BCREA March 20th Meeting

Approximately 30 members of BCREA met on Thursday, March 20, 2014, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Rice Lake.  The program was presented by Lakeview Medical Center Hospice.  There were several presenters from Hospice.  They included Sylvia Blakeman, HHC/Hospice Director; Lucy Hewitt, RN Hospice Coordinator; Kris Fetkenheuer, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator; Lauri Engness, Hospice Volunteer; and Lauri's two dogs Dice and Lily who are Hospice K-9 Volunteers.

This program lasted about 70 minutes with members being able to ask many questions for the presenters.  Information was distributed about how to become a Hospice volunteer and what jobs Hospice volunteers are able to choose from to help out the program.  All volunteers must go through a 4 week, two afternoons per week, training before being able to apply to be a volunteer.

If anyone is interested in finding out more, they can contact Hospice Care at 715-236-6256.  Their office is located in Rice Lake at 2304 South Main St., Suite #6, Rose Stone Plaza.

A short business meeting followed the program.  We had one new member join BCREA at this meeting. Welcome to Larry Miller, former teacher in Chetek.  Reminder, the organization is in need of a member who is willing to be president elect next year.  Please speak to any officer if you have interest in becoming more involved with the organization.

BCREA is hosting the Spring District 1 meeting being held in Rice Lake on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at Turtleback in Rice Lake.  We are asking for volunteers to help by working that day to help register participants, etc.  If you have any interest in working, please contact John Osterloth, josterloth@charter.net, or any officer of the organization.  It is important the we also have members attend this meeting.  More information should be coming out from WREA soon.

Our next meeting is scheduled for May 1st at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Cumberland.  The program scheduled is David Bennett, WREA Executive Director.  This is an opportunity for all BCREA members to meet our state Executive Director and hear about WREA.  We encourage as many members to attended this meeting as possible.

New member Larry Miller

Lauri with Dice and Lily

Information area

Sylvia Blakeman, Director

Lauri with Dice and Lily

Lucy Hewitt - RN

Kris Fetkenheuer, Volunteer Coordinator

Lucy and Kris

BCREA January 2014 WITC Meeting

On January 16th, approximately 30 members of the BCREA meet at the WITC Convention Center in Rice Lake.  Six employees of WITC presented various topics dealing with WITC programs and help for the students attending the Rice Lake Campus.  Following a delicious soup and sandwich lunch, ten members went on a 2 hour tour of the facilities, seeing many of the programs and having time to speak with several teachers of these programs.

Top picture - Betty Shaffer and Wendy Loy speaking on continuing education.
2nd picture - Lori Bowman presenting on Foundation/scholarship events.
3rd picture - Susan Janetski talking about counseling and accuplacer.
4th picture - Anne Hanson speaking on study skills/adult basic education.
Last picture - Christy Roshell who gave an overview of WITC and guided the members on their tour of the facilities.

January 2014 Meeting

The Barron County Retired Educators’ Association will meet on Thursday, January 16, in the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Conference Room located at 1900 College Drive in Rice Lake.  Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and cookies being served.  At 10:30 a.m. a program will be presented by the WITC staff concerning the college and programs it offers.  All retired teachers, administrators, and staff are invited as well as their guests.  The cost of the noon meal is $10.  After lunch tours will be provided for all interested attendees.  Reservations may be made by calling Barb Millerman at 715-743-2390 or e-mailing her at bamillerman@chibardun.net no later than Sunday evening, January 12.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

     Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our members and those who read this blog.  Our next meeting will be on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at the WITC in Rice Lake.  Our program will be a presentation on WITC and what is available on the campus.  Following the lunch, there will be tours of the facilities available to those who wish to see what is offered in Rice Lake.
    Thank you to those who turned in your volunteer hours.  All forms required by the WREA have been completed and turned in for 2013.  Along with the January meeting at WITC, we have our March 20th meeting at Bethany Lutheran in Rice Lake with a program on Hospice Care and our May 1st meeting in Cumberland with a program provided by David Bennett, the WREA Executive Director.
     The Barron County Retired Educator's Association (BCREA) will be hosting the spring District 1 meeting being held in Rice Lake.  The exact date and time will be announced at a later date.
     I look forward to seeing many of you in January.  For those who have left for the warmer climate, safe travels and see you later in the spring.

John Osterloth
BCREA President

November BCREA Meeting

About 45 members attending the November 14, 2013, meeting of the Barron County Retired Educator's Association which was held at Renegade's outside of Turtle Lake.  The program was presented by Jennifer Beaudette, Director of Member Services of Barron Electric Co-op.  Two new members attended this meeting.  They are Saundra and Bill Bergum of Cumberland.  If members have volunteer hours and were not at the meeting to turn them in, please email them to John Osterloth at josterloth@charter.net. Also, at this meeting, funds were collected to help Barron county elementary schools.  If members still wish to contribute, they can send them to Sandy Steiner, BCREA treasurer.

Jennifer Beaudette presenting

Jennifer speaking to group

Melissa Klump - Technology Coordinator with Jennifer
Beaudette and John Schaffer in backgound

Members listen to Jennifer's presentation

New members of the BCREA -
Saundra & Bill Bergum of Cumberland

WREA Foundation Challenge Award - District 1

Berland Meyer (WREA Foundation Liaison), Vic Bekkum (WREA President), and John Osterloth (BCREA President) attended the Rice Lake School Board meeting on Monday, October 28, 2013.  They were at the meeting to recognize the Rice Lake Middle School as winners of the 2013 Challenge Award for District 1 of WREA.  The project "STEAM: A Collaborative Approach to Engineering and Design" received the award.

A check for $2000 was presented to Steve Hoersten, Technology and Engineering Teacher at the Rice Lake Middle School.  The focus of the project was to challenge students to use the tools of art and design with the principles of engineering and technology to find solutions to problems that have an impact on society.

The project has expanded to the point that students and parents attend "Saturday School" so extra time can be given for lab work.  The last Saturday school had approximately 50 students and 20 parents in attendance.

Rice Lake Middle School is one of five middle schools throughout the state being recognized this year by WREA.  The foundation rotates elementary, middle, and high school awards, with this year being the middle school recognition.

November BCREA Meeting

The Barron County Retired Educator's Association will be meeting on Thursday, November 14, 2013, at the Renegades Bar outside Turtle Lake.  There will be a coffee and cookies hour starting at 9:30 am with the meeting starting at 10:30 am.  The program will be "Energy Conservation", presented by representatives of the Polk/Burnett Electric Company.
Members are reminded that we will be collecting monies for the "School Supplies" program sponsored by the BCREA each year.  At the November meeting we also collect the sheets listing the volunteer hours our members have done throughout 2013.  Members who can not make the meeting should email their hours to John Osterloth, President, at josterloth@charter.net.
Those who did not make the September meeting may pay their yearly dues of $10 for local dues at this meeting.  WREA dues may also be paid at the meeting or on line at the WREA website.