Click on the item of interest below and be immediately and magically transported to that area.
President's Message
Officers
Purpose of the NJRMEA
History of NJRMEA and Past-President List
Meeting Dates
Master Music Teacher Award
JANUARY 2010The entire music education community is saddened to learn of the passing of our beloved colleague Jerry Kupchynsky, who died on November 22, 2009. A memorial service for Jerry will take place on Saturday, February 13, 2010, at the Hammarskjold Performing Arts Center in East Brunswick, from 4-6 p.m. I know Jerry touched the lives of countless students and teachers during the course of his career, and that many of you will want to attend this memorial tribute to him.
The guest speaker for the upcoming NJRMEA General Meeting on Friday, February 19, 2010 at the NJMEA conference will be Dr.James Frankel, Managing Director of Soundtree Solutions: Music Technology in Education. He will be our guru for all things internet and computer related technology. Don’t miss this opportunity to be enlightened by his comprehensive and user-friendly presentation.
The NJRMEA Retired Member Collegiate Panel Discussion will take place Friday, February 19, 2010. Please encourage any college music students you know to attend this auspicious event. Panel members are Dr. Christine Sezer, David Jones, Dorian Parreott and Bill Workinger. Yours truly will be the moderator.
Pavillions at Forrestal Assisted Living Residence is looking for musicians to play for the residents. If you are willing and able to bring music to this elderly audience, please contact me for the particulars.
The position of secretary on the JNRMEA Executive Committee is still open; please consider volunteering for this fun-filled and fulfilling service. Also note that the date for the next executive committee meeting has been changed to Wednesday, March 10, 2010.
Paul A. Oster
973-713-3660
oster.njrmea@yahoo.com
Pres. Paul Oster oster.njrmea@yahoo.com
Pres. Elect - Dr. Christine Sezer drcsezer@gmail.com
Past Pres: David Jones NDJones38@yahoo.com
Treasurer: Bill Shoppell - Bill-Pat@optonline.net
Secretary: Position Open
To maintain communication with our parent organizations, the MENC and NJMEA, to serve them and to be served by them.
To act as an advocate for Music and Music Education in New Jersey.
To meet for sharing of knowledge, inspiration and enjoyment.
We meet two times a year, winter and spring, for a luncheon meeting. Meeting months are February, at the NJMEA Conference and the May meeting at Alyn Heim's "House by the Sea" in Ocean Grove. A beautiful setting for this meeting!
(The information below is excerpted from TEMPO Magazine, May, 1976 and Jan., 1977 issues. The listing of presidents is taken from the files of NJRMEA.)
On March 12, 1976, at 10:00 AM, at the Music Educators' National Conference (MENC) Convention, The New Jersey Retired Music Educators' Association was established at an organizational meeting held in the Pacific Room of the Howard Johnson Regency Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. Officers were elected to serve pro tem. They were: Samuel W. Peck, Belleville, President; Maxine L. Shimer, Westfield, Vice-president; Mildred A. Midkiff, Matawan, Secretary; Lorraine Conover, North Plainfield, Treasurer; and C. Scripps Beebee, East Orange, liaison between NJRMEA and NJMEA. Other charter members present were Violet Johnson, New York; Elsie Mecaskie, Ventnor; and Ethel Easter, Mayetta.
Herman Dash, President of NJMEA, spoke to the group, expressing the interest of the parent organization in this undertaking, and making some suggestions, including the reduction of dues for retirees and a retiree to be seated on the Board of Directors (non-voting).
One of the problems that faced the group was establishing and maintaining an accurate mailing list.
It was decided that the organization would be open to any retired former member of NJMEA or MENC. By-Laws were also established at this meeting and remained in effect until a newly revised document was officially adopted on October 20, 1998.
From a nucleus of eight, the NJRMEA grew to 33 members by their first official meeting at The Somerville Inn, Somerville, NJ, on October 27, 1976. The membership now included four Past Presidents of the NJMEA: Dr. Samuel Peck, Agnes Gordon, Violet Johnson and Henry Zimmerman.
The second NJRMEA meeting was held in conjunction with the NJEA and the NJMEA Conventions, in Atlantic City, on November 5, 1976, in the Game Room of the Teplitzky International Hotel. Guest speakers at this meeting were Miriam Reichly, Past President of NJREA; Robert Zimmerman, President of Eastern Division, MENC; and Herman Dash, President of NJMEA.
From this genesis, and through the interest, guidance and hard work of many retirees, the NJRMEA has grown. After 27 years of growth, the group now now has a mailing list of over 200 retired music teachers, with two membership meetings a year and this web site in conjunction with the NJMEA.
|
||
|
|
|
| 1976 - 1977 | Sam Peck (March) | Belleville Director of Music |
| 1978 | C. Scripps Beebee | Clifford J. Scott HS, East Orange |
| 1979 | Sam Peck | |
| 1980 | Walter Chersak | Instrumental Director, Bound Brook |
| 1981 | Henry Zimmerman | Roselle Park, Director of Music |
| 1982 | Walter Chersak | |
| 1983 - 1984 | Sam Peck | |
| 1985 - 1986 | Walter Chersak | |
| 1987 | Ed Napiwocki | Montclair HS |
| 1988 - 1989 | Harold A. Brown | Harrington Park |
| 1990 | Marion Constable | Morris County Helping Teacher |
| 1991 | Dean Simpson | Old Tappan HS |
| 1992 | James Lenney | Cranford HS Choral Director |
| 1993 - 1994 | Dorian Parreott | Asbury Park Music Supervisor |
| 1995 - 1996 | James Lenney | Cranford Schools Supervisor |
| 1997 - 1998 | Joan Policastro | Middlesex Chairperson of Music and Visual Arts K-12 |
| 1999 - 2000 | Joe Petrullo | Summit Public Schools HS and MS |
| 2001 - 2002 | Carl Wilhjelm | College of New Jersey |
| 2003 - 2004 | William Workinger | Millburn/Short Hills Supervisor |
| 2005 - 2006 | Winston Hughes | Edison Public Schools Music Supervisor |
| 2007 - 2008 | David Jones | Vernon Township High School |
| 2009 - 2010 | Paul Oster | Clifton Public Schools |
The Master Music Teacher Award
Chairperson: Dr. Christine Sezer - drcezer@gmail.com
In 1979, the NJMEA, in conjunction with the NJRMEA, inaugurated a program to discover, recognize, and honor its quality music educators.
To be eligible for consideration, the nominee must:
1. have completed a minimum of ten years of music teaching in New Jersey schools (public, parochial, private, or collegiate.)
2. be actively teaching and a member of MENC-NJMEA for at least ten years.
3. display teaching excellence, as the only other major criterion used in the selection process.
Information regarding the application process appears in the October issue of TEMPO each year and is available from http://www.njmea.org/MastMusTchFrm.pdf
The NJRMEA provides the personnel to administer the program, including the observation of the nominees.