FROM THE BRANCHES brings a dish to share . The bocce tournament and lawn darts competition can get pretty fierce although several other participants can be found under the plum trees sampling the wares . We seem to have a disproportionate number of ex-physical education teachers in our group and they manage to keep everyone more or less on track .
FROM THE BRANCHES brings a dish to share . The bocce tournament and lawn darts competition can get pretty fierce although several other participants can be found under the plum trees sampling the wares . We seem to have a disproportionate number of ex-physical education teachers in our group and they manage to keep everyone more or less on track .
Art Walk in Lake Country , also in September , is the major art fair of the Okanagan valley . Interested OKARTA members meet at this event for lunch and enjoy the work of the unbelievable artists and artisans who live in this region .
From early October to mid-April , members of OKARTA , like our counterparts in Alberta , are on the move . For those of us who do not travel , our winter meeting in January is the annual BUNCO party at Lynda and Bob Heyworth ’ s home in downtown Kelowna . BUNCO can only be described as frantic and intense — and requires absolutely no skill whatsoever . It does , however , involve a huge school bell that brings back a few memories of a bygone era .
While we do have fun and enjoy the company of other Alberta retired teachers , OKARTA members are very supportive of many charities and organizations that help to improve the lives of others . They have promoted and taken part in fundraising for groups such as Project Literacy , Room to Read , Brownies and Girl Guides , the Minkha Sweater Sale that raises money for women in Bolivia , and for many other organizations .
Several ARTA branches have hosted body composition clinics this year . Although we are a long drive from Edmonton , OKARTA members were very pleased to have the support of ARTA and ASEBP to enable the branch to offer its first clinic in May . Participants were very enthusiastic about this event and appreciated the presence of the health practitioner as a resource . In fact , we have a lengthy wait list for the next clinic . Promotion of wellness in all its dimensions was one of the key topics discussed among OKARTA members after the clinic .
Our final formal meeting of the year , the AGM , occurs in late June and is a working meeting . Although we are kept well-informed about ARTA throughout the year , at this meeting , our executive points out any changes , initiatives , new policies , partnerships , and the like that may affect us .
OKARTA is a small but amazing branch of ARTA . Without OKARTA , the many retired teachers and their families in the Okanagan valley would be far out of the ARTA loop . Many would not be members of ARTA and that would be to their distinct disadvantage . We consider ourselves very fortunate to be part of the ARTA group and are grateful that the original small group of retired Alberta teachers in the Okanagan valley had the foresight to spearhead the formation of OKARTA .
Questions ? Just email us at okarta @ telus . net
news & views AUTUMN 2016 | 19