DUBUQUE AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION

DUBUQUE AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION. In 1959 ten retired teachers started the Dubuque County Retired Teachers' Association. The first meetings were held in members' homes in October of that year. The organization has since grown to include more than four hundred members. Original dues totaled $3.50. That included local dues of $.25, state dues of $.50, and national dues of $2.75. Today's state dues are $12.00 and the local dues are $3.00.

The first meetings of the organization were more social in nature. The organization provided an opportunity to meet with former colleagues to reminisce about past experiences and discuss their current lives. By the 1970s the number of meetings each year had increased from four to six. Meetings began to include programs that provided information for our members. Presentations about travel, gardening, consumer fraud, social security benefits, IPERS benefits, and health care provided members with ways to improve their lives in retirement.

The Association has changed in nature over the years. It has become a resource of expertise and service for our community. Members are politically active and are interested in the political decisions that will affect retirement. Our organization has always been concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs, the high cost of health insurance and maintaining the IPERS system benefits. As a result of these concerns they have lobbied to improve IPERS benefits and have been active in getting programs for dental health insurance initiated. Other programs that are being investigated include prescription drug coverage and health insurance programs for retired teachers.

The Dubuque Area Retired School Personnel Association reaches out to our community. Monetary gifts have been made to the DUBUQUE ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDENS, PIN, Luther Manor's Alzheimer's unit, NICC Student scholarships, ST. MARK COMMUNITY CENTER, COLTS DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS, DUBUQUE ART MUSEUM, Dubuque Food Pantry, Dubuque Lifetime Center, Dubuque Girls Club, Hillcrest Family Services Library, and the music programs of the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. Through the years American flags were presented to the Arboretum and Dubuque Life-Time Center and both the American and Iowa flags to the CARNEGIE-STOUT PUBLIC LIBRARY. Members of the organization also provide countless hours of volunteer service to community organizations. Over three hundred thousand hours of service have been given to the community in past years. In 2011-2012 the organization gave over twenty-five thousand hours of volunteer service to Dubuque and the surrounding area.

Programs that have provided service for the residents of Dubuque have been initiated by our organization. William J. WATTERS helped initiate Life after Fifty Physical Fitness Program with the help of LORAS COLLEGE. Many of our members have been active in the Tax Aide program for senior citizens.

Our organization has hosted the State Convention for Retired School Personnel twice. Those conventions have allowed our members to let the rest of Iowa see what a strong local organization we have. It has also given the rest of the state an opportunity to see what Dubuque has to offer.

The Dubuque Area Retired School Personnel Association continues to honor the death of former colleagues with an Honor Guard. This tradition has been much appreciated by the families of those who have lost a family member. Those members of the organization that no longer can maintain an active role are given the status of Honored Retirees. Cards are sent to members who are ill or have lost a member of their family.

At the April 2005 meeting the membership voted to change the name of our association to the Dubuque Area Retired School Personnel Association. This change reflects the state association’s constitution that allows any retired school personnel to belong to this organization. We hope that this will bring more new members into our association. The name change became effective at our May 2005 meeting.

Our ranks continue to increase in size as more individuals retire. The state organization has recognized DARSPA for having the largest increase in membership. We are now the largest local organization in the state and have also been recognized for having the largest number of attendees at our meetings. It is our organization's goal to continue to meet the goals of those retirees.

The Organization’s Founders:

 Miss Augusta Frey (President)
 Miss Marguerite Kenna (Vice-President)
 Miss Hilda Dieterich(Secretary/Treasurer)
 Miss Eleanor Geisler (Membership)
 Miss Evelyn Ryder (Social)
 Miss Grace Ryan (Welfare)
 Miss Ilda Bavendick (Telephone)
 Ms. Harold Milversted
 Miss Eva Keane
 Miss Lyda Wright

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Source:

DARSPA website