The Texas Retired Teachers Association’s (TRTA) Board of Directors voted unanimously on Tuesday, November 17 to extend the previously imposed hold on all TRTA-affiliated in-person meetings across the state through March 31, 2021. This includes all local unit meetings, as well as smaller in-person gatherings such as district or local unit executive committee meetings.
Additionally, the decision has been made to re-schedule TRTA’s hotel contract with the Austin Hilton from 2021 to 2023. This means the TRTA Day at the Capitol scheduled for April 7, 2021 will not be held in person and instead will be a virtual event. Please note, if your district or local unit has reserved transportation or hotel rooms for Day at the Capitol 2021, these should now be cancelled.
These decisions were made with the overarching concern of the health and safety of all members of TRTA. With the rising number of cases of coronavirus in Texas and vaccines still pending, the board decided the potential negative outcome of in-person meetings that may inadvertently result in a health crisis for any TRTA member is too great.
Many TRTA districts and local units have continued to meet virtually when possible with great success, some using Zoom videoconferencing services or conference calls. If your local unit would like to learn more about Zoom, please visit this newly created TRTA webpage or contact Roy Varney at roy@trta.org.
In addition to canceling all local and district in-person meetings through March 31, 2021, TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee and TRTA state officers will not be traveling for any in-person meetings. However, if you would like Tim Lee or a state officer to visit your local unit virtually this winter, please contact Shelby Click at shelby@trta.org.
TRTA knows not all units are able to meet virtually, and we encourage our members to remain safe and consider making phone calls, sending text messages, or emailing or mailing newsletters or holiday cards to their members to check in on them.
While you are staying home and staying safe, please consider calling up your retired friends and colleagues and asking them to join TRTA. We are still within reach of our goal of 100,000 members!
Are these difficult times? Yes. Are retirees up for the challenge? Absolutely! We must enter the next session prepared. We must prepare now by rallying the troops! This is the time when nearly 70 years of advocacy and perseverance really pays off.
Thank You and Keep Checking Your Email!
The TRTA Board of Directors thanks you for your continued support and your membership. The board and the staff are thinking of you and wishing you all well this holiday season. We know that Zoom and other virtual services cannot take the place of face-to-face contact, and hope that we can resume meetings again sooner rather than later.
TRTA will provide updates soon about our exciting plans for all members to participate in Day at the Capitol 2021 from home and in the always vital legislative process as we head into the 87th Legislative Session that begins in January. Watch for frequent email updates from Tim Lee and don’t forget to phone your friends and ask them to join TRTA today!
