HARTA’s COVID-19 Activities
by Ron Thompson | President, Heartland Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association (HARTA)
HARTA’s 2020 was an extremely challenging year for running programs. From mid-March 2020 to the end of August 2021, HARTA had to cancel all in-person activities within the branch, as did other ARTA branches. It took our branch until July 2020 to decide how we were going to meet. Since July 2020, HARTA has held all executive meetings online. In October 2020, we held our first virtual AGM. Between November 2020 and August 2021, we offered five presentations as well as our yearly mini-conference, all virtually.
As a result of the past year’s experience, we held our next AGM as a hybrid meeting in September 2021, using Zoom to connect in-person groups in both Drayton Valley and Leduc as well as five members from their homes. We followed all the COVID-19 protocols at the in-person locations, with all those in attendance having completed the series of COVID-19 vaccinations. In-person and online, a total of twenty-six members attended our 2021 AGM. After the official part of the meeting, Leduc members visited over lunch at St. David’s United Church in Leduc, and Drayton Valley members enjoyed a meal and visiting together at the Clean Energy Technology Centre. After lunch, we all reconnected for a virtual presentation from Gary Sawatzky on ARTA’s benefit plans.
Later in September, we met again online and in person at a Wetaskiwin restaurant, enjoying our meals and visiting. After lunch, we were joined by our presenter, Kimberly Moreside, from Leduc Blackgold Toastmasters, who gave us a short presentation on the benefits of Toastmasters. Kimberly presented from her home in Leduc while we watched online in Wetaskiwin and Drayton Valley.
HARTA intends to offer these hybrid programs as long as COVID-19 restrictions continue and beyond. Hybrid meetings have given HARTA members more ways of meeting, and we can envision inclement weather simplifying gatherings, particularly in the next few months. Various configurations of our mini-conference are also made possible through technology. HARTA thanks ARTA for making the Branch Zoom Grant available to all branches.
This article was featured in the winter 2021 issue of ARTA’s news&views
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