The next meeting of the Oxford County Educators Association-Retired is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Jackson-Silver Legion Hall, 595 Gore Road in Greenwood. Sign-ins begin at about 10:30 a.m. and a meal will be served at noon.
The fundraiser for November is a silent auction, and members are encouraged to bring items for that event.
For its Oct. 20 meeting, members met at the First Congregational Church in South Paris. The meeting preceded a potluck style meal and a program after dinner, according to a news release from the association.
It was decided to hold the annual scholarship raffle with proceeds going to graduating seniors next spring. Winners of the raffle will be announced at the November meeting. People who wish to contribute to this effort should contact a member of the group or call Rodney Abbott at 207-674-2267. Linda Cousins was chosen for a Leadership Award from the Maine Educators Association-Retired. She has been active in the group and served in a variety of ways.
The program was a presentation by Robin Taylor-Chiarello, an awarding-winning author of children’s books. She talked about her most recent work. It tells the story of a young girl growing up in a sharecroppers family. The book speaks of the hardships and love such a family shared. It is based on information Taylor-Chiarello received from a friend she employed for a number of years. She has won several awards for her books. It is the second of her books OCEA-R has chosen for its Maine Books for Maine Kids project. All the books chosen are by authors with strong ties to Maine. The group distributes a new children’s book to 20 Oxford County public libraries every year. The title this year is “Ella Sue and the Burlap Bag.”
The organization supports public education and raises money for scholarships and other projects, such as the book program. The group welcomes anyone who has worked in education as a teacher, teacher’s aide, custodian, bus driver, or who in other ways has contributed to young people’s education. It is also an opportunity to visit with people who have shared so many similar experiences.
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