Maryland Retired School
Personnel Association

When I was a teacher, January was always the halfway mark in the school year. The second semester brought with it new courses, new students, and new possibilities. I see a similarity with MRSPA as we move into 2024. January 10 marked the beginning of the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis with nearly 1,000 bills pre-filed. The MRSPA Legislative Committee meets bi-weekly to review those bills that affect retirees and senior citizens. Some are being supported with either a letter or testimony, others are opposed in similar manners, while others are being monitored. I encourage MRSPA members to follow the bills that could affect them, as well as MRSPA’s position, and the bill’s current status. This can be done by checking the Legislative updates posted bi-weekly by Legislative Aide Virginia Crespo on the MRSPA website under the Legislation tab. The MRSPA Legislative Priorities brochure can also be viewed there as well as a link to the Legislative Workshop held in January 2024. Last fall, the Community Service Committee was involved with choosing the 2023 MRSPA Grant winners who will be featured in a future issue of the MRSPA News. The committee’s attention will soon be shifting to choosing individual and local community service winners. The criteria and categories for these awards can be found by accessing a link on the MRSPA website homepage. A link to the nomination forms is also available there. As I travel around the state, I have seen many individuals and local projects that are worthy of this honor. The deadline for submitting nomination forms is March 30. Don’t let your individual members and local projects miss the recognition they so richly deserve. MRSPA Scholarship applications were accepted between January 2-19. Members of the Scholarship Committee have been busy carefully reading each application and how great the need is for this financial assistance. Winners will be highlighted in the fall MRSPA News, and they will be invited to attend the Annual Business Meeting in May. Other MRSPA standing committees continue to serve the membership. In November 2023, the Consumer Education Committee hosted a webinar on Cyber Fraud and Scams. If you were unable to participate in this webinar, a link to the presentation is available on the MRSPA website homepage. The Membership Committee continues to hold virtual Joint Membership meetings where local membership chairs can share ideas, as well as New Member meetings which provide an overview of what MRSPA offers to new members and community contributions made around the state by MRSPA and local association members. We can indeed be proud of our accomplishments. Whether you are a new member or joined many years ago, whether you live in Maryland or in one of the many states and even foreign countries called home by our members, we all have one thing in common. We share in the mission of MRSPA, working collaboratively to advocate for our defined benefit retirement pension, to promote community service, and to support excellence in education and life-long learning. The dedicated members of the MRSPA Board of Directors, the leaders of the very active locals, the MRSPA Executive Director and office staff will continue to work to assist in achieving this mission, and I invite you take an active role to make a difference at both the local and state levels. I look forward to seeing many of you throughout the year. Thank you for your membership, your dedication, and hard work!