South Bruce Retired Women Teachers care, share and welcome

The South Bruce Retired Women Teachers of Ontario/Organization des enseignantes retraitées de l’Ontario (RWTO/OERO) gathered Oct. 17 at the Ripley-Huron Legion Hall to share a meal, memories and show caring for others.

It’s a tradition of the fall meeting to include an In Memoriam service for members lost in the previous year.

Beverly Peterbaugh died in late March at the age of 94. She was a teacher at the Ripley-Huron Community School for many years and a resident of Rosewood RVilla Retirement Living. Audrey MacDonald provided a moving tribute to Bev and several members of the branch, who are former colleagues, shared fond memories of her.

The South Bruce branch welcomed four new members: Jan Kelly, Deb Marion, Jaki Mayer-Duggan and Linda Snyder, and invited each to share some personal and career background information.

Following a delicious soup and sandwich lunch, the group welcomed guest speaker Wes Larson, founder and executive director of The Bridge, a community drop-in centre located in downtown Kincardine.

Larson detailed his background and the many services provided by the centre which offers meals, a relaxed place to connect with community, and many special events and services targeting teens, seniors and newcomers to both Canada and the Kincardine area.

The South Bruce RWTO/OERO meetings provide branch members the opportunity to socialize and keep in touch with former colleagues and make new friends with people who share similar backgrounds and experiences. They acknowledge their good fortune by caring and sharing with others. At this meeting, personal hygiene products for both men and women were donated to the Kincardine Food Bank and a donation was made to The Bridge.

The next gathering of the South Bruce RWTO/OERO will feature a Christmas dinner and takes place Nov. 21 at the Kincardine United Church. Contact Frances Nixon, nixonf@bmts.com, for details.