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Retirees Special Interest Group

Welcome to Retirees Special Interest Group (SIG)!

The first meeting of this SIG was held on February 23, 2021.

The Retirees Special Interest Group meets regularly to network to and share information specific to the interests of retirees and aspiring retirees. We invite you to drop into our meetings to share your retirement experiences and to request meeting topics. Past topics have included a leader from Retirees United; an MTA Rep explaining How to Plan for Retirement; Sharing Travel Adventures; Blogging; Genealogy; and Technology Tips.

Next Meeting: 

Holidays at the Newport Mansions!  All MASCA Retirees are welcome to join us on Tuesday, December 8 at 11:30 am for “Holidays at the Newport Mansions”.  Join us at the “The Breakers” and experience this Newport Gilded Age mansion transformed into a lavish holiday showcase.  After our visit, we will head to a local Newport restaurant for lunch. Attendees will need to buy their ticket to the Breakers and pay for their own lunch.  To attend, please do the following:

  1. Go to The Newport Mansions Website.  Choose “Buy Admissions Tickets”. Buy your ticket to the Breakers for Tuesday, December 8th at 11:30 am. Tickets are $32 each.
  2. Email Ruth Carrigan (rwcmed@gmail.com) or Chris Soverow (csoverow@gmail.com) to let us know that you will be joining us.  We will be meeting at the Breakers, 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport RI at 11:15 am on 12/8.

We hope you can join us for this festive and fun event.  Please buy your ticket soon as tickets to the Breakers often sell out during the holiday season. Counselors from Western MA interested in carpooling are welcome to reach out to Chris Soverow.

Resources from previous meetings

Updates

2/19/2025 Marie Ardito from Retirees United and MASCA's 2024 Special Award Recipient, spoke with us in the fall.  She is very informed and considered an expert.  Her expert retirement advice, resources, and contact information is in her PPT Issues Facing Retirees. She welcomes your inquiries.

2/18/2025 Updates about the Social Security Fairness Act: If you are retired and may now be eligible for spousal or survivor benefits, it is advised that you apply asap. To stay up to date about how the SSA is implementing the changes, regularly check this webpage. It is also important that you be wary of potential fraud. MTRS (Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System) is also alerting members of updates from the SSA.  Click here for a list of things to bring to your SSA appointment.

1/11/2025 President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law on January 5, 2025. The legislation rescinds the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).  Read the details here.

Past Issues of the Retirees United Newsletters

If you have any questions about the Retiree SIG, please reach out to one or both of us.


RETIREES SIG LEADERS -

Ruth Carrigan - Retired School Counseling Director, Whitman-Hanson Regional School District

Christine Soverow, Retired School Counselor, Easthampton High School


Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc.  
All Right Reserved.

MASCA deeply values its diverse membership and is fully committed to creating an organization where each individual is welcomed, included, respected and empowered.  No person will be excluded from MASCA on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation or military status, or for any other discriminatory reason. These activities include, but are not limited to, appointment of its Governing Board, hiring or firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and the providing of services.  This policy is fundamental to the effective functioning of MASCA as an organization that supports counselors and promotes equity in our schools, districts and the Commonwealth.

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