Almost 60 members of the St. Tammany
Retired School Employees Association (STRSEA) attended a presentation by Beatrice and Randy Waesche on retirement financial planning last Thursday,
March 15.
The group's general Spring meeting was held in the David C. Treen Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville. Ms. Wasesche became a
Certified Financial Planner this year after attending the LSU CFP
Program in 2011 and interning at Charles Schwab Advisor Services in
Florida. She then worked with a wealth management firm in Houston, TX,
and moved back to Louisiana last August to work locally with Resource
Management LLC.
The STRSEA meets regularly throughout the year
to provide opportunities for retirees from the school system to hear
about the important issues impacting local and state retirees and to
enjoy fun and fellowship with new and former colleagues. Meetings are
generally on the second Thursday of September, November, December, March
and May, including an annual Christmas party and spring luncheon.
For a once-only fee of $45, the STRSEA offers a life-time membership
that entitles members to vote on association matters, furnishes an
identification card that allows St. Tammany members free admission to
all home games at school system athletic events and provides a St.
Tammany Advantage Rewards (STAR) card for discounts at participating
local businesses and restaurants.
For more information about
this organization, call President Roxanne Lagarde at 985-966-6166. If
present members have a new email address, please send the update to
stpretirees@gmail.com. Retirees may join the STRSEA at any regularly
scheduled meeting or may send a check for $45 payable to STRSEA in care
of STRSEA at Post Office Box 2992; Covington, Louisiana 70434
The financial planning information provided by the speakers included comments about the current economic cycle, the ongoing economic expansion, and historical risks for investors. "The 38-year decline in interest rates is over; interest rates are on the rise as the Federal Reserve Board addresses a growing economy, historically high and growing federal deficits, and the potential for inflation," they noted.
Overall, they felt that simplicity is a factor in making investment decisions. "Keep your investment portfolio basic and understandable," Randy Waesche explained. He went on to say how the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) was working, and spoke briefly about annuities and mutual funds.
By Rhonda Chambers
What a privilege to sit down and chat with this wonderful couple of 56 years! Joyce and Buck McKee have been retired together for almost 27 years and are living life with zest and to the fullest.
Buck graduated in 1959 from Delta State College in Mississippi with a BA degree in History and in 1967 received a Master’s Degree plus 30 hours in Administration from Southeastern. His first teaching assignment was in 1959 as a Physical Education teacher and coached the girls’ basketball team at Lee Road Jr. for four years and then moved to Mandeville High where he taught social studies classes and coached the girls’ basketball team.
Four years later he was reassigned to Covington High as a social studies teacher and was later promoted to its Assistant Principal’s position. In 1973 Buck was promoted to the Principal of Schoen Middle where he remained until his retirement in 1991.
Joyce graduated from Southeastern Louisiana College in 1959 with a degree in Elementary Education. She returned to Southeastern and in 1969 was awarded a Master’s Degree plus 30 hours in Supervision. Her first teaching assignment was at Lacombe Elementary as a second grade teacher in 1959.
Three years later she was reassigned to Covington Elementary where she taught for the remainder of her career. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders and was chosen to be a supervisor of student teachers from Southeastern during that time. Joyce retired in 1989.
They have both chosen to lead a fulfilling second half of their lives after retiring. Buck worked at his brother’s business, the Covington Nursery for five years and then evaluated 1st year teachers in the LaTAAP program for 10 years. Joyce has always loved working with children so was a childcare provider in private homes for a few years before being hired to work with babies and young children at the Family Service Center across from Covington High. This was a daycare for children of girls who were finishing high school or college. For ten years the couple traveled with friends to east and west Canada, as well as, many states within the USA.
A typical day for Buck would be to have breakfast at McDonalds around 8:30 and then spend the rest of the morning either gardening or in lawn maintenance. After lunch he enjoys reading and watching the daily news. He really enjoys watching and participating in Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. (Joyce says he holds his own in the competitions!) He also enjoys watching various sports on TV. Sundays you will find Buck ushering the attendees at the First Baptist Church of Covington. Joyce and Buck spend a lot of their time together just enjoying each other.
An easy question for the couple was “What was the best thing that happened to you last year?” Their daughters Laura and Pam got together and planned an 80th birthday party celebration for the two of them to include memorabilia from their entire lives from 1937 to 2017. Many friends and family members attended.
When I asked if you won the lottery what would you do with it? Buck responded, “I would give it all away, to the church, family, friends, and needy worthwhile causes.”
I asked them if they could remember having one favorite gift as a child…Since they are from rather large families, Buck has 7 siblings and Joyce has 8, they both said that they didn’t receive many as children. The one that stood out for Buck was a BB gun, and Joyce at 7 years old received an orange hardback book, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates.
If you could only eat one food for two weeks what would it be? Joyce’s response was, “I would have McDonald’s sausage biscuit-well done!”
