The Rush County Retired Teachers met Sept. 25 at the Rush County School’s Administration Building for an evening meal and meeting. Phil Mitchell gave the blessing before the meal. President Bud King welcomed the new retirees, Dianne Harris, Karen Brown, and Elaine Stewart as well as everyone else present. Members and guests stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag. The secretary's report was approved as was the treasurer's report.

Betty English volunteered to be a new caller for Susan Kirkpatrick, Calling Committee chairperson. Membership chairperson, Barbara Kendall, thanked Louise Kendall for making several computer cards to send to those unable to attend the meeting. She also reported that there were 108 paid state members and 60 associate state paid members from the local organization. Bud King thanked those teachers who had helped him sign up associate members on the first day of school: Shirley Henshaw, Susan Kirkpatrick, Phyllis Fecher, Libby Smith, Sharon Wooley, and Barbara Kendall. Kathy Wright was thanked for the lovely posters that she had made for that day. Kay Story was the teacher who won the $20 prize, and Donna Swigart won the big jar of peanuts on the associate sign-up day.

Volunteer hours for the year are to be given to Shirley Jones, Community Service chairperson, by the December meeting. Those who attended the Area 6 Meeting in New Castle on Sept. 23 were Shirley Henshaw, Bud King, and Andy Taff. The retirement workshop for classroom teachers will be sometime in November. Those who helped to give new pencils from the retired teachers to all first graders in the system were Tom and Claire Mercer, Roberta and Don Porter, Bud King, Shirley Henshaw, Barbara Kendall, Dianne Harris, Susan Kirkpatrick, and Libby Smith.

Tammy Leising Jackman gave the program on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The program was first started by Dolly Parton in Tennessee, and it has been extended to many communities throughout the United States as well as England and Canada. Each child is sent an interesting book monthly from the time he or she is born until the age of five, and the books are picked out especially for the age of each child. Many organizations make the Dolly Parton Imagination Library their special project to fund. Following Jackman's presentation, several persons had questions to ask her concerning the program.

Bud King noted that Oct. 9 is Appreciation Day for retired teachers. Tom Mercer collected dollars for the 50/50 drawing, and Judy Neal was the lucky winner. Brag-for-a-Quarter was done by Karen Brown, Steve Foley, and Bud King. Barbara Kendall had brought door prizes to the meeting, and Nancy O'Dell, George Lee, and Betty English were the winners of those prizes.

The next meeting will take place at the Elks at noon on Dec. 4.