Welcome to

POLK COUNTY, FL
RETIRED TEACHERS
CLUB

Meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at various locations between Lakeland and Winter Haven where the largest number of teacher retirees in Polk county reside.

Specific information about upcoming programs will be posted with locations as they are decided upon by the officers, with input from the membership.

Address

Links

For useful links visit.... our sister unitClearwater.

For a list of other Florida units Visit.... Council 43 TRIF.

At the October 2006 meeting Frank Jackson provided us with this link relating to Identity Theft.

www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

Calendar of Events

Upcoming  TRIF Winter Haven Meetings

Meetings will resume in the Fall.

Watch this spot for Next Meeting Notice.


  

Previous TRIF Winter Haven Meetings and Events

June 2, Tenoroc high school

Ruth and Frank J. along with Al and Diane L. attended the  
awards program for graduating seniors at the new Tenoroc high school  
on Saddle Creek Rd. in Lakeland.

After making a tour of the school with some local neighbors and  
learning of the  challenges facing many of the students there,   
president Ruth  J. suggested that we offer certificates and a small  
monetary award to a boy and girl graduate who exemplified good  
character/attitude in their relationships with peers and authority  
figures as well as the ability to set long term and short term goals.  
Faculty members chose Ben and Cassia to receive the awards.

After the ceremony, we met the recipients and concluded that they  
were well chosen.  We were impressed with the real sense of  
solidarity shown by classmates as they enthusiastically applauded the  
awards recipients.





The photo shows: Ruth , Ben and Cassia



April Meeting :

Our  last business meeting  and 
luncheon of the season on 
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 

Business meeting: 10:30 AM with 
lunch after.

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
6005 Cypress Gardens Blvd
Winter Haven, FL 33884

We concluded our yearly meetings with a business/lunch meeting on  
April 14 at Perkins Restaurant in Winter Haven. Carolyn Reed gave a  
report highlighting items of importance from meetings conducted  Oct.  
2008 through Mar. 2009. Milt Sessions provided a year end treasurer’s  
report and  Ruth Jackson encouraged members to share any ideas for  
future meeting topics.

The executive board will meet in June to plan for next season.

The Winter Haven TRIF is giving two awards this year to a boy and  
girl graduate from the new Tenoroc High School on Saddle Creek Rd.  
Lakeland, for improvement in peer interaction, interaction with  
authority figures and ability to set short and long term goals. These  
will be given at an awards program in June.

We wish everyone a pleasant summer and hope to see many of you in the  
fall. Watch the website for our fall meeting plans.




Tues. Mar. 10th

10:30 AM

Topic: Health

Planned Speaker: Jan Calder, Health Analyst with the Polk County  
School Board Employee Wellness Program.

At:      PEA building
         730 E. Davidson St.
         Bartow, FL 33830

On Tues. Mar. 10th we held our meeting jointly with the PEA-R  
teachers at the PEA building in Bartow. Our speaker, Jan Calder, was  
unable to conduct the exercise for seniors program due to illness.  
However, she had provided Jessie Thrasher, president PEA-R with  
handouts showing diagrams of exercises and other helpful hints.  
Jessie had recently undergone knee surgery, so she shared what she  
had  learned during her physical therapy sessions and reviewed the  
material in the handouts, emphasizing the importance of resistance  
training.

Marianne Capoziello, president of the PEA active unit, spoke to us  
about the serious cuts being made to schools in FL due to the budget  
shortfall. She gave some startling statistics of what these  cuts  
will do to the schools and urged us  to contact our legislators  
asking them to consider restructuring the FL tax code to bring in  
more revenue. She pointed out that the continued cuts could affect  
core programs and staff. A rally at the capitol in Tallahassee is  
planned for Mar. 18 at which time they hope to deposit  pennies   
collected to show that a penny tax increase could aid education.

TRIF members voted to accept the new Council 43 bylaws. Ruth Jackson  
reminded members that the April 14 luncheon at Perkins is the last  
meeting of the season.


Tues., February 10th  
Garner Elementary School Tour
9:45 AM in the parking Lot  
Tour at 10 AM
At:  2500 Havendale Blvd.
Winter Haven

----------------

Directions

The entrance is not actually on Havendale Blvd.
Turn south on "Boys Club Road.  This will be a 
right turn if you are coming from Lakeland.

Pass the first two driveways.  Pass the first Parking 
area.  Passs the picnic tables and play area.  The 
entrance is at the second Parking lot although you may 
not find a spot there.  You may have to go to the third 
parking area.

Lunch with students in cafeteria after tour.

----------------

On Tues. Feb. 10th, 
several of our retired teachers were given a tour  
of the Garner Elementary School in Winter Haven. Building  
coordinator, Linda Stein did an excellent job of showing us much of  
the large campus including visits to several of the classrooms where  
we saw students in action.

The campus not only houses classes from kindergarten through grade 5,  
but also has a head  start and pre-K program available. The class  
sizes were small so individual attention was available. Those of us  
who have been retired for a number of years were impressed with some  
of the new technology available in each room for teacher use. No more  
threading old 8 mm movies into projectors or handling overhead  
projector sheets. A centrally located technology provides all that  
with a flick of a switch. Students have access to interactive  
computer programs as lessons are taught.

Ms. Stein also showed us a TV studio she helped implement for the  
students to learn how to put together and videotape programs which  
they then broadcast to the whole school.

We visited the cafeteria as the first classes were entering for lunch  
and  learned  that 89% of the student body is eligible for free or  
reduced price lunches.

The school sponsors several family fun nights during the year to  
encourage parent involvement. A bulletin board with photos of the  
most recent one was on display near the front office.



We ended our tour at an area near the main entrance where Lowe’s has  
provided a garden plan, plants and picnic tables for student’s to  
learn more about plants and insects in this natural setting.


  

January 13th (Tues.):  SHINE Program
10:00 AM 

At:   Polk County Sheriffs Office
Community Room 
3635 Avenue G NW 
Winter Haven.

Business meeting followed by SHINE Program speaker

On Tues. January 13, 2009 we had a business meeting 
followed by speaker 
Antonio Lopez from the SHINE program 
(Serving the Health Information Needs for Elders).

We discussed  the plans for upcoming meetings and reminded members we  
will be voting on the revised bylaws for Council 43 at our March  
meeting. Copies were made available for anyone to peruse. The date,  
time and place were discussed for our end of year luncheon. We agreed  
to hold it at Perkins in Winter Haven on April 14. The time will be  
10:30 AM for the business meeting followed by lunch ordered from the  
menu.

Ideas for increasing membership were discussed. One that engendered  
some interest was the idea of having an ‘event’ with a celebrity of  
some kind to speak and join us for a meal. We will revisit the  
subject at another meeting.

The possibility of our group awarding a monetary gift to two  
graduates from the new Tenoroc HS was discussed and a letter will be  
written to the administration of the school for further direction.

Mr. Lopez spoke mainly about the changes in medicare costs affecting  
seniors for the coming year. He reminded us to be cautious of the  
many health insurance plans available. The general rule is to keep  
the plan you have if satisfied, rather than change to something  
cheaper, that may not provide your present coverage. He also provided  
brochures on Long-Term care counseling, Home Repair Fraud with phone  
numbers available from SHINE for advice concerning other healthcare  
issues and prescription assistance.

A variety of refreshments were provided by Diane and Al Lococo.
 


December 9th (Tues.):  Christmas luncheon with PEA-R
11:30 AM Dutch treat  
from menu
At:   Christy's
1100 Third St. SW
Winter Haven, FL

Directions


notify program chairperson by Dec. 1st if you plan to attend
On Tues. December 9th, our group joined Jessie Thrasher’s PEA-R group  
for a Christmas luncheon at Christy’s in Winter Haven. There were 26  
in attendance. Each place had a table favor: felt candy holders in  
the form of Santa or Scarecrow ‘suspender pants’ and each held a  
little felt snowman with a candy cane plus several other candies.  
These were provided jointly by both groups.


While we were waiting for our lunches to be served, Jessie read a  
poem and conducted a Christmas ‘quiz’ that had appeared in Sunday’s  
issue of Parade. Few were stumped by the questions.

Next, Al Lococo shared the recent experience of his visit with  fifth  
graders  at Auburndale Central School where he gave a talk about and  
demonstration of his electric vehicle. He was impressed with how  
ready the children are for this technology. 


 

He used a clever teaching aid to help them remember the  ways electrical 
current can be supplied to vehicles: i. e. the song, “The foot bone, connected 
to the ankle bone... the ankle bone connected to the leg bone... etc”   
so the children responded in rhythm, “the  gas engine is connected to the 
generator, the generator is connected to the battery, the battery is 
connected to the motor is connected to the wheels and the wheels go 
round and round” 

When Al  described the proposed Chevy Volt as an example of a serial hybrid, 
one little girl’s question was, “Where do you put the ‘cereal’?” He knew she 
was listening!



After our meal, Jessie gave out door prizes supplied by PEA-R. She  
and Ruth then gave pertinent information to their respective groups  
concerning upcoming meetings. We all thanked Jessie for organizing an  
enjoyable event.




November 11th (Tues.): Travelogue

10:30 AM    business meeting

11:00 AM   speaker: Ellen Settle  shares her Christmas trip 
to Germany last year plus highlights of her recent  
trip through the Canadian Rockies

At:    Colonial Bank community room
250 Magnolia Ave. SW
Winter Haven, FL 33880
2 blocks south of Central & Third, 
entrance at back by parking lot.



On Tues. November 11, we had our second meeting of the season. We met  
in a new and pleasant location, the  community room of the Colonial  
Bank in Winter Haven. A business meeting was held before turning the  
program over to member Ellen Settle who shared a travelogue of her  
recent trips.



During the business meeting, delegates to the Council 43 annual  
conference held in Altamonte Springs, Sept. 23 & 24, shared some  
comments from the event. In particular, they emphasized the common  
problem facing all FL units: how to tap into new retirees to FL to  
add to our membership. We sent a strong message that we all need  
access to addresses of those new retirees in order to continue in  
existence.


Copies of the new bylaws for Council 43 were made available to  
members in attendance. We will be voting to approve them in March.   
Ideas for upcoming   meetings were shared. Diane has made preliminary  
arrangements for  us to tour an elementary school in Winter Haven in  
Feb.  More details will be shared next month. Ruth has contacted a  
woman who  will do an interactive exercise program in Mar. jointly  
with the PEA-R group. A speaker from the SHINE program will be  
contacted for the Jan. meeting.

Ellen gave an informative and light hearted synopsis of her two  
recent trips: a boat trip down the Danube River last Christmas and a  
train trip through the Canadian Rockies last month. She had a scrap  
book of photos and a variety of interesting souvenirs to show us plus  
recipes to share. She provided a DVD of the train trip through the  
Rockies that Al set up on his laptop which we were able to view while  
we had refreshments. Those delicious and  nutritious refreshments  
were provided by Diane. They were set out on a table decorated with a  
fall and patriotic theme.



Tues. Oct. 14th       10:30 AM
Horace Mann Insurance Company
Speaker: Greg Mercer will speak on home insurance and will take  
questions on other insurance concerns

At:      PEA building
         730 E. Davidson St.
         Bartow, FL 33830

On Tues. Oct. 14, we had our first meeting of the season. It was held jointly 
with PEA-R at the Polk Education Association building in Bartow. There were 22 in 
attendance. Two salesmen from the Horace Mann Insurance group provided folders 
for each of the attendees that explained the services available. The company has 
 a long relationship with educators and they provide a variety of policies for 
home owners and also plans for retirement investments. The two men stayed after 
the meeting to answer any questions.


Two representatives from FLARA (Florida Alliance for Retired Americans) Tom 
Snover and Tony Kiwak spoke at length about some of the FL legislative concerns 
affecting residents as Floridians vote. There was a lively exchange from members 
about some of the campaign tactics in regard to the removal of candidate signs. 
Comparisons between local and national candidates were made concerning where each 
stood on issues important to retirees. We were encouraged to vote in a way that 
supported those issues.


Refreshments of fruit and veggie trays were supplied  by the Horace Mann Agency. 
Winter Haven TRIF supplied cheese and crackers. PEA-R supplied coffee and water.




Tues. Apr. 8, 2008       11:00 AM
Business: officers/plans for 2008-2009
Annual luncheon
Perkins Restaurant
Cypress Gardens Blvd.
Winter Haven
(across from Cypress Gardens)




On Tues. April 8 we had our last meeting before the summer vacation.  
The group met for lunch at Perkins Restaurant in Winter Haven. We did  
not have a speaker for the meeting.  



Before lunch was served, we discussed the past  four years when the 
Winter Haven unit was organized. We reviewed the development of the 
group and discussed ideas for the future. We have  tried varying our 
meeting dates, but it was suggested that we might improve attendance 
by agreeing to meet the second Tues. of the months, Oct. through April. 

The group also felt that our two joint meetings with PEA-R (Polk 
Education Association-Retired) should be repeated during our next season.  
Thoughts about how we might influence changes in school curriculum  
were expressed. A group of members plan to meet for a brainstorming  
session to discuss  these issues and how we might address some of them.


Tues. Mar. 11, 2008  10:30 AM
Joint meeting with PEA-R
730  E. Davidson St. 
Bartow
Scheduled Speaker: Tom Snover, Polk County Rep. FLARA
Substitute Speaker: Al Lococo, Battery Electric Vehicle Enthusiast

On Tues. Mar. 11 we held a joint meeting with PEA-R at their 
headquarters in Bartow. Neither group had a business meeting. The 
planned program was speaker, Tom Snover, Polk County representative for 
FLARA (Florida Alliance for Retired Americans). On December 3, 2007 
NYSUT Retiree Council 43 was  given affiliation with FLARA. We expected 
to hear more details of the benefits involved with the affiliation. 
Unfortunately, our speaker did not appear. 



However, in his absence, 
associate member, Al Lococo, a retired Computer Systems Programmer from 
IBM, gave an excellent talk on “The Electric Car” and the feasibility of 
that technology, not at some far off date in the future, but now. He 
answered questions from the group and gave an inspection tour of the 
electric truck he and his  wife, Diane drove to the meeting. Al spent 
much of 2007 converting it from gasoline  power to electric power. His 
goal is to inform as many people as possible of the need and benefit 
from alternative energy sources in order to wean us from foreign oil 
dependency. His emphasis has been the electric vehicle.  Al asked everyone 
to be sure to see the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car" available at
Block Buster or Amazon.



Presidents Jessie Thrasher (PEA-R) and Ruth Jackson (TRIF) noted some 
of the upcoming events for each group. Also mentioned was the 
importance of filling out permission at your doctor’s office for  
information to be released if necessary, now that privacy laws can 
prevent a spouse from obtaining them. A sheet with ‘signs of stroke’ 
was made available for each group.






Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 10:00 AM
Polk County Sheriff's Community Room 
3635 Avenue G NW 
Winter Haven.

Business meeting followed by 
speaker: Rosa Ward
Polk County Public Safety Office

Topic: Home Hazards and Hazardous Weather
Light refreshments served
  
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, our group met at the community room at the Polk 
County Sheriff’s Dept. in Winter Haven. We had a short business meeting 
during which a discussion was held concerning the future of our group. 
The consensus among those in attendance is that the group appreciates 
the connection and social contact with retirees from NYS who hold 
similar interests. We feel this has been beneficial and should be 
maintained. With membership not growing at the rate we had hoped, we 
are considering some changes in the number of meetings held each year, 
perhaps combining some with the PEA-R group as we have done this year. 
The discussion will be continued at our April luncheon meeting.

Speaker, Rosa Ward, Polk County Education Officer gave an excellent 
power point presentation on home hazards/hazardous weather. She 
provided us with a variety of information necessary for coping with 
conditions we are likely to encounter.




January 8, 2008  (Tuesday)
             10:00 AM We met with Polk County retired teachers to celebrate their organization's 20th birthday. Light  
refreshments will be served.

        Speaker: Carrie Sue Ayvar shared Polk County history through storytelling

         At: Polk Education Association Building
             730 E.  Davidson St.
             Bartow, FL

             
On  Tues., January 8, we met with the PEA-R (Polk Education 
Association, Retired) group at their headquarters in Bartow. Their 
president, Jessie Thrasher welcomed our group and introduced her 
longtime friend, Carrie Sue Ayvar who was the speaker.  Ms. Ayvar 
currently lives with her husband and children in N. Miami Beach. She is 
a member of the FL storytelling association and has won awards for her 
storytelling ability. She grew up in Pittsburgh and   quipped that she 
was probably the only one who spent summer vacations in FL where her 
grandparents  lived. She has lived in Mexico and attended a clown 
school in NYC so that she could spend time in a pediatric cancer ward 
helping the children and parents cope.

Ms. Ayvar gave us some history about FL personalities who have been 
important to the state, pointing out that its history goes back longer 
than some of the early northern states. She reaffirmed what many of us 
know, that storytelling is one of the best ways to teach history to 
make it interesting. After her talk, she welcomed questions from the 
group. Frank Jackson asked her if she knew of the storyteller who had 
recorded a story about a teacher who taught her  children all subjects 
by taking imaginary trips throughout the school year. Ms. Ayvar knew 
his name and the story right away, much to his delight.

Jessie had a short business meeting followed by a lunch of sandwiches 
and salads plus a large decorated birthday cake celebrating the 21st 
year of the PEA-R organization. After lunch, door prizes from 
disposable cameras to candles were given to all who attended.
  



December 11 (Tuesday): Polk County Library Services
             10:00 AM business meeting
               10:30 AM speaker: Gladys Roberts, Coordinator
                          Polk County Library Cooperative

                     At: Polk County Sheriff’s Community room
                         3635 Ave. G NW
                         Winter Haven, FL 33770

On Tues. December 11, we held a brief business meeting in the community  
room of the Sheriff’s dept. building in Winter Haven. After the  
secretary and treaurer’s reports were given, president Ruth Jackson  
displayed the certificate of affiliation with Florida Alliance for  
Retired Americans, Inc. that Bill Cea sent to each group and explained  
that we hope to have a representative from that organization speak to  
us about the benefits at a future meeting. Sign up sheets were passed  
around for Jan. and Feb. meetings. Copies of the recently completed  
directory were available. The need for a nominating committee for new  
officers was announced.

Gladys Roberts, coordinator of the Polk County Library Cooperative was  
our speaker. She gave a power point presentation detailing the many  
services available to residents. The cooperative  was formed by an  
inter-local agreement between the 13 cities that have public libraries  
and the Board of County Commissioners to better serve the many people  
who live in the unincorporated areas of the county. One of the new  
successful services Ms. Roberts described is B-Mail (books-by-mail home  
delivery) which sounded ideal for rural residents. For more information  
on that and many other services, go to  www.pclc.lib.fl.us

Following the power point presentation, Ms. Roberts delighted us with  
her story telling ability by sharing the folk tale “Soap, Soap, Soap”.



November 14 (Wednesday): Secret to Successful Aging
             11:00 AM tour of The Estates at Carpenters
                      with complimentary lunch following
                      in their dining room. (limit 20-25)

                     At: 100l Carpenter’s Way
                         Lakeland, FL 33809

On Wed. November 14 the Winter Haven unit 15 met in Lakeland at the 
Estates at Carpenters. This is a not for profit lifecare facility set 
on 38 acres of land attractively landscaped and maintained, which 
provides retirement living from independent apts. of varying sizes to 
assisted living and nursing home care if and when needed.

Thelma Williams and Janie Ducar of their marketing dept. gave us a tour 
of the facilities after which we were served a delicious complimentary 
hot meal in a private dining room. While we ate, Ms. Williams and Ms. 
Ducar graciously answered any questions we had concerning the costs and 
services provided by the Estates at Carpenters. We were joined in the 
dining room by NYS retired teacher Betty Whittaker and husband, Bob who 
are currently living at the facility. They shared their experience 
living there for the past year and a half which was praiseworthy.

On the  tour we were able to visit a couple living in a two bedroom, 2 
bath apt. and an unoccupied studio apt. We were also shown some of the 
amenities available to all  residents some of which include, a heated 
pool, exercise room and a wood working shop.






October 16 (Tuesday): Wellness for Seniors
             10:00 AM business meeting
               10:30 AM speaker: Christopher Mondello, Osteopath,
                          who will discuss ways for seniors to keep
                          mind and body active
               11:45 AM lunch in Lake Ashton dining room
                          
                     At: Lake Ashton Golf Club
                         4141 Ashton Club Drive
                         Lake Wales, FL 33859





April Meeting :
We had our  last business meeting  and 
luncheon of the season on 
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 

Business meeting: 10:30 AM with 
lunch after.

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
6005 Cypress Gardens Blvd
Winter Haven, FL 33884

The Winter Haven TRIF had its concluding meeting of the ‘06-’07 season 
with a luncheon on April 10 at the Perkins Restaurant in Winter Haven. 
There were 15 members in attendance. We had no special program. 
President, Ruth Jackson gave some remarks, reminding those in 
attendance of the importance of recruiting new members, and thanking 
those who have helped with programs, refreshments and reminder calls 
throughout the year.

Frank Jackson summed up the Clearwater Cluster meeting information on 
our NYSUT benefits package. There have been a few changes in the 
investment offerings. He pointed out that NYSUT does the best it can to 
investigate any of the benefit packages offered, but individuals stilll 
need to make sure the offer is the best available to them among 
competing offers through other vendors. The one important 
consideration: NYSUT will be your advocate should you have any 
difficulties upon receiving any of the benefit packages. Members should 
have received the new brochure by mail.


Directories, containing names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail 
addresses of current Winter Haven TRIF members were handed out to 
attendees. We will update the list in the fall with those interested in 
being included. It was agreed that we also include names of school 
districts from which members had retired in the next edition.

Carolyn Hull and Carolyn Reed will be our delegates at the annual 
Council 43 meeting in Orlando in September. They will give us a report 
at our first fall meeting in October.

The executive board will meet during the summer to plan our fall 
programs, taking into consideration some of the suggestions made by 
members. A newsletter with that information will go out sometime in 
September.




March 20th (Tuesday) :
Florida plant garden tour

	Speaker: Dave Shibler

	10:30 am Tour of the garden

	At:  Polk County Cooperative Extension
	       Stuart Center
	       Bartow, FL

	Lunch following at local restaurant

A smaller than usual group of retired teachers met on March 20 at the  
Polk County Agricultural building/Stuart Center in Bartow for a tour of 
their gardens. Much to our surprise we had showers when we arrived. 
Master gardener, Paul Anderson gamely showed us around and gave us 
valuable information about FL friendly plants while we tried to keep 
dry with umbrellas and rain bonnets.  Paul explained that Feb. is the 
time to prune roses in FL and we were able to see the new  growth on 
the roses he has pruned in the Stuart Center  garden. A recently 
established butterfly garden was pointed out to us. We were encouraged 
to return when more plants will be in bloom.

Paul explained the process involved in becoming a master gardener for 
any who were interested. We each received a brochure to take home with 
that information. He also showed us the office where he puts in 50 
hours per month answering all kinds of gardening questions from 
callers. He has many reference materials including a computer with a 
data base of info to use. He said he often tells the caller that he 
does not know the answer, but will look it up and get it for them. We 
left with the feeling that we had learned a lot and also had a place to 
turn to for solutions to our gardening problems.

No business meeting was held this month.

  




February 13th (Tuesday) :
Polk County Recycling Center

	10:00 am   1.5 hour bus tour and talk about 
	the state of the art facility  
	
	NO business meeting

	At: North Central Landfill
	      10 Environmental Loop N
	       7399 DeCastro Rd
	       Winter Haven, FL

On  Tues.,Feb. 13 the Winter Haven TRIF group met at the Polk County 
Landfill site.  Betty Henderson,  recycling coordinator, took us on a 
comprehensive tour of the state of the art facility in Winter Haven.

We were driven around much of the 2000 acre area in an air conditioned 
small bus with comfortably upholstered seats by our driver, ‘Fabian’.  
Betty explained each area and how it fit into the program of 
responsible landfill use. We also got to see the building where 
recyclables are sorted and crushed or shredded for preparation to be 
sold for future use.

After the bus tour, Betty showed us some of the displays and charts in 
the  main office detailing some of the science involved in the 
processes. We also saw several models made from recycled materials. A 
photo of one is included.

We all came away with a better appreciation of the job Polk County is 
doing to provide a sound landfill and recycling program as Florida 
continues to grow in population. 




January 9, 2007 (Tuesday):
Self Guided Tour of Polk Co Museum

	10:30 am  business meeting
	11:00 am self guided tour of the museum

	At: Polk County Historical Society
	      100 Main Street
	       Bartow, FL

	Lunch at Mike's Restaurant
	
Our January meeting was held at the old court house building in Bartow 
where the Polk County Museum is located. We were given the use of a 
room on the third floor, accessible by elevator, where we had our 
business meeting. Visiting our group this month were Jessie T and her 
husband, Dwane who recently moved here from Dade County. Jessie is a 
retired FL teacher and former Lakeland resident. She is trying to 
revitalize a Polk County retired  teacher group. We appreciated hearing 
of her efforts.


Following the business meeting, we toured the museum and were amazed at 
the wide variety of displays on hand, more than we had time to see 
adequately in the time we had before adjourning to Mike’s for lunch. 
Some of us plan to return for a more leisurely tour of FL history with 
an emphasis on Polk county.



December 12th (Tuesday): Antiques part II for the Non Affluent
 10:30 AM business meeting
 11:00 AM  speaker: Mary Bonanno will share her knowledge of
                    antiques, including how to determine types of glass. She
                     also has books participants can consult.
 Noon:    luncheon (prepaid reservations $6.50)
 At:   Clubhouse
         Skyview Estates
          Skyview Dr. (between Combee Rd. and 
           Reynolds Rd.)
            Lakeland, FL 33801



Our December meeting was held at Skyview Estates clubhouse in Lakeland 
where member, Santo B. and his wife, Mary live. After the business 
meeting in which we reviewed some of our upcoming events, including a 
reminder of the cluster meeting in Clearwater, Al L. explained the 
Citizens’ Academy 2007 program available to Polk county residents he 
and wife, Diane have recently completed. He encouraged any interested 
in learning more about the excellent services we have provided county 
wide, to sign up for the program.


Ruth J. introduced retirees, Robert and Evelyn H. who had joined us for 
the first time. They shared an interesting story about a valuable 
antique table of theirs that made the news in their NYS finger lakes 
region home town. New retiree, Josie M. was accompanied by her husband, 
Victor and neighbors, George and Janet. They also brought some 
interesting antiques to show the group.


Following the business meeting, Mary B. shared her knowledge about 
antique glassware, using items she and some of the members had brought 
to illustrate the different types worth collecting.


Mary B. and several friends from the Skyview community put on a 
luncheon for us consisting of turkey, ham and many side dishes plus 
dessert and beverage. We gave them a hearty round of applause for 
preparing the meal we all enjoyed.


November 15, 2006 (Wed.)
10:00 AM: business meeting
10:30 AM: speaker

  Unit 15 TRIF met at the same location in Winter Haven we met in last  
month.  In keeping with the holiday season, Diane and Al L. provided a  
variety of fruits, veggies and dip, crackers, cheese, cookies and  
beverages on a Thanksgiving theme decorated table for our refreshments.

We discussed plans for future meetings and provided sign up sheets for  
those interested. Several members were unable to attend due to illness  
so our attendance was down. Suggestions for increasing membership were  
discussed.

Our guest speaker, Manelle O., a Winter Haven resident and retired FL  
teacher gave us an informative talk about the elderhostel travel  
programs available for folks 55 and older. She shared some of her  
experiences both in the USA and abroad. She provided several samples of  
the extensive catalogues of trips available for 2007 and provided sign  
up sheets for any who wished to receive catalogues in the future.

We were pleased to welcome for the first time a new retiree, Josie M.   
who moved to Lakeland in the summer. She has had an interesting career  
as a bilingual teacher in Manhattan and the Bronx, although her  
teaching experience was not limited to that. She shared comments about  
a few of her extra-curricular activities which indicate a wide variety  
of interests. We look forward to her energizing our group.






Oct. 17, 2006 (Tues.) 
Metro Crime Prevention of Florida
          10:00 AM: Business meeting
           10:30 AM: Speaker
                       	
At: Community Room Polk County Sheriff’s Office
            3635 Ave. G NW (SR 542)
            Winter Haven, FL 33770


The Winter Haven unit 15 TRIF met at the community room in the Polk 
County Sheriff’s Dept. located on SR 542 in Winter Haven on October 17. 
Our guest speaker was John Lake from Metro Crime Prevention of FL. He 
is a retired law enforcement officer who shared with us numerous ways 
to avoid becoming crime victims. He emphasized those things we could do 
to minimize the threat of identity theft, the fastest growing crime in 
the USA.

We were pleased to welcome for the first time, Robert B. from Poinciana 
who retired from Suffolk County, NY in 1988. We  had 17 members in 
attendance.

Irene G. shared highlights with us from the Council 43 annual 
conference in Altamonte Springs in Sept. She and Carolyn H. were our 
delegates this year. We hope to  encourage others to attend in the 
future. Irene reminded us of the importance of connecting with other 
teacher retirees who have common interests.




Apr 11th (Tue):   Luncheon and installation of officers
        11:30 a.m. Olive Garden

 	Olive Garden, 
	406 Cypress Gardens Blvd. 
	Winter Haven

Our group met for lunch and a social time on April 11th at the Olive 
Garden restaurant in Winter Haven. This was the last scheduled meeting 
until the fall. We  had 18 in attendance, including two new people, 
Marcia & Robert D. who introduced themselves with some background on 
their teaching experiences. This prompted similar responses from 
others.




Ruth J. thanked attendees for their support and ideas throughout the 
year. The current slate of officers will remain for another 2 year 
term. We had an increase of 7 new members this year and our goal is to 
add at least 10 for next year.





Mar 14th (Tue):   Antique Class
        10:30 a.m. business meeting

 	followed by program:
	Bring an item to be appraised.
  
	Light refreshments will be served.

	Chinoiserie Antique Shop, 
	125 S.Central Ave. 
	Bartow