Bay Area

Retired School Personnel

Volume 23– Issue 4 March 2015

Officers President’s Message

President
Sandy DeWaele “Service is the lifeblood of any organization. Everything flows from it and is nour-
josandew@charter.net ished by it." This s a quote I saw at my mom's doctor's office. It is nice to be the
president of a group that is giving and willing to step up to strengthen our purpose of promoting a
1st Vice President quality lifestyle for ourselves and our community.
Joyce Sigelko NOMINATIONS: Our BARSP by-laws state that our chapter officers shall consist of President,
Vice President/President Elect, Program Vice President, Recording Secretary and Treasurer
2nd Vice President elected for a two year term. At this time we need a Vice President-President Elect. The duties of
Janet Brandt
this position are: (1) Performs the duties of the president in the absence of that officer, (2) Act in
Interim-Secretary an advisory capacity with the president, (3) Assist the president on request, (4) Act as legislative
Margaret Bird and public relations chairperson (5) Become president in case of death or illness of the acting
president (6) Be expected to succeed to the presidency. Contact Joyce Sigelko, our current VP/
Treasurer President elect or me if you have any other questions. We are both easy to work with and will try
Phil Bosco to assist you in any way you require. If you would like to volunteer for vice president– president
elect please contact our nomination chairperson, Bill Jones. The elected officers must be mem-
Past President
bers of both BARSP and MARSP. Nomination of officers shall be made at the March meeting by
Dr. Mary Boettger
the nominating committee. The list of candidates shall be published in the March newsletter and
elections held at the April meeting, with an opportunity for further nominations from the floor in
April.
MARSP DUES will be increasing from $30.00 to $35.00 as January 1, 2015. This $5.00 increase
is the first since 2006. Look in our November/December Vanguard for more information. Our
dues will now be $35.00 for MARSP and $10.00 For BARSP. We are getting a lot for our money.
MARSP is a clear, respected voice representing retired school personnel. It is committed to being
the premier advocate for all retired school personnel. They make certain that our members’
BARSP voices and views are heard in Lansing. MARSP is your lobbying partner on critical issues impact-
Luncheon Meetings
ing retirees and an authority on the MPSERS pension and healthcare system. For more than 60
Lumber Baron’s
Brewery years, MARSP has been the only organization totally dedicated to promoting and supporting the
804 E. Midland St. rights and needs of retired public school personnel and serving as their legislative voice.
2nd Floor The MARSP WEBSITE has been revamped. Your username is now the same as the email you
11:00 have on file with MARSP. Your password must be in all capital letters. This is an important web-
site to keep updated on current issues.
March 9
PRIORITY HEALTH is launching a new digital magazine called ThinkHealth. ThinkHealth lever-
April 13
May 11 ages experts within Priority Health as well as thought leaders and third party organizations
across the health insurance, health care technology and fitness industries to provide thought-
provoking, educational content to aid Michigan consumers in their health and wellness decisions.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: We collect used eyeglasses for the Bay City Lions at each meeting.
We will be having a food drive for the Bay City Good Samaritan Rescue Mission in April. In May
we will be collecting used magazines for local hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices. Please don’t
bring your used magazines until our May meeting.

Sandy
VOLUME 23 ISSUE 4 BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL PAGE 2

BARSP BALLOT (election to take place at April meeting)

For 2 year term

President– Joyce Sigelko

Vice President/ President Elect/ _________________

Secretary: Margaret Bird

Treasurer- Felix Bosco

Program Vice-Presidents– Janet Brandt

Nominating chair: Bill Jones

March Pre-Pays Cindy says…… In Memoriam

Dues are Due!
Dr.Mary Boettger Arlene Lambert
May June Johnson
Kathy Bernethy Carl Learman STATE DUES have increased!
Dee Bishop Penny Martin
Cindy Bosco Kathy McMillan Renewal forms are available on line at
MARSP.org. MARSP is offering a three year Welcome Aboard
Phil Bosco Stella Peoples
Kathy Bremer Sue Post payment. IMPORTANT if you pay $105, it is
Grace Chevalier Rika Smith for STATE dues only. Please pay $45 for one Irene Maldonado
Betty Clifford JoAnn Vanover year for MARSP and BARSP or $115 for 3
Charles Crandall Joan Wilson years MARSP and 1 year BARSP. If you want
Lorraine Crandall Phyllis Woody to pay for 3 years for BARSP membership, you
Joe DeWaele will need to send it to Cindy Bosco as the op- Insurance
Sandy DeWaele tion is not available through MARSP. The login
is your email address and the password is your Non-medicare Members: Don't forget to
Janet Dixon Thanks
first initial and last name in all upper case let- make your appointment for your Wellness
Mary Ida Doan Carl Learman
ters. Call or email if you are having trouble or Physical. It should be one year +one day
Franklin Grant
need a form. Please check your record num- after last year's appointment. Deadline
Rosanne Heme
ber on the renewal form. It should match the March 31.
Joan Hildinger
Ron Hildinger one on this newsletter. Call or email me if the
record numbers are different. (989-892-9923) Medicare Members: You get a free Well-
Sandra Hines ness Visit (not a physical). It should be
Bill Jones p-c-bosco@sbcglobal.net
one year +one day after last's year Well-
Marion Jones • Please encourage newly retired friends to join ness Physical, Welcome to Medicare
us NOW! By joining now, memberships are Physical, or Wellness Visit.
good until June 30, 2016. That’s four extra
Autobiographies months! By waiting until next fall, they get less
than a year’s membership for the same price.
Coming soon Pick up membership forms for them at our next Greeters for 2014-2015
meeting. Members 90 or older are honorary
April Rita Shuman members and BARSP waives their dues. March, 2015 Sandra Hines, Stella
May Judy Fletcher Peoples, Barbara Wall
Next month “return service requested” will be
printed on the newsletter. PLEASE call Cindy April, 2015 Patricia Anderson ,Janet
September Debra Faccio or Phil Bosco @ 989.892.9923 if the Post Of- Dixon
fice will be holding or forwarding your mail any
Note from the Editor:
time between March 10th and March 30th. We May, 2015: Betty Clifford, Marilyn
Help us get to know you better, can temporarily hold your newsletter or send it Morales, Jeanine Link
submit a short biography to me to an alternate address. We usually have 20-
30 newsletters returned to us at an additional
via e-mail at cost of $.65 per newsletter. So please contact Why..why ..why?
usrika@sbcglobal.net or snail us either at the March meeting or before mid–
March if you will be away. Why do you have to 'put your two
mail at 4208 Bradford Dr.
Saginaw Mi 48603 cents in'... but it's only a 'penny for your
Cindy Bosco, Membership Chair
thoughts'? Where's that extra penny ?
V O LU M E 2 3 ISSU E 4 BAY AR E A R E T IR E D SC H O OL P E R SO N N E L
BARSP Meeting Reservation Form
Monday March 9, 2015 at Lumber Baron’s Brewery on Midland St.
$9.50 per person
Name(s)_________________________________________ ________________________________________
No. Attending ________________ Amount Enclosed __________________________(please do not staple)
Shanty Boys
to
Sawdust
Eric Jyla
BARSP Meeting – November 10
Minutes
BARSP meeting was called to order by President Sandra De-
Waele at Lumber Barons Brewery. Sandy reminded us of
Veterans Day and asked for a moment of silent prayer for our
veterans and service people.
Cindy Bosco led the group in the “Pledge of Allegiance” and
“American the Beautiful.” New member, Irene Maldonado,
and deceased member, May June Johnson, were named.
November birthday celebrants were wished “Happy Birthday”
in song.
PROGRAM: The SVSU Olli Chorale entertained us with sev-
eral songs. Sandy DeWaele presented the group with a cer-
tificate of thanks as the conclusion of the program.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: Motion to accept the minutes of
the October 2014 meeting was made by Florine Schutkowski
and seconded by JoAnn Vanover. Motion carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Phil Bosco reported the following:
Income $ 936.50
Expenses $1101,14
Check Acc. $7918.26
Sav. Acc. $1029.69
CD $7034.66
Life Acc $7034.66
Motion to accept the treasurer’s report as presented was
made by Grace Chevalier and seconded by Marty Gilkey.
Motion carried.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: Sandy reminded the membership
that the slate of officers running for election for the two-year
terms of 2015-2017 shall be published in the March 2015
newsletter. Joyce Sigelko is president-elect and will become
president. If interested in volunteering for vice-president/
president-elect, please contact Bill Jones, nomination chair-
person. Sandy hopes that other officers and chairpersons will
continue in their current positions or find replacements. Sandy
reported that MARSP dues will increase from $30 to $35 be-
ginning January 1, 2015. The MARSP website has been re-
vamped; your username is now the same as the email on file
with MARSP; your password must be all in capital letters.
P AGE 3
Make check payable to BARSP and mail by March 3
Sue Post
813 W. Hampton
Essexville , Mi 48732
LEGISLATION: Dr. Mary Boettger reported thank you notes
from Representative Charles Brunner and candidate Ron
Mindykowski. Brunner will continue to fight for us and our
benefits. Mindykowski plans to run again. Both men will con-
tinue to provide the $10 luncheon raffle award through May
2015.
INSURANCE: no report
LUNCH RESERVATIONS: Carl Learman reported 73 reser-
vations and 68 meal tickets.
MEMBERSHIP: no report
GRANTS: Grace Chevalier announced BARSP grant recipi-
ents for 2014. Lori Taglauer, first grade teacher in Bangor
Schools, plans to start an after-school art program for K-5 stu-
dents. Holly Fouchia, fourth grade teacher in Pinconning
Schools, will encourage learning in science through the use of
SUPER SCIENCE by Scholastic. Connie Beson-Steger, his-
tory and social studies teacher at Bay City Central High
School, will use her grant as partial subsidy for a bus trip to
Greenfield Village Museum to enhance her students’ study of
the Industrial Revolution. Jennifer Meyers, fifth grade teacher
at Bangor Lincoln, will create a reading corner in her class-
room for students in her 60-minute reading blocks. Each grant
is in the amount of $200.
OLD BUSINESS: none
NEW BUSINESS: Reminder of Eric Jylha’s program on
“Shanty Boys to Sawdust” for our March 9, 2015 meeting.
50/50 WINNERS: Marion Jones $40, Kathy Bremer $13,
Janet Dixon $13, Joan Wilson, $10 donation from Charles
Brunner, Dee Bishop, $10 donation from Ron Mindykowski.
BLESSING: Joan Hildinger offered this month’s blessing.
Cindy Bosco will offer the March blessing.
ADJOURNMENT: Carole Hoyle moved and Mary Moskal
seconded the motion for adjournment. Motion carried.
Submitted by Margaret Bird
 BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL
2245 Carroll Road Presorted
STANDARD
Bay City, Michigan 48708 U.S. Postage Paid
Bay City, MI
Permit No. 30

VOLUME 23—ISSUE 4 March 2015

Return Service Requested

DUES INCREASE

The MARSP Board of Directors approved a dues increase of $5 per member across all categories of membership beginning Jan.1,
2015 for the 2015-16 year. The decision was made with considerable thought and discussion. We weighed many factors in making
the decision. MARSP dues were last increased in 2005. Since then, mailing costs have increased from 37 cents to 49 cents per
piece, a 25 percent increase. Inflation has averaged well above 2 percent per year, which compounds to approximately 25 percent
as well. Effectively the two issues alone indicate that our overall expenses have increased at a 25 percent rate since 2005, which
would equate to an annual dues increase of $7.50 per member. It was apparent that without an increase, however, we will operate
with a deficit budget or need to make cuts to our budget beginning next year. I trust you understand that our board is committed to
the success and viability of MARSP well into the future and I do not want to leave the impression that our future is compromised with-
out an increase. Responsible fiscal management requires all of us to consider our long-term success and, in order to avoid a much
more substantial increase in the next year or two, now is the appropriate time to implement an increase. The bottom line is a $5 per
member increase across all membership categories may allow us to hold the line on dues for another 5 years. The best way for us
to hold the line on dues increases is to grow our membership

Read complete article in the November /December Vanguard)

Meet Pat O’Toole

I was born and raised in Detroit and completed my higher education at the University of Detroit and Univer-
sity of Michigan in the area of Physical Education. My early years of teaching were at the junior high level in
Livonia and high school in Farmington Hills. After this, I became a transplant from Detroit to Bay City.
What was going to be a one-year trial at Delta College turned into 30 years of a very rewarding work experi-
ence. During my Delta years, I took trips that combined travel and education. The most memorable were Physical
Education comparative study programs in Norway, Russia, China, a Sport Science symposium in Canada, and a Vol-
leyball Coaches symposium in Japan.
In my retirement, I have spent a number of years volunteering build time with Habitat for Humanity in the back hills of
Kentucky. Quilting has also become a passion now that free time is available to me. Through all of this time, I have
remained an active lay minister in my parish of All Saints in Bay City.