London-Middlesex Branch News
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We welcome new members to our Branch of over 200 Retired Women Teachers from the London-Middlesex Public, Catholic, and Private School Boards including the elementary, secondary and college/university panels. We offer six major events and a wide variety of Interest Groups and Friendship Activities which are active throughout the year.
Our “Chalk Talk” Newsletter and other information are listed on the site under the Newsletters tab.
Most importantly, we have FUN! Jump in, join in, and become part of our friendly Branch.
For further information, we welcome you to contact:
President: Mary Maxwell
Membership: Karen Tierney
Who To Contact?
Karen Tierney
Membership Chair
tierneykaren58@gmail.com
We are always happy to talk with retired teachers from all aspects of the teaching profession, elementary, secondary, college, private schools.
The President for 2018 -19 is Mary Maxwell and Nancy Bell is now Past President.
Contact Karen Tierney for membership information as listed above.
Participation
“Keeping in Touch”
A group of active members who visit from time to time, those members who are ill or confined to home or are living in a Retirement/Long Term Care Residence and are unable to attend meetings. These visiting volunteers bring greetings, little gifts and a time of conversation to over a dozen of our members.
FRIENDSHIP GROUP
This is a very popular group within the whole membership. The aim is to bring members together and do fun and friendly things such as theatre outings, monthly breakfasts, road trips, car rallying, crafts.
Choir
Members who love to sing and enjoy making music together meet for eight weeks in the Fall and again in the Spring to prepare a musical selection to present to the membership at the Christmas luncheon in late November and the May Annual banquet. They are directed by two leaders Johanna Hurd and Gillian Laidlaw.
Book Clubs
Two separate small groups meet monthly after reading a mutually chosen selection from current best sellers to chat and discuss the selection. New members are welcomed.
Book Sale
At each regular luncheon meeting members pre-owned books are contributed to the Book Sale table to be circulated to new owners. This is a very popular fund-raiser which sponsors Branch delegates attending the annual RWTO Convention.
Table Decorations
A group prepares centre-pieces for each luncheon table at our six Luncheon Meetings. They are effective in providing the theme of the month and draw the admiration of attending members.
Phone-callers Group
This is a group of members who each phone a short list of members to remind them of the upcoming luncheon, when to pay by, who is speaking, and which charity – what to bring that month, if wishing to support. Since our membership is always growing people willing to make these calls are welcome additions to the group. Members may ask not to be called, of course.
We Are Growing!
Our membership continues to grow by a healthy percentage each year for the last few years thanks to the support of our members who respond so well to our call for Each One, Reach One! Members bring prospective new members from their retired teacher contacts in the community.
As well, our networks and community contacts remain strong and numerous. The large majority of our membership are active within London-Middlesex in a wide variety of volunteer activities and services. From new speakers to additional fund-raisers, we continue to be a positive force for caring and sharing.
We are proud of our efforts, the enthusiasm and genuine warmth of our growing membership and the contributions we are making in our area.
Click on the link below:
“Celebrating Christmas 2018”
The choir prepares to entertain the members.
Choir leader Gillian Laidlaw and pianist Johanna Hurd receive our thanks.
Our Merry-makers group gave a hilarious rendition of “The 12 Canadian Days of Christmas”.
A Christmas lunch was enjoyed around beautiful table centre-pieces. A delicious Christmas meal was served.
Pre-owned books for sale – Choices, choices!
All our Luncheons are held at the Riverbend Golf Community Centre.
Photographs are courtesy of Bernarda Norwood who is one of our members and photographer for the Branch.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
Donations for “My Sisters’ Place” which is a drop in Centre for Women in London
A Collection of goods was made in November for the local Women’s Day Shelter, My Sisters’ Place.
A FRIENDSHIP GROUP ACTIVITY
A workshop on Christmas card-making was held in October ’18.
NEW MEMBERS JOIN
Every month new members join our branch and are welcomed with an introduction , a flower and pin at the next luncheon.
ANNUAL BANQUET IN MAY
The new Executive for 2018-20 is sworn in at the May Banquet.
Mary Maxwell with Area 3 Director Leslie Carol-Frey
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The choir sings for our entertainment this past Spring.
2018-19
The Friendship Group met for Breakfast on August 13th and September 11th at the Four Seasons, Fanshawe Road.
September 19, the Friendship Group also attended an evening Fashion Show at Harrietsville United Church.
September 27, Our first Luncheon of the new year held as always, at Riverbend Golf Community Centre. 150 members attended, the Guest Speaker Doug McCarthy a retired teacher, was very well received as he spoke on the long-lasting effects of our words upon the listener.
October 10, The F.G. Breakfast @ Four Seasons
October 18, A F.G. activity: An afternoon making Christmas-cards with Mary Maxwell.
October 25, Luncheon @ Riverbend, with Guest Speakers Yolanda Henry & Anne Jorna, “Building Dreams in Cambodia”
November 12, F.G. Breakfast @ Southside Grill, Exeter Road.
November 22, Luncheon with Entertainment by our Choir and the exciting drama group “Christmas Antics”.
November 27, Geraldine from Jim Anderson Flowers shows members how to make a Christmas Table Centrepiece.
December 6, Friendship Christmas Luncheon @ Sunningdale Golf & Country Club.
December 11, F.G. Breakfast @ Southside Grill
May 23, Annual Banquet and Installation of
New Officers and Chairpersons
for 2018-20
Luncheon is about to be served.
Our Members sing their hearts out while performing at the Banquet.
The new Executive for 2018-20 is installed by Provincial president Lois Lockhart.
New Members are introduced and presented with a flower and RWTO pin
A Memoriam is said for each members who has passed away in the preceding year.
April 26,2018 Luncheon Fashion Show with Members as Models
This is a small sample look at our members who modelled the outfits.
After being introduced by Mary Maxwell they walked among the tables so that attendees could get a close-up look at the clothes.
CORA BAILEY AWARD
This provincial Award recognizes members who have given excellent leadership and outstanding service to their local branch.
There have been 22 recipients to date in the London-Middlesex Branch since the Award was begun in 2006. Cora Bailey was the first Provincial Secretary-Treasurer and held office for several years and wrote a book about RWTO.
Mary Maxwell with Cathy Harrison presented the 2018 Cora Bailey Award to Nancy Bell at the October Luncheon. Nancy is our Past President, she has been very active with many of our activities including the Friendship Group and the Table Centre-piece making for each of our luncheons.
BARBARA BAIN AWARD
This Provincial Award is presented at the Annual Convention in July to Branches that have increased membership over the previous year. There are three tiers representing three different sizes of Branches. We have over 240 members which places us in the “large” tier.
In 2017-18 our Branch had top place with an increase of 22 members, Past President Nancy Bell accepted the Award and $300.00 for the Branch at the Convention in 2018.
Barbara Bain is a member of the London-Middlesex Branch and was present at the Convention in 2018.
SHINING STAR AWARD
This Award was established a few years ago by our Branch to recognize members for their long-term service, support of members, as well as community volunteer work.
In May 2018 at the Annual Meeting banquet Pat Savage introduced this year’s recipients, Nancy Bell presented Johanna Hurd and Sandra McKeen with this Award.
A great majority of our members are active in the London-Middlesex Community through their church or other agencies and organizations. From May Court Club, Sororities, Meals on Wheels, Cancer Clinic, Lioness, to Optimist Club, Grandmothers for Grandmothers Campaign… the list is long and varied… hundreds of hours each year are spent helping and serving others.
In addition to individual members’ activities, as a Branch we support different charities within our London-Middlesex region by collecting goods or monies each month we meet for a luncheon in 2018-19.
Our Charities
- September – new books for children aged 2 – 16 years go to the London Public Library for their Christmas Program “A Book for Every Child”.
- October – Paper Goods for the Women’s Rural Resource Centre, Strathroy and Area
- November – Items for the women of London attending a Resource Centre called “My Sister’s Place”,and also the Branch makes a financial contribution to the Salvation Army Christmas drive in lieu of Christmas gifts for our members.
- March – Non-perishable items for the London Food Bank.
- April – monies are collected from members for Educational Awards given by the Kiwanis Music/Speech competitions and for the Children’s Aid Scholarship Fund and Merrymount Children’s Services.
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