Contact Legislators

Members and Friends of the Indiana Retired Teachers Association:

• There are several hundred retired teachers in Indiana who taught for at least twenty years and retired before 1980 who get less than $500 in their monthly pension.
• They spent their lives working for the children and youth of Indiana
• They retired before the large inflationary boom of the 1980's that saw increases in salaries.
• Without the COLAs over past years, they would have lost all the purchasing power that was originally in their pension.
• In July, the estimated total cost to give a minimum pension of $500.00 to these retired teachers was $4.8 million.
• Even though most of us will not benefit from this, we are asking this for our oldest, beloved colleagues.

We hope that you will contact your legislators to ask that the legislature put this $500.00 minimum benefit back into the 2013-2014 budget.

In writing to your legislator, please remember to be courteous. We feel strongly about this issue, but they have hundreds of constituents asking for many things, most of which involve money. A written note would be best, but you can find the e-mail address by going to the link:
http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislative/contact/contact.pl.

Both Senators and Representative should be addressed as The Honorable (name).
Letters can be sent to:
The Honorable _____
The Indiana General Assembly
200 W. Washington Street,
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Thank you for helping us with this most important issue.
Nancy Tolson
Indiana Retired Teachers Association
Executive Director

_______________________________________________
RetiredTeachers mailing list
RetiredTeachers@www.hoosiers.net
http://www.hoosiers.net/mailman/listinfo/retiredteachers

IRTA Has a New Executive Director

The Indiana Retired Teachers Association has announced that Andrew Thomas, Executive Director, Indiana Retired Teachers Association, has left the Association to work with his father at the family law firm in Brazil, IN.

“I have enjoyed working with everyone over the last four years. As a team, we have made progress with lobbying the legislature for pension benefits, providing new member benefits, and expanding local chapters. The association is in very capable hands as it moves forward to help all Indiana retired teachers. Best wishes to all.”

From President Kraft and the Board of Directors:
“We want to thank Andrew Thomas for his service to the Indiana Retired Teachers Association, especially for his work in the Indiana legislature on behalf of our members. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.

“Nancy Tolson, a past president of our association, has been appointed by the Board of Directors as the Executive Director. She looks forward to helping our members in any way possible. Although Nancy will be involved in the lobbying process, the Board of Directors has retained the firm of Beebe, Scherer & Associates as our lobbying firm to be the day-to-day voice of the Indiana Retired Teachers Association in the legislature. As always, the goal of our association is to serve our members to the best of our ability.”

SWEEPS Contest!

ATTENTION!!

SWEEPS CONTEST TO GET NEW MEMBERS ENDS DECEMBER 31, 2012.

1ST PRIZE FOR SIGNING UP A RETIRED TEACHER AS A MEMBER OF IRTA: $350!

1ST PRIZE FOR SIGNING UP AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER: $50 AND A $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

There will also be 2nd and 3rd place drawings.

Use the membership form, which can be downloaded from our web site: www.retiredteachers.org. Put your name in the blank that says “Credit my membership to___,” and have the new member mail the form with a check to 2629 Waterfront Parkway, E. Drive, Suite 105; Indianapolis, IN 46214.

Drawing for names will take place at the Legislative Luncheon on February 12 at the State House.

Read complete details about the contest at http://retiredteachers.org/sweeps.pdf.

Indiana Retired Teachers Foundation Scholarship

Applications for the 2013 Indiana Retired Teachers Foundation Scholarship Now Available

from Andrew P. Thomas
to retiredteachers

The Indiana Retired Teachers Foundation is offering eight $2000 scholarships this year. The scholarships are available for education majors at an Indiana college or university entering their junior or senior year. Students must be an Indiana resident.

As well, the student must be a son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, or a legal dependent of an active or retired member of the Indiana State Teachers Retirement Fund.

Complete guidelines and application can be found on our website:

http://www.retiredteachers.org/scholarship_2013.pdf

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JANUARY 31, 2013.

Thank you for your support of the Indiana Retired Teachers Foundation!

Andrew P. Thomas
Indiana Retired Teachers Association, Executive Director
Indiana Retired Teachers Foundation Board Member
2629 Waterfront Parkway, Suite 105
Indianapolis, IN 46214
Toll free: 888-454-9333
www.retiredteachers.org

IRTA Dues Increase

Did you enjoy your "13th Check" on September 1, 2012? IRTA lobbied and won that benefit for you. Now the IRTA needs your help! The Indiana Retired Teachers Association has had to raise it's dues for members, but it's still a bargain! Compare the following to the additional $450 you received in your 13th check...

IRTA Yearly dues are now $35.00 per year. Lifetime Membership dues are:

50 & under $700 or $732 if taken in 3 installments
51-74 $550 or $582 if taken in 3 installments
75 & over $350 or $381 in 3 installments

Associate Membership (Associate Members receive all benefits, but cannot vote in Association elections) dues are:

$10 for one year
$18 for two years
$24 for three years

IRTA is a non-partisan, secular organization which lobbies for the benefit of all retired teachers in Indiana. Due in part to IRTA efforts, all retired Indiana teachers received a bonus, or "13th Check", this September which more than pays for membership.

Membership in your association also offers many other benefits, such as, Guaranteed Acceptance Senior Term Life, AT&T Mobility Discount, Verizon Wireless Discount, Apple and Dell computer discounts, CSIdentity Protector℠, 1-800 Flowers, Hear in America, Government Employee Travel Opportunities (GETO), rental car discounts, La Quinta Inn and Suites discounts, and many others (see http://www.retiredteachers.org/benefits2.shtml).

IRTA decided to raise dues because few retired teachers are joining IRTA. Encourage your retired colleagues to join IRTA and AREA to preserve the benefits for everyone. Remind them that they are already enjoying the benefit of IRTA's lobbying efforts with a 13th check in September! Retired administrators should also join. They receive larger pensions from the state retirement fund and also receive the 13th check.

IRTA and AREA are only as strong as their members! (AREA Membership is only $10 a year.)

Download a membership form HERE.

or join online HERE.

Call Bev Brunson for information about joining AREA: 260-749-8414

~~~

August 18 Meeting

Our first of four yearly meetings will be at 11:00 AM, Saturday, August 18th, 2012 at Pine Valley Country Club, 10900 Pine Mills Rd.

Directions: Turn North off Dupont Rd. at the stoplight where McCombs Funeral Home and McDonalds are to the South. Follow the street back to the Clubhouse on the right. See the map, below (click for a larger image).

Pine Valley Country Club, Clubhouse

Please make reservations with Mary Jo Purvis (493-4263) one week prior to each meeting. Luncheon will cost $12. However, this luncheon will be free to 2012 retirees.

We know that when teachers retire they feel they are done. Life goes on after retirement, and now it is time to join AREA (Allen County Retired Educators Association)and IRTA (Indiana Retired Teachers Association). These two organizations are nonpartisan. Their only purpose is to protect our teachers' retirement fund and obtain a 13th check and/or COLA.

Membership is $10 per year. Contact any AREA officer for information.

July 2 Planning Meeting

The planning for 2012-2013 AREA activities will be held on Monday, July 2 at 1:00 PM

Dear Officers and Standing Committee Chairpersons:

Thank to all the officers and standing committee chairpersons for all your support in the past year. Co-presidents John and Bev are very appreciative of your support—especially your willingness to say “YES” and your attendance at the meetings.

We will be planning the dates for next year's meetings, meeting places, as well as sketching out the programs for each meeting.

Note: If you are unable to attend please send any suggestions you have for

1. dates or dates to avoid;
2. meeting places that will hold at least 60 plus people COMFORTABLY;
3. programs that would be interesting and WELL-RECEIVED.

This meeting is open to all members of AREA. All members are encouraged to send their ideas and suggestions or to attend in person.

Please use the instructions on the email you received for directions to the meeting location. If you did not get the email and need further information about the meeting location, or wish to offer suggestions please contact:

Bev Brunson at brunson13@comcast.net

Thanks!

We also need to know the dates that ISTAR meets as well as the dates of DKG for 2012-13.

See you Soon!

John and Bev