The Retirees' Newsletter
Faculty & Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor

June, 1995 Issue #13

ROMANOW GIVES HIS PERSONAL VIEW ON A "NATIONAL" ASSOCIATION

Costs would be too high, interests too diverse, to support a national retirees' association now

Since the idea of a national association of retirees' groups surfaced about a year ago, Walt Romanow has been closer to it than any of our members. In the report he sent to The Newsletter following the Montreal meeting June 1, he added some "personal" comments, which are here reproduced verbatim, though summarized in part..

"I'm persuaded that the logistics of a national organization will consume a great deal of energy...It will also be costly to maintain any sort of functioning secretariat. Moreover, in a huge country like Canada, regional and provincial interests will dominate...Thus I favour regional/provincial structures over a national body...

"Further, I think that it may be difficult to define a national membership, given the varied categories of membership currently in existence.

"I expect too that CAUT (and OCUFA, etc.) may have a role to play in future with respect to retired professors. There may be some benefits to developing such liaisons.

"In sum, for what it's worth, should it come to a discussion in the Windsor Association (and if I may still be considered a member, however wayward) I strongly support an organization of retired professors/librarians/administrators because it would be important not to lose this valuable resource. But it is likely to function more effectively on regional-provincial bases rather than on a national basis". (Ed. note: Our "wayward" member in Edmonton need have no concern over the valued status of his membership here in Windsor! For a report on our own response to the questionnaire on a national association see this page.

OUR RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

MEMBERS WILL RECALL THAT, because of the very late receipt of the questionnaire (see #12, p.3) we were hard pressed to get it returned in time to be of use to the Committee. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THUS DELEGATED to Norm Shklov and Bill Phillips the task of completing the questionnaire over the Easter weekend and sending it off to Vancouver by courier, which was done. In our response, we indicated support for the proposal, but with some cautionary comment (See #12. p.3). Our position was that any national association should serve at first, only "as a mechanism for interchange of information and advice among the local organizations, and should build upon this only as experience accumulates". In answer to questions we stressed the need to accumulate experience before trying to formalize policy-positions on matters such as "office space, lab facilities., etc." In matters of medical/dental plans, monitoring changes in pension plans, and similar areas, we felt a national association might be able to serve some immediate advisory purpose. The remainder of the questionnaire asked about our own current set-up: fees, meetings, social activities, which we supplied.

THE TIME PRESSURE IN RESPONDING TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS IN NO WAY THE FAULT OF THE ASSOCIATION. Regrettably it did limit the opportunity for membership participation, which hopefully will not be repeated. Any member wishing to see our completed questionnaire may do so by asking the Secretary Treasurer Bill Libby.

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