By Dr. Ferrell Miller, JCARSP President
Members of the Kansas Association of Retired School Personnel (KASRP) met at the Courtyard by Marriot for their 71st Annual Convention June 14, 15 and 16. Karen Pulaski, Convention Chairperson, said “the theme for the Convention was Unity In Purpose.
A pulled pork barbecue meal on June 14 was catered by JC’s BBQ & Grill, hosted by the Board of Directors and sponsored by Central National Bank. Following the evening meal, a live auction was held for the KARSP Foundation teacher scholarships. Items were made or purchased by members and were purchased by the highest bidder.
On June 15, the JCHS JROTC Color Guard presented the colors, Dr. Beth Hudson gave a welcome from USD 475 and the guest speaker was Colonel (ret.) William (Bill) Clark. Bill served in the US Army for 30 years. Following retirement, he was the Chief Operating Officer for USD 475 for three years before assuming his role as the President of St. John’s Military School in Salina, KS. Upon the merger of St. John’s with Saint Francis Ministries, Bill initially served as the organization’s Chief of Staff before assuming his current role as President/CEO in November of 2019. Saint Francis Ministries serves 11,000 children in six states.
His topic was "Everything Rises and Falls On Leadership." He told the group that “The standard is the standard. We all must be accountable and responsible in living and working with others, but it all starts with ourselves. Do the right thing at the right time for the right reason– even when no one is looking.”
Following lunch, the KARSP Foundation awarded scholarships to four teachers. The teachers will use their money to purchase items not provided by their school district for use in their classrooms. The evening entertainment was provided by the Tall Grass Tunesmiths Polka Group directed by Mary Louise Stahl.
The schedule for Friday included a Memorial Service for KARSP members who passed during the last year. The Robotics EDU-Building The Future,1 Bot At A Time group shared information about how students are being exposed to a range of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related concepts, such as coding, electronics and mechanics, which helps to develop critical thinking, problemsolving, and teamwork abilities.
KARSP members contributed 261,860 volunteer hours this past year. According to the April Independent Sector the estimated value of volunteer time per hour is $31.80, which for KARSP members would equal $8,327,148.
Jerry Henn is the Executive Director of KARSP. He is also a former teacher at Junction City High School.