FORT KENT — The Aroostook Retired Educators Association (AREA) will meet Tuesday, July 19, at Nowland Hall on the campus of the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
Registration will begin at 11 a.m. and a buffet luncheon will be served at noon at a cost of $14. The guest speaker will be John Short, president of UMFK.
The constitution committee has been working to update the constitution and bylaws of the organization, giving special attention to keeping them aligned with Maine Education Association documents. The update will be reviewed again and voted on at this meeting. Committee members are Bob White, Paul Bouchard and Lynn McNeal. The proposed changes may be viewed at the AREA website.
At the MEA convention, AREA was once again acknowledged for its outstanding table display. The organization received the Ritter Grant and $600 from MEA-R, the state organization’s retiree branch, for signatures collected in support of the Stand Up for Students initiative. Bob White was elected as an honorary member of MEA-R.
At the June meeting, Dixie Shaw informed attendees of the importance of the canned goods and nonperishable items donated to Catholic Charities, which serves 24 food pantries from Wytopitlock to St. Francis and is the only food bank north of Bangor. Once again, AREA will continue to accept donations for this important cause.
Members will also participate in the National Day of Caring. This year is the third year of the Bulging Backpack Project, which involves filling a backpack with school supplies and donating it to an area school. This year the grant goes to a northern Aroostook school.
Dues are $7 per year. The group’s membership goal is 505; presently there are 366 members. All retired educators are encouraged to join to stay informed, to be involved, and to enjoy friendships.
