Page 10 The Retirees' Newsletter
The Faculty and Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada
Vol VII, Issue No.2 -- April, 1997
FROM THE EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR when we put out the welcome mat to new members. Last year there were 28 new retirees at the University, 23 of whom are today full members of the Association. This year the number retiring is the same (28), and all are warmly invited to join the Retirees' Association.
MEMBERSHIP CARRIES NO OBLIGATIONS WHATEVER (except $10 dues per year). Beyond the dues, the Association requires nothing of its members. It requires no minimum attendance or participation of any sort in its activities, no adherence to rules, no rituals, no secret handshakes. If you want to attend the things the Association puts on, fine. If you don't, fine.
SO, THEN, WHAT'S THE POINT OF MEMBERSHIP? Well, I could go on at length. But if you're just now retiring, a diatribe about alleged benefits will probably not sway you. I would only say, why not try it? You have nothing to lose but ten bucks. And our present paid-up membership of 114 people has to be some indication that the Association must be doing something right!
SO WE ARE GROWING IN SIZE AND WE ARE TRYING TO DO SOME WORTHWHILE THINGS IN ORDER TO BUILD UP A RESPECTED PROFILE ON CAMPUS, such as the institution of our BursaryFund for Needy Students.
Our greatest need now is for two things. We need people who are willing to volunteer a small portion of their time in order to do Association work. And we need people with ideas about how a retirees' organization should function. Having only started in 1991, we're still evolving -- and nobody has yet written the book on what retirees associations should do. So let's hear it with ideas!
ONE MORE THING. We have been exceptionally fortunate in our relations with the University. We have no illusions about ourselves. We know that retirees are not a "force to be reckoned with", not by any stretch of the imagination! That's why it's great to be able to say the University has welcomed and encouraged the advent of our Association.
We have had particular encouragement from Bill Jones, the VP Academic, and from all of the people in Human Resources, especially Jim Butler, and Jim Skinner, the latter being our first line of contact, and a regular and informative attendant at our meetings. I would mention Eric Harbottle,VP Finance, whose contact has been more recent. And Ron Ianni, President, has certainly been supportive. Against such a background, the current little contretemps over that 2.5% business (see p.1) bespeaks much more that is positive than negative in our relationship. Bill Phillips
The Association
The Faculty/Librarian Retirees' Association at Windsor was formed in 1990, to give a unified voice to retirees; to provide a bridge for communication with the University; to encourage social contact among the retirees; and to open a few doors through which retirees could continue to contribute to the University of Windsor.
Thus the Association is meant to fill what could otherwise be a void in the lives of retirees possible isolation from the University and from their former colleagues; and possible lack of understanding of vital pension and health issues that affect them directly.
There are only two meetings of the full membership per year: in the spring and the fall. An informal social committee arranges several other events per year dinners, plays, picnics, and so on all of which are paid for by those who take part. The Association encourages smaller special interest groups to form as occasion and their interests warrant. Because of extreme economy of operation, dues have been kept at the level of $10 per year. This includes five issues of The Retirees' Newsletter .
Officers of the Association are:
President: Edwin Habib
Secretary: (Temporarily vacant)
Treas'r & Membership: Bill Phillips
Elected Members of the Executive Committee:Bob Chandler; Idalia Rappé
Ex Officio Members of the Executive Committee: (Founding Pres.) Shklov; and (Newsletter Editor) Phillips.
The Association's Address is:
Faculty/Librarian Retirees' Association,
University of Windsor Post Office,
Windsor, ON. N9B 3P4
Email: habib@server.uwindsor.ca
Home Page: http://www.uwindsor.ca/uwflra/index.html
Newsletter online:
http://www.uwindsor.ca/newsstnd/uwflra/news.htm
Page one Table of Contents (all issues in this volume)