May 2007

A Home Run

For seniors, softball hits it out of the park.

Following a 35-year career as a teacher and school administrator, Dan Hayes was still a spry 61 when he saw an ad in a newspaper and decided to play senior softball 21 years ago. Now, at age 82, he’s still going strong—and he attributes that in part to the sport he enjoys so much.

“It really astonishes people when they come watch us play, and they’re surprised at the ability and agility of people 70 and 75 years old,” he says. “They’re surprised that we’re so capable, and that’s an ego boost and makes us try harder.”

That’s not to say that everyone in the league has to be a superstar. In fact, one of the things Hayes likes so much about the sport is that there’s something for everyone. His Akron, Ohio, Silver League doesn’t turn down anyone interested in playing slow-pitch softball, and there are five age categories starting at 45 and going through 70-plus, ensuring that players are fairly matched with their peers.

Plus, the games are held at different times to allow for variances in schedules. “The fellows who are still employed can play in the evening,” he says. “Us old-timers can play in the morning.”

The World War II veteran also enjoys the fact that he can carry on his natural inclination to teach by helping others improve their game. “I’m always a manager, and there are opportunities there,” he says. Hayes helps players learn the techniques of base throwing, where to throw the ball, when to slide, when to run in or hold up on base—“all the different skills you need in baseball,” he says.

Carl Dimengo, also an NEA member located in Akron, got into the sport at the urging of his friend Hayes. The 81-year-old Dimengo lists many reasons why the sport is good for seniors: “You meet lots of people—we’ve got 500 people in the league. It’s good exercise, and you’re out there in the summer. Sometimes you play four or five times a week.”

He points out that for those reasons and more, slow-pitch softball is very popular with seniors. “There are certainly teams all over the United States, especially in Florida,” he says.

R.B. Thomas Jr., executive director of International Senior Softball Association in Manassas, Virginia, says senior softball is “well-organized throughout the United States, with probably over 2 million participants now, and with a lot of organized tournaments, which affords you the opportunity to travel,” he says.

Another important aspect of the sport is the social scene, according to Thomas. “The camaraderie that develops not only among the teams but among the players of all teams is really special,” he says. “For the older groups, being involved in a team sport is often even more important because that’s the age when people start to lose their friends.”

While a certain amount of physical fitness is required to play softball at any age, Thomas hopes seniors who are considering the sport won’t be intimidated.

“I’d recommend all couch potatoes to get up off the couch and head out on the ball field and start playing and having fun,” he says. Once they’re on the field, he says, physical fitness will follow. “Many senior leagues organize indoor activities in the winter, where they’ll rent a facility and carry out some kind of program.”

As for Hayes, he doesn’t plan on giving up one of his favorite sports anytime soon.

“You never get too old,” he says. “We can’t sit around in a rocking chair and live vicariously. We have to get out there and do it.”

—Rina Rapuano

Getting Started

“Basically for a person to participate, they would need to have a pair of baseball shoes, a bat and a glove,” says R.B. Thomas, Executive Director of the International Senior Softball Association. He offers some other tips:

“In terms of getting on a league team, they would need a uniform, sometimes just a shirt and a hat. A pair of really good shoes, such as Tanel 360, would cost you $60 to $100. Softball bats are really a wide range because of the technology. They start at about $50. Most people who are playing seriously are using bats that cost $200 and $300 each. And the glove would be somewhere in the $50 range.”

Resources

International Senior Softball Association
issa@seniorsoftball.org

North American Senior Circuit Softball
586-791-2632
P.O. Box  1085
Mount Clemens, MI 48046

Senior Softball-USA
916-326-5303
2701 K St., Suite 101A
Sacramento  , CA 95816

Softball Players Association
405-463-3317
12316 A North May Ave.
Box  271
Oklahoma City  , OK   73120

May 2007

Half-Retired, Half Not

Partly out of economic need, partly because they have inquiring minds, educators have long gravitated toward marriages in which both spouses work outside the house. That almost always means one will retire before the other, ensuring significant and sometimes disruptive changes in their everyday lives.

As Carol Ballerstein, a correspondent and NEA-Retired member in Stratford, Wisconsin, recently observed in the Stratford Record-Review, “… the first year or two of a husband’s retirement is a real testing of a couple’s commitment to each other.” That may be the case no matter which half of the couple retires first. “As the saying goes,” Ballerstein puckishly added, “no one mentions divorce, a few mention murder.”

She went on to list a few oft-cited rules for “half-retired” happiness: plan ahead to overcome the difficulties; do some things separately; be open about finances; work at staying healthy; and maintain a sense of humor.

Some observations from our readers:

DIANE EICHNER, South Windsor, Connecticut: I recently remarried, and my husband won’t retire for four years. I often hear him say, “Wish I was retired!” Since I tend to be a Type A and always busy, I guess waiting for him to retire will help me learn to relax more. [When he joins me,] we’ll enjoy lazy days on the Boston Whaler he is restoring. 

CLARA SMITH, Jacksonville, Florida: I have returned to the workforce part-time. My husband stresses enjoying his half of retirement. This causes no problems for us. We have so much to catch up on in the afternoons—bicycling, walking, then out to dinner, visiting with family friends, and church activities. 

CANDACE KNIFFEN, Halifax, Massachusetts: I loved that my husband retired early—I describe my last two years at work as being “semi-retired,”  because he took over the day-to-day responsibilities of running the house. He also got involved in volunteer opportunities and hobbies. Because he had time to establish his retired life, it was easier on both of us when I retired: we were not going through that huge transition at the same time! 

DAVE SINO, Ft. Madison, Iowa: My wife has four more years before she, too, can retire from being a school counselor. Sometimes the tension can be a bit strong.  I fish, she works. I hunt, she works. I can come and go as I please, she works. Truth is, however, that the arrangement works because we make it work, and I’m sensitive to her feelings. And her day will come! 

KAY FULLER, Dallastown, Pennsylvania: My husband retired eight years before I did, and became my domestic engineer. He did all the cleaning except dusting, and he had my dinner ready when I got home. At school, he worked one-on-one in math with my second-grade students, volunteered [to fill in] for other teachers, and—his favorite role—played Santa at Christmas. Because of his help, he and I had more time together doing fun activities! And having interests and activities in common made it all easy.  

—Roger M. Williams

March 2007

Bring Back the “Ah-ha” Moments

There are days when all of us miss our work in the public schools. But when I hear stories about working under the deeply flawed mandates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), I am thankful that my time in the classroom ended when it did.

Some of my favorite teaching memories happened when I set aside my lesson plan if something I hadn't intended to spend time on got my students thinking and talking. I believe I did some of my best work as a teacher when I helped bring the “ah-ha” moments into being.

Our colleagues teaching today can’t often allow themselves to stray from lesson plans, since they must constantly concern themselves with how their students will perform on always looming high-stakes tests. It’s distressing how much the interaction between educators and students suffers in the NCLB environment. I know of teachers who have had to stop reading to students in class so they have more time for teaching to the test.

Now’s the time for educators and their allies to take a stand. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—the current version of which is NCLB—is up for reauthorization this year. NEA’s Positive Agenda for ESEA Reauthorization asks Congress for three fundamental changes to the law: 1) Use more than test scores to measure student learning and school performance; 2) Reduce class size; 3) Increase the number of highly qualified teachers.

We may not be in the schools every day, but we can help improve teaching and learning conditions. Go to NEA’s Web site to read about the Positive Agenda and our ESEA legislative priorities, and send a letter to your members of Congress demanding these common-sense changes to ESEA.

We’ll continue our work for public education at the NEA-Retired meeting June 26-28 in Philadelphia.

—Barbara Matteson
matteson@dakotacom.net

May 2007

Julie Hasler-Foley

Background
I’ve taught grades K-8 for 32 years in Helena  and Bonner, Montana. I’ve served as a local Association president, vice president, and political action chair.

Why did you join NEA Pre-Retired?

There are two main reasons. When you’re a new teacher—and it was true of me—you don’t know what came before that made your salary and benefits possible. It’s up to career veterans to educate young teachers about the importance of Association activity. Second, our state legislature is vital to the health of public education. In Montana, we have citizen legislators; it’s not a full-time job. So it’s especially important that Association members make sure our state lawmakers fully understand the issues in public education and the needs of our schools, students, and teachers. Working through NEA-Retired is a great way to get that done.

E. Ann Chambliss

Background
I taught kindergarten through second grade for 40 years in the Decatur, Illinois, public schools. I’ve been a local Association president, and have served on both the IEA and NEA boards.

How are you spending retirement?
I divide my time between traveling for fun, working-part-time for my old school district, and staying active in the Association. I enjoy political work, so I’ve been very involved in campaigns for the legislature. Retirement is great, but I need to stay connected to education. Both my parents were educators, so I’ve always been around it. I make sure I have time just for myself, and time for Association work. NEA-Retired helps keeps my mind active.

Bob Barcus

Background
I had a 43-year career in education in Indiana, split between teaching and working for the state Association. I was a local Association president when I taught.

Which NEA-Retired activities interest you most?
Building our state Retired Association. I’m currently NEA-Retired chair for Indiana, and since I retired in 2002, we’ve tripled our membership. We now have 4,600 Retired members in Indiana doing critical work for public education. We need new state legislation every year to improve the benefits of teachers and retirees, so there is plenty to do—I keep busy lobbying when the legislature is in session. But I have plenty of family time, too. My wife and I vacation in Florida twice a year, and visit with our four grandkids as often as possible. And in two years, we’ll celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.

March 2007

By Susan Breitkopf

Docents. Interpreters. Guides. Founders. . . . Retired teachers fill key roles in some of the nation’s premier educational and cultural destinations.

Suzanne Adams Kilczewski has no trouble getting out of bed on days when she is headed to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where she volunteers as an interpreter, teaching visitors about the reptilian and amphibian inhabitants of the zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center. Today might be a day when she feeds tortoises big chunks of carrot while visiting families gather to watch. Or it could be a day when she gets a group of children excited about a brightly hued veiled chameleon, who uses its curled tail as a fifth appendage and shoots its sticky tongue out more than two feet to capture crickets.

“When that [chameleon’s] tongue comes out, people are always awed,” says Kilczewski, who taught first grade for almost 30 years in Maryland and began her interpreter training more than two years ago. She says her work at the zoo is “always varied because of the visitors. People are so appreciative. It warms my heart. I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a bad experience.”

But Kilczewski didn’t just walk into this great gig. She had to complete 24 hours of training, and still meets with zoo staffers once a month to build on her knowledge. “I thought I knew something about reptiles, but I’m constantly learning,” she says.

Kilczewski is one of many retired teachers who dedicate their time to volunteering at art museums, zoos, science centers, historic sites, and similar institutions, where they educate an ever-changing audience surrounded by animals, objects, or artifacts. A recent Google search yielded hundreds of museums seeking retired teachers as volunteers. According to Rhoda Hopkins, coordinator of volunteer services for the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut, the 60 retired teachers in her corps of 1,200 volunteers “contribute greatly. They are enthusiastic. They are willing to do a major amount of research.”

At one time, Mystic Seaport actively recruited former teachers. The response was so overwhelming that the museum now relies on word of mouth. “Retired teachers gravitate to the museum,” she explains. “It’s a comfortable academic atmosphere.”

The retired teachers we spoke with said that serving as a docent or interpreter offers an extraordinary outlet for their passion to teach—without the administrative responsibilities they faced as schoolteachers.

After more than 35 years as a high school history teacher in Connecticut, Michael Norman put his experience to work as an educator at the Connecticut Historical Society. For six years, he led tours at the site and also visited area classrooms to give presentations on everything from the Revolutionary War to how slavery led up to the Civil War. “That was very exciting,” he says. “You get to dress up in period costumes. It wasn’t just [about] looking at a textbook.

“It was a natural continuation of teaching,” Norman adds. “A good teacher has to be enthusiastic. That’s also necessary in museum work.” Norman says as a teacher, he regularly took his students on field trips to museums, particularly living history museums. “I liked to take them [to see] live action where people actually work as they did in those times. It brought things to life for them.”

Bringing history to life is Emma Jean Melton’s current line of work. The retired biology teacher from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was recruited by the local preservation society to help reopen what is now the Murphy African-American Museum. She was named chair of the management board and now is also volunteer director. When she began working with the museum in 1996, she secured grant money and oversaw a renovation that was completed in 2004. Home of the first licensed African-American mortician in west Alabama, the museum contains family memorabilia, as well as displays on local history and African art and artifacts.

Melton says her days as chair of the biology department have helped her in her new role. “That was a leadership role. I'm back in a leadership role in the museum.” The subject matter is a departure from science, but Melton always had an interest in African-American history and culture.

After she finishes her current project, a documentary on the civil rights movement in Tuscaloosa, and finds the right person to take over for her, she will leave the museum to write a book about growing up in the Black Belt, the majority black counties that stretch from Texas through Virginia. Until then, she continues to enjoy her work and says, “It's been keeping me going. I can't really say I've been retired."

Evelyn Duffner, who retired in 2002 after 33 years teaching first, second, and third grades in Connecticut, took on a leadership role not long after she started volunteering at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. She became one of the chairs of “Peabody on the Road,” a program that brings artifacts—everything from

T. rex teeth to bear pelts to tarantulas—to public events in the community. Duffner’s job is to choose objects from the collection, research them, and then train the 30 volunteers who will attend the different events.

She says one-third of all the docents at the Peabody are retired educators. “We [retired teachers] have good organizational and people skills. Teachers have this ability to take a job and divide it into small parts and complete it.”

Dallas Miller’s work at the Montana Historical Society is so similar to his job as a high school history teacher that his wife called it his “busman’s holiday” when he started there 18 years ago. Miller gives tours of the state capitol and the original governor’s mansion.

“The methodology of getting a point across is certainly universal,” he says. “I always used props and told stories to teach history—I do the same thing here.” But the biggest contrast between tour groups and high school students? “These people are here because they want to be. There is a real difference.”

For Sally Lehman, being a docent at the Louisville Zoo is the culmination of her professional aspirations. “My first real desire was to be a veterinarian, but the training was very expensive,” explains Lehman, who taught kindergarten for 30 years in Kentucky. “My second love was teaching. Now I have the best of both worlds.”

She says her experience helps her relate to children and keep them engaged. For instance, she knows that the best way to get children to pay attention is not to chastise a rowdy table but to commend the attentive children. “Parents really like that,” she says, adding that refusing to bring the animals out until everyone quiets down really helps crowd control. “They quiet down immediately.”

Lehman underwent three months of training that covered everything from animal habitats to how to present animals to children. She must complete 48 hours of volunteer work per year, which must include 24 hours teaching classes. “There are all different ways people can volunteer,” says Lehman. “We have docents in their 80s. Once a person retires from teaching, the community really wants them because they have certain talents.”

Mike Barker took his talents to the board of directors of the West Tennessee Regional Art Center, which has both an art museum and a history museum. His career in education started with five years teaching high school science, followed by 25 years as an administrator with the Tennessee Department of Education. Barker became involved with the art center after retiring in 1990 and then was named director of the local chamber of commerce, which oversaw the center’s opening.

Barker says that in the era of No Child Left Behind, informal education organizations like museums are more crucial than ever. “There is so much time spent on reading and math that the arts have gone by the wayside,” he says. “It’s important for students to have a broader understanding and appreciation of the arts and the world around them.” He points to the center’s recent exhibit of photographs of Sudan, which paint a rich cultural and geographical picture of the war-torn African nation. “It really opened up people’s eyes.”

Lois Kuter, volunteer coordinator at Philadelphia ’s Academy of Natural Sciences and a board member of the American Association of Museum Volunteers, says retired teachers are invaluable in the museum’s volunteer force because they already know how to teach. She says the academy values teaching, as evidenced by its annual Joan Summerfield Award for Excellence in Teaching, named for a retired educator who was a longtime and exceptional museum volunteer. Three of the 10 volunteers nominated for the award so far have been former teachers.

Although retired teachers excel at guiding tours or researching, Kuter has encountered some who choose a different path from their former careers. “Some welcome a total change of occupation,” she says.

Gin Wachter, once a teacher herself, is now president of the National Docent Symposium Council, which holds biannual meetings across the country that include lectures, networking, workshops and tours of local museums (see sidebar, opposite page). Wachter retired from teaching to raise her children, and once they started school, she began docent training at the St. Louis Art Museum. She loved being a docent so much that she eventually added St. Louis ’ Contemporary Art Museum and Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts to her roster. She has continued to volunteer for a total of 19 years.

Her advice for those considering becoming docents is to find a museum or educational site that fits your interests and give the volunteer department a call. Training varies and may last anywhere from six weeks to five years, depending on the size and type of institution. Historic homes tend to have shorter training, while large art museums’ training can be much more involved.

“In most institutions, you don’t need a degree in that subject because they will train you,” she said. “You just have to have a love and passion for it. That’s what all docents have in common—a passion for learning and sharing knowledge with other.”

While volunteers can run information booths or work in museum libraries or gift shops, Wachter says docents are the only volunteers who are trained to teach about exhibitions. “Docents are a special group of people. They’re doing what they love and it shows. [By being a docent], you meet other people who share your passion and you get really close.”

Miller is very clear about his commitment to educating as a docent. “It’s about service to others and being involved in teaching,” he says. “You know, we all need to give back. That’s what really drives me.”

Guidance for Guides

Several books written for museum educators can be helpful for the volunteer. The Docent Handbook ($17.50, or $18, aam-us.org/bookstore) is a how-to guide outlining all aspects of docenting from holding visitors’ attention to dealing with sensitive issues such as nudity in art. The book offers a list of additional reading, including "The Good Guide: A Sourcebook for Interpreters, Docents and Tour Guides" by Alison L. Grinder and E. Sue McCoy and "The Professional Guide: Dynamics of Tour Guiding" by Kathleen Lingle Pond.

The National Docent Symposium Council holds biannual meetings across the country that include lectures, networking, workshops and tours of local museums. The next symposium is in April at the Phoenix Art Museum.

The American Association of Museum Volunteers hosts a yearly annual meeting in conjunction with the American Association of Museums’ annual conference, which this year will be held in Chicago.

May 2007

Investing in Your Future

Just because you’ve retired doesn’t mean that you should stop investing your assets. On the contrary! Prudent control of your money is essential, but retirees should (must) continue to actively invest their assets to maintain their standard of living. After all, Americans are living longer and spending more years in retirement than ever before.

What kind of investment strategy should I have right before I retire?
Consider reducing your stock ownership and increasing your conservative investments. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) suggests that your portfolio include 30 to 60 percent in stocks or stock mutual funds and most of the rest in CDs, bonds, bond funds, or money market accounts.

And then in retirement?
Lean toward conservative, income-producing investments, but don’t rule out stocks or stock funds. The FDIC suggests a possible portfolio of 20 to 40 percent in stock or stock mutual funds and most of the rest in CDs, bonds, bond funds, or money market accounts.

Are there any special tax or withdrawal rules for retirement assets?
Discuss with a financial advisor when to withdraw money from your tax-deferred retirement accounts, such as employer-sponsored retirement plans and traditional IRAs. Before you start withdrawing money from your retirement accounts, most financial planners suggest setting a target annual withdrawal rate. After age 591⁄2, you can withdraw your money without penalty but are subject to income taxes. Under IRS rules, you must withdraw a minimum amount from 403(b)s, traditional IRAs, and certain other retirement savings plans by April 1 of the year after you reach age 701⁄2 and each year after that. There is an exception to the rules for someone still working for the employer who sponsors the plan.

How about a reverse mortgage to provide additional income?
Reverse mortgages can help in some situations, such as large medical bills that are not covered, major home repairs, or to help people on low fixed-incomes make ends meet. However, you are reducing your ownership share of the home. That means that you could have far less money available for other purposes, such as buying into a retirement community later on. A reverse mortgage should usually be used as a last resort, not as an integral part of a retirement strategy.

What else can I do?
Every retiree should stay informed about retirement planning and investing strategies. Consider taking financial planning or investment classes at your local community college (most offer retirees discounted or even free tuition). NEA Member Benefits has a wealth of information and articles as well as free online financial seminars.

—Doug Terwilliger

NEW! Free Online Financial Seminars for NEA Members and Their Families

The Investing in Your Future program provides quality investment education in a convenient, on-demand format. A series of five courses covers key issues of financial planning and investing:

• Financial Foundation
• Introduction to Mutual Funds
• Introduction to Stocks
• Analyzing Stock Mutual Funds
• How to Buy Stocks

Learn techniques for goal setting, budgeting, debt management, retirement planning, saving, and acquiring insurance. Sharpen your investing skills by gaining an understanding of risk and reward and learning about asset allocation, diversification, compounding, and how to identify quality investments and avoid common mistakes.

Education lasts a lifetime—and so does the need to be a smart money manager.

Register today  or call NEA Member Benefits toll free at 1-800-637-4636, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST).

Brought to you by NEA Member Benefits and Better Investing through a grant from the NASD Investor Education Foundation.