The first meeting of Coryell Retired School Personnel (CRSP) for 2025 will be held Thursday, Jan. 23, at Rancher’s Steakhouse. It will be an important meeting as the primary activity will be raising money for CRSP’s scholarship fund. This is accomplished each year through a “silent auction.”
Members are asked to provide items for the auction by donating such things as baked goods (like jams, jellies, cakes, pies, cookies, breads, for example). Items like gift cards, gift certificates, hand-crafted projects, quilts, dishes, apparel, knives and collectibles, books, covered furniture, and a wide variety of other things are acceptable, too. Money from the silent auction will be placed in the CRSP Scholarship Fund. Velva Riddle, Chairman of the Scholarship Committee explained, “Each year, retired school personnel present two scholarships to deserving high school graduates from Coryell County who are planning to enroll in college in the fall and pursue a career in education.”
She requests that scholarship committee members arrive a few minutes early to help set out the silent auction items. Members should bring their donated items by 9:30 a.m. They will have time to visit, socialize, get that all-important cup of coffee, look over items and place a few bids. Financial donations are also acceptable.
The regular meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Guest speaker will be Velva Riddle. Co-Presidents, Gayla Linton and Debbie Grmela, have announced a legislative event coming up on March 26, 2025, “A Day at the Capitol.” Gayla explained, “We will meet with the House Gallery, the Senate Gallery, and Legislators will join us later to discuss retiree’s needs.” Debbie urged members to “put this date on your calendar, and more information will be coming.”
There are only three other meetings and a workshop remaining before the group’s summer break. If members want to mark these dates on their calendars, they are as follows: (Feb. 20) “Bingo for Books” to support their Children’s Book Project; (Mar. 20) Program presented by Rainey & Rainey “Inheritance: Who Gets What?” and Q & A about any legal problems or concerns; and (Apr. 24) “People Need People – What the Senior Center Has to Offer” with Camilla Edge. The District XII Spring Leadership Meeting at the Region XII Education Service Center in Waco is scheduled for May 20, 2025.
One final reminder: Mike Barron, Chairman of our local Community Volunteer Services Committee, requests, “Members who have not turned in ALL volunteer service hours for 2024, PLEASE turn them in at this meeting. Our chapter’s total is due to regional and state offices very soon.” Members may also turn in service hours for January, but please keep them separate from those earned in 2024.