Weakley County Retired Teachers Association Holds March Meeting

The quarterly meeting of the Weakley County Retired Teachers Association was held on Wednesday, March 12, in the fellowship hall of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Martin. Along with current members, one guest was in attendance.

President Pam Harris called the meeting to order at 11:00 A.M. The scheduled speaker for that day’s program was forced to cancel due to health issues, so President Harris talked about books and gave a review of the book Horse by Geraldine Brooks. The book has three time period settings—the mid 19^th century, the 1950s, and present day—with the connection of a painting of the racehorse Lexington, who was one of the fastest of his time. She said the skeleton of the horse was originally housed in a Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., but it had been transferred to the International Museum of the Horse in Lexington. Because of her love for the book and her interest in the historical account of the horse, she was able to visit the museum and see the skeleton and other memorabilia last summer.

Linda Ramsey then shared information about the Kiwanis Key Leader Weekend which is a weekend devoted to building leadership skills and self-confidence for eighth through twelfth graders. It will be April 25-27 at Lakeshore Camp and Retreat in Eva, Tennessee. She asked members to spread the word about the camp. The website to register is www.winkeyleader.org. There is a $250 fee to attend, but scholarships and sponsorships are available for those who might need financial assistance.

Mark Maddox offered a blessing before the members enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Renee Kimsey.

Hostesses for the meeting were Elaine Seymour, Wanda Powell, Hazel Hankerson, P.K. Kelley, and Mary Ellen Stooksberry.

Minutes were approved as was the treasurer’s report.

Harris encouraged members to invite others to join WCRTA since membership has dropped slightly. She said prospective members should not be concerned about part of their dues going to NEA since no part of it goes to a political action committee. Instead, the small amount that goes to NEA is to provide services to retirees such as insurance. She also said that the organization exists to protect teacher pensions and to provide social connections for retired teachers.

Harris talked about corresponding with Senator John Stephens about her concerns about the Parental Choice voucher that was passed by the state. She said he explained the cost of a little over $7,200 per student per year would go to accredited private schools only and not to home-schooling parents. According to The Tennessean, the bill will cost taxpayers more than $440 million.

A bright spot in public education is that Weakley County scored sixth in the state for test scores last year. A New York Times writer approached his editor about writing a positive story about public education, and in his research discovered Weakley County Schools. He interviewed teachers at Dresden Middle School and Martin Middle School. The members are looking forward to being able to read the article.

The current vice-president has asked to resign due to family commitments, and Mark Maddox agreed to serve as vice president. Linda Ramsey agreed to continue as secretary, and P.K. Kelley agreed to continue to serve as treasurer for the 2025-2026 term.

Door prize winners were Hazel Hankerson, Marsha Williams, Mary Elizabeth Bell, Mary Ellen Stooksberry, Katana Hawks, and Gail Smith. The hostesses for the June 11 meeting will be Mary Elizabeth Bell, Shirley Callis, Linda Ramsey, Teresa Jackson, Gail Smith, and Cindy McAdams. It will be held at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Dresden at 11:00 A.M.

The meeting was then adjourned.