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'Beyond the Blackboard' logo designed by Reg Walker.
'Beyond the Blackboard' name created by Marion Axford
Volume 30 Number 3 ~
Fall, 2011
~ Editor:
Hal McCullough
The deadline for submissions for Spring's
Beyond the
Blackboard is
Friday, January 20, 2012
Download PDF Version
here ~ 2.5mb
( )
NOTE: See our
Photos Page (also linked to our Main Page) for
additional photos
Some photos on this page are linked to larger
versions.
President's Message
This
coming year our District is celebrating its 40th year in RTO/ERO. The
first Senate meeting was held in March 1968 and on December 4th, 1968,
ten areas were set up — Fort William, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay,
Windsor, Waterloo, St. Catharines, Dufferin/Peel/Malton/Simcoe, Toronto,
Peterborough and Ottawa. By 1972, adjustments and changes had been made
to the Constitution and there were 24 voting districts at the Senate
(Scarborough and East York being the 24th, thus District 24). Today we
have 49 districts, including two in British Columbia. Bob Lamb wrote,
"The first meeting of the Scarborough/East York District was held on
February 16, 1972."
I have been trying to find some of our early history but, over time,
much has been lost, misplaced and forgotten. Fifteen years ago, when we
celebrated our 25th anniversary, the treasurer received a $50.00 annual
honorarium. Irene Pantaleo had been our treasurer since its inception
but passed away in November 1982. Since Irene had not received the
$50.00 it was given to her daughter, Rose Bortislissi. Rose donated the
money to the executive to be used in such a way as to honour Irene's
memory. It was decided that a book would be purchased to establish a
Book of Remembrance. This book was to have a brief history of District
24 and brief recorded obituaries of all deceased members commencing in
1982. This book was to be available at all Annual Meetings for perusal.
From a paragraph in the September 1984 Newsletter, Ivan Notter and
Howard Eubank wrote "At the moment, we have purchased a beautiful book
that everyone can be proud of; the minutes over the years have been
scrutinized and we have compiled a list of the 12 people who have served
as our presidents; and, from the minutes of the very first meetings
which have been preserved, we have been able to write up a fairly
detailed description of those early sessions." And "The History of the
EARLY YEARS of District 24 was to be included in our special book of
memories." The first two people honoured in the book were Irene Pantaleo
and Gordon Brown.
Have you ever seen this book? I have never seen it and knew nothing
about it until I was doing this research. If you know anything about
this book, please call me and tell me what you remember. If we are
lucky, maybe someone has saved it for us.
At present we have newsletters going back to 1983. If you have any that
are older, we would appreciate a donation of them to our Archives.
(This information came from Bob Lamb's book, The First Generation – The
Superannuated Teachers of Ontario, the RTO/ERO Web Site and old District
24 Newsletters and compiled by Donna Hubel.)
~ Donna Hubel, President,
District 24

District 24 Executive ~ 2011/2012
(Get Executive Contact Page Here ~ 33kb
)
Bill
Sparks: "Ex-officio" Member on Our Executive
Q: Dear Editor, I like your newsletter. I was
looking at the very large Executive list and saw a last entry
'Ex-Officio'. What gives?
A: It is always pleasing to know someone is
reading. Bill Sparks is on a Provincial Committee of RTO/ERO and because
of that, we ask him to join our Exec to share information; 'ex-officio'
is Latin for 'out of his office' or 'because of his position".
The Editor asked Bill to explain his role:
The Constitution Committee is a committee of the Provincial Executive,
unlike a Standing Committee, which belongs to Senate. The committee
reviews the constitutions and by-laws of every District in the Province,
at least once every five years. They go through carefully, looking for
errors or omissions, ensure congruence with the Provincial Constitution
and look for improvements which may be recommended to all Districts.
They review all resolutions from Districts, Committees and the Executive
to be presented at Senate. There, they act as a Resolutions committee,
assisting Senators with amendments or new resolutions. Two members of
the committee are the official Speakers, running the business of Senate
while the other three members each take a turn in the Speaker's podium
during a session. The chair of the committee is the Past-President of
RTO and another member of the Executive, a Member-at-Large, serves as
well, as liaison. They meet three times a year and at the two Senates.
On the Monday afternoon before Fall Senate they also offer a one hour
orientation session for new or returning Senators and Observers.
This is my fourth year coming up on the committee
and I hope to be re-appointed to serve for many more years. I enjoy
reviewing Constitutions and I like the role of Speaker. It is my
pleasure to serve our members both provincially and here in District 24.

Executive Meetings:
All District 24 members are welcome to attend our
Executive Meetings. These are the dates through June 2012:
November 10, 2011
January 12, 2012
April 12, 2012
May 17, 2012
May 24, 1012 (AGM)
June 14, 2012
Refreshments are from 9 to 9:30, with our
meetings beginning at 9:30AM and ending around noon.
We meet at the Kingsway Arms Retirement
Residence, southwest corner of Eglinton and McCowan. Go south on McCowan
and turn right on Landmark - go straight through to Kingsway. Parking is
available, in designated areas, at the back of the building.
Note: Signing IN and OUT is a
requirement of Kingsway Arms!
Calendar
of Events - Download printable
PDF
District Financial Statement
Please direct any questions or concerns to our
interim treasurer. Contact information for Bonnie can be found on page
2.
Download Financial Statement Here
~ Bonnie Clarke, Interim Treasurer

Fall Luncheon, Thursday, October 27, 2011
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| Photos by Hal
McCullough / more through our Photos Page Link |
RTO/ERO
The Retired teachers of Ontario/les enseignantes et enseignants
retraités de l'Ontario — commonly referred to as RTO/ERO — is a
provincial organization of retired teachers, administrators and others
receiving pensions and allowances under the Ontario Teachers' Pension
Plan Board.
RTO/ERO is the best organizational friend a
retired teacher can have. Formed in 1968, RTO/ERO is dedicated to the
needs of Ontario's retired educators and is their official voice,
promoting and protecting their interests, particularly in the area of
pensions, health care and insurance.
RTO/ERO has maintained this unwavering commitment
for over 40 years.
www.rto-ero.org

Fall Senate — May 2011
Your Provincial
Executive
for 2011-2012:
Past–President:,Joan Murphy
President:,Jim Sparrow
First Vice:,Leo Normandeau
Second Vice:,Norbert Boudreau
Provincial Executive:,June Szeman and Margaret Clarke
l-r: Leo, Jim, Joan, Norbert, Margaret, June
Ken
Bennett, President of Johnson Inc announced that the company
was making a contribution of $300,000 to our Charitable Foundation. In
addition, another $13,000 was donated by Johnson – they had promised to
donate $20 for every insurance quote made between June and September of
this year.
Harmony
Printing, the company who prints our newsletter, was given a big round
of applause when it was announced that they had provided the design and
the printing of the pamphlet You're Invited — free of charge!!
Liz Gjerek and Don Gain, Harmony Printing
Representing
D24 (l-r): Senators: George Denny & Donna Hubel:
Observers: Bonnie Clarke & Hal McCullough
Our
own Bill Sparks had the opportunity to act as the
Speaker for a portion of Senate!
More Senate
Photos Here

The RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation
Vision and Inspiration
The RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation intends to leave a lasting legacy by
creating opportunities for research and for initiatives that seek to
improve the quality of life of seniors across Canada.
The RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation was inspired by
The Retired Teachers of Ontario and was established by active and
retired teachers who fought to ensure their present and future peers
benefited from pension reforms. Now they continue this legacy to serve
others by expanding their reach to support the lives of all senior
citizens.
Mission
The RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation aims to raise funds to increase the
numbers of professional and support staff qualified and trained in
geriatric care as well as to support research and programs that improve
the quality of life of seniors in Ontario and Canada.
The RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation, a separate
corporation from RTO/ERO, will raise these funds through:
* individual voluntary contributions
* fundraising activities by individuals, RTO/ERO Districts and community
groups
* corporate and institutional contributions
* planned giving
* bequests
All contributions to The RTO/ERO Charitable
Foundation are eligible for a tax receipt.
Our First Goal… A Chair in Geriatric Medicine at
the University of Toronto
In 2009, the Canadian government officially
recognized that there is a shortage of geriatric specialists across the
nation while acknowledging the important contributions seniors make to
Canadian society.
Beginning in 2011 and throughout the course of
the next three years, The RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation will raise $3
million to establish, maintain and support The RTO/ERO Endowed Chair in
Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto. The University of
Toronto Department of Medicine houses the largest geriatric medicine
specialty training program in Canada. Furthermore, the RTO/ERO Chair
will have a national and international impact by generating money to
support innovative models of geriatric care and education.
See page 3 of the winter edition of Renaissance
for greater detail concerning the RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation.
Further Information can be found at the following
sources.
* www.rto-ero.org
* foundation@rto-ero.org
* 1.800.361.9888
Recently, The Charitable Foundation established a
board that includes Ray Ball, Joan Murphy, Jim Sparrow, and
Margaret Couture, with Valerie Mah serving as
Chair. An Honourary Advisory Group includes the Honourable
William Davis, Stephen Lewis, Lyn McLeod, David Cooke, Lise Routhier-Boudreau,
Dr. Bette Stephenson and Dr. Roberta Bondar.
Gord
Cressy, Director of Advancement and Fundraising
Contact Gordon at
gcressy@rto-ero.org OR
416.962.9463 or 1.800.361.9888, ext. 245
By supporting this Charitable Foundation with our
donations, all our lives, and the lives of other Canadians, will help
improve the quality of life to which we all aspire.
~ this information was compiled from RTO/ERO
materials and the Board of Directors of the RTO/ERO Charitable
Foundation during October, 2011 by Donna Hubel,
President, District 24

14th Annual Breakfast for Kids Golf Tournament
"A Winning Combination"
Co-operation from the weatherman, eighty-six good
natured golfers and a group of hard working, generous volunteers all
helped make the 2011 RTO – District 24 Breakfast for Kids Golf
Tournament a very successful event.
The "golf hole" sponsorship initiative was
supported by twenty-two generous individuals, businesses and financial
institutions. Four District 24 members donated a total of $420 to add to
our generous total of funds. Additional support came when five guests
joined our whole group for lunch.
All teams enjoyed the morning on the course,
supporting The Breakfast for Kids programs. Golfers and volunteers
returned to the Mill Run Golf Club hungry and eager to have lunch. Our
District would like to thank the Mill Run Golf Club kitchen and serving
staff for another satisfying meal.
Every golfer received a District 24 "40th
Anniversary" golf ball and had an opportunity to choose something from
the prize table. There were also individual and team awards given out.
Congratulations to the following "skilled" players:
Most Accurate Drive Ladies: Yvonne Anderson
Most Accurate Drive Men: Peter Brown
Closest to the Pin Ladies: Dianne Leahy
Closest to the Pin Men: Dave Racine
Most Accurate Putter Ladies: Nancy Speer
Most Accurate Putter Men: Bill Hindle
Low Score Ladies Team: Nancy Speer, Cathy Wolch,
Linda Sherlock, Sandy Miike
Low Score Men's Team: Bob Annis, Bill Kemp, Ken Andrews, Dave Corless
Low "Mixed" Team: Faye Griffiths, Dave Racine, Yvonne Anderson, Bryan
Rosa
Most Honest Team: Dianne Leahy, Mary-Ellen Doxtater, Jeanne Jenkinson
Special mention and a huge THANK YOU to the
following volunteers for contributing in so many different ways to help
make the tournament a success: Jerry Chadwick; Elaine Cook; David, Gary
and Brenda Fick; Yolanda and Bill Hindle; Donna Hubel; Bill Sparks and
Doris Maier.
After all deposits were made and bills paid, the
end result was a BIG WIN for The Breakfast for Kids programs to the tune
of $6,600. Congratulations to everyone who contributed — the Kids in
these Nutrition Programs are the BIG WINNERS!
District 24 Executive members Bonnie Clarke,
Marilyn Hodge, Hal McCullough and Lothar Maier represented our District
at the various presentations on October 20th. Fiona Bowser, Student
Nutrition Community Development Senior Manager-Food Share, chose the
sites and also accompanied the group.
We are proud to share the names of the 2011 sites
benefitting from our involvement and the support of so many of our RTO
members and their friends.
TDSB East York - Thorncliffe Park Jr. P.S. -
$3000.00
- a "three food group" morning meal program that serves 1800 students
daily TDSB - Scarborough - Heron Park PS - $1500.00
- a "two food group" morning snack program that serves over 300 students
daily TCDSB - St Boniface CS - $1500.00
-a "three food group" morning meal program that serves 350 students
every morning
-a "two food group" afternoon snack program serving 350 students every
afternoon Sunshine Community Birchmount Club (Birchmount and Finch) -
$600.00
-a community program that serves breakfast and dinner daily to 45
students from JK-12
"B4k" Cheque Presentations
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Sunshine Community Birchmount Club *
Heron Park P.S.
*

Thorncliffe Park Jr. P.S. *
St. Boniface C.S.
Leaders at each site were thankful for the cheque
presentation. They were eager to explain all the benefits derived from
their particular program. Our visit once again opened our eyes to the
continued nutritional needs of children in Scarborough and East York
schools.
On behalf of all the children and young adults
who will benefit from our support, I want to send out a huge THANK YOU.
You continue to make a difference in the lives of children. I encourage
and invite you to support the 15th Annual RTO – District 24 "Breakfast
for Kids" Golf Tournament in 2012. Please look for details early in the
New Year.
Best wishes, Lothar Maier, Golf
Convener
Ladies and gentlemen, We may have a winner!
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From Your Editor
Welcome
back to our All COLOUR newsletter! I hope you enjoy our colour format as
much as I do putting it together.
This issue will also be going to the schools in the legacy boards of
Scarborough and East York. The decision to print in full colour and to
send the Fall issue to the schools was made last spring. We felt it was
better to spend the money on putting a copy in the schools rather than
spend it sending a letter to the Union Stewards to let them know the
Spring copy was coming. We get twice the coverage in the schools for
about the same money spent! Drawing attention to our organization can
only help to increase our membership — and that's good for all of us!!
On September 23, a small group of the Executive met at Donna Hubel's
home to "stuff" the envelopes for our last "letter to the Union
Stewards".
I
would like to thank (l-r) Gloria Courtney, Reg Walker, Les
Coombs, Bonnie Clarke and Donna Hubel (who also hosted our
little gathering) for helping at our "Stuphing Party" on Friday,
September 23.
We
continue to remind you that if you move, please let Dianne
Vezeau (left) at Spadina know! You will find Dianne's contact
information on page 8 in this newsletter.
When a newsletter is returned to us because the member has moved, the
Post Office charges us a $1.10 fee to return it, plus 60 cents postage.
That's a $1.70 just to get each undelivered newsletter back! Since it
would cost us another $2.20 to re-send that newsletter, we do not
re-send any newsletters that are returned to us — it's just too
expensive!
Please… when you send an e-mail to a member of the Executive, preface it
with RTO and use the Subject line that is indicated. It helps us
separate your message from the piles of junk e-mail that's out there!!
Check us out! There is no way we can include all the photos in our
newsletter — look on our website for more!!
~ photos by Hal McCullough
If you move, please let Dianne Vezeau
at Spadina know! You will find Dianne's contact
information below.
Does this apply to you? Moving? Address
information incorrect?
Then you need to contact dianne vezeau at
RTO/ERO:
In Writing: 18 Spadina Road, Toronto, on M5R 2S7
By Phone: 416.962.9463 OR 1.800.361.9888 (Ext 223)
By E-mail: dvezeau@rto-ero.org
Please… Do Not Contact Your
Communications or Membership Chair

We're Going Green…
I'm sure you know by now that we are offering you the opportunity to
read your copy of the newsletter on-line and not get a paper copy
delivered to your home.
Save a tree! Save the District money on printing
and mailing costs! Money that can be put to other uses in our District!
It's simple! I ask that you send the following
pieces of information:
your name
your full address, including postal code
your phone number
your e-mail address
to me at: hal@powergate.ca
along with a line to say you would like to read the newsletter on-line.
I will send you a return e-mail to indicate that your name has been put
on our NO Newsletter list.
Please use the Subject: RTO – No Newsletter.
We seem to be asking for a lot of information,
but we want to be sure that we are deleting the correct name from our
Membership List. (No need to panic folks – we are only removing you from
the District copy of the Membership List — you're still safe at 18
Spadina Road!!)
If both you and your partner worked for
Scarborough and/or East York you have a decision to make. You can
continue to get 2 paper copies. Or you can opt to have one paper copy
and one on-line copy, or you can opt for both of you to read it on-line.
If it applies to you, let me know which you prefer.
If, after trying the on-line version you decide
reading it this way is "not your thing", let me know and we'll put you
back on the mailing list!
When the newsletter has gone to the Post Office I
will send you an e-mail to let you know that it has been posted to our
website and how you can access it.
Remember: the choice is yours! If you do nothing,
you will continue to receive your paper copy of the newsletter!
As of the end of October, 115 members had opted
to read this newsletter on-line. This will save the District over
$250.00 on this mailing alone. May we add your name?

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RTO 24 E-NEWS
Do we have your name in our E-mail Database?
We only publish three newsletters a year
that's a long time between issues to wait for more current
information!
Give us your e-mail address and we will
send you our E-Mail Update, RTO 24 E-NEWS, in the months when
there is no newsletter. It has evolved now to the point where
it's like getting a full-colour mini-newsletter every month!
Please Note:
Providing your e-mail address is voluntary! We could, but do
not, take it from the RTO membership list.
Your e-mail information is held in confidence for District 24
use only and IS NOT SHARED with anyone or any organization.
E-mails are sent to you Bcc (Blind carbon
copies). No one gets to see anyone else's e-mail address.
Our e-mails are ALWAYS prefaced with RTO.
To keep you fully informed, we do, occasionally, send out an
E-NEWS EXTRA.
Our E-Mails are SENT ONLY AS A .PDF ATTACHMENT. There are no
hard copies that can be mailed to you.
If your e-mail address changes, please
remember to provide us with your new e-mail address! We can no
longer send to TEL addresses.
If you wish to participate, and we
encourage you to do so, please send your e-mail address and a
note to our Communications Chair at:
hal@powergate.ca
Use subject: RTO — E-Mail Address
/Messages without this subject will not be opened!
We currently have 606 members (almost
25%) participating in our monthly updates. I look forward to
adding your name to our E-NEWS list. Join us!
Our next E-NEWS will be coming out on
January 3, 2012.
~ Hal McCullough,
Communications Chair
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Goodwill Report
Each year, every 90th, 100th and older birthday
celebrant is honoured with a special card and a donation to Breakfast
for Kids given in his or her name. This year's recipient of the birthday
funds was the Breakfast Club at St. Patrick Secondary School in the
TCDSB. Needless to say, the recipients were extremely happy to receive
the RTO – District 24 donation of $720.00 and expressed their sincere
appreciation.
<--
St. Patrick's C.S.S.
When I am notified, Get Well, Thinking of You or
Sympathy cards are sent to members or their families.
Please inform me if you know of anyone who should
receive a card. Contact:
Marilyn Hodge — Goodwill (Cards)
416.284.9984 OR E-mail:
mjhodge@sympatico.ca
E-Mail Subject Line: RTO - Goodwill
Birthdays! Birthdays!!
The following members have celebrated a special
birthday between July and December of 2011.
100th Birthday Celebrants: Enid
Coulter,Laura Greer,Mildred Wideman
90th Birthday Celebrants:
William Bartollotta, Dorothy Beausoleil, Grace Griffin, June Hall,
Joseph S. Outschoorn, Audrey Sewell, Margaret Shapiro
~ Marilyn Hodge, Goodwill Cards Chair
In this Issue Our Spotlight Is On:
Carol Nelson, 2nd Vice-President, D24
Carol
was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba and grew up in a military family. Her
brother was born in Grand Forks, BC and her sister was born in Ottawa.
She has lived in St. Hubert's, Québec, Ottawa, Downsview (Toronto),
Namao (Edmonton) and Trenton — and has been through 12 public schools
and one high school. Trenton is called home because that is the place
where she lived the longest.
Carol attended Peterborough Teachers' College in
1964-65 and then spent two years in Shannonville, in a 3-room school.
Looking back, she says that this was the best teaching experience that
she had. She moved to Toronto in 1967 and taught one year in Etobicoke
and two years in Scarborough at Buchanan P.S. After staying home for 4 ½
years with her two boys, she worked for the London-Middlesex District
Health Unit in the Dental Division for three years in supervisory
positions. Returning to Toronto again in 1978, she started working with
students with developmental disabilities under the former Metro Toronto
School Board at Lawson School. Twenty-seven years later (and two
divestments — to Scarborough and TDSB) and after working in Lawson,
Beverly Glen, Hudson Sr. P.S., G.B. Little, Lucy Maud Montgomery,
Birchmount Park, C.I., David & Mary Thomson C.I., West Hill C.I., and
Maryvale, Carol retired in June 2005.
Many activities kept her busy through the years —
taking thirteen years to complete degrees at York and OISE, raising two
boys and working on many board committees. She was involved with the
Council for Exceptional Children at the local and provincial levels and
served as president of the Scarborough 568 and the Ontario Subdivision
for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities.
Now that she is retired, her life is busy with
volunteering (in a Grade 1/2 classroom and a monthly dance at Lawson
School), working with the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario (as past
president and putting together the newsletter), and, of course, with
RTO. In between, she does travel and also spends time in Vancouver and
Ottawa where her sons live. In between all of these activities, Carol
quilts, knits, crochets, plays cards and attends theatre productions.
As the 2nd VP of RTO, District 24 and chair of
Project: Service to Others, she looks forward to honouring members and
providing support for a community group.

Health and Insurance Report
Although this is our fall edition, I'm guessing
that as you are reading this we are already experiencing some icy winter
temperatures.
It was hot in June when I attended the annual RTO
conference for District Health Reps. This year we were privileged to
hear presentations from two guest speakers, the first being Dr. Ian
Blumer from the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre at U of T, who recently
earned the Canadian Diabetes Association's Award of Distinction for his
work in this field. Since District 24 provided you with a Health Seminar
last October on this very topic followed by a newsletter review, here
are just a couple of reminders about this disease. Since Diabetes can
result in stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and is the leading cause
of blindness and amputations, prevention should be your first course of
action. Eat a healthy diet, exercise, control your weight, don't smoke,
control your blood pressure (130/80 or less) and blood glucose levels,
take cholesterol lowering medications if necessary. Your Body Mass Index
is the rule of thumb for determining a healthy weight, which is easily
determined in non-metric units by Googling BMI Calculator. (Read more
from the doctor at
www.ourdiabetes.com. )
Our second guest speaker was Jennifer Weldon from
Osteoporosis Canada, who presented the following information.
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and
deterioration of bone tissue. This leads to increased bone fragility and
risk of fracture. Osteoporosis is often known as "the silent thief"
because bone loss occurs without symptoms. Osteoporosis is sometimes
confused with osteoarthritis, because the names are similar.
Osteoporosis is a bone disease; osteoarthritis is a disease of the
joints and surrounding tissue. Jennifer spoke of the concerns the
society has these days due to the aging population, and an increase in
fractures, particularly in the wrist, hip and spine. Over two million
Canadians have Osteoporosis; one in four women and one in five men over
50. The major factors in bone health are genetics, hormones and
nutrition (including Calcium intake as well as Vitamin D3 —individuals
should consult their physician for personal amounts). The society has
developed new clinical guidelines for initial Bone Mineral Density
scans; adults over 50 to identify high risk individuals, and anyone over
50 with fragility fractures (ones that occur spontaneously or following
a minor trauma such as a simple trip or a fall from a standing height).
Who should get regular scans? Everyone over 65, post-menopausal women
age 50-64, and anyone with a disease or condition associated with
Osteoporosis. Risk factors for bone density issues are smoking, more
than one alcoholic drink daily, a fragility fracture and a parent with a
hip fracture. (While writing this in late October, I was informed in my
conversation with the Osteoporosis Society's National Education Manager
that their statistics are changing and their 'White Paper' on their
website provides the most recent data. Look for a feature article about
Osteoporosis in our spring newsletter.)
If you are a subscriber to our E-NEWS you will
have noted that November was Osteoporosis Month. I included an article
about Osteoporosis and information about their '60 Second Osteoporosis
Quiz'. Try it for yourself at
www.osteoporosis.ca. Click on the heading 'Osteoporosis and You' and
using that pull down menu select 'Checklist for Risk Factors'. Of course
there is a wealth of information about this disease available on the
website or at 1.800.463.6842. (Maybe you'll decide it's time to send
your request to Hal to be added to his monthly E-NEWS list to receive
the latest news and information from your district. See page 8.)
Are you aware of the Star newspaper sponsored
website healthzone.ca? It includes information on preventative health,
diet and fitness, aging, the latest medical developments and
discoveries, and in-depth listings for health resources in the GTA. When
you click on topics of interest to you, this site links you to their
previously published newspaper articles. The articles are copyrighted,
of course, so if you check out this website you'll have access to plenty
of facts that I couldn't begin to provide for you here.
Once again, our annual Health Seminar was held in
October. It was presented this year by the Arthritis Society to a
capacity crowd. I thank Joan Varley who spent early morning time helping
me set up the display and food tables as well as cleaning up afterwards,
and for thanking our guest speaker. Be sure to read all about it in
Gloria Smith's report on the next page.
Do you know a teacher or any other person
involved in education who is retiring or is turning 65 and will need to
leave a school board's or other group health plan? If so, please remind
them about RTO's transfer requirement: they must complete their
application to move from one group plan to our group plan within 60
days. (Applying early is better - coverage will begin the day after
their old policy ends.) Should they miss this deadline they may still
join our Dental plan, but they are limited to a maximum of $100 coverage
the first year. To join our Extended Health plan they must complete a
medical questionnaire. Johnson Inc. informs us that they experience
approximately a 50% decline rate for such applications.
News from Johnson Inc.: It has been confirmed
that the renewal rate for the Supplementary Travel Plan has been
increased by 10% effective, September 1, 2011. Members currently in the
plan have already been contacted and it is important to remember that if
you do not wish to continue this coverage then you need to let Johnson
Inc. (our plan administrator) know of this decision. Also from Johnson:
Those of you who are health plan members need to be congratulated on the
fact that many of you are accessing generic drugs when filling a
prescription. This has increased over 2010, and is a savings to you, the
member (in effect stretching your claims maximum), as well as to our
plan. Johnson Inc. is aware that not all members are able to use generic
drugs and therefore the plan has, and will continue to pay for either
brand or generic.
At the annual District Health Rep conference, one
of our sessions concerns questions which continue to arise concerning
RTO's Extended Health Care Plan, so I will be bringing many of them to
your attention in this and future issues of Beyond the Blackboard and
E-NEWS.
Q: In Ontario, a visit to the chiropodist every
2-3 months for toe nail work for diabetics, ingrown toe nail prevention,
or other reasons is the norm at a cost of about $28- $30. A long stay
RTO snowbird may need to visit a podiatrist at an initial visit cost of
about $143 for the same service, and the follow-up, if required, is
about $114. What coverage is available to our member?
A: The Out-of-Province/Canada travel benefit is
designed for medical emergencies. Therefore, while travelling outside
your province of residence, chiropodists' services remain covered under
the Paramedical Practitioners benefit of the Extended Health Care Plan.
It is important to ensure that the practitioner is licensed in the
province or state where the services are being performed.
Wherever you are spending your winter months, be
sure to read the article on travel vaccines in this issue, be safe and
active. I'll have more for you in our Spring newsletter.
~ Marilyn Tregwin DHR

Health Seminar Report

The Annual Health Seminar on Understanding Arthritis was a
great success with full attendance. Several publications on
arthritis were available. Following a delicious continental
breakfast, Marilyn Tregwin warmly welcomed everyone and
introduced Donald Lofthouse, a volunteer with the Arthritis
Society.
There are over 100 types of Arthritis. Mr. Lofthouse touched
on those that we see most often, the diagnosis, self-management
of the condition, and treatment. Arthritis, which is an
inflammation of the joints, affects 1.8 million people over the
age of 15 years in Ontario. Two thirds are women.
Osteoarthritis is degenerative and tends to affect the
shoulders, back, knees and hip. Risk factors are age, family
history, excess weight or joint injury. Pain and swelling is
experienced. A cold pack may help. An x-ray is needed to assess
the progression of this arthritis.
Inflammatory Arthritis includes rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic
arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. These are autoimmune
diseases. Many joints may be affected with pain and swelling.
Triggers may include a viral infection or environmental factors.
Risk factors include age, family history and smoking. Blood
tests and x-rays will help your doctor with a diagnosis.
If you are experiencing pain or swelling in the joints talk to
your doctor early for a diagnosis. Physical changes may lead to
emotional changes and challenges. Take a friend or family member
with you.
In order to manage your arthritis you may need to balance
activity with rest. Proper nutrition is important. Assistive
devices may be helpful. Other health care professionals may need
to be involved. Medication may need to be prescribed.
An excellent website for information is:
www.arthritis.ca or you
could also contact:
The Arthritis Society
393 University Ave. #1700
Toronto ON M5G 1E6
416.979.7228 or 1.800.321.1433
e-mail: info@on.arthritis.ca
Joan Varley thanked Mr. Lofthouse for his informative talk on a
condition that we or our family members may experience. A
special thank you goes to Marilyn for organizing this seminar.
From my personal experience, I have found these resources
helpful:
Arthritis Self-Management Programme: 416.979.7228 ext. 3395 —
speak to Mary.
This is held over six weeks in two-hour sessions. The cost is
$35.00 or $50.00 a couple for the book and the course. There
will be a course beginning in January at the Arthritis Society's
office at 393 University Ave. There will be another course in
April held at Providence Villa, 3276 St. Clair Ave. at Warden
Avenue.
The Arthritis Society will also put you in touch with a
Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker. OHIP
covers this. Call: 416.979.7228 ext. 3381.
Pool therapy in an arthritic pool is in many Long Term Care
Centres for a very reasonable cost. Some hospitals also have an
arthritic pool programme. A doctor's permission is required. In
addition, www.myjointreplacement.ca is an excellent website.
Gloria Smith
Vaccines for Travel
When travelling, you may be at risk for a number of illnesses
that can be prevented by vaccination. As you age, your
vaccine-acquired protection against many illnesses may decrease.
Your risk of getting certain diseases may also increase.
You should see a doctor, nurse or health
care provider for a health assessment before you travel abroad.
This provides an opportunity to:
* review your vaccination history
* make sure you are up-to-date according to the provincial
vaccination program
* assess your needs based on where you plan to travel and what
you plan to do.
Additional shots may be recommended depending on your age,
anticipated travel activities and local conditions. Remember
that preventing infection through vaccination is a lifelong
process.
List of Vaccines Recommended for
Travel
The following diseases can be prevented by vaccination. Your
health care provider may recommend that you get vaccinated
against one or more of these diseases prior to travel: chicken
pox, cholera, diphtheria, European tick-borne encephalitis,
measles (rubella), Haemophilus influenza type b disease (Hib),
Hepatitis A and B, HPV (human papillomavirus), influenza,
Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis (meningococcal
disease), mumps, pneumonia (pneumococcal disease), polio,
rabies, tetanus, typhoid, whooping cough (pertussis), yellow
fever.
Required Vaccinations
Some countries require that you have received a Yellow fever
vaccination within the past 10 years and have an International
Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis before you can enter
the country. Many countries require this proof of yellow fever
vaccination if you've passed through an area where yellow fever
may occur. Without such proof, you may be refused entry,
quarantined or vaccinated. For example, Saudi Arabia requires
proof of meningococcal vaccination for all pilgrims and proof of
polio vaccination for all children going to Mecca during the
Hajj.
Vaccination Records
Keep your family's records in a safe and accessible place and
carry copies when you travel. If your destination requires proof
of yellow fever vaccination, you must carry the original
International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Keep a
copy of this certificate at home.
See the Canadian Immunization Guide,
Seventh Edition, 2006 for Recommended Immunization Schedules and
more information about Immunization of Travellers, or visit the
Public Health Agency of Canada website at:
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/reason_raison4-eng.php
Source: Public Health
Agency of Canada

Pension & Retirement Concerns
In Case You Have Not Heard…Our Pension
Increase for 2012 Is: 2.8%

A Little Bit of Humour
:) She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved
her still.
:) No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
:) I have been to a lot of places, but I've never been in
Cahoots. Apparently you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with
someone. I've also never been in Cognito, either. I hear no one
recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an
airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips, thanks
to my friends and family. I would like to go to Conclusions, but you
have to jump and I'm not much on physical activity anymore.
:) A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking
into it.
:) A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The
stewardess looks at him and says,
"I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
:) A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for
littering.
:) Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says
'Dam!'
:) A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab centre said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
:) If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read
the newspaper you are misinformed. ~ Mark Twain
:) Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.
But then I repeat myself. ~ Mark Twain
:) No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is
in session. ~ Mark Twain
:) If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
:) If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is it naked or homeless?
:) Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
:) How is it possible to have a civil war?
:) Those of you who think you know everything are annoying to those of
us who do.
:) I think MPs should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we could
identify their corporate sponsors.
:) I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
~ Will Rogers
Take the Sudoku Challenge
Every row must contain the numbers from 1 thru' 9.
Every column must contain the numbers from 1 thru' 9.
Every 3x3 square must contain the numbers from 1 thru' 9.
Download Puzzles and Answers Here

Travelogue and Luncheon
On April 28, 2011, Anne-Marie Ellie-Taylor held her annual luncheon at
Sisters Restaurant. This year's topic, China, was delivered by guest
speaker Irene Manahan.
Bridge Club
The members of the Bridge Group that meetat
Ellesmere Community Centre, 20 Canadian Road, on Tuesdays, from
12:30-3:15pm have enjoyed our fall sessions. We were glad to catch up on
the summer news with our bridge buddies and are still playing cards,
learning something every week, even if it is to blame our lack of
success on "the cards". Here are our top scorers so far: (Sorry, we are
so friendly in this group, we haven't gotten to last names for some of
our newer members!):
| Sept. 27: |
1st Carlton De Ryck |
2nd Dale Smith |
3rd Wayne Carlson |
| Oct. 4: |
1st Bob Weir |
2nd Marg Long |
3rd Mary Ellen Way |
| Oct. 11: |
1st Marianne |
2nd Elizabeth Scarlett |
3rd Marg Long |
| Oct. 18: |
1st Abdul |
2nd Mary |
3rd Jane Humphries |
| Oct. 25: |
1st Dale Smith |
2nd Ron Smith |
3rd Dorothy |
| Nov. 1: |
1st Carlton De Ryck |
2nd Wayne Carlson |
|
By the time you receive this edition of Beyond
the Blackboard, we will have had our Christmas pot luck luncheon... yum,
yum, yum. It gets better every time. Punch, hot stuff, cold stuff, home
made sweets, it goes on and on. And we still play cards after!! We miss
Dave Tumber this year, and it was great to see him one
day when he dropped in. Hope you are playing bridge in Peterborough,
Dave maybe you're starting another group?
If you have a working knowledge of the game and wish to join us... come
on out!! You can come when you can, and there's no need to bring a
partner. We will resume the 1st Tuesday in January - when school's back
in. If you wished you could play, contact one of the people below, and
we can refer you to some friendly lessons: Dale & Terry Smith
/ 416.438.0430 OR Brian Dorward: 416.347.7564

Program Schedule for 2012
Download PDF Here
|
Activities
On the activity coupon, where requested:
Please… print your name and that of your
spouse/guest (if applicable).
Sign the coupon to indicate that you have read, and understood,
the waiver printed above. Each name that appears on the coupon
with yours MUST also sign the coupon to indicate that they have
read and understood this waiver.
Your coupon and registration for the activity is not complete
without the necessary signature(s).
|
SANDERSON CENTRE
MEN OF THE DEEPS
DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012
DEPART: 8:30 AM
TRAVEL: DEPART KENNEDY COMMONS. SEE TRIP TIPS, p13
RETURN: 6:00 PM
COST: $95.00; NON-MEMBERS: $105.00
PROGRAM: ARRIVING AT THE SANDERSON CENTRE IN BRANTFORD, YOU'LL
BE THRILLED BY THE VOICES OF "THE MEN OF THE DEEPS". THE MEN OF
THE DEEPS, THE CELEBRATED CAPE BRETON COAL MINERS' CHOIR, HAS
BEEN ENCHANTING AUDIENCES ALL OVER THE WORLD SINCE 1967 WITH
THEIR UNIQUE REPERTOIRE OF MINING SONGS COMBINED WITH ODES TO
THEIR BELOVED NOVA SCOTIA. FREQUENT GUESTS OF SINGER-SONGWRITER
RITA MACNEIL, THIS AMAZING GROUP IS MAKING ITS FIRST SOLO TOUR
OF ONTARIO IN SIX YEARS.
LUNCH: OLD SCHOOLHOUSE RESTAURANT. CHOICE OF ENTRÉE: PORK
TENDERLOIN OR CHOPPED SIRLOIN STEAK.
WAIVER: YES
FACILITATOR: JUDY-ANNE TUMBER
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012
Download Registration
Form Here |
LUNCHEON & TRAVELOGUE
TOPIC: TO BE ANNOUNCED
DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012
TIME: 12:00 NOON
LOCATION: SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
COST: $20.00
PROGRAM: TO BE ANNOUNCED IN OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER. ALSO CHECK OUR
"MONTHLY" E-NEWS.
LUNCH: LUNCH IS INCLUDED.
WAIVER: NO
FACILITATOR: ANNE-MARIE ELLIS-TAYLOR
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012
Download Registration
Form Here |
STRATFORD FESTIVAL 42ND STREET
DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012
DEPART: 9:30 AM
TRAVEL: DEPART KENNEDY COMMONS. SEE TRIP TIPS,
RETURN: 7:30 PM
COST: $135.00 ; NON-MEMBERS: $145.00
PROGRAM: 42ND STREET, PLAYING AT THE FESTIVAL THEATRE, FOLLOWS
THE JOURNEY OF PEGGY SAWYER, A CHORUS GIRL WHO BECOMES A STAR
WHEN SHE TAKES OVER A LEADING BROADWAY ROLE ON OPENING NIGHT.
REGARDED BY MANY AS THE QUINTESSENTIAL BACKSTAGE MUSICAL, IT
WILL BE DIRECTED BY GARY GRIFFIN, WHOSE STRATFORD PRODUCTIONS OF
WEST SIDE STORY, EVITA, AND CAMELOT HAVE WON WIDESPREAD POPULAR
AND CRITICAL ACCLAIM.
LUNCH: WATERLOT RESTAURANT. CHOICE OF ENTRÉE: SOLE AND SHRIMP OR
ROAST CHICKEN BREAST
WAIVER: YES
FACILITATOR: MARILYN TREGWIN
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012
Download Registration
Form Here |
PRINCESS OF WALES THEATRE
WAR HORSE
DATE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012
DEPART: 10:30 AM
TRAVEL: DEPART KENNEDY COMMONS. SEE TRIP TIPS, p13
RETURN: 5:30 PM
COST: $131.00 ; NON-MEMBERS: $141.00
PROGRAM: AS WORLD WAR I BEGINS, JOEY, YOUNG ALBERT'S BELOVED
HORSE, IS SOLD TO THE CAVALRY AND SHIPPED TO FRANCE. HE'S SOON
CAUGHT UP IN ENEMY FIRE, AND FATE TAKES HIM ON AN EXTRAORDINARY
JOURNEY, SERVING ON BOTH SIDES BEFORE FINDING HIMSELF ALONE IN
NO MAN'S LAND. BUT ALBERT CANNOT FORGET JOEY AND, THOUGH NOT OLD
ENOUGH TO ENLIST, HE EMBARKS ON A TREACHEROUS MISSION TO FIND
HIS HORSE AND BRING HIM HOME.
LUNCH: HOT HOUSE CAFÉ. MAKE YOUR ENTRÉE CHOICE AT
THE HOT HOUSE CAFÉ.
WAIVER: YES
FACILITATOR: JUDY-ANNE TUMBER
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012
Download Registration
Form Here |
AGM AND SPRING LUNCHEON
DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012
TIME: 10:00 — COFFEE AVAILABLE
10:30 — BUSINESS MEETING DOWNSTAIRS
11:45 — BAR OPENS
12:15 — LUNCHEON UPSTAIRS
THERE IS AN ELEVATOR AVAILABLE FOR YOUR USE.
COST: $20.00
PROGRAM: COME OUT FOR A GREAT SOCIAL AFTERNOON! SEE
OLD FRIENDS… MAKE NEW FRIENDS! VOTE FOR YOUR 2012-2013
EXECUTIVE!
ENTERTAINMENT: HAMILTON ALL-STAR JAZZ VOCALISTS
LOCATION: Q-SSIS BANQUET HALL
MARKHAM & KINGSTON ROADS (NW CORNER)
PLENTY OF PARKING BEHIND THE BANQUET HALL.
WAIVER: NO
CHEQUES: MEMBERS: YOUR CHEQUE WILL BE RETURNED TO
YOU WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR THE AGM. IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO
ATTEND THE AGM AND COME FOR THE LUNCHEON ONLY, YOUR
CHEQUE FOR $20.00 WILL BE CASHED.
FACILITATOR: JUDY-ANNE TUMBER
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012
Download Registration
Form Here |
ST. JACOBS
SOUND OF MUSIC
DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012
DEPART: 8:30 AM
TRAVEL: DEPART KENNEDY COMMONS. SEE TRIP TIPS, p13
RETURN: 6:30 PM
COST: $110.00 NON-MEMBERS: $120.00
PROGRAM: YOU'LL HAVE AN HOUR TO BROWSE THE ST. JACOBS MARKET.
THEN JOIN US FOR A TIMELESS CLASSIC, AS OUR STAGE BECOMES ALIVE
WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC! IN THIS EPIC LOVE STORY, AN ASPIRING
NUN NAMED MARIA LEAVES THE CONVENT TO GOVERN THE SEVEN
MISCHIEVOUS CHILDREN OF CAPTAIN VON TRAPP. THE MEMORABLE SCORE
BY RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN FEATURES SUCH BELOVED SONGS AS "MY
FAVOURITE THINGS", "DO RE MI", "EDELWEISS", "CLIMB EVERY
MOUNTAIN", AND OF COURSE, THE GLORIOUS TITLE SONG.
LUNCH: VERSES RESTAURANT. CHOICE OF ENTRÉE: BEEF BOURGUIGNON OR
CORNISH HEN
WAIVER: YES
FACILITATOR: JUDY-ANNE TUMBER
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2012
Download Registration
Form Here |
|
Some Trip Tips:
Unless indicated otherwise, all of our bus trips now depart
from Kennedy Commons. The mall is located on the east side of
Kennedy Road just south of the 401.
Please park near the AMC theatres. Look for a Pacific Western
or Mary Morton bus.
The BIG BAND BOAT TOUR has an additional pickup at the:
Milestone Christian Ministries, 610 Monarch Ave. in Ajax.
(Westney & Bayly area)
Please… plan to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of the indicated
departure time. Traffic can be unpredictable, and we need to
leave on time.
For reservations, please send the Program coupon with your
cheque made payable to: Retired Teachers of Ontario — District
24.
Be sure you have read and understood the Waiver Agreement on
page 11 AND that you (and your spouse/guest) have signed the
activity coupon.
Cheques for our events are not usually deposited until the
trip is confirmed. Don't be concerned when we hold your cheque.
Suggestion: Post-date your cheque to the deadline date of the
activity.
If both you and the facilitator have e-mail, you may choose
to have your confirmation e-mailed to you, saving you time and
the cost of an envelope and postage. Check the appropriate line
on the coupon. Then mail the coupon (signed if/where necessary)
along with your cheque.
If you or the facilitator does not have e-mail, you must
enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. You will receive
confirmation for your event: by e-mail, return envelope, or
telephone when the facilitator is ready. Unless noted otherwise,
our trips are "all inclusive": lunch, bus transportation,
tickets (where applicable), taxes and gratuities.
|
| Program
Facilitators |
Anne-Marie Ellis-Taylor
One Guildcrest Dr.
Scarborough, on M1E 1E2
Telephone: 416.261.5190
No E-mail |
Marilyn Tregwin
41 Ravencliff Cres.
Scarborough, ON M1T 1R7
416.493.3757
m.tregwin@rogers.com |
Judy-Anne Tumber
203 Sylvan Ave
Scarborough, M1E 1A4
416.264.6016
jatumber@rogers.com |
|
About Our Front of the Line Service
For 2011, we are continuing to offer our
Front of the Line service for all of our day trips.
Please contact Judy-Anne by e-mail and
list the day trips that you are planning to attend. Your place
will be reserved for you. When the coupon is available, send it,
along with your payment, to the facilitator.
Please… do not use this service for our
Fall or Christmas Luncheons.
Updates to our Program line-up appear in
our monthly E-Mail Update: RTO 24 E-News. See page 10 for
details on this service.
Phone: 416.264.6016
E-mail: jatumber@rogers.com
Use subject: RTO - Front of the Line
Messages without this subject will not be opened.
~ Judy-Anne Tumber, Program Chair
Reminder
Family and friends, even if they are not RTO members, are always
welcome to join you for any of our RTO trips and activities.
However, if someone is joining you, and a
Waiver is required, he/she must read and understand the
Provincial Waiver Agreement found on page 11 AND they must also
sign the activity coupon!
For trips coming back to the city from
Stratford or St. Jacob's, we will be using the 407.
Please consider going "Scent Free".
Many of our members who are allergic or sensitive to scented
products will appreciate being able to "breathe easily" on the
bus or in the theatre.
|
|
The Waiver
Please read the Waiver information below
very carefully. Many of our activities now require that this
waiver be signed before you can participate.
Acknowledgement, Waiver and Release
The participant in (the "Event")
acknowledges and agrees that RTO/ERO, including District 24,
will not be responsible for any loss, injury or damage of any
nature, including death, howsoever arising in connection with
this trip/excursion/event. Participants in the Event are
therefore hereby advised to carry their own insurance in
connection therewith.
By signing the activity coupon and in
consideration of the participant's attendance at the Event, the
participant hereby releases and forever discharges RTO/ERO,
District 24, and their respective directors, officers, members,
agents, employees and volunteers (collectively, the "Releasees")
from any and all actions, causes of action, claims, and demands
(collectively, the "Claims") from any loss, injury or damage of
any nature, including death which has arisen or may arise from
the participant's attendance at the Event, unless such loss,
injury or damage has arisen as a result of the sole negligence
of one or more of the Releasees.
Any claims arising out of the
participant's attendance at the event will be governed by the
laws of Ontario, Canada, and the participant consents to the
exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts in Ontario, Canada in any
such action.
Download Waiver here
~ Provincial Executive, January
201
|

Senior Senior: Mildred
Wideman
Mildred
Wideman celebrated her 100th birthday on August 17, 2011. Her sons
Larry, Mark and Ron joined their extended families at Canterbury Gardens
in Peterborough for the festivities. RTO members joined the family for
the celebration. Mildred received congratulations from Prime Minister
Stephen Harper, Queen Elizabeth, the Governor-General and her local
Member of Parliament on this wonderful occasion.
Chalk, Challenge and Change was a 2006
publication of RWTO (Retired Women Teachers of Ontario). It is no longer
in publication or available. The following is an excerpt written by
Mildred (Foote) Wideman about the early days of her teaching career. Her
children share this story with RTO/ERO members.
When I graduated from Normal School, I didn't
have any great preference where I wanted to teach. The challenge was to
secure a school and make some money on my own. My first school was a
one-room schoolhouse with no indoor facilities at all. I had a pointer,
a desk, blackboards, a yardstick and a globe that you handled carefully
or the world might roll along the floor. Soon I became more comfortable
about asking for things and I requested a sand table and big worktable.
They were homemade with new lumber and they were beautiful.
The pump was at the front of the school near a
flowerbed of pretty roses. I usually assigned one boy a week to see that
there was fresh drinking water at the back of the room. There was also a
little stand where there was a wash dish and cake of soap. There, dirty
hands were expected to be washed. Classroom seats were mostly graduated
with the big seats at the back for the entrance class and smaller ones
at the front for the little people. There were no electric lights. A
pot-bellied stove stood at the back of the room.
At one school, the entrance class often would
make tomato soup by crushing tomatoes from a can and adding milk. There
was something nice and homey about being at school in a
teaching-learning milieu and smelling the soup cooking for lunch. There
were large cups or mugs and each person got a good half-cup to go with
their cold sandwiches. Then two or three boys or girls would do the
dishes afterward and put them away, ready for the next day.
There were no school buses. Some of these little
people had to walk 2½ miles or more to get to school in the morning and
then trudge home at night. Some were lucky to have a bicycle, but not
everybody. I wish I could have been able to use some of modern
technology, such as the telephone. One morning at recess, both big and
little boys were playing football. A group of them came running with a
little boy to show me his little thumb that was bent backward facing his
body. I didn't have a telephone or any way to access immediate help. I
was about a mile and a half from the doctor's office in Aurora. I herded
all of the students into their seats to let them see what happened to
Harvey’s little thumb. I said, "I must take Harvey to the doctor and
have that thumb put back. Now, can I trust you? Will you carry on?" They
said they would and that proved to be true. Fortunately, I always had a
certain amount of work on the blackboard for them and they always had
yesterday's notes to copy into their notebooks. That day I happened to
have my father's car at school. Harvey and I drove to Aurora. He was
such a little brick. I held him on my knee while the doctor just pulled
his thumb and snapped it back and told us what to do for it. We drove
back and I never told the parents. I am not sure why. Maybe I got busy.
During one school year, there was a dog named Jip
that attended my class. He belonged to a little boy named Claude who
lived right next door to the school, less than a quarter of a mile away.
When Claude started that first year, Jip came too and lay in the aisle
beside him. They both went home at noon hour for lunch and came back
afterwards for the rest of the afternoon. Jip had complete freedom. He
could lie beside Claude’s desk, he could come up to the front and listen
to a lesson with all the class, or he would go to the back of the room.
Sometimes, Jip would walk up and down the aisles and the children would
laugh and say, "Today he's the inspector."
Service to Others 2011
What Is Project — Service to Others?
* a provincial programme that provides grants to districts to support
district initiatives.
* the initiatives support the concept of SERVICE TO OTHERS by retired
teachers in the community.
How?
* Individuals or groups apply to the District for funding by fulfilling
the outlined criteria found on the RTO/ERO website.
* The District reviews the applications and chooses one that supports
children and/or adults who need support in the Scarborough/East York
area.
* The District submits its final selection to the Province where a
committee chooses projects to receive a maximum of $4000.00 each.
Timeline
* Submit the provincial paperwork to the District by the end of November
* District submits the completed paperwork to the Provincial Committee
* The District will be notified of any grant from the province in April.
* The chosen group will receive its funds at the end of May.
If you have a project you think fits the
criteria, involves RTO/ERO members -- then contact me and we can explore
it together:
carol.nelson@sympatico.ca
2010-2011 Project — Service to Others
District 24 supported the HEALTHY LIVING ART PROJECT this year. This
project operates under the umbrella of East Scarborough Storefront in
the Kingston Road/Galloway Road/Orton Park area in Scarborough.
All projects under their umbrella allow residents
in the area to plan and choose projects to meet their individual needs.
Training, mentoring and money are provided to allow participants to
become effective leaders, active community members and also learn how to
work within budget guidelines.
The Healthy Living Art Project combines health
and art to teach mothers and children about healthy eating and healthy
living. The Public Health Nurse 'teaches' a lesson and then the children
use their art skills to tell each other what they learned. A
professional artist helps the children learn how to use paint, paint
brushes and other craft materials. These paintings and drawings were
used on note cards, aprons and canvas bags. The mothers sewed the aprons
and bags.
~ Carol Nelson, Service to Others Chair
District 24 – 'Service to Others' 2011
Donation
The project chosen to receive our District's
'Service to Others' donation of $1675.00 is The Memory Project, one of
The Historica-Dominion Institute's most successful educational programs.
The Memory Project connects veterans and Canadian Forces personnel with
students online and in classrooms around the country. Since the Memory
Project started in 2001, over one million students have been reached.
For more information on the Memory Project, go to
www.thememoryproject2.com/en/
~ Marilyn Hodge

We Paint Mirrors
I wrote this poem following a trip to Cuba last
February with my wife - a poem that grew out of this photo:
We paint mirrors on your floors
by roped-off squares
so many to a section
to not intrude
as you do dine.
We paint mirrors on your floors
with brushes – large
their bristles hard and soft
and furry pads
of coarse and fine.
We paint mirrors on your floors
with wheel-round brush
we do it – days on end
so great beauty
will enshrine.
We paint mirrors on your floors
for your rejoicing we polish them – a’ glow
so you may
fresh recline.
We paint mirrors on your floors
for to reflect the palms
in swaying shadow shapes
where light and
dark combine
to grandly shine
on mirrors we define.
© John Jansen in de Wal
2011.07.12

Introducing Online Police Reporting
P.C. Guy Service #1022
43 Division, Crime Prevention Officer
416.808.4339 /
www.Guy.Service@torontopolice.on.ca
Toronto police have created an online system that
allows you to submit a police report immediately. Reports must be filed
for yourself or you must be authorized to file on behalf of another
person. If the incident involves a business, then the report must be
filed by the business owner or authorized representative. The Toronto
Police Service does accept reports that occurred inside and outside the
city of Toronto. However, if this has happened outside our jurisdiction,
we may forward your report to the local Police. Please note there will
be a time delay.
Online Reporting Criteria:
* There are NO KNOWN suspects.
* The value of the theft, loss or damage is less than $5,000.00
(Canadian).
* The theft or loss DOES NOT involve a firearm, licence plates, passport
or prescription drugs.
* This IS NOT a motor vehicle accident.
* This IS NOT related to a break-in to your home or business.
* This IS NOT related to any form of personal violence including
Domestic Violence and/or personal relationship.
* You possess a valid e-mail address.
Types of Reports:
* Lost Property
* Theft Under $5,000
* Theft from Vehicle under $5,000
* Damage to Property under $5,000
* Damage to Vehicle under $5,000
* Traffic Complaints
How to File an Online Report:
Go to the main Toronto Police website at:
www.torontopolice.on.ca
On the very top of the website page and on the
right hand side, you will see a gold bar with a drop down arrow "I am
looking for…"
Click on the Online Crime Reporting link to take
you to the new system.
ALSO while on the main website, have a look at
other new features added and under the Newsroom area on the right hand
side, you can also check out Crime Statistics for all areas in the City
of Toronto.
Remember:
* 911 is for Emergency calls; 416.808.2222 is for Non-emergency calls
* www.TPSlinks.ca to sign up for Online Notification System
* Crime Stoppers: www.222tips.com to report crime anonymously:
( 1.800.222.8477 (TIPS)
1.416.222.8477 (TIPS)
Text TOR and message to CRIMES (274637)

Welcome to District 24 !!
To all our new members for 2011, we offer you a
warm welcome! Whether you are a new retiree or have moved from another
district, we hope that you find District 24 ~ Scarborough and East York
a comfortable and happy fit.
Our District motto is: "Where Old and New Friends
Meet". We count you among our friends.
Currently, District 24 has 2,504 full and
associate members!
| Sinikka Augustyn |
Bette J. Hanmer |
Jean Nadeau |
| Azmat Ahad |
Marna Harris |
Thomas O'Connor |
| Linda Ballentine |
Heather Harrison |
G. Paula Owolabi |
| Judith Bernsten |
Ellen Hazelton |
Uta Peikert |
| Harvey Burt |
Rosanna Hermann |
Susan Rabbior |
| Ellen Butcher |
Mary L. Hotrum |
Joan Rempel |
| E. Charlene Butler |
Mary Jeyarajah |
Robert K. Robinson |
| Robert Carey |
Hermine Jordine |
John Sacco |
| M. June Crisp |
Pierina Kakis |
James W. Stewart |
| Ajib Dabbagh |
William Kemp |
Marie Storr |
| Joanne Dagg |
Kathleen Kennedy |
Stephen J. Titchener |
| Sandra Daly |
Fred Kilian |
Joanne Todd |
| Loraine DeGenova-Lalonde |
Kenneth Ko |
Janice Waterman |
| Cheryl Del Cielo |
Heli Kopti |
Harriet Webster |
| Paul Edwards |
Werner Kuenzie |
Lorraine West-Maidens |
| Frederick Elliott |
Philip Law |
Julianne Wheler |
| Neal Farquharson |
Michael A. MacDonald |
Carol F. White |
| Jennifer Fralick |
Norah McGowan |
David M. Williams |
| Susan Fraser |
Eric McNair |
Mary Wilson |
| Stephanie Geddes |
Suzanne M. Miller |
Robert Gruneir |
| Pamela Moore |
|
~ to 30.9.11 |
RTO 24 E-news:
As new members, we would encourage you to
participate in our 'monthly' E-Mail Updates: RTO 24 E-NEWS. See above
for details on how you can subscribe to our service.
We now have 606 members receiving our Update. May
we add your name?

In Memoriam
In understanding that each life is a miracle that
changes the world, we remember and honour the lives of our departed
colleagues and friends.
| George J. Barrett |
Vivienne A. Preston-Welburn |
Barbara Brynaert |
| Isabelle H. Stewart |
Audrey Gilbert |
Dorothy M. Webb |
| Donald Gohn |
|
~ to 30.9.11 |

| For
Your Information |
|
Volunteer Service Awards
Do you know someone who donates his or
her time as a volunteer?
The Ontario Volunteer Services Award is
one way to recognize those people in our community who
generously contribute their time as volunteers.
The Volunteer Service Award is given to a
person who volunteers his or her time to a single organization
for several years. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30+, 40+, 50+ and 60+
years of continuous years are recognized.
Recipients are nominated by their own
organizations. The Ministry reviews and confirms that the
nominees are eligible for this award.
Check the Ministry website:
www.citizenship.gov.on.ca for further information. If you
know of someone who you feel should be recognized with The
Volunteer Services Award, send an e-mail, with your nomination,
to:
ontariohonoursandawards@ontario.ca.
Nominations will be accepted up to
January 25, 2012.
~ Carol Nelson, 2nd
Vice-President
|
Gary Fick: Retirement Planning Workshops
In
order to assist active teachers in making their decision to
retire, RTO/ERO offers Retirement Planning Workshops (RPWs)
across the province.
Topics covered include: Understanding the
OTPP pension, Applying for an OTPP pension, Financial
Considerations for prospective pensioners, Health considerations
and Benefits, and Tips for pensioners after retirement. These
presentations are made by RTO/ERO members who have been trained
by RTO/ERO — except for the Financial and Health/Benefits
sections which are presented by representatives from Educator's
Financial and Johnson Inc. respectively.
Locally there are 3 RPWs presented across
Toronto annually. Our own Gary Fick has been re-appointed to the
Provincial bank of RPW presenters for 2012.
|
|
Cirque du Soleil: Totem
I know what you're thinking when you see
the title but Cirque du Soleil pronounces it Toe-TEM. Thanks to
Harolyn Panetta we had wonderful seats, centre stage, of a near
theatre-in-the-round. This is Cirque's newest production, set in
a tent holding over 2600 patrons situated on Commissioners
Street at the bottom of the Don Valley Parkway.
The theme of the show is Evolution and
the first act opened with what might be loosely described as the
skeleton of the body of a dinosaur used as a device for the
gymnasts to astound us with their prowess, aided by the use of a
strategically situated trampoline.
The show "evolved" with a stunning array
of clowning, native dancing, trapeze performers, the trademark
use of hanging cloth for aerial acrobatics, a juggler who ended
his act in a transparent funnel with "glow-balls" swirling
around him with many acts backed up by a percussion band. I
think my favourite was the Indian maiden and prince on roller
skates on top of a giant drum. Wow!
Naturally I've only touched on a few
highlights of the Cirque's latest offering. The staging in
particular is stunning. If you get the opportunity to see TOTEM,
don't miss it.
~ Ken Drope
"Under
the Big Top"
|
Jesus Christ Superstar
The
morning of Sept. 1st finally arrived and 52 RTO members and
guests arrived at Kennedy Commons to board the bus heading to
Stratford. We were under the tutelage of Mr. Hal McCullough who
checked off the names of all of the RUG RATS that he was
escorting on this trip. The bus driver, Stuart, entertained us
along the way with a few interesting tidbits and jokes. He could
have been a stand-up comic, except that he had to sit to drive
the bus! We left under rather cloudy skies and headed west on
the 401. As we neared Kitchener and Hwy 8 the sun came out and
we headed northwest along some very interesting back roads. Talk
about Ontario being GREEN!!! We passed through some of the
greenest fields of crops growing in our beautiful, rich Ontario
farmland.
We
arrived in Stratford at about 11:15, giving us about three
quarters of an hour to wander and shop. Then we made our way to
the Keystone Restaurant in downtown Stratford, just a few
minutes walk from the Avon theatre. Some of us enjoyed a hearty
meal of citrus-covered salmon while others preferred a chicken
with tarragon sauce. Both meals were given rave reviews by
all. Then we were served coffee or tea and a delicious meringue
dessert with fresh fruit.
Soon it was time to leave for the
theatre. The reviews that had been written about Jesus Christ
Superstar did not exaggerate in the least. The show was
absolutely spectacular — the singing — the dancing — the
acting!! You could not ask for anything better. It was topnotch…
everything we hoped it would be.
Once the show was over we headed back to
our bus. Again, we travelled through many of the back roads in
that region. Then we hit the 401 and 407 back to Kennedy
Commons, arriving at about 6:30. All of us had a great day,
including Hal, as he traipsed up and down the aisle, either
taking photos or handing out chocolate goodies!!!
All of us send many thanks to Hal and
Mary Morton Tours for such a terrific day.
~ Carol Fyfle
They
dared me to include this photo in the newsletter... How would
you like me as your bus driver!
|
|
Donnie & Marie
The
sun shone. Walking along Harbourfront Quay, there were
sailboats, the tall ship, the ferry going to Island and
airplanes taking off and landing from Billy Bishop Airport that
completed the perfect summer day. That was topped off with a
delicious meal at Pier 4 where all of us had window seats so
that we could continue to enjoy the views of the harbour.
Then came the highlight of the day… Donny
and Marie at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
Memories from years gone by from each of them — duets, dance
routines and the introduction to their new album (the first in
30 years) were only some of the highlights of this show. Two RTO
members will never forget the show — one was touched by Donny
and one touched by Marie! They were kind enough to share these
touches with the rest of us.
We are all young again for two hours.
Thank you, Judy-Anne for planning this memorable day and
allowing us to remember years gone by.
~ Carol Nelson
|
Blue Jays Game
A beautiful Summer Saturday afternoon in
late August saw members, family and friends enjoy an exciting
Major League Baseball Game between our Toronto Blue Jays and the
Tampa Bay Rays.
This year we viewed the game from seats
in the 200 Level and were delighted to be seated in plush padded
chairs.
Although our home team came out on the
short end, score-wise, we were, nevertheless, treated to another
exciting game which was characteristic of our Home Team season.
~ Les Coombs
|
|
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
On
Thursday, September 15th, our small but enthusiastic group
travelled by coach to see the Tennessee Williams play, Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof, at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It
was a beautiful, sunny, crisp fall morning and after leaving the
QEW and driving through some of the scenic Niagara wine country,
our first stop was at the lovely Rockway Glen Golf Course and
Estate Winery where we were to have a tour and wine tasting as
well as lunch.
As
we entered the clubhouse/winery, some of us, including myself,
were startled by several loud booms which sounded as though a
cannon had been fired. Apparently this is a way of keeping the
birds from eating the grapes, especially at this time of year
when they are fattening themselves up for their winter
migration. I suspect it would keep people away too! Inside the
building, the noise was not nearly as noticeable and we enjoyed
an interesting and informative tour of the winery's museum. The
tour guide quizzed us about many aspects of wine making and our
group proved to be very knowledgeable (after all, we are retired
teachers!). Even so, one thing I learned and I think many others
did as well, was that the vines are lined up in rows running
east to west to maximize sun exposure in our northern climate.
It makes sense, when you actually think about it.
Next we proceeded to the dining room,
which had huge windows overlooking the beautiful golf course,
for our wine tasting session before lunch. Two samples of white
wine and one red were prepared for us and with the help of the
tour guide, we learned the proper way to drink wine: look,
sniff, swirl, sniff, swish a small amount around your mouth and
then enjoy! Judging from the number of bottles of wine which
were purchased in the shop after lunch, it's clear many people
did indeed enjoy the wine!
Lunch was either pork or chicken accompanied by potatoes and
vegetables and was delicious. It was followed by my favourite
part of any meal, a scrumptious dessert of warm pecan tart with
a dollop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. With this
wonderful lunch and the wine, it's a wonder we didn't all sleep
through the play!
The play, however, was very well done.
It's hard to picture the main characters, Brick, Maggie and Big
Daddy as anyone other than Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor and
Burl Ives who starred in the movie version, but the actors were
very convincing in their roles and they skillfully presented the
themes of Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The Royal
George is a lovely old theatre and is quite small so everyone
had a good view of the stage. The weather held up, and many of
us were able to enjoy some fresh air outside during the two
intermissions.
As we boarded the bus for our return
trip, I noticed that, despite our busy day with no scheduled
time for shopping, a number of people had somehow managed to
treat themselves to fudge and other goodies! There's just no
holding retired teachers back! When we arrived back at Kennedy
Commons where our cars were parked, we were all treated to a
bottle of wine from the winery, so everyone went home happy.
Thank you to Marilyn Tregwin for
facilitating this excellent excursion (and for the big bag of
candies she passed around several times!). I'm sure I speak for
everyone when I say that this was indeed a very enjoyable
excursion.
~ Sheila Meyer
|
Champagne Brunch
Our
Annual Champagne Brunch is one of the most important Recruitment
initiatives our district organizes to encourage new retirees to
consider the many benefits of becoming a member of our
organization.
On September 21st, we welcomed over 40
potential new members who along with members of our Executive
enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the Staff of Cathedral
Bluffs Yacht Club. Attendees socialized with members and in
several cases guests re-established contacts with friends whom
they had not seen in several years.
President Donna Hubel welcomed guests on
behalf of District 24, and a Past President of District 24, Bill
Sparks brought a message of welcome from our Provincial
Executive.
The efforts of many members of our District 24 Executive helped
make this event a most enjoyable happening.
~Les Coombs
|
|
For Your Information
Singers are invited to join the ETT
Choir… any age! Former high school and university choir members,
retired or current teachers, nurses - all welcome… Or just
anyone who likes to sing in a group! We sing easy jazz and
blues, secular music, once a week on Wednesdays from 4:30 until
6 at Waverley Road Baptist Church (near Woodbine and Queen)
Afterward, we have a social gathering at a watering hole on the
corner of Queen and Waverley. There are between a dozen and
eighteen of us at any given rehearsal, and about a third of us
are men.
If you have questions, e-mail me at
sgilx@yahoo.com.
Otherwise, just show up and try us out! We'll make you feel
welcome.
~ Steve Gilchrist, member of D24
|
Canadian Blood Services needs volunteers
We need you!! Canadian Blood Services is
looking for new volunteers to help in our blood donor clinics in
the Greater Toronto and Scarborough areas. We are looking for
mature volunteers to assist us with our mobile clinics during
the day. This is your opportunity to help save lives by donating
your time. Volunteers act as ambassadors for the blood system.
Former blood donors who still wish to actively participate in
Canada's blood system are encouraged to become volunteers.
If you are a nature individual and
interested in volunteering for 3 or more days each month, please
call Nena Pestano, Volunteer Coordinator: 1.800.701.7803 ext
4637 /
nena.pestano@blood.ca
Volunteer Today… It's a different kind of
lifesaving donation
|
|
Ontario Photo Card
RTO/ERO lobbied for and is pleased to
announce that on July 25th, 2011 the Ontario government released
new ID cards available for seniors, the disabled, and people who
don't have a driver's license. Like a driver's license, the ID
card allow holders to open a bank account, make travel
arrangements or perform other activities that require official
government ID.
In order to receive an Ontario Photo Card
you must provide identification documents that prove your legal
name, date of birth, and signature. For example, a passport
meets all three criteria and so does a birth certificate with a
new Ontario Health card. There is a complete list at the Ontario
Ministry of Transport website.
www.mto.gov.on.ca/english
To Get an ID Card:
Call ServiceOntario between 8:30AM and 5:00PM
Toll-free: 1.800.267.8097
TTY toll-free: 1.800.268.7095
Toronto: 416.326.1234
TTY Toronto: 416.325.3408
|
Stage Manager
Wonderful choir seeking equally wonderful
individual to help us out in the role of production manager! If
you are a natural organizer, enjoy meeting new people, and love
music, this volunteer position may be just right for you!
The Amadeus Choir is a vibrant group of
85 singers led by renowned conductor, Lydia Adams. We perform in
venues all over the city, and sing mainly classical repertoire.
Details of our activity may be found on our website:
amadeuschoir.com
The production manager's job includes
organizing a small team of people to set up/take down risers in
performance venues, coordinating with contact people ahead of
time and ensuring that details are handled so that the choir
looks and sounds its best. The choir performs 6-8 concerts per
year, so this is a very part-time endeavour. If you like the
idea of helping us out, hearing many wonderful concerts for
free, and feel your skills match our needs, please call
416.446.0188 OR
amachoir@idirect.com for more information.
~ Joan Andrews
|
|
Recruitment Video
RTO/ERO has produced a video on the many
advantages of joining and belonging to our organization. If you
have friends who have not yet joined, then you might want to
share this address with them and suggest they have a look at
what we have to offer…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=atw6gyqwigc&feature=share
|
Recruitment Drive
Just as "Beer is not just a breakfast
drink", likewise "RTO is not just a medical insurance plan".
You do not have to be a member of the
Insurance Plan to be a member of RTO, and enjoy the many
benefits, such as Luncheons, Excursions, Theatre trips, Clubs
etc.
We are actively recruiting new members
for our district, and would appreciate your help in reaching
retired members of the Educational Community who are not
members.
Remember… non-teachers are eligible to
join as associate members.
Have them contact any member of our
District 24 Executive to discuss membership benefits.
~ Les Coombs, Membership and
Recruitment Chair
|

Budget Winter Travel to Southerly Climes...
Trading Labour for Lodging, and Reciprocity Websites
Dear
fellow retirees,
Hal has asked Debbie and me to describe how we managed our two month
budget visit to Australia last winter. The winter before, we had towed a
sailboat to Florida and lived on it for three months, but Australia is
too far to sail to, and you can't drive, so we flew for $1500 apiece
from Toronto, round trip. This winter we'll go to New Zealand and Fiji
for a couple of months for a third less money, flying out of Los Angeles
with a Fijian airline, Air Pacific.
Australia was great. We have a Kiwi friend here
who is a travel agent, and her warning to travellers is that they
shouldn't expect to go for less than $10,000 (for a few weeks), but we
managed the whole adventure for two months, airfare included, for just
over $8,000. I couldn't see going so far and coming back to the cold in
just a few weeks. In the 58 nights we spent on the continent, we spent
one in a reasonably priced "Eco-hotel" and one in a Kiwanis
campground. The way we managed our trip wouldn't be for everyone, but we
enjoyed the adventure. It might have helped that I'm a life-long,
veteran traveller and former backpacker.
We landed in Sydney where we spent a week at a
private B'n'B that we learned about online, through a company called
AirBnB. For the price of one night in a hotel, we had a whole week for
two in a private room, with breakfast fixings thrown in. Weekly passes
for buses, trains and ferries in Sydney are within reason for the locals
– don't get sucked into buying the ones sold to tourists for four times
the price and dubious additional value. We were shocked to learn that
"hostels" in Australia were as expensive as cheap hotels in Canada for
young single travellers in shared dorms, and for the simple private room
that a married couple would hope to stay in, they were more expensive
than many motels even in Australia. They seem to cash in on the
"adventure tourism" concept that draws many young travellers to the
continent.
We
spent the second week in Manly as Helper Exchange guests, and that
didn't cost much: Help-X guests work a few hours a day in return for
free lodging, and often food. I did gardening and yard work for our
host for two hours a day, Deb helped in the house; our host took us
snorkelling, shopping for such things as a GPS and a cell phone for
Australia, and provided "barista" style coffee for free - I learned to
use a fancy espresso machine. We bought our own groceries and cooked our
own meals using his kitchenware and appliances, and had great
conversation and a very friendly stay.
Our third week found us in Byron Bay at the
rainforest home of an Australian television personality. I enjoyed the
gardening there – very exotic plants to compare with my garden in
Canada. We lived in a detached suite sometimes rented out as a high end
B'n'B, with a kitchenette, high ceilings and all the amenities. We had a
rental car, and shopped for our own groceries while on sightseeing
excursions in the region. We supervised two young girls while their
parents were unavoidably away, gave a couple of music lessons, shared
three dinners with the family, ate fresh eggs from the free-range
"chooks" in the garden, and enjoyed our stay. We followed it up with
three days at a remote hill-top resort owned by the same family,
sleeping in a restored railway car while we spent a few hours each
morning painting the living room of the manager's small house.
We drove inland across to Adelaide, but our
Help-X adventures were finished. Helper Exchange gives you exercise,
activity, structure to your day, a reason to get up and go… but
week-long commitments were no longer in our itinerary. Fifteen years
earlier we'd been members of a group called Servas International, which
still exists. The purpose of this organization is to promote world peace
by structuring two night visits of its members to each others' homes in
foreign countries. We'd stayed with Servas hosts in Bulawayo and Durban
in 1996. We stayed with one Servas couple in Armidale on our Australian
journey, a retired principal and teacher. They were used to being hosts
and had time to spend with us. We spent the day between our two nights
with them on our own private tour of Armidale and the Australian
countryside in that region.
Most
of the rest of our Australian adventure was with an organization we'd
joined a year earlier, www.CouchSurfing.org. As we travelled, we were
able to locate hosts online who'd registered themselves on this site to
receive visitors in cities we were approaching, and we sent out requests
for hospitality. This is a "reciprocity" concept similar to Servas – the
idea is that member guests may not return the favour directly, but
receive references from their hosts which other hosts will consider when
they receive a request from the traveller; and the hosts will also have
references from the guests which will help when they wish to attract new
guests or to go travelling themselves. We were astonished at how many
hosts had never travelled, and might never travel. Many of them just
loved having foreign visitors, loved conversation and the vicarious
experience of far-away places.
Admittedly, we also spent a week with a new
friend in Adelaide whose daughter we'd gotten to know in Cuba, but apart
from that delightful experience, everywhere else we stayed on our
journey was the home of a CouchSurfing host. One couple we stayed with
were Pam and John Cowan, who had done four teacher-exchanges to Canada
over the course of their careers. Many hosts expressed the wish that we
would have asked to stay longer, but of course, we'd already
pre-arranged our onward leg so that we'd never be stuck without a place
to stay on our route, and we had quite a journey to complete – Australia
is a very big place. After Adelaide we drove the coast road to
Melbourne, then up the Great Ocean Road back to Sydney.
There
are many winning budget travel solutions - for us so far it has been
Couch-Surfing, hands down. It was originally for younger travellers, as
the name suggests, but more and more older people host, and even travel,
using it; there is an over-50 and even an over-70 crowd. We never slept
on an actual "couch"; we always had a bed, or at the very least, a
queen-sized airbed, in a room to ourselves. We stayed in three holiday
trailers along the way. No matter whom we stayed with - and hardly any
requests were declined - we felt that our hosts genuinely wanted to make
friends with foreign visitors and act as ambassadors for their cities
and country. I was reluctant to be a couchsurfer at first, because I
wanted to exchange something of value for my stay, which is why our
first three weeks were spent with AirBnB and Help-X. But the first few
hosts helped put me straight. I discovered that there are CouchSurfing
hosts who want to "pay it back" or "pay it forward" for themselves or
for children or siblings who travel, so there is a reciprocity of
"value". The internet networking allows something beyond a simple direct
exchange by allowing a person who has hosted a traveller from Canada to
stay with a host in Germany or France, so "what goes around, comes
around" in a big international circle.
Some hosts don't travel. What do they get out of
being a host? There are hosts with the kind of 1960's communal attitude
about sharing their space; there are those who travel vicariously by
having international visitors who bring them descriptions and stories of
other corners of the world, and with those I always offer to share my
website and travel blog. There are hosts who thrill to the simple
pleasure of making new friends and having long, interesting
conversations with fresh acquaintances who don't already know you. No
matter what their motivations, all our CouchSurfing hosts in Australia
were nothing short of marvelous.
"Whose water you drink, accept their customs"
That's a Mongolian proverb we learned that
describes how we adapt to each new home we visit - it's an attitude that
keeps you really open to learning about other cultures. We tried to
contribute and "pay it back" directly by taking hosts out for a meal,
helping out in the kitchen as much as we could, doing little repair jobs
in the home, helping with yardwork (and roadwork once, after one of
those famous Australian floods!) and that sort of thing, and if we'd
stayed longer at each place we would have done more, approaching a
Help-X sort of contribution; but no-one ever expressly asked us to do
anything for them. I'd recommend CouchSurfing, as hosts and as guests,
to everyone. It was absolutely the best thing we did in Australia.
This winter, we will spend our first two weeks in New Zealand
house-sitting and pet-sitting at a dairy about an hour from Auckland,
near beautiful beaches and fine scenery, in their February summer
months. We connected with these dairy farmers through Help-X; they want
to get away for a summer vacation themselves. However, last year Pam
Cowan also told us about another website, aussiehousesitters.com.au.
From another host, we learned about www.warmshowers.org, for travelling
cyclists. Others that might be worth checking out are:
www.hospitalityclub.org, and www.globalfreeloaders.com; and for ladies
only, there's www.womenwelcomewomen.org.uk. There's a site called
www.bewelcome.org, and even more interesting for us, a
www.teacherstravelweb.com, and
www.educatorstravel.com
We can't wait to give those a try!
~ Steve and Deborah Gilchrist
Ed. Note: Steve and Deborah took hundreds of
photos on their trip. They can be accessed at: http://stevegilchrist.org/australiatrip2011.html
(Photos are captioned – leave your mouse on the photo.)

The Ultimate Costa Rica Experience
Costa Rica is an ecological and hikers' paradise
with magnificent scenery and great biodiversity.
I
had the very good fortune of joining fifteen other travellers, mainly
teachers, under the highly experienced and competent leadership of
Douglas and Merel for a two week adventure in north-west Costa Rica.
Travelling by minibus with our own driver, we were able to visit sites
and areas of the country not usually available to the average tourist.
At each destination we had ample opportunity to hike trails and enjoy
the colourful birds, plants and trees as well as view handicrafts and
make acquaintance with the local inhabitants. Their standard of living
is relatively high and Costa Rica is definitely not a third world
country.
We hiked in the cloud and rainforest, in
Monteverde, and the Arenal Volcano region. We travelled by boat on
Arenal Lake and in the mangrove swamps and saw an incredible wealth of
shore birds, amphibians and monkeys. The hot springs and the Pacific
surf were great for frolicking and swimming as well as for relaxing and
sunning.
A very exciting part of the trip was staying at a
lodge located at the base of the active Arenal volcano. During our stay,
the volcano was well-behaved and only showed a plume of smoke with no
eruptions or fireworks!
Another highlight was a visit to a coffee
plantation and seeing the process that the lowly coffee bean goes
through so that we can have our morning cup.
Some adventuresome people found the zipline
through the rainforest a fantastic experience!
Throughout the trip, knowledgeable local guides
provided us with historical background and interesting information. We
experienced the cuisine, the incredible fruit, coffee, culture and
livelihood of the Costa Rican people and even picked up some Spanish
words. The rice and beans were fine for breakfast.
We all returned home feeling fit, and in spite of
all the food, we did not gain weight! An active vacation doesn't get
much better than this one, so pack your hiking boots and join me for
their next trip to Newfoundland or Morocco.
For further information about the kind of "travel
experience" Ruth had with Douglas and Merel, contact her at:
grmori@rogers.com
Travelling
by ox cart through a coffee bean plantation
Waterfall
in Monteverde
Mount
Arenal
~ Ruth Mori
The Galapagos Islands
My
brother arranged the 5 day cruise in the Galapagos and I was just
enchanted by all that I saw there. The 5 islands I visited were of
course all volcanic, first eruption over 10,000 years ago and the most
recent in 2008.... It is unlike any other place I've ever visited. Such
a variety of shapes in the lava, some was undulating like a cake being
poured into a mould, other parts more like the folds of a skirt, other
yet stratified as the rocky areas in Canada. Here and there, there was a
ragged gash in the terrain where the lava had pushed up a new piece of
terrain. In one place, within 20 feet, were 2 natural bridges, with surf
breaking on them. There were bright orange and turquoise crabs, the size
of a child's hand, everywhere — they didn't care how strong the surf was
either. All vegetation and animal life has come from the sea over time.
There is now some soil, in places. Vegetation started from lichen, we
saw 3-4 kinds on the same small tree trunks and of course various
seabirds brought seeds from their original home which over time brought
about new plants, now indigenous to each island.
Major surprise
— the grasshoppers are multi-coloured with bright turquoise,
yellow/orange and creamy and a couple of black lines, just amazing to
watch and quite big, at least the size of an adult's little finger. On
Ano Island the colours were very similar but arranged differently. The
penguins are about two feet high and are the usual black and white and
just delightful to watch. They live in the water of course alongside
blue-footed boobies on land. The boobies (birds) are mostly white with
bright turquoise feet. I had seen pictures but was still taken aback by
the brightness. It was courting season for both the penguins and the
boobies so we saw them from about ten feet away in a dinghy… the only
time we went to view wildlife from a dinghy. Otherwise we walked on the
islands, along well-marked paths with instructions to leave a minimum of
six feet between us and any wildlife. The only exception was when the
wildlife came to us and then we were to stand still and wait for it/them
to go wherever they were heading. We could take pictures (I took about
600) but we were never allowed to touch any animals or vegetation; nor
could we leave anything behind or take anything back with us. We were
always with a nature guide in groups of 12 or less and with same group
and guide for all 5 days.
The
waters are populated with giant sea turtles: there are 4 varieties,
which weigh up to 600 lbs. when fully grown — so none is a fast walker.
To give you an idea: 3 ordinary adults could fit inside an empty
shell. We watched one pair try to mate… the male was trying to get on
top of the female, who was about 100 lbs. lighter than him. The only
problem was that this one was facing the wrong way and could not figure
out how to turn around. And there was a 2nd male waiting his turn right
beside the pair. Apparently the female has 2 eggs and each one has to be
fertilized individually. At the Darwin Research Station, we saw the
tortoises/turtles in pens, where their eggs have been hatched to help
preserve their shrinking numbers. They will be returned to the exact
location where they were taken from 2-3 years earlier, so they can in
turn lay eggs. By then, the young turtles can survive on their own.
Later the same day we went to a turtle farm where we saw the pair
mating. It was a rather wet area, so we were issued boots and were able
to walk about carefully for a couple of hours. We were told the giant
turtles are ready to mate around age 50 and go on mating to age 450-500.
The 4 acre area is fenced in so the turtles wander freely within that
area and be fed, partially, 3 times a week. They have to be "farmed"
because a few decades ago, some scientists took 300+ "samples" and the
turtles nearly went extinct. Travelling sailors would also collect them
for "fresh meat" as the turtles can stay several months without food or
water! Turtles protect their nests on the beach as well, and we did not
get near enough to see those, just the wide tracks indicating a "visit"
to a nest.
The
iguanas were quite distinctive from one island to the other — some were
land and some were sea iguanas, all varying colours and size — all
equally ugly and stinky! They inspired monsters in a Walt Disney movie.
They can move quite fast - when they have a reason to do so… They nest
on the beach, and the walking paths are at least 4 feet away from any of
their nests! February is nesting season for the land iguanas.
~ Rosea Lonsdale
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