Highlights of the 2018 ARTA AGM
Vi Oko
Board members and delegates from the eighteen
branches of the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association
(ARTA) reaffi rmed their confi dence in Marilyn
Bossert, Lorna McIlroy, and Dolaine Koch by electing
them by acclamation to their respective positions of
president, vice-president, and treasurer at the Annual
General Meeting (AGM) held at the DoubleTree by
Hilton Hotel West Edmonton on October 2 and 3.
ARTA offi cers, committee chairs, and association
representatives reported on how offi cers, standing
committees, and related boards fulfi lled their specifi c
roles and responsibilities this past year.
The Communications Committee revised its
brochure grant and discontinued the banner grant
since all branches now have one. Improvements
have been made to the ARTA website accessibility
and a redefi ned logo has been approved. ARTA
has partnered with a web development company
that has begun to develop websites for the six
branches approved two years ago. The wireframe
being prepared for the Heartland Alberta Retired
Teachers’ Association is intended as a template for
all branch websites. Joomag will post four issues
of a digital version of the news&views magazine
as a pilot project. There will be an ARTA booth at
the Substitute Teachers’ Convention this year in
addition to all other teachers’ conventions province-
wide. Writing and photography contests are popular
with the membership.
The executive members comprise the Executive
Committee. Individual committee members are
responsible for fi nance, nominations, and human
resources and also serve as ex offi cio members on all
ARTA committees. Implications of satellite branches
and any increase in the size of the Board of Directors
were investigated. As well, an audit of paid-up ARTA
members within each branch provided the number
of delegates with voting privileges each branch was
entitled to at the ARTA AGM.
20 | arta.net
As of October
1, 2018, 19,436
of the 21,792
members of ARTA
were enrolled in
the ARTA Retiree
Benefi ts Plan. In
the past year, the
Health Benefi ts
Committee
Marilyn Bossert — Re-Elected as
increased daily
ARTA President
hospital rates for
private and semi-private rooms, continued the
diabetes initiative internally with the research
provided from ACHORD, added coverage for
nebulizers to the Extended Health Care plan and
ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis
as health conditions under Enhanced Special
Authorization, implemented coverage for Shingrix,
raised the three-year hearing aid maximum
to $900 for the Health Wise and Total Health
plans and $1,100 for the Health Wise Plus and
Ultimate Health plans, as well as augmented
the Dental Care plan to include fl uoride varnish
treatment. ARTACares, a new program provided
by HumanaCare, off ers a medical second opinion
service, health care system navigation assistance,
and chronic disease support benefi ts to all ARTA
members covered by the Extended Health Care
plan. There will be no premium increase to any
health benefi t plans next year.
In conjunction with its ongoing responsibility
to review all ARTA governance documents, the
Governance Committee updated and revised
several sections in ARTA Policies and Procedures.
The committee approved four Branch Project
Grant applications to fi nancially support retiree
conferences, doubled the number of scholarships
awarded by ARTA, and increased the amount of
money available in the grant and bursary programs.