As August winds down and September draws near the absence of the back to school stress that we retirees used to have this time of year is mostly absent. Yes, it still presents itself to us but the feeling is quickly dismissed with a sigh as we relaize, "Yay!! I'm retired!" 

August has traditionally been the month of the NYSUT Leadership Conference and 2020 is no exception. NYSUT opted for a virtual conference using Zoom. So instaed of the usual 3 days away from home to learn and share, this year was 3 days at home for the Union leaders.  With daily Keynotes and breakout sessions the Conference flowed much like the typical in-person conferences did except on the breaks you had to make your own snacks and drinks.  The NYSUT team did a wonderful job of setting up the virtual conference sessions and discussion "Zoom rooms" and when it was over the inspirsational feelings of new ideas was evident in the participants reviews. 

RC 45 was represented by its leaders as were retiree councils from the tip of Long Island to Buffalo. The theme of the Conference and the subject of the opening keynote was "Union For Life! The importance of strong retiree activist networks".  The breakout sessions that followed throughout the three days were focused on creating, maintaining and leveraging these networks. Here are some of my take aways from the sessions that I attended:

1. The member email list is the heart of the member network. There are many ways to reach members today however there is no substitute for doing the hard work of creating and maintaining a database of member contact information. 

2. Using the above mentioned Member contact list, there is a clear move toward digital communication among members.

3. Our pension fund is still fully funded even after the Pandemic. 

Hello Fellow Retirees,

Happy New Year!! I hope this letter finds you warm and cozy with visions of warmer weather. I have done some traveling to the Charleston, SC area and then Memphis, TN. No, before you ask, Elvis was not seen by me or my husband. We leave shortly for Arizona for a couple weeks so I had best get this newsletter out to you!
As I always mention, thank you to those of you who have already mailed your voluntary contributions and if you have yet to do so, please consider sending your 2019-2020 voluntary contributions. As you now know, we do rely solely on your donations to support our efforts in keeping you informed and advocating on your behalf. No one representing the RC receives any compensation for his/her work.

I want to speak with you about getting involved. We have a few members who serve as officers and board members for RC #45. We need more!! They are doing a great job but we need help to meet the needs of our members. We need to hear from you! What are your questions? With what do you need assistance?
Of the 53 NYSUT Locals that RC #45 represents we have the following districts represented on the board: Afton TA, Cortland UT, DeRuyter TA, Groton FA, and Homer TA. That leaves well over 40 districts that we need to hear from. Please consider being a representative for your former local or district. We are only successful because of the people we serve. 

Stay warm!!

In solidarity,
Vicki Darrow - 
President, NYSUT RC #45

PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A CONTRIBUTOR TO RC 45

Please complete the form below and send your voluntary contribution for 2019/2020 to: Maxine Cleveland, RC 45 Treasurer, 5 Brentwood Drive, Homer NY 13077.  Please make checks payable to: NYSUT Retiree Council 45 

Name:_______________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________________

District From Which You Retired:_________________________________

E-Mail: ______________________________________________________

  (Your e-mail address will only be used to communicate information from RC 45)

Dear Fellow Retirees,

As I write this letter the spring newsletter I see my tulips and daffodils popping up in spite of the six inches of snowfall on April 1. I have recently returned from an outstanding meeting of NYSUT ED #51 under the leadership of Loretta Donlon, our director.  The conference left me energized and ready to step into spring with the tools I need to represent you and your interests at the NYSUT Representative Assembly in Albany on May 3rd and 4th.  As always, our goals as retiree council officers and board members are as follows:

• 1.  Work to keep pensions secure and to improve COLA.
• 2. Work with in-service members and the community to secure access to affordable health benefits for all retired members.
• 3. Work to enrich the lives of retiree members through educational and social activities.
• 4. Continue to organize, represent, advocate for and provide services for retired members.
• 5. Work with in-service members to promote collective bargaining, political action, better education and improved health care working conditions.
• 6. Work for positive socioeconomic societal changes.
• 7. To defend income security (including Social Security and Medicare) for all retired workers. (Source NYSUT Retiree Handbook March 2018)

I would like to thank the many members who are sending in their voluntary contributions, it isn’t too late to send your once a year contribution.  We do rely solely on your donations to support our efforts in keeping you informed and advocating on your behalf. 

Enjoy the spring air, get out and do some outdoor activities!! 

In solidarity, 

Vicki Darrow

President, NYSUT RC #45

Back in Aug. of '69, were you busy getting ready for the school year?  Getting married?  Having or caring for babies?  Do you regret not going? If so, it's not too late!
    Buried in the beautiful area of Bethel Woods, NY only a couple of hours from
Central NY, is the beautifully maintained site of Woodstock.   If you're not sorry you missed the mud and rain-soaked event, but regret not hearing the wonderful music and myriad experiences it offered, you can still go. The site is beautifully preserved and is in a gorgeous locale, especially in autumn when the foliage is at its most breathtaking.  The museum has films, displays, memorabilia, special exhibits, and an event gallery with periodic special performances.  For seniors, the cost of the museum is $13.  For more information go to www.woodstock.com.