CARSPA met on Monday, August 8, 2021, 9:00 a.m. at the Osceola Senior Center with nine members present. Hostess Bev Schader served doughnuts and fruit while members visited.
Diane Slough, speaker for this month, shared tips on searching family genealogy. Family reunions, web sites such as find a grave, ancestry.com, internet, cemetery stones, can provide information. Be aware that some old spellings were changed, a person may have been known my middle name, cemetery stones may be incorrect or worn. Check geography for where people lived. She urged everyone to write your own history, document sources of information, label photos with acid free jell pens, complete ancestry charts, family group charts, and pedigree charts. Roots Magic and Family Tree Maker help organize information. Osceola.advantage-preservation.com at the library gives Osceola only until you click “Directory” to reach other counties and maps of US places. Use Ancestry.com at the library, take your laptop and save and email your research to your computer.
Members recited the pledge and sang “Grace”, accompanied by pianist, Jeri Lytton .
Venita Escher read the July 12 minutes from the last meeting. Sharon Cameron gave the roll call and the Treasurer’s report.
The minutes and treasurer’s reports were approved.
After Leota Broyes celebrated her 100th birthday, she has moved from Osceola to be closer to relatives. Venita Escher moved that Leota be added to our Honorary Members list. Jeri Lytton seconded the motion which carried.
Concerns of several members were shared. In 2020-2021 CARSPA has had three members pass away: Mildred Ashley, Marjorie Faulkner, and Effie Crawford. Linda Foland will find appropriate books in memory of these deceased members as CARSPA has traditionally done.
Eleanor Gage led discussion about her positive experience at “The Barnyard” restaurant recently opened at 304 Vine Street in Decatur City, IA, phone 641-446-7000, located near the Hinky Dinky Diner. Members wanted a daytime experience. The restaurant is not open on Sundays. Eleanor moved that the CARSPA group go there after the September meeting. Martha Snell seconded the motion, which carried. Eleanor will call to make reservations for Monday, September 13.
Jo Ann Wilson invited everyone to the free presentation on “one room schools”. Susan Voss Webber and Bill from Alabama will share their visual research on Monday, October 11 at 6 p.m. at the Osceola Public Library. They share pictures, stories, research, and programs. The library has books on the Clarke County Country Schools created by CARSPA members.
CARSPA local dues need to be paid in March, but since dues were paid in 2020 and meetings were not held, those local dues will now be applied to May 2021 local dues for any member who had paid last year but state dues will still need to be paid.
IRSPA is starting a PH Balance Scholarship. The PH stands for Parents in Heaven. When a student loses parents due to death, a void is created. The first scholarship is planned to be awarded in the 2021 fall state convention at Honey Creek. A senior graduating in 2022 from an Iowa High School is eligible to apply. An eligible student may be planning to achieve a BA/BS AA or trade degree or diloma. The student must submit a high school transcript, submit a document of proof that the parent has passed away, write and sign a 200 word essay explaining what this scholarship would mean to you and how the scholarship will help in achieving your life’s goal, and three letters from three of the following categories: teacher, community member, employer, church, extra-curricular coach, an adult sponsor of a club or organization outside of school. The actual funds will be payable the second semester after transcripts from a successful first have been provided to the scholarship committee.
The state IRSPA Meeting at Honey Creek Resort on Lake Rathbun near Moravia, Iowa, on October 6-7. 2021, will begin about or before 9:00 a.m. The State Board decided that one room for unit presidents would be paid for staying the night of Wednesday, October 6, following the evening banquet. Mileage will be reimbursed for one car for each unit. If our unit can fill the first car and need a second car for more members, mileage would also be paid for the second car. Make your own reservations by calling the front desk at 641-724-1450 opt 0, tell the person that you are a member of IRSPA and ask for the Iowa Retired School Personnel Association (IRSPA) rate which will be a room on the resort side. A block of rooms is reserved for members at a sizable discount.
The District 4 meeting is now rescheduled for Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at the Perry Trinity Lutheran Church. Due to the Corona virus, the District 4 meeting originally scheduled for May 19, 2020, was cancelled.
The State IRSPA is asking that a statement similar to the following be added to the bylaws for each unit. Therefore, the following will be added for CARSPA bylaws as Article VIII--”In the unlikely event of Clarke Area Retired School Personnel Association (CARSPA) dissolution of assets of CARSPA shall be transferred to Clarke County Area non-profit philanthropic organization(s) selected by the CARSPA members. If no philanthropic causes can be found upon dissolution, the assets of CARSPA shall be transferred to the AARP Foundation as part of the National Retired Teachers Association. Martha Snell moved this motion and Jo Ann Wilson seconded the motion which passed.
Linda Foland will be contacting some presenters originally scheduled for 2020 for the next meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for September 12.
Linda Foland shared “Grand kids say the cutest things.”
The meeting adjourned at 10:45.