President’s Report to the 2020 ARTA AGM
OKARTA PRESIDENT’S REPORT to the ARTA AGM
OCTOBER 6, 7, 2020
President: Fred Resler
Secretary: Marilyn Resler
Treasurer: Carl McColl
The Alberta retired teachers of the Okanagan enjoyed another year in the valley, until, of course the corona virus came along! We were pleased with the interest in the activities we were able to host in spite of it. There are over 40 paid members in our group and over 100 names on our active email list. The people who make up our branch cover a large area extending from Vernon in the north through Winfield, Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton and Oliver ending at Osoyoos by the American border.
Our branch promotes a healthy lifestyle and we planned activities around that theme. We always enjoy our annual outdoor events and have plans to add more. Each year we savor the delight of fresh raspberries and ice cream at the spring Resler Raspberry Fest. With great disappointment we had to cancel the fall Chili Pot Luck/Bocce Tournament at the home of Carl & Rose McColl. Plans to cycle the Rail Trail along Lake Okanagan were also sidelined. But ARTA’s Wellness Challenge was kicked off in April and a good number of people went walking, exercised and just got moving. Well done!
Another unfortunate cancelation was the CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) certification clinic set in March. With the help of grant money from ARTA, the clinic was to provide an opportunity to update and renew the certifications we’d received two years prior. This very valuable and appreciated exercise will be rescheduled as the participants look forward to the course at another safer time.
The OKARTA General Meeting in June was cancelled but we are still able to keep our members well informed. The OKARTA website https://artabranches.net/okarta/ has become our “news hub”. Members are directed there for all pertinent information either local or from ARTA. They also provide pictures and stories for the site. Thanks go to Bob Heyworth and Tony Esteves for their webmaster skills!
We are committed to our connection to ARTA and have acted as a resource to our members. In the past OKARTA members have been elected to the Communications, Governance and Wellness Committees. Carl McColl is presently the Chair of the Strategic Planning and Advocacy Committee. We have always been active participants in the ARTA family.
We would like to thank ARTA for the Grant money that supports our activities. Without it we would not be able to provide enriching experiences for our members.
In this new world, board meetings are carried out by Zoom. Things are different but we have the technology that keeps us together. ARTA is moving, growing and changing and as our branch grows too, we will continue to spread the good news. We are proud of this progressive organization and look forward to the future!
