The Bandera County Retired Teachers met for their final 2023-2024 meeting on April 10 at the American Legion Post 157 Hall.
Barbara Brischetto from CASA spoke about her experiences as a volunteer on the Bandera County Child Welfare Board and new officers for the two-year term (2024 – 2026) were installed.
The meeting started off with a brief address by outgoing President Lynn Oliver.
Oliver thanked all the members for making her term successful and for their support. She characterized it as an “awesome experience.”
Oliver was followed by speaker Barbara Brischetto. Mrs. Brischetto volunteers for the CASA organization who oversees foster children in the county.
Brischetto began with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in 2011.
When the Bandera County Child Welfare Board was reconstituted in 2015, she represented CASA there.
Currently there are seven members on the Child Welfare Board: President Jacob Raitz, representing Bandera County Young; Vice President Amy Oullette representing Bandera County Boys and Girls Clubs; Secretary Susan Broa, representing the Arthur Nagel Clinic; Treasurer Cindy O’Leary Johnson; Barbara Brischetto, representing Hill Country CASA; Kelsey Howarth, representing the Hill Country Crisis Council; and Kane Jagger, representing Belong, a non-profit which replaced CPS in 2018.
The purpose of the Child Welfare Board is to establish the needs of the children in Bandera County and support programs that serve abused and neglected children in the community.
The CWB also is tasked with familiarizing the residents of the county with the needs of children and to cooperate with other agencies to this end.
Currently there are 20 children placed in Bandera County after being removed from their homes. Seven are foster placements, 12 are kinship placements, and 1 is an adoptive home.
According to Brischetto, the BCCWB raises awareness about the needs of Bandera County Children by recognizing Child Abuse Awareness month in April, and Foster Care Month in May. May is a focus on recruiting foster families.
The Child Welfare Board aids foster families by using the $6/day jury service donations to purchase cribs, clothes, extra-curricular activity costs, and birthday gift cards to a child in care.
The CWB also promotes the Angel Tree Program
at Christmas, and the Triple H Equitherapy Breakfast With Santa Christmas Event.
In regular business, the minutes were approved, and Linda Hunter gave the Treasurer’s Report for Sharon Anderwald who was not present.
Seventy-eight members have renewed their membership for the coming year. Forty-six at large members were identified as residing in Bandera County.
First Vice President Linda Hunterreported on the state retired teachers’ organization’s push to rename “volunteer” to “community services.”
If that amendment goes through at the state convention, those officer names would be changed. She also mentioned that at the local level, no changes would take place except through the actions of that local group.
Health Chair Doris Doebbler gave her final presentation on the benefits of laughing and smiling on a person’s health.
Anna Montague will take over that job for the coming two-year term.
The officers for the 2024-2026 term were installed by Past President Connie Young. President is Deeanne Mazurek, First Vice President is Linda Hunter, Second Vice President is Tracy Thayer, Secretary is Sarah Baxter, and Treasurer is Sharon Anderwald. The officers’ new term will start in July.
First Vice President Linda Hunter reported that the BCRTA had raised nearly three thousand dollars in savings to be able to offer $1,000 scholarships to seniors who were pursuing a degree in teaching.
The membership voted to move $100 from the checking account to the savings so that if three scholarships were warranted, they could be awarded. Scholarship applications have been delivered to both high school campuses.
The awards ceremonies at the high schools were on May 9 and May 15.
Sarah Baxter and Lynn Oliver presented the results of the survey about joining the Lions Club in their fireworks fundraiser. This was defeated by a membership vote.
Linda Hunter reminded the membership that the BCRTA would provide individual packs of homemade
cookies and brownies on May 8 to Medina and Bandera campuses to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day.
Members can drop off their donations from 10:00 to 10:30 on May 8 at the American Legion Hall in Bandera.
Secretary Sarah Baxter reminded the membership about the BISD New Teachers Luncheon which would occur in late July or early August.
The BCRTA assists the Bandera United Methodist Church with the luncheon and provides goodie bags for the new hires with gift cards being provided to first year teachers.
Deeanne Mazurek gave her final report on the BCRTA Children’s Book Project. She asked members to shop during the summer for chapter books, fiction, and non-fiction books for grades 3,4, and 5.
She announced that Tracy Thayer, the new 2nd Vice President would be taking over the project.
Thayer said she would be allowing members to come to the American Legion in August, before the first meeting of 2024-2025 in September, to drop off their books early.
Thayer said she would send emails to the membership to remind them to shop for new and gently used books.
President Lynn Oliver reminded members that the District 20 Spring Leadership Conference would be on June 5 at the Floresville Event Center.
This meeting is open to all members.
