MHADRTA 1972-2013

The organizational meeting for the Medicine Hat Retired Teachers' Association (MHRTA) took place at the Medicine Hat Junior College March 29, 1972. Fiona Milne chaired a group of 19 retired teachers. A telephone volunteer committee list was drawn up and an election of officers took place:  president  Reg Johnston, vice-president Fiona Milne, secretary-treasurer Barbara Hooper and proxy secretary Peg Morrison.

An annual fee of $1.00 was levied and a motion passed to hold three meetings per year. The following month ARTA secretary George Watson visited the group for their second meeting, reviewing briefly the history of ARTA and informing them that a $50.00 start-up grant was available from ARTA. Fiona Milne took on the huge job of preparing the constitution.

The group officially became an ARTA branch society  in August. John McDonald attended the ARTA AGM in September as our local delegate and returned home as vice-president of ARTA. He went on to become ARTA president and later chairman of the ARTA pension committee.

John was awarded an ATA Honorary Life Membership in 1976. 32 members and guests attended the August 1, 1972 general meeting of MHRTA, where the constitution was adopted and a social committee formed. The group immediately took on the New Horizons project to develop, print and distribute a booklet showing the services available for senior citizens in Medicine Hat. $4500 in project funds was received from Ottawa.  Ten members of the group served as a board of directors and project administrative committee. 5000 booklets were printed, of which 1500 to 2000 copies were handed out in Woolworths by retired teachers, CHAT Radio & TV personnel and some specialty staff.

MHRTA spent a lot of time working to improve Alberta Health Care and Blue Cross services that were available to them and noted that there was correspondence on file regarding coverage out of the province and country. The group also wrote a letter re a resolution on equalizing pensions for male and female retired teachers, especially those retired prior to 1970.

Minutes and correspondence from 1973 showed that at least four retired teachers from their group had positions on city boards and reported back to the group regularly..1973 also saw the beginning of the delivery of greetings from MHADRTA to retired teachers at the Retirement Night Party, which continues to this day. MHRTA sent newsletters to all retired teachers known in the area including Foremost, Irvine, Brooks, Oyen, Redcliff, Burdett, Bow Island and Empress.

In October 1973 questionnaires were sent out to members and prospective members requesting lists of hobbies and interests for use in initiating activities and field trips. Group activities, presentations and outings were based for several years on the questionnaire results. Interest was also shown in various senior-oriented organizations and magazines; subscriptions were taken out in some.

 In February, 27 members turned out "on very short notice" to see and hear plans for the proposed new Veiner Centre to replace the 60Plus Hall.

1973 also saw the introduction of monthly MHRTA meetings. The group pressed for more volunteers to distribute the remaining New Horizons booklets to city waiting rooms and seniors’ areas.

Discussions of fee increases took place, but the November 12 general meeting voted for the $1.00 annual fee to stay the same "until a need was shown".

MHRTA's proposed idea for an information centre in the Veiner Centre was well-received by the city, especially if it was to be spearheaded by the group. The group also agreed to purchase an audio-visual sound system for the centre.

After the Veiner Centre was opened, most of the MHRTA meetings and social events took place there for several years. Previously those events had taken place in various city restaurants, golf clubs, social clubs, lodges, parks or members' homes.

In October 1975 the group put on a wine and cheese party organized for the visit of ARTA president Pat English.

In November the group decided to approach local MLA Jim Horsman to enlist support from the Minister of Health for a Blue Cross group rate for retired teachers under the age of 65.

In 1976 the first retired teachers were honored at the SEATCA teachers' convention in Medicine Hat, which continues to this day.

In February 1976 MHRTA conducted a letter blitz urging the continuance of the Victorian Order of Nurses in the city (which was in dire financial straits at the time) and reductions in taxi fares for seniors.

In 1983-84 MHRTA annual fees were raised to $10.00, which included a $3.00 Veiner Centre membership. In 1987-88 MHRTA decided to purchase a memorial plaque with engraved names of deceased members. The plaque was donated by retired teacher/philanthropist Vera Bracken, who was presented with an ARTA Life Membership in the 1999-2000 year. When the plaque became filled, a new one was purchased in 2003. Donations have been made in memory of deceased members to health charities or to Alberta universities that they had attended.

The September "To Hell With the Bells" breakfast (later, lunch) began in the early 1990's and continues to this day. The name was later officially changed to "No More Bells" but the old name unofficially lingers on. In the 1996-97 year a motion to change the group name to SEARTA was defeated, but later on the new name MHADRTA was adopted to recognize the wide area memberships.

Since 1999 MHADRTA has "manned" the ATA table at the SEATCA convention and distributes ATA and ARTA materials to interested attendees. We also book a room at the convention to hold ARTA and MHADRTA presentations.

We man the Little Red Schoolhouse on the city exhibition and stampede grounds during stampede week and the Olde Tyme Christmas. MHADRTA pushed for the erection of a sign outside the old schoolhouse. Marian Rae researched the information and wrote the message that is posted on the sign.

The 50/50 draw at each of our six annual general meetings, first started for a donation to the children's library and then other projects, now goes toward the upkeep of the schoolhouse.

We have sponsored children at summer art programs, acted as judges at speech competitions, spelling bees and essay/poetry/art contests, supported the Rotary Music Festival and Women's Shelter and worked in youth-at-risk programs     

In 2003-04 an ARTA logo was developed by MHADRTA members Vera Henderson, Betty Lawson and Gay Pelchat and a MHADRTA logo by Madeline Fischer (with lining assistance from Donna Mae Goldade.). For a time, Madeline Fischer handled the mailing of the ARTA newsletter from Medicine Hat, assisted by Grace Christie.@telus.net;

In 2014 MHADRTA will be hosting the annual ARTA golf tournament, which will be the Clarence Goldade Memorial Tournament in honor of MHADRTA's recently deceased president and past-president.

John Foreman was our first branch benefits representative, followed by Nyk Hrynyk and Judy Wonnenberg. Donna Mae Goldade served on the ARTA governance committee (which did a lot of good work for ARTA) and Judy Wonnenberg currently serves on the ARTA strategic planning committee.

For the past two years we have held our executive and general meetings at the Southside Event Centre, with a "chef's choice" buffet at the general meetings. We have over 100 paid-up members. The information for this article was gleaned from MHRTA/MHADRTA information available in the archives of the Esplanade Museum and Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat.  A most interesting read!

Ray Morrison

President, MHADRTA (2012-2013)