​Retired women teachers group gathers at Bruce Botanical Food Gardens in Ripley

Following the presentation by the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens in April, the South Bruce branch of the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario/Organization des eneignantes retraitées de l’Ontario (RWTO/OERO) was inspired to make this the destination for the annual year-end picnic, June 19.

Unfortunately, the chilly, rainy weather forced the ladies to hold the retirees’ version of an indoor recess and they enjoyed lunch and socializing in the hoop house.

This was president Frances Nixon’s final meeting to officiate as she hands the leadership role to JoAnn Ruetz in September. Nixon gave an update of the RWTO convention held in Brantford earlier in June and shared insurance information. The branch received recognition for increasing its membership which included a monetary award to support attracting and maintaining participants.

The group welcomed new member Nancy Boyer, former office manager of Ripley-Huron Community School.

Although the weather discouraged exploration of the botanical gardens, the members pledged to return on their own on a sunnier day. The next meeting of the branch will be Tuesday, Sept. 2, at Ainsdale Golf Course for a back-to-school brunch.

The South Bruce branch of the RWTO welcomes any retired women teachers, audiologists, child and youth workers/counsellors, early childhood educators, educational assistants, office support staff, psychologists, social workers and speech and language pathologists living in southern Bruce County.

Contact details are found at rwto.org/branch-new/south-bruce.