family Service Center-21450 Gibralter St., Port Charlotte

Program: “ Women of Punta Gorda”. Our own member, Libby Schaefer, wrote a book entitled, The Ladies of Punta Gorda- A Memory Book. It is a compilation of interviews with notable Punta Gorda women sharing their life stories and memories of Punta Gorda. Libby tells the story of some of the women who helped to shape Punta Gorda. She launched the book with a talk and book signing at the Copperfish Books store in December.

One of our members, Virginia Muth, is mentioned in Libby’s book as a notable woman of the history of Punta Gorda. We will HONOR Virginia at our upcoming meeting with a celebratory cake.

Please make an effort to attend.

FREA News: Sue Dalson is our delegate to attend the FREA Conference which is a cruise this year. FREA will display their Virtual Scrapbook on the cruise. All local pictures must be sent on a thumb drive by March 25, 2016 in order to be included in the Virtual Scrapbook. Please send any photos that you have taken of CCREA members and related events to Sonja so that they can be included if appropriate.

FREF EXTRAVAGANZA Tickets will be available for $10 per ticket and proceeds benefit the state scholarships. Prizes as follows: 1^st Prize- $500, 2^nd Prize- $300, 3^rd Prize- $200, and 10 district prizes of $100 to be awarded.

ABC Crafters’ News: Arlene Kincaid continues to chair the ABC crafters committee but would love for someone else to step up and have the opportunity to experience the chairmanship of ABC Crafters. She has worked tirelessly to organize, prepare, and market so many lovely items in order to fund more scholarships for CCREA. Potato bags, bowl warmers, pot scrubbies, and Senior blocks will be available at our meeting.

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: Three applications for scholarships were received this year. The Interview committee (Sonja Rozier, Sue Dalson, and Gloria Smith) has interviewed the applicants and presented the information to the board. Due to monetary constraints, further discussion will occur at the next board meeting regarding the number of scholarships to be awarded and the amounts of each.

SUNSHINE/NECROLOGY: Please contact Louise Ratliff (1-239-543-1476, clela46@yahoo.com) if you know of a member who is not well and would appreciate cards, visits, or calls.

LEGISLATIVE: Testing continues to be the hot topic among Florida educators as well as among teachers across this great nation.

CULTURAL AFFAIRS: CCREA is having another Visani’s Comedy Theater event on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The two comedians are Troy Thirdgill and Frank Del Pizzo. The food is always tasty and the entertainment is great. A fun evening.

Broadway Palms Theater event- “SISTER ACT”, Thursday, March 31. Twenty tickets at $49 each have been reserved for our group and/or friends. Contact Louise Ratliff if you are interested in purchasing a ticket. Carpooling will be discussed at our February meeting for those who are attending this event. Ticket price includes a buffet luncheon and the show. Checks are to be made out to Broadway Palms. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for fun and fellowship and a great show.

LITERACY/VOLUNTEER SERVICES: Volunteer hours are due. Please bring your documented hours to this meeting in February. If you are not coming, you can email your hours to Nancy Overman at NOJOFL@aol.com with Volunteer Hours in the subject line.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Thanks Arlene Kincaid for continuing to keep CCREA events and activities in the newspaper. We appreciate your efforts and time.

HISTORIAN: Beth Pritchard has done a great job on the CCREA scrapbook but she would like someone else to have the opportunity to do this job. If you are interested, please let us know.

FOOD BANK INFORMATION: Snack items are always needed for the back-pack kids. NO PEANUTS DUE TO ALLERGIES. Food donations in February will go to the Salvation Army.

SAVE THE DATE: Scholarship Luncheon, May 4^th, First Presbyterian Church, Burnt Store Road, Punta Gorda.We need to increase our membership attendance at this very important event. The Scholarship recipients and their families, teachers, and/or counselors look forward to this event and we need to be there to offer congratulations on their accomplishments. Please try to attend this year.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

STAY TUNED – MEETING LOCATION MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. OTHER OPTIONS ARE BEING EXPLORED.

Feb. 11, 5-8 pm Kay-Ponger will present “Step Back in Time”, a display of local historical items from Linda Wilson’s collection. Free and open to the public. Donations accepted for American Cancer Society.

Marion Menna, one of our newer member’s, has a daughter and son-in-law (Jenny and Nathan Wilson) who are a Jazz Duo who will perform in concert at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on Forrest Nelson Blvd. Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 4-6 pm. Suggested donation is $5. Marion and Arlene Kincaid will have tickets at our meeting if you’d like to attend their CD Release Concert.

Please make these email corrections in your Yearbook:

Libby Schaefer - Schaefotl@aol.com

Terry Bohlander- Tsbohlander@gmail.com

January, 2016 Newsletter

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D.

Next meeting: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 9:30- Social time, 10:00 business meeting, 11:00 a.m. Program, 12:00 noon Adjourn/Interested members will go to the Cultural Center to enjoy lunch together as there is a Health Fair going on there that day.

Hostesses: Beth Henderson/Donna Ormsby

Location: Charlotte County Family Service Center-21450 Gibralter St., Port Charlotte

Program: Friendship Force of SWFL; Presenters: Sue Linehan/Joanne Collins

They will talk about “Faces not Places” as an alternative to hotel booking.

FREA News: Sue Dalson is our delegate to attend the FREA Conference which is a cruise this year.

FREA will display their Virtual Scrapbook on the cruise. All local pictures must be sent on a thumb drive by March 25, 2016 in order to be included in the Virtual Scrapbook. Please send any photos that you have taken of CCREA members and related events to Sonja so that they can be included if appropriate.

FREF EXTRAVAGANZA Tickets will be available at our meetings in January and February. The cost is $10 per ticket and proceeds benefit the state scholarships. Prizes as follows: 1^st Prize- $500, 2^nd Prize- $300, 3^rd Prize- $200, and 10 district prizes of $100 to be awarded.

ABC Crafters’ News: Arlene Kincaid continues to chair the ABC crafters committee but is asking that someone please volunteer to take this position. She has worked tirelessly to organize, prepare, and market so many lovely items in order to fund more scholarships for CCREA. Potato bags, bowl warmers, pot scrubbies, and Senior blocks will be available at our meeting.

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: Three applications for scholarships have been received to date. The interview committee is: Sonja Rozier, Sue Dalson, and Gloria Smith. Current scholarship recipients, Gabriella Swartz and Catherine Friedline have sent Thank You notes to CCREA for supporting their educational efforts.

SUNSHINE/NECROLOGY: Virginia Golemo (21199 Berkshire Avenue, Port Charlotte, FL. 33954 ) has been suffering with back pain and has been in bed. She would appreciate calls and cards from members to cheer her up.

Joan Stancil, who lost her dear husband, wishes to thank everyone who offered expressions of sympathy during this very difficult time.

IN MEMORIAM: It is with sadness that we report the passing of our CCREA member, Louise Skramstad, on Janurary 6^th.She had been in failing health for several months. Her caregiver was Diane Taylor, 215 Rio Villa Drive #3026, Punta Gorda, Fl.33950.

Please contact Louise Ratliff ( 1-239-543-1476, clela46@yahoo.com) if you know of a member who is not well and would appreciate cards, visits, or calls.

LEGISLATIVE: Gloria Smith reports that The State Educational Commissioner should be an elected position rather than an appointment from the Governor in order for Florida to have greater control over the TESTING issues and concerns.

CULTURAL AFFAIRS: January 16, 2 pm. Members may attend the Follies performance “Come Fly with Me” at the Cultural Center with a group discount of $10 per ticket if we can get the minimum required. You must contact Arlene Kincaid or Nancy Overman by 1/13/16.

Broadway Palms Theater event- “SISTER ACT”, Thursday, March 31. Twenty tickets at $49 each have been reserved for our group and/or friends. Contact Louise Ratliff if you are interested in purchasing a ticket. Carpooling will be encouraged and arranged by those who decide to attend. Ticket price includes a buffet luncheon and the show. Checks are to be made out to Broadway Palms. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for fun and fellowship and a great show.

LITERACY/VOLUNTEER SERVICES: Laurel Aumend presented two grandparent essays to the CCREA Board. They were read and both were deemed worthy of recognition. First and Second places were determined.

Volunteer hours are due. Documented hours must be submitted by our February meeting. You can email your hours to Nancy Overman at NOJOFL@aol.com with Volunteer Hours in the subject line.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Arlene Kincaid has been submitting information to the Charlotte Sun newspaper regarding our meetings and activities. She has been quite successful in getting pictures and articles published. Thanks so much Arlene for your diligence regarding publicity.

HISTORIAN: Beth Pritchard has done a great job on the CCREA scrapbook but would appreciate some help or someone else to take over the responsibility.

FOOD BANK INFORMATION: Snack items are always needed for the back-pack kids. NO PEANUTS DUE TO ALLERGIES

SAVE THE DATE: Scholarship Luncheon, May 4^th, First Presbyterian Church, Burnt Store Road, Punta Gorda. It is so important for us to increase our membership attendance at this very important event. The Scholarship recipients and their families, teachers, and/or counselors look forward to this event and we need to be there to offer congratulations on their accomplishments. Please try to attend this year.

Happy Birthday to all of our members who celebrate in January.

DECEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D. and Nancy Overman

General Meeting: December 9, 2015

Location: Olympia Restaurant, 3245 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte

Time: 10:00 a.m.

The December meeting will be held at the OLYMPIA RESTAURANT, located on the access road in Port Charlotte. The meeting will begin at 10 am with lunch following at approximately 11 am. You will be able to order off the menu, at your own expense, and will have a separate check. If you would like to participate in a gift exchange, please bring a wrapped gift with an approximate value of $3-$5. Join us for some pre-Christmas fun and fellowship. We need a tentative head count, so if you know that you probably will be coming please e-mail Nancy: nojofl@aol.com and put CCREA on the subject line (so it is not deleted). You could also leave a message at 637-8140. Ho, Ho, Ho………

We will be having our scholarship 50/50 raffle at the meeting but due to space no Back Pack Kids or canned goods collection. Please donate during this season to your special charity.

ABC CRAFTERS: Our hard working elves still have some Christmas gifts available to sell such as potato bags, scrubbies, bowl warmers and other unique gifts. Please call Arlene if you would like any of these items and she will bring them to the luncheon. Due to limited space there will not be the usual ABC display.

DUES: There are still a few members who have not paid their dues. The year books have been printed, but we can still add your name using a sticker. Please call Sue Dalson regarding your dues or any change of information different from the year book.

Volunteer of the Year: It is time to think about CCREA’s volunteer of the year. The nominee must also be a member of the FREA to qualify. Think of a member who works hard for our group and also stretches themselves by volunteering in our community etc. Please give your nominee’s name to our president, Sonja.

Laurel will be reading the entries for the grandparent essay contest at an upcoming meeting.

Beth will be bringing the scrapbook to the meetings so we can enjoy looking through the pages. If you attend an event and have taken pictures which could be included in the scrapbook, please be sure to share them with Beth so that they can be included in the history of CCREA.

We made $490 for scholarships at our Visiani Fundraiser in November. There may be another one in the spring.

Our CCREA scholarship applications have been sent to the schools.

We are still looking for helpers for the Yearbook and ABC Crafters. Is it you?

CCREA members rang the Salvation Army bells in November and dressed 90 bears for the children in our county for Christmas.

WE HAVE NEW MEMBERS FOR YOU TO MEET, GREET, AND WELCOME TO OUR CCREA. This is YOUR organization. Come out, get involved, have some fun, and meet new friends.

************** CCREA SCHOLARSHIPS**************

When you are considering charitable donations during this holiday season, please remember that we have two opportunities to contribute to scholarships for future educators.

First is our traditional yearly scholarships to Charlotte County High School Graduating Seniors desiring to enter the education field (CCREA Future Educators Scholarship). The proceeds from our fund raisers, donations, memorials, ABC crafters, monthly 50/50 raffle etc. are used to fund these scholarships. Any checks should be made out to CCREA with a notation for the scholarship fund on the memo line. These can be given or sent to the CCREA Treasurer or Scholarship Chair (Joanne Bradley) and are deposited into our savings account. This fund will continue as long as funds are available.

Another way is to donate to the Florida SouthWestern Foundation (FSW Foundation). CCREA has established an endowment (CCREA Endowment Fund) at the college for non-traditional students wanting to go into the education field. This fund will continue in perpetuity with our original donation of $50,000 with the scholarship money going to Charlotte County residents attending FSW in the education field. Checks should be made out to FSW FOUNDATION and CCREA Endowment Fund written on the memo line. All donations to the Endowment Fund are tax deductible (seek the advice of you CPA). A tax receipt will be set to you by the college each year that you donate. These checks can be given/sent to the CCREA Treasurer who will forward them or they can be mailed directly to the college: FSWC, Robinson Hall I-213, 8099 College Parkway, Ft. Myers, FL 33919. Please note that FSW can also accept boats, cars, stocks, bonds, valuable paintings etc. as donations. Please call Dr.Kramp (239-489-9210) with help for in kind donations.

All CCREA members and our supporters should be proud of the above accomplishments.

If you have any questions please contact Sonja Rozier, CCREA President or Nancy Overman, Treasurer.

YES, the above information was included in the November newsletter but since it is the time of year for charitable contributions for many folks, this serves as a reminder that we can continue to make donations to ensure the future of our public schools by offering scholarships to future educators. Donations to the Endowment Fund are tax deductible.

NOVEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D.

It was great to see some of our snowbirds back along with some NEW members at the October meeting which was well attended. We look forward to seeing many more of our members in the upcoming months.

November 11, 2015 General meeting for Veteran’s Day

11:00 am – Meet at the Military Museum in Fisherman’s Village.

Tour followed by lunch (at your own expense) at one of the restaurants there.

WE HAVE NEW MEMBERS FOR YOU TO MEET, GREET, AND WELCOME TO OUR

CCREA. This is YOUR organization. Come out, get involved, have some fun, and meet new friends.

ABC Crafters’ News: Crafters’ Chair, Arlene Kincaid reported that we will participate in the “ONE STOP SHOP” which is being held from 3-7 pm on November 12 at the EAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. There will be many vendors and our ABC Crafters will be offering a new item which LaVaughn Ferris created- it is a fragrant hand scrub in a jar. We continue to have our best selling items available at meetings as well as at some craft fairs in the community. Our sales profit our SCHOLARSHIP FUND. We appreciate your support and purchases. Thanks to all who work hard on this committee. Come out on November 12 and get some early shopping done. If you would like to assist with the ABC Crafters’ booth, please

contact Arlene Kincaid at 941-625-7312. Because our meetings for November and December are being held at other locations, our craft items will not be set up during meeting times; however, if you need any items, please call Arlene and she will bring them to the meeting for your convenience.

READ ALOUD: Jo Ellen Gantner reports that some volunteers from the community as well as some of our members have signed up to read to the children at Meadow Park Elementary on Wednesday, November 18 from 8 am until noon. Some volunteers are still needed. If you can help, contact Jo Ellen at 941-391-3334.

SUNSHINE/CHEER: Our member, Laurel Aumend has had some health issues and then had a fall last week which left her bruised up and with a pulled muscle.

Please remember her with thoughts, prayers, and cards. Her address is 1000 Kings Hwy. Unit 7, Port Charlotte, Fl., 33980. Another member, La Vaughn Ferris, is having shoulder surgery. If you wish you send her a card, mail to 582 Andora Drive, Punta Gorda, Fl., 33950. If you know of any member who is sick, shut-in, or hospitalized, please let Louise Ratliff know so that she can send cards and/or make visitations.

SOCIAL EVENT:

Once again, CCREA is selling tickets to members and friends for NOVEMBER 23, 2015. The Comedy Show will be JULIE SCOGGINS AND GIL POOL. Group seating can be arranged but you must call ahead and reserve. The doors open at 5 pm for dinner. Call Joanne Bradley at 941-629-5713 for tickets and information. The show begins at 8 pm. Tickets are $10. Come out and join in the fun with some friends. Call VISANI (941) 629-9191 to make your dinner reservations.

LITERACY/VOLUNTEER SERVICES: Chairperson, Laurel Aumend reported that forms for the grandparent essays have been disseminated to the Meadow Park 5th grades. They will be collected Nov. 30, 2015. Member Volunteer hours will be collected for 2015 (March – Dec). Thereafter, Hours will be collected for the calendar year, January – December as per new FREA ruling. Driving to and from our meetings can also be considered volunteer hours.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Arlene Kincaid has been able to get pictures and articles in the Charlotte Sun. Watch for the publicity for CCREA events and sales.

FOOD BANK INFORMATION: November, we will collect snack items for the back- pack kids. Items can include: pudding and fruit packs, jello packs, cookies, crackers, fruit roll ups, etc… NO PEANUTS FOR BACK-PACK KIDS DUE TO ALLERGIES! If you belong to a church or organization that has a Food Pantry, please share that information with our President, Sonja Rozier.

************** CCREA SCHOLARSHIPS**************

WAYS TO HELP FUTURE TEACHERS: This is just a reminder of how our CCREA scholarship dollars are spent. We have two different approaches to giving scholarships to future teachers.

First is our traditional yearly scholarships to Charlotte County High School Graduating Seniors desiring to enter the education field (CCREA Future Educators Scholarship). The proceeds from our fund raisers, donations, memorials, ABC crafters, monthly 50/50 raffle etc. are used to fund these scholarships. Any checks should be made out to CCREA with a notation for the scholarship fund on the memo line. These can be given or sent to the CCREA Treasurer or Scholarship Chair (Joanne Bradley) and are deposited into our savings account. This fund will continue as long as funds are available.

Another way is to donate to the Florida SouthWestern Foundation (FSW Foundation). CCREA has established an endowment (CCREA Endowment Fund) at the college for non-traditional students wanting to go into the education field. This fund will continue in perpetuity with our original donation of $50,000 with the scholarship money going to Charlotte County residents attending FSW in the education field. Checks should be made out to FSW FOUNDATION and CCREA Endowment Fund written on the memo line. All donations to the Endowment Fund are tax deductible (seek the advice of you CPA). A tax receipt will be set to you by the college each year that you donate. These checks can be given/sent to the CCREA Treasurer who will forward them or they can be mailed directly to the college: FSWC, Robinson Hall I-213, 8099 College Parkway, Ft. Myers, FL 33919. Please note that FSW can also accept boats, cars, stocks, bonds, valuable paintings etc. as donations. Please call Dr.Kramp (239-489- 9210) with help for in kinddonations.

All CCREA members and our supporters should be proud of the above accomplishments.

If you have any questions please contact Sonja Rozier, CCREA President or Nancy Overman, Treasurer.

H4u is Collecting items to be sent to our troops. If you would like to help by donating items for our troops, drop them off at the h4u building behind Winn- Dixie on Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte by Nov. 10. At 2 pm.

Suggested items:

Dryer sheets, batteries, sun block, sewing kit, stain remover kit, stress ball, padding mailing envelopes, eyeglass cleaner wipes, flavored coffee creamer packets, hot sauces, powdered Crystal Light, instant coffee, Powdered Gatorade and hot chocolate, Kool-Aid, tea bags, lemonade mixes, chips not in a bag, pouches of tuna, slim Jims, crackers and cheese spreads, potted meats/crackers, licorice, hard candy, bubble gum, cashews, peanuts, pretzels, Goldfish crackers, applesauce, pudding and fruit cups with pop off lids, cup of Noodles Soup, Raisins and Trail mix, instant oatmeal or grits, breakfast bars, pop tarts, A & D ointment, Wipes, Clorox Wipes, chap stick, razors, shaving cream, shampoo and conditioners, after shave lotion, soap and body washes, mouth wash, deodorant, Gel insoles, foot powder, T-shirts, underwear and socks, sachets for lockers, Glade Stick-ups, light blanket, sheet set, fluffy towels, egg crate mattress pad, toilet paper, baby wipes, eye drops, and sneaker balls.

Any items which have an odor or fragrance should be placed in plastic baggies. All items which could spill or ooze out liquids or gels should also be placed in zip-loc bags.

Thanks so much if you can help our troops.

November 11 CCREA General Meeting 11:00am–Fisherman’s Village; Tour the

Military Museum and have lunch with your CCREA friends, old and new.

November 12 East Elementary “One Stop Shop” fundraiser 3:00-7:00pm

November 23 Visani Fundraiser 7 pm.

OCTOBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Charlotte County Retired Educators’ Association

Edited by: Irene C. Jones, Ed. D.

WELCOME BACK MEMBERS AND FRIENDS. BE SURE TO ATTEND OUR FIRST MEETING OF THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR NEXT WEEK OCTOBER 14, 2015 at the Family Services Center, 21450 Gibralter St. Port Charlotte.

9:30- social time

10:00 Meeting

11:00 Program

12:00 Those who wish to do so, will travel to a restaurant and enjoy lunch and socializing.

WE HAVE NEW MEMBERS FOR YOU TO MEET, GREET, AND WELCOME TO OUR CCREA. This is YOUR organization. Come out, get involved, have some fun, and meet new friends.

Next meeting: NOVEMBER 11, 2015. The Family Services Center will be closed. We will try to attend a Veteran’s Day ceremony and then go to a restaurant for lunch. More information will be available at the October meeting.

ABC Crafters’ News: Crafters’ Chair, Arlene Kincaid reported that we have been given the opportunity to have an 8 X 8 ‘ Booth free of charge at the EAST ELEMENTARY FUNDRAISER to be held on November 12. Stay tuned for more information, and come out and shop for gift-giving from 3-7 p.m. Crafters will be offering a new item which LaVaughn Ferris created- it is a fragrant hand scrub in a jar. We continue to have our best selling items available at meetings as well as at some craft fairs in the community. Our sales profit our SCHOLARSHIP FUND. We appreciate your support and purchases. Thanks to all who work hard on this committee.

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: Our scholarship recipients are all attending their respective schools, are doing well, and are so very appreciative of all the help and support they receive from CCREA.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Chairperson, Ann Stout, reported that the positions of Parliamentarian and greeter have been filled. Our secretary, Pam Gates, will also serve as parliamentarian. Lola Casey has volunteered to be our official greeter and make sure our members are welcome and have someone to sit with. Arlene Kincaid continues to work tirelessly as ABC Crafters’ Chair but is still hoping that someone will step up and take over as she has done it for so many years.

SUNSHINE/CHEER: If you know of any member who is sick, shut-in, or hospitalized, please let Louise Ratliff know so that she can send cards and/or make visitations.

LEGISLATIVE: Gloria Smith would appreciate help in gathering Legislative Information impacting our organization and members which could be reported at the general membership meetings.

SOCIAL EVENT

Once again, CCREA is selling tickets to members and friends for NOVEMBER 23, 2015. The Comedy Show will be JULIE SCOGGINS AND GIL POOL. Group seating can be arranged but you must call ahead and reserve. The doors open at 5 pm for dinner. Call Joanne Bradley for tickets and information. The show begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $10. Come out and join in the fun with some friends. Call VISANI (941) 629-9191 to make your dinner reservations.

LITERACY/VOLUNTEER SERVICES: Volunteer hours will be collected for 2015 (March – Dec). Thereafter, Hours will be collected for the calendar year, January – December as per new FREA ruling. Driving to and from our meetings can also be considered volunteer hours.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Arlene Kincaid has been able to get pictures and articles in the Charlotte Sun. Watch for the publicity for CCREA events and sales.

FOOD BANK INFORMATION: Please remember to bring non-perishable food items for donation to the food banks. For the month of October, we will donate all items to the Salvation Army. In November, we will collect snack items for the back-pack kids. Items can include: pudding and fruit packs, jello packs, cookies, crackers, fruit roll ups, etc… NO PEANUTS FOR BACK-PACK KIDS DUE TO ALLERGIES! If you belong to a church or organization that has a Food Pantry, please share that information with our President, Sonja Rozier.

FREA NEWS: District VII meeting was held at the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Sarasota, October 6, 2015. We had ten members who attended the meeting to hear the latest news of our state organization. FREA had 6 scholarship recipients who have graduated. They have awarded 11 new scholarships this year. They announced that although they have reached their goal of surpassing one million dollars in scholarship monies, they would like to double that so they can award double the scholarships.

FREA is initiating a new “Practicing Educator Grant” program for which guidelines have been set and applications are available. The first $1,000 grant will be awarded in July for use in the 2016-17 school year.

The schedule for volunteer hours tabulation has been changed. This year will be short from March 15-Jan. 1….however, starting next year, it will run from January to January. When all the hours were calculated with an average hourly wage, the number of volunteer hours totaled $776, 997.00 for the past year.

President Cathy McCartney emphasized the need to increase our membership so that we can have more of an impact on the Governor and Legislative decisions regarding education and educators.

Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools, Lori White spoke to the group regarding high stakes testing and other educational issues and concerns for educators. There are 52 schools and 42,000 students in Sarasota County and they have a high success rating.

Next year’s conference will be held on the cruise ship, Brilliance of the SEA , April 9-14, 2016. See the FREA website for details, pricing, and availability.

************** CCREA CONCERNS**************

• 1. We are having difficulty meeting the “QUORUM” requirements of Parliamentary Procedures for both our Board meetings and our General Membership meetings. Please make an effort to come out and be an active participant in YOUR professional organization. If you need a ride, please let someone know and arrangements will be made to assist you. Lack of a quorum means that we cannot conduct business and take votes in order to make important decisions regarding scholarships or anything else. A meeting is not valid without a quorum!

  2. Our last Scholarship Luncheon was not well attended by our membership. We are trying to determine why our attendance has decreased when we should come out to meet and greet the students, their parents, their teachers, guidance counselors, who have come to support, encourage and congratulate them. Can you give us some feedback so that we can make an attempt to increase our attendance at this significant event? Is it the $5.00 lunch fee? Is it the location out Burnt Store Road? Is it a transportation issue? What can we do to help you get out and attend this event? Please let us know.

IMPORTANT DATES:

October 14 CCREA General Meeting

November 5 Empty Bowls Dinner

November 10 Libby Schaefer (CCREA member) will hold a book signing at

Copperfish Books on Elizabeth Street in Punta Gorda 6 pm.

November 11 CCREA General Meeting

November 12 East Elementary “One Stop Shop” fundraiser 3:00-7:00pm

November 23 Visani Fundraiser 7 pm.