Beginnings and Growth
In November 1950, Walter Current, President of the Peoria Division of the IEA, received a letter from the chairman of the organizing committee of the retired teachers of Chicago urging the Peoria Division to form a retired teacher's organization. Walter Current asked John Brewer to chair an organization meeting to which retired teachers in the Peoria Division IEA were invited. On March 17, 1951, 15 people attended the meeting at which Mr. Current explained that a retired teachers organization would have much in common with the active teachers of IEA. The group agreed to form an association and John Brewer was elected as the first president. A committee was appointed to draft by-laws and the sum of $1 per person was collected to establish a treasury fund. Thus began the Peoria Retired Teachers Association, 4 years after the formation of the NRTA and 4 years before the IRTA.At the next meeting of the year, April 21, 1951, the first group action took place to support action against a court case in Springfield which was filed to attempt to declare a 1947 amendment to the pension laws invalid. The fourth meeting was held in October in conjunction with the Annual IEA meeting.
In 1953-1956 only one meeting was held each year at the same time as the IEA meeting. In 1955 the IRTA was formed with dues of $1.50 including membership in NRTA.
On March 1, 1957, 60 member met at Block and Kuhl's Skyline Restaurant to initiate the monthly luncheon meetings. The first Monday of each month became the regular meeting date in 1958 with an average attendance of 40. By 1959 membership had grown to 133 and programs included speakers and travel slides shown by member or invited guests. Meetings were changed to the Pere Marquette in October 1962. In 1973, when the Hilton (Pere Marquette) raised the price of ht luncheon to #3, the meetings were moved to the First Presbyterian Church. The meal charge here was $2.50 and the attendance had reached as high as 135. Activities included day long bus tours and door prizes at each meeting.
Beginning February 6, 1978, meetings were held at Heritage House. Also in 1978, health insurance was made available through District 150 for $10.88 per month. In this same year, John Aiello announced the annual pension increase was raised from 2% to 3%.
Membership stood at 409 in September 1980 and the name was changed to the Peoria Area Retired Teachers Association because it included all of Peoria County. Now the acronym became easier to pronounce, PARTA. Also this year, Louis R. McDonald, PARTA member, was President of IRTA. Virgil Boucher, in 1982, was a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. By 1986 the association had grown to 532 and the treasury from $15 to $2356.
(This information was taken from a PARTA anonymous history article found in the presidents file and was probably written in 1986. The article states that all information came from recorded minutes of the association.)
In November 1950, Walter Current, President of the Peoria Division of the IEA, received a letter from the chairman of the organizing committee of the retired teachers of Chicago urging the Peoria Division to form a retired teacher's organization. Walter Current asked John Brewer to chair an organization meeting to which retired teachers in the Peoria Division IEA were invited. On March 17, 1951, 15 people attended the meeting at which Mr. Current explained that a retired teachers organization would have much in common with the active teachers of IEA. The group agreed to form an association and John Brewer was elected as the first president. A committee was appointed to draft by-laws and the sum of $1 per person was collected to establish a treasury fund. Thus began the Peoria Retired Teachers Association, 4 years after the formation of the NRTA and 4 years before the IRTA.At the next meeting of the year, April 21, 1951, the first group action took place to support action against a court case in Springfield which was filed to attempt to declare a 1947 amendment to the pension laws invalid. The fourth meeting was held in October in conjunction with the Annual IEA meeting.
In 1953-1956 only one meeting was held each year at the same time as the IEA meeting. In 1955 the IRTA was formed with dues of $1.50 including membership in NRTA.
On March 1, 1957, 60 member met at Block and Kuhl's Skyline Restaurant to initiate the monthly luncheon meetings. The first Monday of each month became the regular meeting date in 1958 with an average attendance of 40. By 1959 membership had grown to 133 and programs included speakers and travel slides shown by member or invited guests. Meetings were changed to the Pere Marquette in October 1962. In 1973, when the Hilton (Pere Marquette) raised the price of ht luncheon to #3, the meetings were moved to the First Presbyterian Church. The meal charge here was $2.50 and the attendance had reached as high as 135. Activities included day long bus tours and door prizes at each meeting.
Beginning February 6, 1978, meetings were held at Heritage House. Also in 1978, health insurance was made available through District 150 for $10.88 per month. In this same year, John Aiello announced the annual pension increase was raised from 2% to 3%.
Membership stood at 409 in September 1980 and the name was changed to the Peoria Area Retired Teachers Association because it included all of Peoria County. Now the acronym became easier to pronounce, PARTA. Also this year, Louis R. McDonald, PARTA member, was President of IRTA. Virgil Boucher, in 1982, was a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. By 1986 the association had grown to 532 and the treasury from $15 to $2356.
(This information was taken from a PARTA anonymous history article found in the presidents file and was probably written in 1986. The article states that all information came from recorded minutes of the association.)