MCHENRY COUNTY RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION IRTA AREA 2, REGION 2, UNIT Stephen Polep.

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1 MCHENRY COUNTY RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION IRTA AREA 2, REGION 2, UNIT /18 Meetings 11/15 CL Country Club Rick Johnson Climate Change 12/20 D Andrea s Conservation District County Health Dept 3/21 D Andrea s Cynthia Schaffer Mollie s War 4/18 CLCC Ken Madden Golden Diners 5/16 TBA Richard Frankenfeld 6/20 D Andrea s Laurel Mellien Tombstones-McHenry Cty September Menu Garden Salad Champagne Chicken Roasted New Potatoes Green Beans Vanilla Ice Cream President s Message Stephen Polep I just returned as a delegate and speaker from the IRTA convention in Springfield and a participant at the AMBA Roundup in Austin, Texas. The IRTA delegates voted in two outstanding officers Roger Hampton, President, and John Flattery, Vice-President. In Austin retired teachers from all over the country met the new owners and officers of the Association Member Benefits Association. The result of these meetings are that the IRTA will have great leadership for many years and IRTA members will receive even more discounts and benefits. The board members that were delegates at the convention had a good experience. The current MCRTA board is the best in Illinois and some of the best party people around. There are still openings for member to join this super group. See me to become the new reservations chairperson and win a seat on the board. November Guest Jude La Francis Rick Johnson CHANGING THE POLITICAL CLIMATE ON CLIMATE CHANGE. Rick is a retired teacher, a member of MCRTA and currently a co-leader of the McHenry County Chapter of the Citizen s Climate Lobby. MCRTA 1

2 Membership News Marlene Griffith and Linda Young WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS: Patt Caldwell, Wonder Lake - Retired in 2017 McHenry D15 TODAY'S GRACE Bless our friends Bless our food Come O Lord and Bless Us. May our talk glow with peace, Bring your love to surround us. Friendship and Peace May they bloom and glow, bloom and grow forever. Bless our friends Bless our food Bless our dear land forever. Need to Cancel? If you cannot show the day of the meeting, call Steve Polep on his cell at and leave a message or text even at the last minute. We do need you to pay for your meal if you do not cancel in time as the unit has to pay the Reach us at: PO Box 1776 Crystal Lake, IL membership@mcrta.org newsletter@mcrta.org Barbara Hanawalt, Cary - Retired in 2017 Woodstock D200 Pam Henk, Fox River Grove - Retired in 2017 McHenry D15 Membership has begun collecting dues for If you are a LIFE member, you owe no dues. If you are not a LIFE member, you have three choices: 1) $10 for ) $25 for 2018, 2019, ) $150 for LIFE membership You may pay your dues at the meetings by seeing Marlene or Linda at the Membership Table, or you can send them to this address: MCRTA, PO BOX 1776, CRYSTAL LAKE Questions? Marlene at membership@mcrta.org or call her at DEATHS: Mary Ellen Condill Norma Dunker Hazel Iftner CONVENTION: The Illinois Retired Teachers Association (IRTA) held its biennial Convention on October 30th and 31st at the Crowne Plaza Hotel located in Springfield, Ill. More than 500 retirees represented 38,000 IRTA members and their families. The IRTA is tasked to maintain and improve benefits for annuitants of the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS); promote education and the professional, social and economic status of all members; and work in cooperation with other organizations to obtain these goals. MCRTA 2

3 LEGISLATIVE REPORT Norb Wolter The governor s original 2018 budget zeroed out the state s share of Trip/Trail health insurance premiums. It was only after a veto override that the required payment of $114 million was reinstated to the budget. We must remain vigilant for attempts by both the governor and the general assembly to diminish health insurance benefits for TRIP retirees over the next few years. The State of Illinois is not the only stakeholder contributing to our health insurance premiums. A funding breakdown shows that TRIP retirees pay 31% of the total insurance premium well above the state s share of 23%. The remainder of the costs is borne by active teachers who pay 24.5%; school districts 18.4%; and other 2.6%. Looking ahead it s our job at the local unit and state association level to convince the legislators and the governor to treat health insurance for retired teachers as a contractual agreement that receives full funding each year as a matter of law. IRTA Legal Counsel, John Fitzgerald, addressed the recent IRTA Convention and included remarks on the recent Chicago Tribune article on Governor Rauner s attempts to get federal courts and/or lawmakers to overturn the pension protection clause in the Illinois Constitution. He indicated that the Governor s attempts are likely to fail but that our organization needs to remain watchful so that any challenges can be met head on. McHenry County picture in IRTA office Mo Shaner, comptroller, and Jim Bachman, Exec. Director MCRTA 3

4 MEMBER BENEFITS Rose Turk Did you know that you can get insurance for your pets? IRTA through Association Member Benefits Advisors (AMBA) offers insurance for your cat or dog. Nationwide Insurance Company offers Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI). Just mention that you belong to IRTA and you will receive 5% discount on a new pet insurance policy. There are three pet health plans from which to choose: 1) Wellness Plus is an everyday preventive care policy that covers physicals, vaccinations, flea prevention, and more. 2) Major Medical covers minor accidents to major illnesses. 3) Major Medical and Wellness Plus which bundles both plans for more coverage and savings. VPI has plans to fit your needs and budget and you automatically receive a 5% discount for being an IRTA member. A good feature of this insurance is that you can use any veterinarian, specialist, and/or emergency provider you want. Sign up for a plan. Then go to the vet of your choice for the service you need and submit a claim. You will then receive a check reimbursement for the bill. You also have access 24/7 to the vet help line where veterinarians give guidance on any pet health concern you might have. To see details about this insurance, log in to irtaonline.org and click on MEMBER BENEFITS at the top of the page. Then look under Available Informative Benefits and click on Veterinary Pet Insurance. Next click where it says, Click here to learn more. Here you will find an article with a link to the website. Click on the link or call the phone number. Check out the insurance to see if this is what you can use for your pet. Do Your Christmas Shopping Today!! If you need holiday gifts don't forget our notecards or 8x10 reproduction of the commissioned painting that MCRTA is selling. Packets of 5 notecards with envelops are $5.00. A 8x10 copy suitable for framing is also $5.00. Any orders placed today can be picked up at the December meeting on the 20th. Volunteer Needed MCRTA needs a volunteer to photocopy the monthly newsletter. The work is done at the County Office of Education at the McHenry County Government complex on Rt. 47 in Woodstock. The job entails someone to run the photocopy machine and reproduce copies of the newsletter. Please see Steve Polep if inteterested. MCRTA 4

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