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Kansas Association of
Retired School Personnel
Volume 56, Issue 12 The Meadowlark December 2021
A STATE TREASURE... KARSP supports this Hall of Fame and encourages you
to add a trip to Dodge City this summer.
IN DODGE CITY
Although the Kansas UNITS MEETING IN PERSON
Teachers’ Hall of Fame is
not open during the fall and This has been a difficult time for units to get
winter, the Dodge City unit together in person. Many have used Zoom; some
asked that our members be have not met at all, just keeping in touch with each
reminded of this museum so other via email or phones. Part of the problem has
that you can begin planning been finding somewhere to meet. Now some of the
a trip to Dodge City between units are making attempts to get together.
Memorial Day and Labor
Day. The Topeka Area Retired School Personnel met
November 1 in person for the first time and
The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10- were able to meet at Faith Lutheran Church in
5. The admission is 8 dollars for adults, 4 dollars for Topeka. The Meadowlark appreciates getting their
youth ages 6-17 and under 5 are admitted free with a
newsletter, the TARTAN.
paying adult.
The Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame is the first one of
The Emporia Area Retired School Personnel will
its kind in the United States. It is dedicated to early still meet by Zoom in December with a video of a
day and present educators who have devoted their high school singing group, but they have plans to
lives to our professions. Visitors can find photos and meet in person at the Emporia Recreation Center
stories about Kansas’ best and brightest teaching meeting room in January.
professionals. Over 400 teachers have been inducted
into this Hall of Fame. There is also the school room The Johnson County Unit also got together for the
artifact museum to visit. first time since January of 2020 in November. They
met in Hagar Hall at Asbury UMC. They had guest
The Pleasant Hill School is also on the grounds of the speakers Marcia Merric, known as the “Mother of
Hall of Fame. Built in 1887 it was moved in 2013 to the Streets,” who works to help the homeless in
the present location from Hodgeman County. Take a the metro area. Also, they had Nancy Thompson
step back in time and see where early educators worked talk about the work of the Christmas Bureau. The
this magic. Johnson County Association plans to contact and
invite new retirees to the January meeting. Their
In 2021 the Hall of Fame had 1,571 visitors. Forty-six
program at that meeting will be The Power of
states visited, four non visitors from Delaware, Hawaii,
Music. Thanks to Linda Holland for sharing their
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and there were
five foreign countries (India, Canada, Scotland, Mexico newsletter, The Voice, with the Meadowlark.
and Guatemala). August was their slowest month, and
the week prior to Labor day was very poor attendance, All units are invited to share their news with the
but on Saturday, the last day open, they had 37 visitors. Meadowlark.
1420 SW Arrowhead Rd, Suite 100 Topeka, KS 66604 785.232.8788 www.karsp.org
DECEMBER The Meadowlark is an official publication of the
EVENTS---REALLY? Kansas Association of Retired School Personnel.
Elrea Mullen Elrea Mullen, President (620) 441-8766
KARSP President Mike Isom, Vice President (785) 476-5583
Dianne Sisk, Secretary (785) 7494601
Priscilla Taggart, Past President (316) 721-3125
Dee Schwinn, Editor (620) 412-3452
Jerry Henn, Executive Director (785) 232-8788
Perry McCabe, Membership (620) 200-0526
Tom Alstrom, Treasurer (316) 540-6020
Being THANKFUL is like EARTH DAY; both
are important every day of the year. Do you ever
consider being “thankful for your EDUCATION?”
Education should never stop. Be curious as it is
just FUN to keep learning!
As I thought about writing my last article
as president of KARSP for these two
“unprecedented” years, I became curious about
the month of DECEMBER. DID you know that
December was named for the Latin word “decem,”
meaning 10, because it was originally the 10th
month of the year in the calendar of Romulus
Kell Smalley, District Manager of Kansas, Kansas City
c.750 BC, which began in March; thus, December (913) 912-2157
was the 10th month. In 153 BCE, the Roman Cindy Hayes, Retired Educator USD #204 & Benefits
senate changed the calendar and started the new Representative, Kansas City
year with January and February. The original 5th (913) 669-3387
and 6th months were renamed July and August in Dependable Benefits. Trusted Partner.
honor of Julius Caesar and Augustus. Those were 611 S KANSAS AVENUE, SUITE 100
given 31 days to reflect the importance of those TOPEKA, KANSAS 66603
leaders. (785) 296-6166 OR (888) 275-5737
Other CELEBRATIONS in DECEMBER:
• December 1st - National Christmas Light Day
and National Rosa Parks Day. New memberships and renewals are $15.00 per year.
• 2nd - National Mutt Day to help mixed-breed If you have a change of address, please contact us by mail,
dogs and Special Education Day. phone, or email.
KARSP
• 3rd - Let’s HUG Day and Bartender’s Day*** 1420 SW Arrowhead Rd., Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604
Accept their taxi when offered! (785) 232-7877
• 4th - National Cookie Day, Sky Watching Day, karsp@karsp.org or membership@karsp.org
and Rhubarb Vodka Day. or visit us at www.karsp.org
• 5th - Repeal Day (Prohibition was officially
repealed in the USA).
• 6th - St. Nicholas Day. He was the Gift Giver
Bishop in 4th Century Greece.
• 7th - National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
and World Trick Shot Day. STRENGTH IN UNITY• 10th - The Dewey Decimal System Day and I recently attended an AARP/NRTA (National
Nobel Prize Day. Retired Teacher Association) conference virtually.
• 12th - Gingerbread House Day, Poinsettia Day, One of the presentations was on effective emails.
and Our Lady of Guadelupe Day. I found it personally very helpful. I am sharing
• 13th - St Lucia’s Day (A female martyr killed it with you because I believed it would be very
by Romans 304 CE). helpful to you as well, but also because the
• 15th - National Bill of Rights Day and Wear emphasis on brevity may relieve some of your
your Pearls Day. communication fear with your representative in
• 17th - Wright Brothers Day and Ugly Topeka. This information is very compatible with
Christmas Sweaters Day. my comment: “Remember a dissertation is not
• 18th - National Twins Day and Wreaths Day. necessary!”
• 21st - National Crossword Puzzle Day, Winter
Solstice, and pay attention to the Norse god, The Subject Line
Odin, Day in Germany. Called Yule and A. A subject line should be limited to about 30
Yuletide. characters.
• 22nd - Forefathers Day and Nut Breads Day. B. Make it time sensitive/urgent if possible.
• 24th - CHRISTMAS EVE and National C. “Will you please vote [or take some other
Eggnog Day. action] for _____________.”
• 25th - CHRISTMAS DAY, Celebrate the birth a. “Will you please voice your support for a
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. COLA now!”
• 26th - Thank You card day and Boxing Day in b. Hopefully, you will be able to use this
Canada. suggestion later! “Please vote for Bill
• 28th - National Short Film Day, Card Playing ____________ which provides the KPERS
Day, and Pledge of Allegiance Day. retired with a COLA”
• 31st - Your Adjustment Day, New Year’s Eve
Day, Thanks for a good past year, and have an Email Body
Hour of PEACE day. A. Make the first sentence and certainly the first
paragraph a summary of the rest of the body of
Whew. There is actually a celebration for every the email.
day in December. Check with Google to find B. Remainder of the email body:
more. a. Second Level: In some more detail, 3
to 5 sentences explain in more detail (IF
Enjoy your entire month of December, and have NECESSSARY). If possible, communicate
a HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2022! I, the outgoing to the recipient what the problem is, the
president, WELCOME Mike Isom as the new solution and the action required.
president and all of the voted-in officers for 2022. b.Third level: An option might be to enclose
Have a great year. a link to something you want them to look at
in greater detail. One example might be: List
***Hope to see YOU at the CONVENTION, June our website, www.ksretirees.org and what
15, 16 & 17th of 2022. you want them to read on the site.
Three Cautions:
EMAIL IDEAS WITH FACTS 1. Do not try to prove knowledge of the
Ernie Claudel, KARSP Legislative Chair and vocabulary of the English language.
Lobbyist 2. Keep the statistics to a minimum!
3. Be brief and concise!!
Friends, ……………………………………
Jerry Henn, KARSP Executive Director, and1. No Benefit increase for 24 years. Advantage plan in the fall and then decide you
2. No COLA has greater impact on women don’t like it once it takes effect in January, you
than men. have until the end of March to make a change.
3. Last COLA took effect in 1997.
4. Today it takes $170 to buy what $100 did in You can only sign up for Part D coverage during
1997. the first three months of the year if you’re
5. 88% of the KPERS retirees and switching from a Medicare Advantage plan back
beneficiaries have never received a COLA. to Original Medicare. You cannot, for example,
6. Pensions are essential for the recruitment be enrolled in Original Medicare with a Part D
and retention of public employees. plan and then switch to a different Part D plan
7. 35 states have defined benefit retirement during the January — March enrollment period.
plans and 29 of those (83%) provide annual Instead, you’d need to make that change during
benefit increases. the fall election period (October 15 to December
7).
TIMELY INFORMATION FROM Enrolling in Original Medicare
AMBA
If you didn’t sign up for Medicare A and B when
Changing Medicare Advantage coverage after you were first eligible, you have a chance to do
the annual enrollment period so each year from January 1 to March 31, with
coverage effective July 1. You may be subject to
Between January 1 and March 31 each year, if a late enrollment penalty, however. For Medicare
you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, Part B, the penalty is an additional 10 percent of
you can leave your plan and return to Original the premium for each 12-month period that you
Medicare, and buy a Part D prescription drug were eligible but not enrolled.
plan to supplement your Original Medicare.
As of in 2019, you also have the option to There’s a late enrollment penalty for Medicare
switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan Part A as well, but it only applies to people who
during this time. From 2011 through 2018, have to pay premiums for Part A. Most people
there wasn’t an option to switch to a different get Part A for free, based on their work history
Medicare Advantage plan outside of the fall open (or a spouse’s work history)
enrollment period unless you had a circumstance
that allowed you a Special Enrollment Period. Source: https://www.medicareresources.org/faqs/
But the 21st Century Cures Act (Section 17005) when-is-the-next-medicare-open-enrollment-
expanded the timeframe of the window (from period/
one and a half months to three months) starting
in 2019, and allows people to switch from one
Medicare Advantage plan to another. LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
ZOOM MEETING
Only one switch during this time frame is
allowed each year — you can change your We will be meeting December 13th at 10:00
mind multiple times during the enrollment am. via Zoom to discuss KARSP’s legislative
period in the fall, but can only switch to a priorities. Please use the following Zoom link if
different Medicare Advantage plan (or back to you wish to log in:
Original Medicare) once in the first quarter of https://zoom.us/j/99386077066
the new year. But if you sign up for a MedicareYou can also read
