The Red Pencil
Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel
Vol.XI, No.5 May 2009 ntn1066@hotmail.com
May Meeting
When: Thursday, 21 May 2009
Where: Deerfield Methodist Church
How much: $10, check payable to Watauga County NCRSP
What: Annual presentation of scholarship – La Verne Franklin
Memorial service – June Mann
Bring medicine bottles and any food staples you wish, especially powdered milk, canned soups, and cereals. Add a jar of peanut butter or two to your donation!
If your caller has not contacted you by the 17th of May, call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 or email her at margaretsigmon@bellsouth.net.
Two important quickies: remember to wear your little gold apple pin, the sign of your membership in the Watauga County Unit of North Carolina Retired School Personnel AND note upon your arrival at the meeting that we have new – and expensive – nametags. Please remember to leave your nametag on the table at the end of the meeting.
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning .
President’s Message:
Can you believe it? Our May meeting will be the last meeting of this school year. It just seems a scant moment ago when we gathered together for our first meeting of the year in August.
What a year it has been! Many new members, wonderful attendance, George’s tasty, home-cooked meals, entertaining and informative programs, delightful conversation with new and old colleagues, legislative updates, and reading The Red Pencil filled with news that educates and keep us up-to-date.
I feel so fortunate to be a part of an organization that continues to contribute so much to our community. I am always amazed at your generosity, contributing not only to our scholarship but also to the students of Watauga County, the Hunger Coalition, and many other worthy organizations and projects.
Because of you, the officers, the committee chairmen, and the fantastic executive board working together, we have had a successful and enjoyable year. We know that our work is far from over and that each of us this summer can invite other retired school personnel to join us. Remember the “power of one”!
After our May meeting and until we meet again in August, may your summer be filled with warm sunshine, gentle rain, and loving friends.
With much appreciation and a grateful heart,
Beth
The It’s Never Too Late Department, Membership Division
If you have not renewed your membership this year, please come to the May meeting anyway and be thinking of renewing your membership in August when the new year begins.
The It’s Never Too Early Department, Membership Division
If you know of educational personnel who will be retiring at the end of this year, please send their names to Membership chairs, Roland and Barbara Moy or to Dot Barker, Treasurer, and give them a personal invitation to our August breakfast. Currently we have 131 members, 76 on payroll deduction and 55 who pay cash for their membership. We have 9 new members, but we’d love to have many, many more. Remember that Power of One!
This June 10, the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center will host a retirement/pre-retirement meeting in the Helen Powers Grand Ballroom at 9.30A. For the first time, a representative of the Watauga Unit of NCRSP will be allowed to speak to the group about our organization and distribute our brochures. Again, if you have friends who are retiring or thinking of retiring from education this year, please let them know about this meeting and encourage them to join us in August.
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
Keeping Up With Those Volunteer Hours
Do you keep a calendar? One with space for the appointments in your life? Add something new, a notation of how you volunteered your time. If you have an appointment with a committee or at church or have plans to run errands for a friend or deliver Meals on Wheels, take a second when you return and jot down the number of hours that event took. Circle it. Later, when the time comes to fill in your Volunteer Hours Form, just add up the circled numbers!
Make your computer your new NCRSP friend. Save our unit a great deal of money by receiving The Red Pencil via email and keep up with programs, news, events, colleagues in the Watauga County Unit by logging on to the chapter website, www.watauga.k12.nc.us./wcrt.or WataugaCountyRetiredPersonnelblogspot.com Thanks, Lee, for being our talented and dedicated webmaster!
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
In Memoriam
At our memorial service at the May meeting, we will remember Ruby Michael and Reba Austin. As is our policy, we have made contributions to the scholarship fund. We would also like to pay tribute to H.W. Mast, husband of our long-time member, Mary Hazel Mast.
2008 Scholarship Recipient
At this time, the recipient of our annual $1000 scholarship has not been selected by the WHS Scholarship Committee. Once chosen, our recipient and his/her parents will be invited to our meeting at Deerfield Methodist Church.
Contributions/Suggestions/Email Edition of The Red Pencil, Anyone?
ntn1066@hotmail.com or ntn@skybest.com or snail mail to
Nanci Tolbert Nance, P.O. Box 188, Blowing Rock NC 28605
Things My Mother Taught Me, just in time for Mother’s Day:
Consideration for others: “I just scrubbed that floor. Go bleed outside.”
Logic: “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.”
Medicine: “Stop crossing your eyes or they’ll freeze that way.”
Humor: “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
ESP: “Put your sweater on. Don’t you think I know when you’re cold?”
How to become an adult: “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
A lesson in genetics: “You’re just like your father.”
About my roots: “Where do you think you were born? In a barn?”
The wisdom of age: “When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”
About receiving: “You are going to get it when we get home.”
And most of all, my mother taught me about justice: “One day, you will have kids, and when you do, I hope they turn out to be just like you.”
We hope your Mother’s Day is wonderful!
Community Participation Update
The bleak economic news has led me to think about all the good work that we RSP folk do when we bring in items for the Health and Hunger Coalition. I talked with their director, Compton, recently and learned that they have about a 35% increase in the number of people they are serving now.
I asked her for suggestions of items they often run out of or items they need that we might not think to bring. She mentioned the usual things: sugar, salt, flour. This month, we would like to add a jar of peanut butter to your usual generous donation. Compton also mentioned that while they cannot pass on food that has been opened, they can offer non-food items like cleaning supplies or personal hygiene items – things we might have tried and not liked, and again she thanked us for the medicine bottles.
I join her in thanking you for your contribution to the Hunger Coalition, but also for all the other volunteer work you do. Remember to keep those hours recorded.
Eula Mae Fox
How to Reach the People You Need
Your most recent issue of The Retirement Report, the newsletter for retired government employees in North Carolina, contains a listing of phone numbers and websites you should know. Among them are these important sites.
Retirement Systems Division
1-877-733-4191 (toll-free)
www.myncretirement.com
Department of State Treasurer’s
Unclaimed Property Program
919-508-1000
www.nccash.com
Social Security Administration
1-800-772-1213 (toll-free)
www.ssa.gov
State Health Plan
1-800-422-4658 (toll-free)
www.shpnc.org
SEANC
1-800-222-2758 (toll-free)
www.seanc.org
NCAE/NCRSP
1-800-662-7924 (toll-free)
www.ncae.org, www.ncrsp.org
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hot topic : Emergency phone numbers kept on "ICE"
Ben Strickland gives update regarding our health plan--Tom Redmon, Boone police officer, is demonstrating how to put emergency phone numbers in cell phone. George Durfor from EMS demonstrates how to to give yourself the heimlich manever.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
March Meeting--Early Meeting Time -- 10:30 -- Lunch: Regular Schedule
The Red Pencil
The Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel
Vol.XI, No.4, March 2009
Nanci Tolbert Nance, editor ntn1066@hotmail.com 963-8892
March Meeting
10.30AM, Thursday, March 19, 2009
Deerfield Methodist Church
Cost per meal is $10, check payable to
Watauga Unit, NCRSP
HEADS UP!!! ALERT!!! ACHTUNG!!! NEWS!!! PAY ATTENTION!!!
Please, please PLEASE note the change in our meeting time for our March gathering.
The program will begin at 10.30 and will be EXTREMELY important. Our vice-president and program chairman, La Verne Franklin, has worked really hard to create a morning presentation that she is calling Health Matters, and you will find the subject of our health is also the theme of this issue of The Red Pencil.
Our health matters, and at our meeting we will be hearing from an expert on identifying heart attack symptoms for men and women (two sets of very different symptoms), recognizing the symptoms of stroke, treating the most common allergies, and learning the Heimlich maneuver – how to apply it to others and to ourselves.
We will take a brief break during the program for stretching and exercising and ask you to bring TWO identical 14-oz cans of food – two cans of baked beans or two cans of spinach or green beans or stewed tomatoes or whatever, just two cans of the same weight. We’re going to use them for a little exercising and then donate them to the Hunger Coalition.
ALSO bring your cell phone and a card or piece of paper with the phone numbers you would use for emergencies, including a close relative or two and your doctor. A Boone police officer will be present at the meeting to explain programming your phone for emergency use AND he will program your phone for you!
We will have lunch on our regular schedule.
Please bring as much non-perishable food as you can manage for the Hunger Coalition. Powdered milk, cans of soup, oatmeal and pasta products, canned fruit and vegetables, ANYTHING non-perishable, will be acceptable. Remember those empty medicine bottles, too; each one of them saves the Hunger Coalition.
Very important note: If your caller has not phoned you by the 15th of March, call your caller if you plan to attend. If you change your mind at the last minute about attending, call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 immediately and come ahead! As usual, Margaret thanks her team of callers who generously volunteer their time doing important work for our organization.
What a lot to remember! Our meeting begins at 10.30AM, not noon, and before you leave the house, look over this checklist and be sure that you have:
ü Your check for $10 for lunch
ü Your cell phone and a list of emergency numbers, including those of a close relative or two and your doctor
ü Two identical 14-oz cans of food to use in exercising
ü Food for the Hunger Coalition
ü Medicine bottles
ü Loose change for the scholarship fund
ü At least $5 for raffle tickets for Janice’s coconut pound cake to benefit the scholarship fund
Whew! See you at 10.30AM on the 19th!
NCRSP Scholarship Fund in Need
Each May, our chapter of NCRSP awards a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating high school senior who plans to become a teacher. Our generosity to the scholarship winner depends entirely on each NCRSP member’s generosity to the Scholarship Fund.
First, PLEASE bring all your spare change for the little watering cans on your table and plan to make an enormous noise when you pour those nickels and dimes and quarters into the pots.
Second, if you haven’t made your annual gift to the Scholarship Fund, please do so at the March meeting or mail a check to Watauga County NCRSP Scholarship Fund to Dot Barker, 451 Poplar Hill Dr., Boone NC 28607.
Third, if you have already contributed to the fund, please consider doing it again, this time in memory or in honor of a deceased member of our chapter, a colleague, or a favorite teacher. Write the name of the honoree on your check and we’ll make a point of including it in the next Red Pencil.
Fourth, heads up! In order to help raise money for the Scholarship Fund, we will be raffling off a coconut pound cake baked by Janice Burns. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.
President’s Message
George Burns, he of the enormous cigar and the “Say goodnight, Gracie,” is famous for having said, “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” “Old” is an attitude as well as a condition we allow to happen to us, and we can choose a number of ways not to allow “old” to happen.
One of those ways is exercise. When I go to the Broyhill Wellness Center or walk on the greenway, my fellow exercisers and I smile at each other as we plug along. I lead an exercise class at Appalachian Brian Estates and am always uplifted to see that the “stars” of the class are retired teachers – including Charlotte Stanley, Ruth Lisk and Lou Martin. One of my ‘students’ is in her late 90’s, and she said after a recent class, “I always feel better after I exercise.” Don’t we all!
Any number of medical studies show that physical fitness and mental fitness go hand in hand. One recent study from Case Western Reserve University notes that individuals who exercise by walking or engage in active hobbies such as gardening actually have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
One very important factor in a healthy longevity is the relationships we have with other people. Our social interactions are vital to our well-being. As our newsletter editor noted in a recent email informing us about several of our members, “The simple act of sharing our joys and our griefs make us so important to each other.” During the past several months, our thoughts and prayers have been with our beloved Margaret Sigmon as she was treated for colon cancer. Nanci, sitting at the center of our NCRSP newsline, was able to keep us all informed of Margaret’s treatment and recuperation, and Margaret, as soon as she was able, wrote to all of us that our caring and our support were a big part of her recovery.
Let us always reach out to each other, to share not only our good news but our sorrows, as well. Staying connected is balm for our hearts. Ultimately, the old saw is absolutely right: Friendships multiply our joys and divide our griefs. We are so fortunate to have each other.
Beth Carrin
From 1955 – the way things change:
'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000.00 will only buy a used one.’
'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous!’
'When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon? Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.’
'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.’
'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now.’
Each month, more and more of our members save the unit the cost of postage and printing by subscribing to the online edition of our newsletter. Please consider this simple and efficient way to receive our newsletter and send a message to Nanci at ntn@skybest.com including your name and email address. The cost of postage is going up in May, and you’ll be doing the Watauga Unit of NCRSP a HUGE service!
AND, while you’re playing on your computer, don’t forget http://wataugacountyretiredpersonnel.blogspot.com/, the website for our blog. Lee Stroupe, our webmaster, posts the schedule of our activities and pictures from our meetings as well as links to all kinds of helpful information. Lee does such a good job, and this website is attractive and user-friendly.
Health Matters, Part Two
Our Sue Aldridge is a member of the Women’s Health Initiative and shares the following crucial advice for preventing falls in the home. Did you know that more than 30% of us older than 60 will fall each year? Of those who fall, roughly 25% suffer moderate to serious injuries, resulting in problems with everything from dressing to bathing to walking around. If you and your family will take a few minutes to read and follow these suggestions, you may just save yourself a great deal of trouble and woe.
FALL PREVENTION GUIDE
Step One: Taking Care of Yourself
· Have your hearing and vision checked regularly.
· Get regular medical checkups. Review your medications with your doctor to ensure that you are taking the appropriate levels and types.
· Take medication as directed and DO NOT skip medications.
· Get plenty of rest, water and proper nutrition.
· Be aware of how you feel. Listen to your body. If you do not feel well, take time to walk slow and deliberately or ask someone to walk with you.
· Use a cane or a walker if one has been prescribed or if you feel even slightly unsteady.
Step Two: Removing Hazards
· Remove throw rugs that slide or fasten them to the floor with carpet tape. Make sure that kitchen and bathroom rugs have non-skid backing. NEVER use a towel as a bath mat.
· Keep cords and clutter from pathways.
· Arrange furniture to create a clear pathway between rooms. Be sure you have 38-42 inches of clearance in your path.
· Remove low coffee tables, magazine racks, footstools, floor plants and anything that would be easy to trip over from your walkways.
· Clean up spills immediately.
· Use sturdy stepstools with handrails. Stay off ladders.
· Make sure that sidewalks and walkways are level. If they are not, ask for help in having them repaired.
Step Three: Protecting Yourself and your House
· Wear safe footwear – shoes or slippers with non-skid soles.
· Hold on to steady furniture if you are unsteady on your feet.
· Be especially aware and careful in the fall “trouble spots” – the bathroom and kitchen. Install grab bars near sinks, toilets and showers.
· Use a shower chair or transfer bench when getting in and out of the bathtub.
· Keep your home well lit and turn on lights when walking through dark rooms or hallways.
· Use nightlights in bathrooms, bedrooms and hallways.
· Keep a flashlight handy at all times in case of power failure.
· Store lightweight or rarely-used items on the top shelves of cabinets.
· Install handrails on both sides of stairways.
· Do not place items on or at the top of the stairs where you might trip over them.
· Add a contrasting color strip to the first and last steps of a stairway to indicate the level changes.
· Keep phones in several rooms in case you need to call for emergency help.
Step Four: Fall-proofing the Outside
· Make sure outside doors, patios, porches, steps and walkways are well lit.
· Keep outside steps and walkways clear of obstacles and in good condition.
· Make sure you have handrails on both sides of exterior steps and be sure to use them.
· Be extra careful when sidewalks are wet, snowy or icy.
If you should ever fall, call 9-1-1, and if any type of cover is within reach, try to keep yourself warm with a blanket or a rug. Even if you are not seriously injured, be sure to mention the fall to your personal physician, since falling can be a sign of illness or problems with medications.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Miss Daisy Adams tells Santa that she doesn’t need a thing for Christmas because she has been so fortunate. We’re lucky to have her!
Bits and Pieces of Extremely Important, Extremely Interesting, and Otherwise Notable Information
ü At our March meeting, NEA-R members will be voting on delegates to represent North Carolina at the national NEA convention. The February Panorama contains brief resumes for each of the candidates. Please read those little pieces and choose ELEVEN individuals for whom to vote. REALLY important this time: you MUST mark your ballot with PEN, not pencil, because use of pencil invalidates your ballot.
ü The State NCRSP Convention is happening in Durham at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, March 24-25. Representing our unit will be Beth Carrin, Eula Mae Fox, Ben and Lois Strickland, and Jimmie Owen.
ü Our unit currently has 126 members. Every single member is important, yet we obviously need to grow. If you are aware of current members of the education community who are nearing retirement, please begin now to explain the value of their membership in NC Retired School Personnel.
ü Health Matters, Part Three: Given the current state of the economy, our legislators are examining the state of our health plan and considering a number of options for ways to deal with the deficit of $580 million. The most recent plan, still just a proposal, is to tap the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund and make some changes that include an increase in co-payments and an incentive prescription drug plan as well instituting ways to reward members who do not smoke and are below 30% BMI (body mass index).
Remember that this proposal is just that, a proposal, and that NCAE will continue to work with legislators to hold down costs as much as possible and to protect the promise of an employer-funded health care plan.
For recent actions coming from Raleigh that affect our lives, go to the email box for NCAE Government Relations at g.relations@ncae.org and sign up for the regular legislative updates to be delivered to your email box.
Our Service to the Community Matters, Too
We increased our volunteer hours in ‘08! Total hours reported were 6650. Of those, 1155 were for educational activities and 5495 were in the "other" category. One of our newest retirees, Billy Ralph Winkler, logged the most hours of volunteer work, and we know he served our county with many paid hours as a Commissioner also.
The bad news is that only 28 people turned in a report. We can do a better job of recording our hours of service.
On the next page you’ll find another volunteer hours form. Put it on your fridge or next to your monthly calendar and keep track of all the time you donate to activities and events in your life. Do remember that taking care of family members does NOT count in your volunteer hours.
* Volunteer hours for the “Other” category would include the following activities. Please circle the ones in which you participated.
· Political
· Governmental
· Neighborhood
· Civic organization
· Hospital
· Companion to shut-in
· Healthcare/Red Cross
· Church/religious work
· Schools
· Athletics
· Transportation
· Mentoring/tutoring
· NCRSP
· Libraries
· Social Services
· Habitat for Humanity
N.B.
· Activities for which you are paid (i.e., honoria or stipends) do not count for volunteer hours.
· While the NCRSP Executive Board considers time caring for grandchildren, elderly parents, or other family members as very important, it considers these activities to be family obligations and does NOT accept these hours as volunteer hours.
North Carolina Retired School Personnel
Individual Volunteer Hours Record for 2008
The Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel
Vol.XI, No.4, March 2009
Nanci Tolbert Nance, editor ntn1066@hotmail.com 963-8892
March Meeting
10.30AM, Thursday, March 19, 2009
Deerfield Methodist Church
Cost per meal is $10, check payable to
Watauga Unit, NCRSP
HEADS UP!!! ALERT!!! ACHTUNG!!! NEWS!!! PAY ATTENTION!!!
Please, please PLEASE note the change in our meeting time for our March gathering.
The program will begin at 10.30 and will be EXTREMELY important. Our vice-president and program chairman, La Verne Franklin, has worked really hard to create a morning presentation that she is calling Health Matters, and you will find the subject of our health is also the theme of this issue of The Red Pencil.
Our health matters, and at our meeting we will be hearing from an expert on identifying heart attack symptoms for men and women (two sets of very different symptoms), recognizing the symptoms of stroke, treating the most common allergies, and learning the Heimlich maneuver – how to apply it to others and to ourselves.
We will take a brief break during the program for stretching and exercising and ask you to bring TWO identical 14-oz cans of food – two cans of baked beans or two cans of spinach or green beans or stewed tomatoes or whatever, just two cans of the same weight. We’re going to use them for a little exercising and then donate them to the Hunger Coalition.
ALSO bring your cell phone and a card or piece of paper with the phone numbers you would use for emergencies, including a close relative or two and your doctor. A Boone police officer will be present at the meeting to explain programming your phone for emergency use AND he will program your phone for you!
We will have lunch on our regular schedule.
Please bring as much non-perishable food as you can manage for the Hunger Coalition. Powdered milk, cans of soup, oatmeal and pasta products, canned fruit and vegetables, ANYTHING non-perishable, will be acceptable. Remember those empty medicine bottles, too; each one of them saves the Hunger Coalition.
Very important note: If your caller has not phoned you by the 15th of March, call your caller if you plan to attend. If you change your mind at the last minute about attending, call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 immediately and come ahead! As usual, Margaret thanks her team of callers who generously volunteer their time doing important work for our organization.
What a lot to remember! Our meeting begins at 10.30AM, not noon, and before you leave the house, look over this checklist and be sure that you have:
ü Your check for $10 for lunch
ü Your cell phone and a list of emergency numbers, including those of a close relative or two and your doctor
ü Two identical 14-oz cans of food to use in exercising
ü Food for the Hunger Coalition
ü Medicine bottles
ü Loose change for the scholarship fund
ü At least $5 for raffle tickets for Janice’s coconut pound cake to benefit the scholarship fund
Whew! See you at 10.30AM on the 19th!
NCRSP Scholarship Fund in Need
Each May, our chapter of NCRSP awards a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating high school senior who plans to become a teacher. Our generosity to the scholarship winner depends entirely on each NCRSP member’s generosity to the Scholarship Fund.
First, PLEASE bring all your spare change for the little watering cans on your table and plan to make an enormous noise when you pour those nickels and dimes and quarters into the pots.
Second, if you haven’t made your annual gift to the Scholarship Fund, please do so at the March meeting or mail a check to Watauga County NCRSP Scholarship Fund to Dot Barker, 451 Poplar Hill Dr., Boone NC 28607.
Third, if you have already contributed to the fund, please consider doing it again, this time in memory or in honor of a deceased member of our chapter, a colleague, or a favorite teacher. Write the name of the honoree on your check and we’ll make a point of including it in the next Red Pencil.
Fourth, heads up! In order to help raise money for the Scholarship Fund, we will be raffling off a coconut pound cake baked by Janice Burns. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.
President’s Message
George Burns, he of the enormous cigar and the “Say goodnight, Gracie,” is famous for having said, “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” “Old” is an attitude as well as a condition we allow to happen to us, and we can choose a number of ways not to allow “old” to happen.
One of those ways is exercise. When I go to the Broyhill Wellness Center or walk on the greenway, my fellow exercisers and I smile at each other as we plug along. I lead an exercise class at Appalachian Brian Estates and am always uplifted to see that the “stars” of the class are retired teachers – including Charlotte Stanley, Ruth Lisk and Lou Martin. One of my ‘students’ is in her late 90’s, and she said after a recent class, “I always feel better after I exercise.” Don’t we all!
Any number of medical studies show that physical fitness and mental fitness go hand in hand. One recent study from Case Western Reserve University notes that individuals who exercise by walking or engage in active hobbies such as gardening actually have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
One very important factor in a healthy longevity is the relationships we have with other people. Our social interactions are vital to our well-being. As our newsletter editor noted in a recent email informing us about several of our members, “The simple act of sharing our joys and our griefs make us so important to each other.” During the past several months, our thoughts and prayers have been with our beloved Margaret Sigmon as she was treated for colon cancer. Nanci, sitting at the center of our NCRSP newsline, was able to keep us all informed of Margaret’s treatment and recuperation, and Margaret, as soon as she was able, wrote to all of us that our caring and our support were a big part of her recovery.
Let us always reach out to each other, to share not only our good news but our sorrows, as well. Staying connected is balm for our hearts. Ultimately, the old saw is absolutely right: Friendships multiply our joys and divide our griefs. We are so fortunate to have each other.
Beth Carrin
From 1955 – the way things change:
'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000.00 will only buy a used one.’
'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous!’
'When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon? Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.’
'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.’
'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now.’
Each month, more and more of our members save the unit the cost of postage and printing by subscribing to the online edition of our newsletter. Please consider this simple and efficient way to receive our newsletter and send a message to Nanci at ntn@skybest.com including your name and email address. The cost of postage is going up in May, and you’ll be doing the Watauga Unit of NCRSP a HUGE service!
AND, while you’re playing on your computer, don’t forget http://wataugacountyretiredpersonnel.blogspot.com/, the website for our blog. Lee Stroupe, our webmaster, posts the schedule of our activities and pictures from our meetings as well as links to all kinds of helpful information. Lee does such a good job, and this website is attractive and user-friendly.
Health Matters, Part Two
Our Sue Aldridge is a member of the Women’s Health Initiative and shares the following crucial advice for preventing falls in the home. Did you know that more than 30% of us older than 60 will fall each year? Of those who fall, roughly 25% suffer moderate to serious injuries, resulting in problems with everything from dressing to bathing to walking around. If you and your family will take a few minutes to read and follow these suggestions, you may just save yourself a great deal of trouble and woe.
FALL PREVENTION GUIDE
Step One: Taking Care of Yourself
· Have your hearing and vision checked regularly.
· Get regular medical checkups. Review your medications with your doctor to ensure that you are taking the appropriate levels and types.
· Take medication as directed and DO NOT skip medications.
· Get plenty of rest, water and proper nutrition.
· Be aware of how you feel. Listen to your body. If you do not feel well, take time to walk slow and deliberately or ask someone to walk with you.
· Use a cane or a walker if one has been prescribed or if you feel even slightly unsteady.
Step Two: Removing Hazards
· Remove throw rugs that slide or fasten them to the floor with carpet tape. Make sure that kitchen and bathroom rugs have non-skid backing. NEVER use a towel as a bath mat.
· Keep cords and clutter from pathways.
· Arrange furniture to create a clear pathway between rooms. Be sure you have 38-42 inches of clearance in your path.
· Remove low coffee tables, magazine racks, footstools, floor plants and anything that would be easy to trip over from your walkways.
· Clean up spills immediately.
· Use sturdy stepstools with handrails. Stay off ladders.
· Make sure that sidewalks and walkways are level. If they are not, ask for help in having them repaired.
Step Three: Protecting Yourself and your House
· Wear safe footwear – shoes or slippers with non-skid soles.
· Hold on to steady furniture if you are unsteady on your feet.
· Be especially aware and careful in the fall “trouble spots” – the bathroom and kitchen. Install grab bars near sinks, toilets and showers.
· Use a shower chair or transfer bench when getting in and out of the bathtub.
· Keep your home well lit and turn on lights when walking through dark rooms or hallways.
· Use nightlights in bathrooms, bedrooms and hallways.
· Keep a flashlight handy at all times in case of power failure.
· Store lightweight or rarely-used items on the top shelves of cabinets.
· Install handrails on both sides of stairways.
· Do not place items on or at the top of the stairs where you might trip over them.
· Add a contrasting color strip to the first and last steps of a stairway to indicate the level changes.
· Keep phones in several rooms in case you need to call for emergency help.
Step Four: Fall-proofing the Outside
· Make sure outside doors, patios, porches, steps and walkways are well lit.
· Keep outside steps and walkways clear of obstacles and in good condition.
· Make sure you have handrails on both sides of exterior steps and be sure to use them.
· Be extra careful when sidewalks are wet, snowy or icy.
If you should ever fall, call 9-1-1, and if any type of cover is within reach, try to keep yourself warm with a blanket or a rug. Even if you are not seriously injured, be sure to mention the fall to your personal physician, since falling can be a sign of illness or problems with medications.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Miss Daisy Adams tells Santa that she doesn’t need a thing for Christmas because she has been so fortunate. We’re lucky to have her!
Bits and Pieces of Extremely Important, Extremely Interesting, and Otherwise Notable Information
ü At our March meeting, NEA-R members will be voting on delegates to represent North Carolina at the national NEA convention. The February Panorama contains brief resumes for each of the candidates. Please read those little pieces and choose ELEVEN individuals for whom to vote. REALLY important this time: you MUST mark your ballot with PEN, not pencil, because use of pencil invalidates your ballot.
ü The State NCRSP Convention is happening in Durham at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, March 24-25. Representing our unit will be Beth Carrin, Eula Mae Fox, Ben and Lois Strickland, and Jimmie Owen.
ü Our unit currently has 126 members. Every single member is important, yet we obviously need to grow. If you are aware of current members of the education community who are nearing retirement, please begin now to explain the value of their membership in NC Retired School Personnel.
ü Health Matters, Part Three: Given the current state of the economy, our legislators are examining the state of our health plan and considering a number of options for ways to deal with the deficit of $580 million. The most recent plan, still just a proposal, is to tap the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund and make some changes that include an increase in co-payments and an incentive prescription drug plan as well instituting ways to reward members who do not smoke and are below 30% BMI (body mass index).
Remember that this proposal is just that, a proposal, and that NCAE will continue to work with legislators to hold down costs as much as possible and to protect the promise of an employer-funded health care plan.
For recent actions coming from Raleigh that affect our lives, go to the email box for NCAE Government Relations at g.relations@ncae.org and sign up for the regular legislative updates to be delivered to your email box.
Our Service to the Community Matters, Too
We increased our volunteer hours in ‘08! Total hours reported were 6650. Of those, 1155 were for educational activities and 5495 were in the "other" category. One of our newest retirees, Billy Ralph Winkler, logged the most hours of volunteer work, and we know he served our county with many paid hours as a Commissioner also.
The bad news is that only 28 people turned in a report. We can do a better job of recording our hours of service.
On the next page you’ll find another volunteer hours form. Put it on your fridge or next to your monthly calendar and keep track of all the time you donate to activities and events in your life. Do remember that taking care of family members does NOT count in your volunteer hours.
* Volunteer hours for the “Other” category would include the following activities. Please circle the ones in which you participated.
· Political
· Governmental
· Neighborhood
· Civic organization
· Hospital
· Companion to shut-in
· Healthcare/Red Cross
· Church/religious work
· Schools
· Athletics
· Transportation
· Mentoring/tutoring
· NCRSP
· Libraries
· Social Services
· Habitat for Humanity
N.B.
· Activities for which you are paid (i.e., honoria or stipends) do not count for volunteer hours.
· While the NCRSP Executive Board considers time caring for grandchildren, elderly parents, or other family members as very important, it considers these activities to be family obligations and does NOT accept these hours as volunteer hours.
North Carolina Retired School Personnel
Individual Volunteer Hours Record for 2008
Monday, February 9, 2009
Our next meeting is March 19th
LeVerne is reminding us to put March 19th on our Calendar for our next Luncheon.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Red Pencil
Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel
Vol.XI, No.3 December 2008 ntn1066@hotmail.com
December Meeting
Noon, Thursday, December 18, 2008
Deerfield Methodist Church
Cost per meal is $10, payable to Watauga Unit,
NCRSP
Rumor has it that a certain large person who generally appears this time of year in a red suit will be dropping by to visit, along with his number one elf, a familiar-looking fellow whose name is Lairion. He says we can call him “Snowflake.” And The Neighbors, a bluegrass group from Lenoir, will also be entertaining us. We’ll have our traditional sing-along, as well. Because our program is so full, we hope that you’ll make every effort to arrive on time and even early.
N.B. In celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday in early March and the Read Across America program which honors him, please bring a new or gently-read children’s book to the December meeting for distribution to Watauga County children through the Santa’s Toy Box Program. Do NOT bring books that have been marked in. On the subject of Read Across America, if you would like to volunteer to read to kids, select an appropriate volume, put the first week of March on your calendar, and call your favorite elementary school.
Please, please, please bring as much non-perishable food as you can to the meeting for the Hunger Coalition. Powdered milk, soup, oatmeal, pasta products, canned fruit and vegetables, ANYthing non-perishable will be acceptable. Don’t forget those medicine bottles, either, and this month, please include all those annoying little plastic bags from the grocery store and Wal-Mart and every other shop in town. We can recycle them!
Very important note: If your caller has not phoned you by the 13th of December, call your caller if you plan to attend. If you change your mind about attending, please call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 immediately. As usual, Margaret sends her thanks to her team of callers who generously volunteer their time doing work for our organization. AND, as usual, we are continuing our quest for perfect attendance recognition recipients. Make sure your name is on the list; come to the meeting!
Speaking of volunteering, PLEASE don’t forget to bring your completed volunteer hours form to the meeting. To recap, that’s a book for Santa’s Toybox, non-perishable food and medicine bottles and plastic bags for the Hunger Coalition, and your volunteer hours form for Eula Mae Fox. For your convenience, a clean volunteer hours form is again included in this newsletter and you’ll find a note from Eula Mae, as well.
President’s Message
“You have been injured and it is not wise for you to take this planned trip to Greece,” admonished my doctor. Did I take his advice? No. Do I wish I had? Oh, yes! On our first day in Athens, I had another mishap and spent the remainder of our tour on crutches. With limited mobility, we often took taxis, and the first question from every driver who recognized us as Americans was, “Obama?” By our calculations, eighty percent of the Greeks were in favor of Barack Obama’s winning the vote for the American presidency – they, too, were hoping for a change in our national policies!
On November 5, before the sun had risen, we tuned into CNN to hear the news of the election results. It seemed the entire world was celebrating this amazing victory of Barack Obama. Reporters have been saying that his campaign’s organization is unsurpassed. What an example of “the power of one!”
Thankfully, our thoughts can now turn to the holiday season. The miracle of Christmas has always entered my heart through stories, music and plays. One story that still brings tears to my eyes is A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill, the story of a young boy in Appalachia whose mother dies giving birth to him. Although Jamie grows and develops normally, he cannot talk. When he is about six, he plays the role of the shepherd in the school’s Christmas play. Days later, on Christmas morning, Jamie and his sisters trudge through the deep snow to a nearby church to celebrate with their father, who has been helping to shelter a young family with a newborn child. When Jamie sees the new baby, he rushes home, puts on his shepherd costume, grabs his own Christmas gifts, an orange and a dime, and hurries back to the church. Falling upon his knees, Jamie places the orange near the baby’s tiny hands and for the first time in his life, he speaks clearly. “Here’s a Christmas present for the child,” he says. With wonder and joy, the family kneels with him “and Glory Shone All Around.”
May the joy and majesty of the Christmas season fill our hearts with the belief that even today, miracles can happen.
With warm wishes,
Beth
To receive The Red Pencil by email, please send a message to Nanci at ntn@skybest.com with your name and email address in the message. Indicate if you receive your email in Rich Text or Plain Text, and if you aren’t sure, just say so in your message. By receiving your newsletter on your computer, you’re getting your news within minutes instead of the days required by the postal service AND you’re saving the organization the cost of stamps and printing! It’s the clever thing to do!
2009 State Convention to Be Held in Durham
The NCRSP State Convention will be held March 24-25, 2009 in Durham. If you are interested in attending, please give your name to Beth Carrin before February 12. Be thinking about attending and notify Beth (264-9227 or bethiemae@charter.net) with questions or reservations.
Our 2007 scholarship recipient says, “Thank you.”
Dear Members of Retired Teachers, I wanted to write a small thank you note to express my appreciation for the scholarship I received last year. I thoroughly enjoyed my first year at Gardner-Webb University and I look forward to furthering my studies in Elementary Education. The first education course that I took was an introduction course and I had the opportunity to spend two hours in each an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The teachers that I met taught me so much. The high school teacher told me that if teaching was really one of my passions, I will know it as well as my students. Thank you for your generosity and for the opportunity to further my education. May God bless you richly this coming year.
Sincerely,
Anne M. Nick
The youngest retiree in the NCRSP system to receive a benefit check is 46 years old. The oldest is 107! One hundred and forty-five people receiving benefit checks are 100 years of age or older. The NCRSP retirement system recently began paying benefits to one retiree who had 57 years of service with North Carolina, one who had 63 years of service, and one who had 74 years of service (she was 99 when she retired).
In Memoriam
We extend our sympathies to the family of Ruby Michael. In honor of her long service to education, we have made a $25 donation to our scholarship fund.
Watauga Unit of NCRSP Donates Thousands of Hours*
Our members deliver meals, answer phones at church, make blankets for sick children, run errands and act as companions, volunteer in the schools, serve on the boards of almost every organization in this county, answer the phones in our church offices, sit with patients’ families at the hospital, and contribute in a hundred other ways to the richness of life in the High Country. You know what you do – now help me tell our leadership in Raleigh!
Most NCRSP projects and activities are scheduled and carried out during the school year, but Community Participation is ongoing throughout the calendar year and reported at year’s end. Please find your Volunteer Hours Report sheet or use the one in this issue of The Red Pencil and fill it out through the end of December. (You know what volunteer activities will keep you busy in December.)
I am beginning to receive report forms in the mail (at 199 Watauga Drive, Boone NC 28607) from members who know they will not be attending our December meeting. Please do get your form to me one way or another; those volunteer hours mean a great deal to our community and to our chapter.
Thank you for all the hard work you do for NCRSP and for others.
Eula Mae Fox, Community Participation Chr.
*According to statistics supplied by NCRSP leaders, our membership in the state is approximately 12,000 retirees. Last year, those retirees contributed 605,425 hours of community service, representing a value of $11.8 million.
Our oldest member, Katie Jane Peterson, sends her best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Kate, who will be 99 in March 2009, taught in both Tennessee and North Carolina during a career which spanned six decades and all grades, including college. She lives at Appalachian Christian Village in Johnson City, TN but is among the very first every August to renew her membership in the Watauga Unit of NCRSP.
NCRSP Community Participation
Volunteer Hours 2008
Please remember that any activities in which you participate for the benefit of someone else FOR WHICH YOU ARE NOT PAID count as “Other” in this listing, with the exception of family activities. That means the hours you spend with Habitat for Humanity or Project Linus or the Hunger Coalition or tutoring a student or transporting a friend or doing someone’s grocery shopping or attending civic meetings are all appropriate for inclusion here.
Keeping up with the computerized times: our own website
Remember that you can find out about upcoming meetings or what’s happening with your fellow members of our NCRSP unit through our website, http://wataugacountyretiredpersonnel.blogspot.com/. You can even read the latest issue of The Red Pencil there!
Anonymous Member Makes Gift
One of our unit members has made a gift to our scholarship fund to honor all those who provide transportation to our meetings for members who no longer wish to drive. What a kind and generous thought!
Watauga County Unit
North Carolina Retired School Personnel
451 Poplar Hill Dr.
Boone NC 28607
Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel
Vol.XI, No.3 December 2008 ntn1066@hotmail.com
December Meeting
Noon, Thursday, December 18, 2008
Deerfield Methodist Church
Cost per meal is $10, payable to Watauga Unit,
NCRSP
Rumor has it that a certain large person who generally appears this time of year in a red suit will be dropping by to visit, along with his number one elf, a familiar-looking fellow whose name is Lairion. He says we can call him “Snowflake.” And The Neighbors, a bluegrass group from Lenoir, will also be entertaining us. We’ll have our traditional sing-along, as well. Because our program is so full, we hope that you’ll make every effort to arrive on time and even early.
N.B. In celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday in early March and the Read Across America program which honors him, please bring a new or gently-read children’s book to the December meeting for distribution to Watauga County children through the Santa’s Toy Box Program. Do NOT bring books that have been marked in. On the subject of Read Across America, if you would like to volunteer to read to kids, select an appropriate volume, put the first week of March on your calendar, and call your favorite elementary school.
Please, please, please bring as much non-perishable food as you can to the meeting for the Hunger Coalition. Powdered milk, soup, oatmeal, pasta products, canned fruit and vegetables, ANYthing non-perishable will be acceptable. Don’t forget those medicine bottles, either, and this month, please include all those annoying little plastic bags from the grocery store and Wal-Mart and every other shop in town. We can recycle them!
Very important note: If your caller has not phoned you by the 13th of December, call your caller if you plan to attend. If you change your mind about attending, please call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 immediately. As usual, Margaret sends her thanks to her team of callers who generously volunteer their time doing work for our organization. AND, as usual, we are continuing our quest for perfect attendance recognition recipients. Make sure your name is on the list; come to the meeting!
Speaking of volunteering, PLEASE don’t forget to bring your completed volunteer hours form to the meeting. To recap, that’s a book for Santa’s Toybox, non-perishable food and medicine bottles and plastic bags for the Hunger Coalition, and your volunteer hours form for Eula Mae Fox. For your convenience, a clean volunteer hours form is again included in this newsletter and you’ll find a note from Eula Mae, as well.
President’s Message
“You have been injured and it is not wise for you to take this planned trip to Greece,” admonished my doctor. Did I take his advice? No. Do I wish I had? Oh, yes! On our first day in Athens, I had another mishap and spent the remainder of our tour on crutches. With limited mobility, we often took taxis, and the first question from every driver who recognized us as Americans was, “Obama?” By our calculations, eighty percent of the Greeks were in favor of Barack Obama’s winning the vote for the American presidency – they, too, were hoping for a change in our national policies!
On November 5, before the sun had risen, we tuned into CNN to hear the news of the election results. It seemed the entire world was celebrating this amazing victory of Barack Obama. Reporters have been saying that his campaign’s organization is unsurpassed. What an example of “the power of one!”
Thankfully, our thoughts can now turn to the holiday season. The miracle of Christmas has always entered my heart through stories, music and plays. One story that still brings tears to my eyes is A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill, the story of a young boy in Appalachia whose mother dies giving birth to him. Although Jamie grows and develops normally, he cannot talk. When he is about six, he plays the role of the shepherd in the school’s Christmas play. Days later, on Christmas morning, Jamie and his sisters trudge through the deep snow to a nearby church to celebrate with their father, who has been helping to shelter a young family with a newborn child. When Jamie sees the new baby, he rushes home, puts on his shepherd costume, grabs his own Christmas gifts, an orange and a dime, and hurries back to the church. Falling upon his knees, Jamie places the orange near the baby’s tiny hands and for the first time in his life, he speaks clearly. “Here’s a Christmas present for the child,” he says. With wonder and joy, the family kneels with him “and Glory Shone All Around.”
May the joy and majesty of the Christmas season fill our hearts with the belief that even today, miracles can happen.
With warm wishes,
Beth
To receive The Red Pencil by email, please send a message to Nanci at ntn@skybest.com with your name and email address in the message. Indicate if you receive your email in Rich Text or Plain Text, and if you aren’t sure, just say so in your message. By receiving your newsletter on your computer, you’re getting your news within minutes instead of the days required by the postal service AND you’re saving the organization the cost of stamps and printing! It’s the clever thing to do!
2009 State Convention to Be Held in Durham
The NCRSP State Convention will be held March 24-25, 2009 in Durham. If you are interested in attending, please give your name to Beth Carrin before February 12. Be thinking about attending and notify Beth (264-9227 or bethiemae@charter.net) with questions or reservations.
Our 2007 scholarship recipient says, “Thank you.”
Dear Members of Retired Teachers, I wanted to write a small thank you note to express my appreciation for the scholarship I received last year. I thoroughly enjoyed my first year at Gardner-Webb University and I look forward to furthering my studies in Elementary Education. The first education course that I took was an introduction course and I had the opportunity to spend two hours in each an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The teachers that I met taught me so much. The high school teacher told me that if teaching was really one of my passions, I will know it as well as my students. Thank you for your generosity and for the opportunity to further my education. May God bless you richly this coming year.
Sincerely,
Anne M. Nick
The youngest retiree in the NCRSP system to receive a benefit check is 46 years old. The oldest is 107! One hundred and forty-five people receiving benefit checks are 100 years of age or older. The NCRSP retirement system recently began paying benefits to one retiree who had 57 years of service with North Carolina, one who had 63 years of service, and one who had 74 years of service (she was 99 when she retired).
In Memoriam
We extend our sympathies to the family of Ruby Michael. In honor of her long service to education, we have made a $25 donation to our scholarship fund.
Watauga Unit of NCRSP Donates Thousands of Hours*
Our members deliver meals, answer phones at church, make blankets for sick children, run errands and act as companions, volunteer in the schools, serve on the boards of almost every organization in this county, answer the phones in our church offices, sit with patients’ families at the hospital, and contribute in a hundred other ways to the richness of life in the High Country. You know what you do – now help me tell our leadership in Raleigh!
Most NCRSP projects and activities are scheduled and carried out during the school year, but Community Participation is ongoing throughout the calendar year and reported at year’s end. Please find your Volunteer Hours Report sheet or use the one in this issue of The Red Pencil and fill it out through the end of December. (You know what volunteer activities will keep you busy in December.)
I am beginning to receive report forms in the mail (at 199 Watauga Drive, Boone NC 28607) from members who know they will not be attending our December meeting. Please do get your form to me one way or another; those volunteer hours mean a great deal to our community and to our chapter.
Thank you for all the hard work you do for NCRSP and for others.
Eula Mae Fox, Community Participation Chr.
*According to statistics supplied by NCRSP leaders, our membership in the state is approximately 12,000 retirees. Last year, those retirees contributed 605,425 hours of community service, representing a value of $11.8 million.
Our oldest member, Katie Jane Peterson, sends her best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Kate, who will be 99 in March 2009, taught in both Tennessee and North Carolina during a career which spanned six decades and all grades, including college. She lives at Appalachian Christian Village in Johnson City, TN but is among the very first every August to renew her membership in the Watauga Unit of NCRSP.
NCRSP Community Participation
Volunteer Hours 2008
Please remember that any activities in which you participate for the benefit of someone else FOR WHICH YOU ARE NOT PAID count as “Other” in this listing, with the exception of family activities. That means the hours you spend with Habitat for Humanity or Project Linus or the Hunger Coalition or tutoring a student or transporting a friend or doing someone’s grocery shopping or attending civic meetings are all appropriate for inclusion here.
Keeping up with the computerized times: our own website
Remember that you can find out about upcoming meetings or what’s happening with your fellow members of our NCRSP unit through our website, http://wataugacountyretiredpersonnel.blogspot.com/. You can even read the latest issue of The Red Pencil there!
Anonymous Member Makes Gift
One of our unit members has made a gift to our scholarship fund to honor all those who provide transportation to our meetings for members who no longer wish to drive. What a kind and generous thought!
Watauga County Unit
North Carolina Retired School Personnel
451 Poplar Hill Dr.
Boone NC 28607
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