January 2012 President’s Message

MRTF Begins 2012 with Thanks!

Every person has their own way of bringing in the New Year and saying farewell to the old. The most common tradition is the practice of making New Year’s resolutions. Most resolutions are made to motivate, with the most common, to simply make a difference.

The New Year is always an excellent time to reassess our priorities, to provide time to pause and assess our accomplishments and at the same time give us a chance to look ahead to the many opportunities and tasks to be accomplished.

At the closing of 2011 the Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation (MRTF) has many “THANK YOU’s” that must be expressed. There are so many individuals and Units who have made a diff erence. Thankfulness – gratitude – what we choose to remember matters a great deal. Making New Year’s resolutions is probably pointless; we are unlikely to keep them. Instead, the MRTF will spend the New Year giving thanks to all those who made a difference in 2011.

The MRTF Board and the entire membership of MRTA express appreciation and thanks to two members who are leaving the MRTF Board. Marcia Slaughter, Region 7, has served as Scholarship Chair since its beginning. Board member Larry Smith, Region 3, has also asked to leave the MRTF Board. Both have served the Foundation and the Association well and will be greatly missed. New members joining the MRTF Board are former MRTA Presidents Maggie Elder, Region 1, and Walter Cochran from Region 6.

A first for MRTF is the donation of a 1968 collector’s Chevrolet Chevelle by MRTF Board member, Bill Ray. The Foundation plans to turn this gift to cash with proceeds divided between the building fund and the scholarship/grant fund. Our members should be aware that this is a way to support the Foundation with tax deductible gifts. Thank you, Bill and Mary Ray.

A big thank you also goes to the MRTA members for their financial support of our mailing label campaign and a very successful silent auction. Those two fundraising campaigns netted $38,746.

During 2011 the Foundation was able to make extra principal payments totaling $120,500 on the MRTA/MRTF office facility mortgage and at the same time to award 15 MRTA/MRTF classroom grants. The fi nancial report for December 31, 2011 indicated we are nearing the end of paying for our building owing only $123,806.76. MRTF’s priority continues to be to seek contributions and organize fundraising campaigns to eliminate the mortgage.

On December 13, 2011 the MRTF Board of Directors met at the MRTA/MRTF office for their annual meeting. The major portion of the meeting was to discuss fundraising for 2012.

We must continue to rely on the generosity of our donors, you the members, who are committed to MRTA’s future, OUR future, to finish the task of paying for our office facility and classroom. I wish there was something profound or motivating to share that would encourage us to make this the best year ever. There is no reason we should not be able to pay the remaining $123,000 of the mortgage this year. The 2012 membership contributions will further reduce the mortgage bringing the balance down to $93,000.

To accomplish this, every Unit and every member would need to make a tax deductible contribution to the Foundation now. If every member would send a NEW YEAR Contribution of $10, we could pay the mortgage immediately. A generous contribution will insure your legacy for the future and accomplish our goal of retiring the mortgage in 2012.

The Foundation will be working with MRTA to have two major fundraising campaigns in 2012. The Foundation will continue to concentrate its efforts on paying off our office facility mortgage, having fundraising activities and to encourage businesses, corporations and individuals to make tax deductible contributions to one of MRTF’s four fund choices: building, scholarship/ grant, general and endowment.

I am so very grateful for all you have given. Please accept my warmest wishes for a happy and healthy 2012.

Jane Fullerton, President

Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation

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