Dearborn Retired Teachers Meet, Embrace Environmentalism

The group’s next meeting will be June 16 at 5:00 at Greendale Middle School.

(Aurora, IN) - The Dearborn County Retired Teachers Association (DCRTA) met on Tuesday, April 21st for their first meeting of 2026 where staff from the Dearborn County Recycling Center shared information about their many programs and congratulated the group for its active participation and encouraged members to continue to volunteer to make our community a cleaner, brighter, more progressive and environmentally friendly place.

The meeting was called to order by new President Sharon Moder. The group enjoyed a meal catered by former Parkside Market owner Phyllis Knueven, who is known for donating leftover food to local initiatives. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance members and guests heard remarks by Julie Robinson and Stefanie Hoffmeier about the many programs and services the Recycling Center provides.

These include the Creation Station, where local teachers, group leaders such as Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups, and home school parents can come for free classroom supplies. They also highlighted the Reprom dress program, the Halloween Swap costume program, and the annual Holiday Giveaway. Robinson and Hoffmeier also spoke about the county’s various recycling programs and encouraged members to use orange Hefty bags for items not suitable for recycling bins.

After a Q & A session free items were available to members such as green shopping bags, recycled Post-It notes and greeting cards. President Moder also updated members on the upcoming Representative Assembly, a statewide meeting in Indianapolis for all county groups to set their goals for the coming year, reflect on the past year, and strengthen their advocacy for all retired Hoosier teachers.

Moder asked members to sign Thank You cards for our local state legislators for supporting the so-called “Thirteenth Check”, a stipend granted to retired teachers by the state legislature as a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Moder also announced the group’s Community Action Project for this year is collecting books, crayons, and coloring books for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. After a motion and second, the meeting adjourned.

The group’s next meeting will be June 16 at 5:00 at Greendale Middle School. Dearborn County Retired Teachers Association (DCRTA), which is affiliated with the Indiana Retired Teachers Association (IRTA) is open to any retired K-12 Dearborn County teachers and associate memberships are available to others who support local education. Recent retirees are especially encouraged to