Who can join the QRTA?

Membership is open to:

• All retired teachers, teacher aides and library aides for Queensland State and non-state schools, colleges and other educational insttitutions whether at pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, special, technical or advanced educational  levels 
• Any retired person who held a position allied to education after accepting promotion or transfer for teaching
• Any retired person  who held a position allied to education in an interstate or overseas educational institution
• Any spouse of any financial member, or spouse of a deceased member who makes application for membership
• Any retired staff member of the Queensland Teachers' Union, the Queensland Teachers' Credit Union or the Queensland Teachers' Union Health Society who makes application for membership

Benefits of QRTA membership

Financial members of the Queensland Retired Teachers' Association [ those who have paid their "additional Membership Benefits Fee} receive:

• a subscription to the Queensland Teachers' Union Journal (currently 8 issues per year)  - QRTA have a "Retired Teachers' Column" in each issue of the Journal
• A copy of the QRTA Annual Program
• A subscription to the QRTA digest (currently 4 issues per year)
• the use of the Union Shopper for discount buying of an ever increasing range of goods and services. This is the only way retired teachers can maintain access to the services of the Union Shopper

All this in additions to

• social gatherings
• forums and discussions
• entertainment
• group activity
• up to date information about a range of issues relevant to our needs
• cultural activities
• outings and excursions

Fees

As from 1 July 1999, to join the Association, members will pay a Membership fee of $20 and an Additional Membership Benefits Fee of $5, ie a total of $25 for the first year's membership.

Each year, in order to retain the benefits, an additional Membership Benefits Fee (of $5) will be due on 1 January, and is to be paid before 31 March of that year - ie membership RENEWAL is $5 per year.  (Download the renewal form here)

Fees are set at the Annual General Meeting.

QRTA Executive 2012

QRTA Presidents Report for 2011

It gives me great pleasure to present the annual report of the Queensland Retired Teachers’ Association for 2010/11.

We are indebted for the Queensland Teachers’ Union that allows us to hold our monthly meetings in this building and to the staff who set up for us before each meeting. We would also like to thank the QTU for allowing staff to include our membership information in their mail out to all teachers as they retire so that they have knowledge of the benefits of belonging to our association.

At present Queensland Retired Teachers’ Association now has 985 members across the state. These members meet in Brisbane, Townsville, Rockhampton, Maryborough and Toowoomba.  Sadly during the year   Branches at Townsville and Toowoomba opted to become social groups only and meet regularly for lunches and outings.  New members are contacted and encouraged to join the groups in their area.  It is interesting to note that while many teachers have retired from teaching jobs their spare time is minimal as they are now ready to embark on new careers, pursue travel ambitions, volunteer in many areas or just relax with family.

Members are reminded  that subscribing to the Association not only brings the advantages of access to the Union Shopper but the chance to keep abreast of education trends through reading the Queensland Teachers’ Union Journal, the QRTA Digest  and the yearly calendar of events of all branches which comes in the package.

Membership director, Bob Bell, has collated a up to date membership database which allows us to track and contact members about all the advantages of being part of the association.  Harold Sutcliffe and his wife Noela are responsible for the much appreciated caring program which recognises members’ special events by making phone calls or sending cards.

Continued marketing of the QRTA is an ongoing task which Des James does with enthusiasm.  Thanks to his efforts we are negotiating with Education Queensland to have information about our association included in their publication, Education Views.  Hopefully this will be complete for 2012 and all members will be adequately informed about our activities.

The Queensland Retired Teachers’ Association is represented on the Seniors Roundtable, which was initiated in February 2007. The SSR comprises representatives from Association of Independent Retirees (AIR), Australian Pensioners and Superannuants League (APSL), Council on the Ageing (COTA), Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ), National Seniors Australia, Older People Speak out (OPSO), Older Women’s Network Queensland (OWN) and the QRTA.  The Seniors Roundtable is reviewing the State Government’s Positively Ageless  Queensland Seniors Strategy 2010-29; encouraging Government to work with groups to celebrate this year’s Seniors Week celebrations; raising concerns about delays in transferring monies to the Go card; and expressing concern over advertising encouraging people to take out funeral insurance to name a few of their agenda items.

Representatives meet monthly and work closely with government on seniors’ issues and needs by advising Government Ministers and departments on budgets and policies which will benefit all seniors.  Maida Lilley is our representative and she keeps us up to date with the results of these meetings at our Executive monthly meetings.  The Digest through editor, Mavis Pearse, disperses information to the wider community of senior teachers.

At the end of 2010 QRTA representatives attended a workshop, Positively Ageless – Queensland Seniors Strategy 2010 – 20 which aims to support the Department of Communities vision for fair, cohesive and vibrant communities. This strategy aims to ensure that challenges and opportunities of an ageing population are embraced by the whole community and that the right services reach the most vulnerable and disadvantaged seniors at the right time. As a follow up of the workshop an interested group has been organised namely the Brisbane Seniors Network to which I have been invited to join. It is very exciting to be able to continue our advocacy for the needs of seniors.

2011 was a disastrous year for weather catastrophes.  The Brisbane floods saw many schools in the western suburbs inundated with mud and water.  Many students had to be housed off site for several months.  One of these was the little school of Rocklea which had three metres of water through the classrooms and the library.  QTRA members and friends lent a hand in covering hundreds of books so that the children could begin reading again.  A small job as we as ex teachers recognise the need for reading and research.

All branches continue to organise great activities for their members.  While Toowoomba, Maryborough and Townsville enjoyed lunches with a variety of speakers, Rockhampton took a bus trip to Emu Park, the ABC building and Nob Creek Pottery as well as having speakers discussing travel, craft and the history of pharmacy in Rockhampton.

For members closer to Brisbane or those visiting the programmed committee organised a variety of outings.  A group took a bus to Toowoomba where we joined with the local members for a great lunch and chat at the Railway Cafe and then meandered our way through many of the prize winning gardens. In October a group visited the Queensland Art Gallery to marvel at the Hans Heysen’s exhibition and the fabulous gowns designed by Valentino.  In 2010 the Christmas celebration function was held at the Queensland Teachers’ Union building. This proved a great success as members were able to mingle freely with friends and associates.  At the annual get together at the Irish Club in March and the lunch at COTAH we welcomed a number of first time attendees thanks to numerous posted invitations and members contacted by phone.  Two activities alloowed members to extend their historical knowledge.  First, a tour through the MacArthur Museum and then a guided tour of Old Government House increased our knowledge of how Brisbane grew into the great city of today.  We look forward to more history with a trip to the Ipswich Workshops and Rail Museum and another visit to the Queensland Art Gallery later in the year.

Through the instigation of QRTA member Betty Lauder a plaque was presented to the Forum Communicators to honour the memory of Ruth Don.  I was very pleased to attend Forum’s 70th birthday day and continue the memory of Ruth Don in this way.  Ruth Don not only was the founding member of Forum Clubs in 1941 but as a teacher she worked tirelessly for the recognition of women teachers to be accepted was equal partners in the education of children.  As Union President she lobbied government in this cause which was finally won just after her retirement in 1967. I’m very happy to say that today we have Pam Tranter with us today.  She is going to present the Ruth Don Plaque to the Queensland Teacher’ Union to be placed in the room that honours Ruth Don’s memory.

Our association is strongly supported by the QTU whose President, Steve Ryan is our Parton.  Their Business Manager, Gail Woods, has been our honorary auditor for many years. Union Librarian, Joan Crump, supervises our website.  QTCU has printed our annual state program which is distributed to members at the beginning of the year.  The Union Shopper acknowledges the QRTA by continuing members’ access to products through their organisation.

I offer a sincere thanks to dedicated executive members who work to keep this association afloat.  To Pam Mackenzie our secretary for keeping me up to date with the many things one has to learn in the first year; to our treasurer, Frank Atkinson who deals with all things monetary; to Vice President Roger Abell for his continued support; to Jim Pearse whose knowledge supports both the work of Mavis and the Digest but also adds to the humour of meetings and to Tom Sims who keeps our archives up to date.  This year we welcomed Christine Bennett to the Executive.

Sadly we said goodbye to two Executive members.  Betty Lauder retired to continue her volunteering at St John’s Cathedral and Val Greer passed away early in the year. 

Finally I would like to thank all members for the opportunity to contribute to the life of seniors and for your friendship and encouragement throughout the year.  Thank You.

Noela Rogers
President QRTA 2011
 

BRISBANE  BRANCH, Q.R.T.A. NEWS

April  2012

Our gathering at the Irish Club on March 20 was superb. After our delicious morning tea Darryl Stewart, aged 82, of the not forgotten Bobby Limb T.V. Show sang some excellent “older” tunes, for about 50 of us, which we thoroughly enjoyed. If you missed it this year there will be a similar function, most likely, next year.

Our annual Birthday Lunch Gathering will be at the COTAH rooms at Ernest Street, near the Southside Railway Station at Southbank.

• A Malcolm Thorn, an artist of impersonation skills will entertain us very well.
• It’s on Tuesday, May 15th at 11.30am.
• Pam, our Secretary, on 38449660 needs to know if you are coming along.

Recently, about one thousand of our members throughout the State received a copy of our quarterly newsletter, “The Digest,” compiled by Mavis Pearse, executive member.

Everyone receives a copy at this time of the year thanks to the QTU. To receive other copies throughout the year we need to send $5 per year, ( or 10 or 20 dollars for a few years)  to Bob Bell, membership secretary, to cover publication costs and so on. It’s really worth it as we continue to get the QTU Journal news and remain members of The Union Shopper. 

Des James,
QRTA Executive Member