The Polk County Retired Teachers' Association met September 11, for their Quarterly luncheon at first Baptist Church in Benton. The meal was catered by Pizza to Go and was provided by First Bank of Tennessee and First Volunteer as an early Retired Teachers' Day treat.

  Gerald Lillard, the new Tennessee Retired Teachers President-elect, shared an informative presentation on some of the benefits of being a member of the TRTA, and recalled a bit of history on the organization's beginnings.  PCRTA was organized in August 1968, so just celebrated their 40th anniversary.

   Lillard is past president of the Cleveland-Bradley County RTA, has been a member of TRTA Legislative Committee since 2004, and a TRTA Delegate to the NEA Retired from 2001 - 2008. Before his retirement he was very active in TEA-NEA and served on TEA's Board of Directors, and in NEA's Outreach to Teach Program. His wife, Diane, also a Bradley County educator, was just recently elected to the NEA Board of Directors.

Pictured with Lillard (right) is PCRTA Pres., Marian Presswood, presenting a History of Polk County book by Roy Lillard, former Polk County Historian. Retired TEA UniServ Director, Clarence McClure (left) is a PCRTA member.