The Evolution of two Retirement parties

Its over, that is true.

With the finality of school and my retirement came the prospect of the end of the year/ retirement celebrations.

Both of my High Schools used last Thursday to do the honors. Both had very different approaches.

At the new school, (15 years old) the party is a mandatory last faculty meeting where the classified are also invited.

In the past its been a huge potluck kind of thing with the FFA supplying the tri tip food, beans, salasa, salad and rolls. They are adept at this and do many meals in the community with just this sort of formula. It also becomes an instant fund raiser for the club. Over the years some faculty members objected to the 5-6 dollar charge for this and still showed up and ate. The faculty club also charges 20 a year to cover sunshine expenses and provide sodas and paper goods to other events throughout the year. There are also two scholarships awarded to students who claim they will be teachers when they finish. Each of these scholarships are $250. It might buy a book or two in today's collegiate environ.

Only 43% of our teachers actually pay their dues

The classified who most do not have this kind of money going into the summer without pay often did not attend because they couldn't. Over the years our faculty club paid this and invited them as guests. This worked out until sub groups of ethnic origin decided that they could do it for less. We had Mexican fiesta, and barbeque pork from the Philippines, Hmong egg rolls. Last year they decided to have it catered again. The restaurant near the school and wonderful all you can eat Mexican place brought in food for a hundred. The coaches and the eaters should have been counted as two or three as the line finished with people that paid money had nothing put crumbs to show for their 5 dollars. This year's started out with "There will be nothing but cake and sodas at this event." Knowing that it is a minimum day and the kids are out at 1pm and the meeting starts at 1:30 faculty members will be starved.

A solution came down that if you wanted a sandwich from the independent sandwich store in Atwater they would take orders and supply a sandwich, a soda and a bag of chips for 5 dollars. It had to be ordered by the Friday before. I ordered one for me and one for Sue. When the day arrived, Sue went with me to my morning classes to help be a scribe for the final. After two classes she was pooped and had to go home. The event started and there was a sandwich for all that ordered one. No one ordered one for the kid that made the video honoring the retireees. I told the principal who was overseeing the distribution that he could have Sue's. He was very relieved. The meeting- party progressed and the retirees were part of a "To Tell the Truth sequence" The audience held up photos supplied at the tables of the retirees that they felt matched to unknown facts. It was really fun and engaging with the audience. Their was a video produced by a student in the school with a faculty member introducing and saying a lot of nice things about the retiree. The principal made the presentation of the flowers and the gifts. Each retiree got a dozen roses/carnation mix in a vase. I also received a very nice watch in the process. Each retiree had a chance to say a few words. I loved the chance to say some nice things about my career with this school. I talked about taking the tour and trying to figure out with the cement forms in place where everything was going.

The older school traditionally has made their retirement fete a picnic. They often would have it at a real estate wealthy teacher's backyard that would accommodate 50-100 people. Those wealthy teachers do not exist in our teaching corp now. They mostly came from the officers that flew the jets in the Viet Nam war and education was their second or third professions. They had houses with an acre around them. The remnants of the that generation left the teaching ranks in the last golden hand shake round about 5 years ago.

This year the retirement party was held in the group section of a local park. This school's tradition goes back many years. The retired teachers are all invited to this park every year. Most of them by their own admission look forward to seeing who is left and to socialize with their friends as well. They hired the FFa to do their catering (see above). It was a much smaller event. About 50 in total arrived. They had a little roast and of the retirees based on a movie theme. In the heyday their were skits and all kinds of wild stuff. A teacher and a student put together some black and white posters with our heads photo-shopped in. A saying was added. I was "shopped" into a Steve Jobs photo holding the first mac laptop. It was a photo of me in 1986 with the big black glasses...the quote was.. "It may be a fairly lengthy adjustment period."

It was a great party. The wood shop with laser carving tools made us each a wonderful wooden paque highlighting our years of service. Each retiree got card and a crisp 100 dollar bill. All 8 of us had a chance to say something. Teachers are seldom at a loss for words.

Friday was the last day of working with students at this district. The students took their finals and I brought them a little snack and something to drink as they worked. The last 30 mins. we opened up the wii and all kids took a swing around the race track with Mario Kart.

33 years doing Speech. 25 years with the High School district doing Speech. It was good run.

: ) Pat