Retirees focus on service
It will be a changing of the guard next month for a Butler school retirees group.
But the organization's mission of volunteerism will continue. And its members will thank you not to confuse it with the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
Veronica Rozic of Butler will turn over the presidency of the 438-member Butler chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees to Mary K. Davis of Butler at the group's Dec. 19 meeting at the Tanglewood Center in Lyndora.
The organization's membership is open to teachers, administrators, nurses, maintenance workers and bus drivers and all public school employees of all the school districts in Butler County.
Its purpose is to be a volunteer group to help others in the community and “continue with friendships and activities we had when working,” said Rozic. “When you retire, it cuts off. That's it.”
“We are not a union. We're not PSEA, but PASR. Those are the two organizations that most people think of when they think of educators,” Rozic said. “Only this is all-inclusive; anyone can be a member.”
Davis said, “We are a service organization, and our main mission is to make retirement for all school employees better.”
Davis taught for 35 years at Connoquenessing Elementary School.
Rozic, who was an assistant principal at Butler High School for 14 years before retiring in 2007, will assume the directorship of the organization's District 8, which is comprised of Butler, Mercer, Lawrence and Beaver counties.
During Rozic's term, the Butler group had its charter renewed by the statewide organization during a 75th anniversary lunch earlier this fall.
The group's members perform community service, help other members in need and grant scholarships to graduating seniors.
The Butler chapter also gives out an educational support grant, the Lauretta Woodson Award, which goes to an educational professional or nonprofessional project that needs extra money.
The most recent recipients, Rozic said, were Moniteau Junior/Senior High industrial arts teacher Peter Parys and building and grounds supervisor Jeff Campbell.
Parys is developing a curriculum in which his students make shelving and sell it to the school's music department as part of developing small business. “Campbell is working with the vo-ag teacher to improve the landscape of Marion Township Park. Students are polishing their skills and seeing how they can help the community,” Rozic said.PASR members have several other community projects in the works, including making worry dolls for the children of servicemen and women. “They are clothespins that we decorate that we give to the military kids. They can take it and give their worries to the doll and go to sleep,” Rozic said.Members also make felt hearts for child hospital patients and their parents and tote bags which are sent to Guatemala and used as a means to entice expectant women to keep medical appointments. “They come if they know they are going to get something at the doctor's,” Rozic said.She said members also collect coupons for servicemen. “We've sent dozens of boxes to overseas bases. The coupons are still good at PXs up to six months after the expiration date,” Rozic said. “Servicemen have low salaries and this really helps them out.”Rozic's last project with the group will be to collect items to be sent to areas hit by Superstorm Sandy. Rozic said PASR members are gathering pencils, notebooks, paper, pens and tablets to donate to affected schools.“These items are going east to do whatever we can to help. This is going to be going on for awhile because their needs are going to be there for awhile,” said Rozic. The items will be collected during the Dec. 19th meeting and every quarterly meeting after that. The PASR will contact individual schools in the area for delivery.Davis said she also will carry out service projects during her two-year term as president of the Butler chapter. “I'm just looking at different types of areas of service,” she said. “I haven't narrowed that down yet.”
Former school employees interested in joining the Butler chapter of the Pa. Association of School Retirees should send e-mail to vrrozic@aol.com for membership information, said Veronica Rozic, outgoing chapter president.“We are willing to waive dues for the first year. We are more interested in getting them involved in the community than in funds at this point,” Rozic said.
