We are now moving through a new year, and as with any new year, there will be new changes. Sometimes, however, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. While the Maryland Retired School Personnel Association is undergoing some up dates and modernization, certain aspects will stay the same. One of the biggest aspects that won’t change is we are a member organization; it’s members that make us who we are and members who allow us to do the things we do. In 2025, the MRSPA spent time and money in an effort to get our name out to many more people, to let them know that we exist and what we’re about. Why? Over the years, how many of you have heard someone say they didn’t even know there was such an organization? People must know we’re here and what we do before they can think about joining. We’ll continue to do so in 2026, because we need to grow our membership. You can help with the effort by sharing information with friends and colleagues, by be ing involved yourself and by personally inviting eligible folks that you know who aren’t members to join. Why do I continue to talk about membership? I talk about it because without it, we cease to exist, and so does all the good work we do on behalf of retired school personnel and others. It isn’t only supporting legislation that helps our members and other retirees, it’s raising money for scholarships, doing community service projects around the state, and getting together at social functions where we meet new colleagues, reminisce, and stay connected. After you let people know about us, point them to our website, mrspa.org. In fact, if you haven’t visited the website, take a look at it. Not only does it tell you about who we are and what we do, there’s a tab that lists our various committees. You might find one that interests you! We’re happy when members become active! There’s a tab you shouldn’t miss—it’s called Benefits. You’ll find lots of ways to save money (and don’t we all like to do that!). Click on the tab and look at Page 2 www.mrspa.org  Email: mrspa@mrspa.org the options to save. Let them know if they use the benefits afforded members, it will more than pay for their membership. For information about your pension, look under the Pension tab and, if you want to know what’s going on during the legislative session, move over one tab to the right. A great deal of useful information can be found on the website. As we make changes to the Association over the next 2-3 years to maintain relevancy, remember that progress isn’t possible without change. John Lewis said of change, “If not us, who? If not now, when?” So, let’s do it!

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Please think about one thing you can change like joining a committee, becoming more active in your local, inviting a non-member to join, advocating for legislation that would lead to a better life for retired educators and others, connecting with local elected officials and establishing relationships with them, and serving others to make for a better life for everyone. With your help, the Maryland Retired School Personnel Association will become more relevant, more influential, and will better serve our members in this new year and beyond. Thank you for your membership and for all you do. Let’s make this year one of our best years ever!