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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, and
1. 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 Medicare
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