RCEA Retirement Reception 2009

Watching the crowd stream in to The Plantation on Sunnybrook for the RCEA Retirement Reception was a thing to behold. On Monday May 18, People began arriving around 5pm and by 5:30 the parking lot was full and cars were parked all along Plantation Road. The facility is designed for large crowds and we certainly had one. The vast majority of our 60 plus retiring members came as did many teachers from their schools. Dr. Lange, school superintendent was there as were school board members Fuzzy Minnix, David Wymer, Jerry Canada, and chairman Drew Barrineau. In addition, Roanoke County supervisor Charlotte Moore visited us as did VEA's NEA Director, Sarah Patton. We were also fortunate to have many already retired ex members of our organization. Their presence made the whole event even more special and gave it a distinct family atmosphere.

The food was prepared by the generous staff at Plantation On Sunnybrook lead by owners Randy and Tammy Skaggs. Their staff worked hard to accommodate us.

Please enjoy these photos from the gathering.

Mark Robertson from NHS, was one of the three winners of $1000 RCEA Memorial Scholarships. The other two winners, not pictured here, were Amanda Hartman from WBHS and Courtney Lazore from NHS.

The Retirees

After the scholarship awards were presented, we took time to honor each retiree. Here's a collection of photographs of most of the retirees who were in attendance.

Honoring the Retirees

This collection of photos come from the last portion of our reception. In this part, groups of people come to the podium and say a few words about the retirees. Sometimes light-hearted and sometimes tearfully moving, this portion of the ceremony is our favorite part.

RCEA Retirement Reception 2008

The RCEA held its annual retirement reception on May 19, 2008 at Hidden Valley Middle School. The organization honored the member retirees, recognized employees with 25 years of service to the profession, and announced winners of our 2008 RCEA Memorial Scholarships.

Our gathering was a special time for retirees to share a few moments with the audience in an intimate setting. Without a doubt, the audience felt the power and emotion of the day leaving memories that will last.

The RCEA Memorial Scholarships were awarded to three Roanoke County high school seniors who plan to pursue a career in education. Ali Broyles and Erika Troia from Hidden Valley High School , as well as Meredith Buckley from Glenvar High School were this year's recipients of our awards. These students were most impressive, and it is our genuine hope that they consider returning to Roanoke County when they've finished their college degree programs.

Betty Mosier (retired from Mountain View Elementary) serenaded the gathering with lovely piano.

Johnny Simpson took charge of distributing flowers.

Ali Broyles was one of three recipients of our scholarships.

RCEA Retirement Reception

Retiree Joyce Ross from Oak Grove

Scholarship recipient Erika Troia and her parents

Retiree Cathy Wilkinson from Bonsack

Retiree A.C. Burke (Glenvar Middle) surrounded by his wife, Jennifer, and many of the RCEA Executive Board members.