Lamar-Delta Retired Teachers and School Employees Association (LDRTSEA) holds its first meeting of the 2023-2024 year on Monday, September 25, 2023, in the Paris Junior College Ballroom at 11:00am. All retired educators are invited to attend to hear the latest from Tim Lee, Executive Director of Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA).Mr. Lee is a strong advocate for protecting the defined benefit pension plan and other post-employment benefits many states provide for retired public educators. Seeing these benefits as an economical way of ensuring retirement security for public school employees, Mr. Lee champions adequate and consistent contributions to pension funds by both the employer and employee. He will discuss Proposition 9 for which the Texas Legislature appropriated revenue designated for a TRS retiree cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Texas voters will need to vote FOR a constitutional amendment authorizing this much-needed COLA.Other programs this year will include presentations by Lamar and Delta County superintendents in October; the annual Holiday Treat Tasting and auction in November; Cheri Bedford, City of Paris Main Street Coordinator in January; Lisa Shoalmire, Elder Law Attorney with Ross and Shoalmire in February; author Reavis Wortham in May; and Jenny Wilson with United Way of Lamar County in April.LDRTSEA has over 400 members who participate in many projects throughout the year. Those projects include Children’s Book Project, volunteering for the Kids Marathon and Texas Scholars Program, Paris Junior College scholarships, supporting students participating in the Lamar County Junior Livestock Show and Sale and in the Delta County Junior Livestock Show. Members also volunteer throughout the community and reported over 50,000 hours in the 2022-2023 year. In April of this year, eight members traveled to Austin to participate in the TRTA Red Shirt Day at the Capitol where they visited with local representatives and senators and attended sessions in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.For more information about Lamar-Delta Retired Teachers and School Employees Association, please visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063673446014 or email ldrtsea@gmail.com.About TRTA: The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) is the nation’s largest organization of retired public school employees. TRTA advocates improved benefits for current and retired public education employees and seeks to advance the well-being of its members through community involvement and legislative advocacy efforts. The association is always accepting new members; for more information on TRTA, its membership opportunities and projects in the community, visit www.trta.org or call 1.800.880.1650.
