Members of the local Huajilla unit of the Texas Retired Teachers Association met at the D’Hanis Community Center on October 28, 2019 for the monthly meeting. Sixty members and two guests were in attendance. After pledges, an opening prayer, and singing of the National Anthem, President Jim Rigby opened the meeting. Guests Frances Nadine Lovett and Suann Agold were introduced and the regular business meeting was conducted. First Vice President Irene Dubberly reported that the state organization now has 92,000 members; the overall state goal is to reach 100,000 members. Lola Hill, Book Project chairperson reported that $232.31 was collected at the September meeting for children’s books to be distributed at Christmas through several community organizations. Members were also encouraged to track their volunteer hours throughout the year. Bruce Simpson announced that a collection will be taken at the January and February meetings for the TRTA Foundation fund, which aids retired teachers across the state, particularly in natural disasters. Cindy Howard, chairperson of the Informative and Protective Services committee, reviewed information about various scams, census bureau openings, and the upcoming election.
In new business, President Rigby reviewed the District 20 Meeting held in Boerne October 24, 2019. Irene Dubberly of the local unit is the newly elected president of District 20, which encompasses a large area of Texas from the Hill country to Del Rio, including the San Antonio area. The new local member yearbook was reviewed and explained. Members were encouraged to bring pictures of themselves from their early teaching years to the February meeting.
Special guest Suann Agold the current president of District 20, was then introduced. She complimented the Huajilla unit for its member attendance at meetings and encouraged the group to attend the state TRTA convention to be held April 6-8, 2020 in Corpus Christi. Ms. Agold reviewed the state-wide goals of TRTA, particularly that of including more non-members to become members and to be represented in our state government. She stated that by 2021 there will be approximately 500,000 retired educators in Texas. She ended with the announcement that the Huajijlla unit has once again garnered state recognition for membership growth.
Frances Nadine Lovett, author of Nursing Homes: How to Find a Good One or a Few Good Nurses in a Bad One, gave an informative program based on her 30 year history of work in the nursing home industry as a registered nurse. She described the difference in services offered by various levels of skilled care facilities and also how to use the Medicare website to determine the quality of care at individual facilities. She had many informative tips concerning patient rights and federal regulations designed to protect residents.
The members then enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the D’Hanis Lions Club and door prizes were awarded. The next Huajilla gathering will be December 9, 2019 at the Triple C Restaurant in Devine.