Dearborn Co. Retired Teachers Receive AMBA Clock Award

The award is Indiana Retired Teachers Association's most prestigious.

Jo Sloan and Mary Bradley are recipients of the AMBA Clock Award. Photos provided.

(Dearborn County, Ind.) - The Dearborn County retired teachers met August 10th for their third social of the year. Present at the meeting was Paula Dyer, the Indiana Retired Teachers Association President who presented 2020 and 2021 Representative Assembly awards to Dearborn County. These awards would normally have been presented at the IRTA Representative Assembly in June of 2020 and 2021; however, because of Covid precautions, the Representative Assemblies did not meet.

Two of Dearborn County’s retirees received the most prestigious of the Assembly awards – the AMBA Clock Award. Jo Sloan received the award for 2020 and Mary Bradley received the award for 2021. This award is given to the person who is the most outstanding volunteer in each of the ten area divisions in the Indiana Retired Teachers Association. It is very unusual for one county to receive the award two years in a row.

Jo Sloan received this award because of various volunteer activities. Upon retirement Sloan began serving as a member of the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation which gives grants to Dearborn County teachers for innovative teaching needs. She also works with students in the “Good News” program after school and volunteers in her church’s many activities. She is committed to the youth in her church and has taught Sunday School classes for many years. Sloan is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma which helps with many projects around the area and across the state. She works with TOPS, coaching members to improve their health, lose weight, and develop a lifelong new way of thinking. During the past year, she became good friends with a Chinese girl and worked with her to improve her English skills. As a past Special Education teacher, Sloan’s true passion as a volunteer is working with the Special Olympics. With these children she helps them build confidence, the spirit of giving, and teamwork.

Mary Bradley, a retired Lawrenceburg High School French teacher is involved with the DCRTA Pillowcase dresses and shorts program which sends dresses and shorts overseas for children in third world countries. Several years ago, Mary presented the idea of adding barrettes to each dress made. She sews all the parts for the barrettes and then sends them through the mail to be included with the dresses. Literally thousands of dresses with barettes have been made and shipped overseas for various missions. Mary is also on the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation Board and sends out hand-written thank you notes to donors and sponsors for their support. Mary stays involved with the local LHS French Club making sure that each French Club member receives a tassel for his/her luggage on their French trips. She also assists with the Special Education classes as a chaperone on special outings and makes cookies for them. For a special friend with health issues, Mary finds time to take her to appointments and on other outings that would not happen without her assistance.

Also receiving Honorable Mention for volunteer service recognition were the following DCRTA members: For 2020 - Marita Cizek, Jane Richie, and Cherie Rump. For 2021 - Gerri Barber, Jim Helms, and Cherie Rump All of the Honorable Mention volunteers give unselfishly of their time and talents to assist others and their community.

Dearborn County was also the recipient of the Outstanding Group Project Award for 2020 and 2021. For 2020 the award was for its Pillowcase Dresses with the addition of barrettes. This project has become a passion for a number of DCRTA members with the work being shared by a number of missionary programs throughout the state. For 2021 the award was for the making of over 2000 three-layered masks which were distributed to various agencies. These masks were given out free of charge.

Dearborn County was additionally recognized for it Outstanding New Releases, Newsletter, and Web Page for both 2020 and 2021. These Public Relations projects are coordinated by Dennis Bourquein and cover both the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Association and Foundation.

The Dearborn County Retired Teachers Association is a very active member of the Indiana Retired Teachers Association. It meets four times annually with its next dinner and meeting to be held on October 12 at the Greendale Baptist Church. Membership is open to all retired and active teachers and friends of education. The October program will feature a high school music program. Reservations can be made by calling Janet Hart at 812-290-3721.