This issue of Renaissance celebrates 55 years of RTOERO, and what amazing years they have been!
We have evolved from a group of concerned retired teachers, who hand wrote invitations to their retired colleagues to join the association of the Superannuated Teachers of Ontario, to the corporation of RTOERO.
Most of that change, from association to corporation, took place with no notice. Activities and events continued as they had in the past. Over the years, RTOERO had slowly evolved, growing in membership and developing interests in more than just teachers’ pensions. Our health insurance plan is one of the best in the country, and our membership is now organized across Canada.
So where is the change?
As RTOERO continued to grow — there are now more than 82,000 members — the structure of a group (senate) of more than 100 members making operational decisions for the organization became a serious risk. A group that met twice a year did not have a sense of the day-to-day needs of members; individuals and districts of that governing body could have self-interests that might affect their decision-making. Through a two-year process, the governance committee, with the assistance of a governance consultant, brought forward recommended changes to the senate.
In 2018, after four different presentations and with input from each senate, the final recommendations were adopted and are now the foundation of our organization.
The results? We are a corporation, structured under the law, with a board responsible for all fiduciary responsibilities of the organization and with legal obligations to make decisions that are in the best interest of the corporate body — RTOERO. Those decisions are always made after input from the members and districts, and that input is a crucial part of the process.
What does this mean for you? An organization that is on more sound footing and better prepared to keep moving in the direction that best serves all members; one that is run with all members’ best interests as a part of the decision-making process.
That’s worth celebrating!
Martha
