President’s Message RAH RAH RAH! Hip Hip Hooray!!

The 2018-2019 TRTA Membership year is in full swing. I want to encourage attendance at our local BCRSP luncheon meetings and increase our local unit membership. The “Bring a Friend to Homecoming” fall membership campaign is upon us. This campaign is much like the Ready, Set, Blitz! incentive program.

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PRESERVING THE PAST/SECURING THE FUTURE SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

BCRSP Newsletter September, 2018 Volume 1

BCRSP Executive Board Members

We as members of BCRSP must recruit and/or renew as many members as we can through October 31st for a chance to win one of the eight $250 vouchers which are redeemable for TRTA Annual Convention delegate expenses. Additionally, Each One Bring One entries will be DOUBLED for those who recruit new members to join between September 1 and October 31, 2018.

Let’s commit to growing our local unit's membership by recruiting new members.

Thank you.

Mildred

September Guest Speaker - Sheila Fields

Our guest speaker for the September 26th meeting is Zach Sanches, Regional Vice-President of AMBA (Association Member Benefits Advisors). Zach will share the many insurance related benefits available at special group rates to us. He will also talk about the numerous merchant discounts that TRTA has selected for us.

Welcome Zach!

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PRESERVING THE PAST/SECURING THE FUTURE

September Birthdays!

Barbara Lebow 11

Charles Whitley 11

Suzanne Phelps 12

Raby Womack 13

Ollie Taylor 14

Cathy Berry 15

Shirley Eaton 15

Donna Hill 15

Ann Seale 16

Kathy Henry 17

Betsi McQuaide 18

Wanda Chilton 20

Linda Warner 22

Donald Tracy 24

Patsy Bolch 26

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT Betty Lou Allison was born on August 10th. She retired from Beaumont ISD and recently moved to the area. She joined BCRSP right away and we are so happy to have her as a new member!

She graduated from Reagan High School (Houston Heights) and attended the University of Texas from 1958-1962. She also did graduate work in Economics and Free Enterprise.

She served at the Spindle Top City Boomtown Gladys Museum for 15 years. In 1962-63 she served at a national park, the American Revolution War Site near Philadelphia, PA. From 1973-1989 she worked for the Houston Port International Trade Center teaching grades 4-6 on the Houston Ship Channel.

Betty has a daughter, Laurie, and 2 grandsons at Consolidated. Her other daughter, Sherry, teaches bilingual education in Aldine ISD and grandson, Jeremy, works for Halliburton.

She likes to travel and enjoys theater, socializing and volunteering. She made and sold “hippie” jewelry in the 70’s! Since moving to B/CS she has joined Noon Lions Club, Newcomers Club and Christ United Methodist Church. She also meets regularly with her high school class.

She enjoys BCRSP and supporting great groups and great people!

Brazos Country Retired School Personnel

September 26, 2018Hilton Hotel - Oakwood

Ballroom11:00AM

THEME: “Preserving the Past-Securing the Future”

~~~ Agenda~~~

WelcomePledges- Shirley BurkhalterIntroductions Invocation - Meredith Wilson

----Buffet begins at 11:30----

Program: Zach Sanches, Regional Vice President Association Member Benefits Advisors (AMBA)

Reports:New Business:

*2018-2019 Budget - Vera Wallem Announcements:

*District VI Fall Conference, Huntsville, October 10Birthdays/In the Spotlight - Susan JunekDoorPrizesChuckle of the Day - Linda CoatsAdjournment

OCTOBER MEETINGWednesday, Oct. 17, 2018

“Foundation and Scholarship Recipients”“Trick or Treat for TRTF”

Remember to bring your donations!

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE - France Maloney

Frances Maloney, 1st. VP-membership, reports 216 members including 6 new members. The challenge remains for each of you to recruit one new member for BCRSP's 2018-2019 year. Recruit a new member and your name will be entered in the "Each One Bring One" drawing at the TRTA convention in April 2019. You may win $100 dollars if your name is one of the lucky ones drawn. Our membership grows as long as, we all recruit new members, regain lost members, and retain current members.

For all who have renewed and our new recruits who have recently joined, THANK YOU so much and welcome to BCRSP!

Treasurer’s Report - Vera Wallem

The May, June, and July treasurer’s reports are now available on our website under the Members page. The 2018-19 budget is also available at that location. http://localunits.org/BCRSP/

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INFORMATION AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES It’s Tick Time!! Be aware of ticks when enjoying the outdoors this summer. Tick populations explode during hot weather, so be aware when working in your yard or enjoying hiking trails. The most common types of tick in Texas, according to frequency, are as follows: brown dog tick, American dog tick, lone star (or northeastern, or turkey) tick and the deer tick. The Centers for Disease Control offers the following tick removal advice: Using tweezers and rubber gloves, grab hold of the tick as close to its skin as possible (below the hard-shell exterior). Apply steady pressure as you pull it out. NO NOT twist or jerk the tick; the head or the mouth may be left behind. DO NOT crush the tick; the fluids can be infectious. Dispose of the removed tick immediately by flushing it down the toilet. After removal thoroughly disinfect the area and wash hands with soap and warm water.

Legislative Update - Dr. James Warner

MEMBERS:

The two pages below are for your information regarding the upcoming general election on November 6.

The first is a brief review of the major points of concern to retired educators, These are the main issues that TRTA officers and legislative chairs will be pursuing during the upcoming 86th Legislative session. I will be elaborating on these issues in much greater detail as we move toward election day. In addition, I have many scheduled appointments throughout TRTA District 6 to meet with the various local units to provide them with the same information I am providing to you (BCRSP).

Please pay careful attention to the information provided in the TRS Newsletter, the TRTA Voice, and the Inside Line (available on the TRTA web site on a periodic basis). Also, feel free to contact me about any legislative issues about which you have questions.

The second is a brief review of the candidate ratings as posted by Texans for Public Education. I am including only those races of specific interest to BCRSP members and I have included only those candidates of the two major parties.

You are strongly encouraged to access the https://www.texansforpubliceducation.com/ website on your own. Go to the ratings section on the left side of the screen. Note that ratings are given in two formats (simple and expanded). The simple format rates candidates as friendly, neutral or unfriendly to public education. The expanded format is much richer in information and is highly recommended for a more comprehensive view of the stand of each candidate. In addition, the ratings also include candidates of the minor parties that will appear on the ballot.

You may have found other rating sources you consider valuable to the interests of retirees which you would like to share with me.

I cannot stress enough how consequential the upcoming Legislative Session will be. Decisions of great significance will be considered on our health care insurance, protecting our defined benefits annuity

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program, possibility for an annuity increase and other retiree issues. We need to have as many friendly legislators as 400,000 retirees and 1 million actives can send to Austin. Every educator in the state should cast a ballot on November 6.

**************************************************************************************** TRTA DISTRICT 6

LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVES – FALL 2018 TRTA Issues for the 86th Legislative Session

PROTECT DEFINED BENEFITS AND FUNDING FOR TRS PENSION PLAN WHY? *Legislative opposition to our DEFINED BENEFIT plan is increasing. *An increased permanent state funding plan is necessitated by the reduced assumed rate of return on pension plan investments.

AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL TEXAS EDUCATION RETIREES

WHY? *Continued deficits in health care plan coverage is caused by an inadequate revenue stream. *Changes to TRS-Care plan in last session resulted in major premium increases and losses in plan participation.

PROMOTE AN ANNUITY INCREASE FOR ALL TEXAS EDUCATION RETIREES

WHY? *Cost of Living rises annually in all areas (not just health care). *Changes in assumed rate of investment return, increased health care costs, and increased health care plan deficits will require additional State funding.

SUPPORT REFORM AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL FOR WEP AND GPO SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSETS

WHY? *Retired Texas teachers who qualify for social security benefits are Penalized by unfair payment formulas.

INCREASE TRTA VOICE BY ADDING MEMBERS AND ENCOURAGING ALL RETIREES TO VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION

WHY? *Does money talk in Texas politics? *What weapon can retirees wield most effectively?

*WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NOVEMBER 6? *WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR, LT. GOVERNOR, *MY STATE REPRESENTATIVE, STATE SENATOR? *WHERE CAN I FIND WHAT THESE CANDIDATES SAY ABOUT *PUBLIC EDUCATION AND EDUCATION RETIREES? (TRY THE WEB SITE FOR TEXANS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.)

*WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO HAS NOT YET JOINED TRTA?

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DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR STATE OFFICE, NOVEMBER 6, 2018

RATINGS BY TEXANS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION Specifically for BCRSP Members

OFFICE CANDIDATE (Party Affiliation) RATING

GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT (i)* R UNFRIENDLY LUPE VALDEZ D NEUTRAL

LT. GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK (i) R UNFRIENDLY MIKE COLLIER D FRIENDLY

SENATOR (SD-5) CHARLES SCHWERTNER (i) R UNFRIENDLY MARGARET (MEG) WALSH D FRIENDLY

HOUSE (DIST 12) KYLE KACAL (i) R NEUTRAL MARIANNE ARNOLD D NEUTRAL

HOUSE (DIST 14) JOHN RANEY (i) R NEUTRAL JOSH WILKINSON D NEUTRAL

*(i) denotes incumbent

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BCRSP Minutes - May 23, 2018 - Vera Wallem

BrazosCountyRe/redSchoolPersonnelLuncheonandGeneralMee/ng

May23,2018

PresidentCarolynTaylorpresidedoverthefinalmee/ngoftheyearandherlastaspresident.MembersgatheredintheOakwoodBallroomattheHiltonHoteltocelebratetheiraccomplishmentsasaunit,tohonorthescholarshipwinners,toinstallthenewofficersfor2018-2020,andtoviewtheiMovieaboutBCRSP.

EffiePerryofferedtheinvoca/onandShirleyBurkhalterledthegroupinthepledgestotheAmericanandTexasflags.

Thefollowingguestswereintroduced:FromBISDwereChiefofStaffGingerCarrabineandEduca/onFounda/onrepresenta/veHarryFrancis.FromCSISDwereSuperintendentDr.ClarkEalyandEduca/onFounda/onrepresenta/veAmyHeye.

Abuffetluncheonwasserved.

Treasurer’sReportandMinutesarefoundonline.

Dr.ClarkEalyspokeabouttheCSISDcommunityandthankedmembersforalife/meofservicetotheBryan/CollegeSta/onCommunity.AZerreadingtheVolunteerismReportherecognizedtheimpactourvolunteerismhasonthecommuni/es.

GingerCarrabine,represen/ngSuperintendentChris/eWhitbeckfromBISD,thankedthemembersfortheirsupportandexpressedherpleasureaZeronlyoneyearinthecommunityoftheserviceofferedtoBISD.

ScholarshipWinners:FromCSISDthewinnerwasGemmaVasquezwhowilla^endBlinnCollegeanddesirestobecomeanAVIDteacher(AdvancedViaIndividualDetermina/on).ThewinnerfromBISDwasRachelPra^whowilla^endBlinnCollegetostudyVisualArts.ScholarshipChairLindaCoatspresentedthewinnerswith$1,000

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scholarshipsandgiZbagsfullofitemstheywillfindusefulastheybegintheircollegeeduca/on.

Awards:Severalmembersreceivedstateandlocalawardsfortheirworkduringthepastbiennium.OutgoingofficersandCommi^eeChairsstoodtoberecognized,andCer/ficatesofRecogni/onweredistributed.RobertBordenandDarrenBensonfromTheEaglereceivedtheSchoolBellAward.Apprecia/onAwardsweregiventomembersofthecommunityfortheirsupport.

iMovie:ThemoviecreatedbySharonOgdenwasshowntomembers.ItwascreatedtorelatethehistoryofBCRSP,toencouragemembership,totellabouttheorganiza/onandthegroupswesupport,andtoenlightennewre/reesastowhymembershipinTRTAandBCRSPisvitaltotheirre/rement.

NewBusiness:

Eightmembersa^endedthetrainingsessioninHuntsvilleonMay17th.

Membership:PatsyBolchreportedmembershipat180priortothemee/ng.Severalpaidduesattheluncheonmee/ng.

ProgramSugges/ons:SheilaFieldsdistributedformsonthetablesformemberstolistpossibleprogramsfornextyear.OnSeptember26th,ZachSanchezwillpresentaprogramonAMBA,memberbenefits.

Legisla/veUpdate:Dr.JamesWarneremphasizedhowimportantthefallelec/onwillbe.HeplanstovisitallcandidateswhomayrepresentusintheStateLegislature,askingthemhowtheyplantohelpTRTAmemberswithInsuranceandtheAnnuityFund.Thereare1.3millionre/redTXteachers.Pensionsare/edtoac/veteachers’salaries.Hewillques/onthemonhowtheyplantotakecareoftheneedsofouryoungpeopleaswellasthere/rees.HeencouragedmemberstousetheirTeacherVoice!

Birthdays:Membershavingsummerbirthdayswerecelebrated.

MVP:Threemembersreceivedthatdis/nc/on:DianaDeFranciscowhoservedelevenyearsasTreasurer,PatsyBolchservedasMembershipChairmanforseveralyears,and

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MildredDaviswhohasbeenHistorian,subbedforCarolynthisyear,helpedwithdecora/ons,anda^endedtheStateConven/on.

YearBookAdSales:Flyersweredistributedwhichshowedthecostofadsfortheyearbook.Theseadsdefraytocostofprin/ngtheyearbook.Direc/onsstatedhowtoforwardpaymentoftheadaswellasthecopyoftheadtoPresidentMildredDavis.

VolunteerismBooklets:Membersfoundthesebookletsontheirchairsinwhicharelistedalltheawardsreceived,thevolunteerhours,books,andcashdona/onsmadebymembersofthelocalunittovariousrecipients.

Prayers:Memberswhoareillwerenotedandprayerswererequested.

DoorPrizes:NumbersweredrawnandCathyBerrydistributedherbeau/fullydecoratedgiZbagstotheluckymembers.

ChuckleoftheDay:LindaCoatsdiscussedthetopicofhavingabarinhershower,suggestedbyherpersonalphysician.Linda’stakeonthesugges/onbroughtchuckles.

GrandDoorPrize:ProvidedbyAggielandOuki^ers,the$50giZcer/ficatewasavailabletothosewhohadpaidtheirearlymembership.Winner:LindaCoats.

Installa/onofOfficersfor2018-2010

ConductedbyLindaCoats,thefollowingofficerswereinstalled:PresidentMildredDavis1stVice-PresidentFrancesMaloney2ndVice-PresidentSheilaFieldsSecretaryMaryAnnGaylordTreasurerVeraWallem

Mee/ngAdjournedat1:20p.m.

Respeckullysubmi^ed,VeraWallemAc/ngSecretary

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Don’t forget to keep track of your volunteer hours for 2018. We will be reporting our grand total to TRTA in January. B/CS offers a wealth of opportunity for you to volunteer. If you need ideas, please check out our Volunteerism Report of Accomplishment for 2017. It can be found at the bottom of the Scholarships and Awards page on our website. http://localunits.org/BCRSP/index.cfm/scholarships-awards/

Healthy Living Information - Suzanne Phelps

7 Reasons to Drink More Water

1. It boosts your mood. When researchers asked study participants to increase their water intake from 5 to 10 cups a day, they reported feeling calmer

and more satisfied with their life. 2. You may heal faster. If you cut yourself, treat the wound then sip 16 ounces of water. 3. It can lower your odds of a stroke. Dehydration may cause your blood to thicken and have a harder time passing through blood vessels. 4. You won’t ruin your workout. Having water before, during, and after exercise can prevent problems like heat stroke and muscle cramps. 5. It can quiet a headache. Slowly drink from 1 to 6 cups of water. If the headache is triggered by water deprivation, you could be pain-free in half an hour.

6. You’ll be a better driver. Dehydration may cause you to make more mistakes behind the wheel. Sip 16 ounces before departing and have 7 ounces every hour you are on the road. 7. It increases your brainpower. Mild dehydration causes short-term memory problems, poor attention, and slow reaction times.

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Local Community Volunteer Services - Patsy Bolch

Technology Tips

Learn From Alexa

If you have an Alexa you can increase your knowledge of history! Just say, “Alexa, ask This Day in History what happened on Sept. 26th” She will tell you a historical fact!!

At our October meeting we will host a meet and greet from several local candidates. They will attend our luncheon/meeting and then we'll introduce each one for a one minute speech. Afterwards, they will remain for discussion, question & answers, etc. from members. Those who (at newsletter press time) positively will

attend are: Rick Kennedy, a representative from Bill Flores' office, Maryanne Arnold, Kyle Kasel, Josh Wilkinson, Meg Walsh. We are still waiting on a response from John Raney and Charles Schwertner. Should be a good time. - Linda Combs - Local Scholarships Chair

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