Awards

RWTO/OERO Awards Policies

It is the policy of RWTO/OERO that the following honours may be bestowed on members.

Barbara Bain Membership Award

This provincial award was named in honour of our long-time member, Barbara Bain, who served on the Provincial Board of Directors for 11 years. Barbara served as an Area Director, Assistant Insurance Convenor, Insurance Convenor, 2nd and 1st Vice-President, President, Past President and Honorary President. Barbara was also the first Membership Convenor for RTWO/OERO. Barbara continues to be an active member in the London-Middlesex Branch.

Since its inception in 2006-2007, the provincial Barbara Bain Award has traditionally been given to the three branches, one in each tier, with the largest percentage increase in the number of regular paid-up members. In 2015, the formula was changed: the actual increase is now calculated on how many new members join, less the number of existing members who did not renew during the April 1 to March 31 period. Awards of $400, $300 and $200 will be given in each tier, based on actual increase in membership. So now instead of 3 awards of $200 being awarded, we have 9 provincial awards, 3 for each tier,.

Barbara Bain Recipients 2024 – 2025

Barbara Bain Award Recipients 2024

Barbara Bain Award Recipients 2023

Barbara Bain Award Recipients 2022

Barbara Bain Award Recipients 2021

Barbara Bain Award Recipients 2020

Barbara Bain Award Recipients 2019

Procedure
The membership increases are calculated by the Executive Secretary-Treasurer.

The Feather In Your Hat Award

The Feather in Your Hat was established by the Membership Committee.

Criteria for the Feather in Hat Award

1. This award recognizes creative, innovative and successful activities carried out by a Branch or group of Branches that have worked cooperatively on ONE current or on-going project that has clearly enriched the programs offered by RWTO/OERO.

Procedure

1. Area Directors can submit the names of deserving Branches.
2. Branches can nominate themselves by writing a descriptive article and submitting it to the Chair of the Membership Committee for consideration.
3. Chosen Branches have an article describing their activity or program published in the Provincial Newsletter and the “Hat” itself is presented at the Annual Meeting.
4. Up to 3 branches in each of the tiers are honoured each year. 

Guidelines

Submissions must include:

• The Area and Area Director, the Branch name and President 
• The total number of members in the branch
• The number of members involved in activity/project
• The title of the activity/project 
• The goal/s of the activity/project 
• Photos with captions or write-ups.
• Outcomes of the project

Submissions for Feather In Your Hat must be made to the Membership Convenor after January 1st and before March 1st. Mail a hard copy via Canada Post to:

Mary Maxwell
1673 Phillbrook Cres
London, ON, N5X 2Z4

mmaxwell@rogers.com

Notify her that it is in the mail and she will confirm receipt upon arrival.

Feather in Your Hat Award

The “Feather in Your Hat” Awards are presented each year at the AGM/June Convention. It is given in recognition to branches for their creative, innovative, and successful projects that have clearly enriched the programs offered by RWTO/OERO at the branch level. Thank you to all the branches that made submissions this year.

Feather in Your Hat Awards – 2025   (Provincial Membership Committee)

The “Feather in Your Hat” Award for Branch ingenuity have been increased to include small, medium and large Branch categories this year!

Tier 3 – Small-Sized Branches

1st Place: Dundalk-Flesherton 

The Dundalk-Flesherton and District Branch made Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer patients, lap blankets and book bags for their summer Youth Program. The members who couldn’t sew donated. More than half of their membership contributed in one way or another. Their goal was to help their community while making their community aware of RWTO/OERO organization.

2nd – Place:

3rd – Place:

Tier 2 – Medium-Sized Branches

1st Place: Lanark 

This year the Branch fostered a wave of compassion and support for The Lanark County Interval House and Community Resources.

36 Members collected $990 in cash, cheques and gift cards as well as boxes of with an assortment of necessary everyday items

2nd Place: Lydia Snow North Halton

Lydia Snow promoted Literacy through Books in Schools, in North Halton. They have 98 members who all participate. Books are bought in memory of each member who passes and donated to school this the former teachers name inside.

3rd Place: Peel North

North Peel has provided backpacks to the Local Shelter Houses. Each backpack contained school supplies plus nutritious snacks for the housed children.

Tier 1 – Large Branches

 1st Place: St. Catharines 

The St. Catharines Branch established a committee to focus on the concept of AgingINPlace. The committee’s goal was to support individuals wishing to age in place and to encourage early preparation for this stage of life. Their efforts resulted in the creation of an accessible brochure, which provides seniors with a comprehensive list of supports and services available in their area. This Directory of Retirement Homes and LTC Facilities, includes essential contact information and is now available to members on the Social Justice page of the Provincial website.

2nd Place: Ottawa-Carleton

The Ottawa Carlton Branch mobilized 95 members to participate in a charitable initiative aimed at supporting children in the Ottawa Carleton region. Members collected and provided mittens, scarves, hats, and warm socks, ensuring children in their community received the winter essentials needed to stay warm.

3rd Place: Burl-Oak and Hamilton Wentworth

Through the Food4Kids project, volunteers from these branches actively participated in packing food bags for children. Each worker contributed to filling over 500 bags, which involved making approximately 70 trips around the table per packer during each packing session, demonstrating a strong commitment to addressing child hunger in their community.

Feather In Your Hat Award Recipients 2024

Feather In Your Hat Award Recipients 2023

Feather In Your Hat Award Recipients 2022

Feather In Your Hat Award Recipients 2021

Feather In Your Hat Award Recipients 2020

Honorary Membership Award

A Provincial Honorary Membership in RWTO/OERO is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a member for outstanding service at the provincial level. This award is presented at the Annual Meeting. Nominations are sent to the Honorary Membership Committee Chair.

Criteria for Honorary Members:

1. The most important consideration must be the member’s contribution to RWTO/OERO at the provincial level.
2. The contribution may include: length of service, provincial offices held with distinction, extraordinary care and devotion to a task, outstanding ideas or innovations introduced.
3. The retiring Provincial President is automatically recommended for this honour at the completion of her term of office
4. No more than 4 members may be selected in any one year.

Procedures:

1. A notice and the criteria for selection of a recipient are placed in the November newsletter by the Honorary Membership Convenor inviting branch executives and/or members-at large to submit nominations for this award.
2. The name and the accompanying background information about the proposed recipient must be forwarded to the Honorary Life Membership Convenor by January 31.
3. The Committee selects the recipients as soon as possible after January 31. The chairperson forwards the choices, along with the rationale for the selections, to the Provincial President for presentation, discussion and ratification at the April executive meeting. The decision is relayed to the chairperson of the Honorary Membership Committee who then notifies the recipients.

Honorary Membership Award Recipient 2024

 LeAnne Taylor 

LeAnne was nominated for the RWTO/OERO Honorary Membership Award by the Lydia Snow North Halton Branch for her accomplishments at the local and Provincial level.  At the local level she had many roles and accomplishments which demonstrated her length of service, her extraordinary care and devotion to a task and the outstanding ideas and innovations she introduced.

LeAnne is very deserving of the Honorary Membership Award. Her exceptional contributions and professionalism at the Provincial level has been admired throughout her tenure in the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario.

She began her journey on the Provincial Board in 2019 as Area 12 Director. Her roles and accomplishments at the Board Level have been overwhelmingly successful with new ideas and great work ethic.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Membership Extension was chaired by LeAnne. With this committee she developed a survey that was distributed to all members within our organization and produced a resolution related to the Outcomes of this survey. This is still ongoing today as we open our organization to other women educators. LeAnne worked closely with Kathy Gallagher to develop Policies and Procedures for Social Media and also assists Kathy as an administrator for our Provincial  Facebook Page. LeAnne was also part of the committee that produced the new Provincial Privacy and Membership Forms.

In 2021, LeAnne became the Assistant Insurance Convenor and worked closely with our Broker Terry Kennedy. In this role she conducted many in-person and zoom meetings with Branches throughout the province and prepared a workshop on Insurance at the AGM. She wrote the job description and duties for Assistant Insurance Convenor for Policies and Procedures and in 2023 became The Insurance Convenor. With her technological skills, her presentations always had a little mouse helping us through the facts. With the Open Window this past year and lobbying all branches to participate, branches did receive $100 for booking. Thank you LeAnne.

LeAnne was active on many other committees. She served as Co-Chair and Secretary on the Virtual Convention Committee, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Financial Realignment of Article XlV of Policies and Procedures, served on the committee for P&P Ad Hoc Committee and has agreed to chair the Jubilee Committee to celebrate our 70^thanniversary in 2026.

LeAnne has been and still is an exemplary member of our organization. Her professionalism, dedication and leadership has strengthened RWTO/OERO.

Congratulations LeAnne as you receive the Honorary Membership Award for 2024-2025 for your dedication and exceptional contributions to our organization!

Honorary Membership Awards 2023

Honorary Membership Awards 2022

Honorary Membership Awards 2021

Honorary Membership Awards 2020

The Cora Bailey Award

Cora Bailey from the Peterborough Branch was RWTO/OERO’s first Executive Secretary-Treasurer. She held this position for eleven years until 1982 and wrote the History Book – OASWT 1956-1976. Beginning in 2003, this award was presented in her honour.

Criteria for Cora Bailey Award Recipients

1. The Cora Bailey Award may be presented to a Branch member who has contributed outstanding service to her Branch.

Procedures:

1. The certificate for this award is available on request from the Provincial Office and will be signed by the provincial President.
2. All branch members are eligible for this award whether or not they have received an Honorary Life membership Award.
3. One to three recipients per Branch may receive the award per Membership year (September 1st to August 31st).
4. A picture of Cora Bailey, donated by Jean Axcell from Peterborough, is to be kept by the Archivist for display at the Annual Meeting.
5. After being displayed at the Annual Meeting, pictures of the recipients for that year will be kept in an album by the Archivist.