R-UTN

2023 Annual Picnic Was a Success!

Posted by

A little slice of heaven opened up for us at our annual picnic on September 21 ~ the sky was a brilliant blue, the view of the harbor from the Celebration Tent at the Vanderbilt a serene one. The food provided by Anderson’s Deli and Catering was varied and delicious and plentiful. Glenn Baldwin and his talented pal Neil played delightful music in the background. The beautiful raffle baskets put together by Nancy Wine and Jane McNamara made many a winner very happy and netted over $330 for our Scholarship Fund ~ hip hip hooray!

We feted our friend and colleague Paul Fazio on his 100th birthday, and Glenn spoke for all of us in his beautiful “living eulogy” for Paul. So many achievements in his life, this celebration was one of them.

Friends chatted with each other and caught up, as well as meeting and finding commonalities with others. A lovely time was had by those who attended. That was the one disappointment: the number of attendees was down to under 50, and that number included about a dozen RUTN Board members. We had ordered food for 65-70 people who had responded “yes”. Many simply did not show up. We were grateful to have had a large number of “doggie bag” boxes, so there was little waste. Much time and effort goes into the success of this picnic, a “free” event for our membership. However, it must be remembered that a part of our dues pays for the cost, and it behooves us to be sure our money is spent wisely. 

In any case, it was a wonderful day for all involved ~ thank you to one and all!! Enjoy the photos of our time together! Visit the Photo Gallery Page for more Picnic Photos.

RC 23 BUSINESS LUNCHEON

Posted by

R-UTN Board members Nancy Wine, Larry Ryan, Jane Flood, and Vickie Newell attended a business meeting of RC 23 Tuesday, October 3. It was held at Captain Bill’s Restaurant in Bay Shore, a beautiful setting, along with a delicious lunch and discussions of several topics important to all members.

Speakers Joan Perrini, president Ellen Burke, VOTE/COPE chairperson June Smith, and Jim Kinnier brought us up to date on a variety of topics such as the establishment of another charter school in Sachem and the campaign to Fix Tier 6. This tier in our pension system was added a decade ago, and since then over 100,000 NYSUT members earned SIGNIFICANTLY reduced pensions as compared to earlier tiers. See FixTier6.org  on the NYSUT website for more information.

It was announced that the NYSUT endorsements for Suffolk County offices in this year’s elections will be out next week. We were also reminded of the importance of supporting VOTE/COPE. New York State retired teachers have the “gold standard of insurance plans” with Medicare and NYSHIP and NYSUT works to keep it that way! VOTE/COPE contributions are used for mailing, phone banks, and supporting candidates who support education – everyone should consider an increase in contributions if possible.

The luncheon was very informative, and a pleasant way to spend a few hours with colleagues and friends!