Whether you graduated last year or 30 years ago, almost everyone can remember that teacher they had in school who made the greatest impact on their life.

For the purpose of honoring retired teachers, Gov. Nathan Deal proclaimed this Sunday as Georgia Retired Educators day, recognizing the more than 97,000 retired Georgia educators.

The Floyd County Commission, the Rome City Commission and the Floyd County Board of Education have made proclamations honoring the retired educators in Floyd County and the City of Rome.

The Floyd-Rome Retired Educators Association, which is comprised of retired educators from Floyd County, Rome, Darlington Schools, institutes of higher learning and other educators who moved into Floyd County, presently has 262 members. These retired educators have not only influenced the lives of generations of people, but they have also motivated and inspired their students to embrace their talents and abilities to their fullest potentials.

Sept. 3, 1970, marked the beginnings of the Floyd-Rome Retired Educators Association when 29 retired teachers met at what was then Shorter College to discuss creating an organization. Two years later, the organization officially became affiliated with the Georgia Retired Teachers Association, and it became the present Floyd-Rome Retired Educators Association when GRTA became Georgia Retired Educators Association in 1998. The Floyd-Rome Unit is in the GREA Area XV, which is composed of Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Haralson, Paulding, Pickens, and Polk counties, and Floyd-Rome.

The current officers of the FRREA are: Ed Waters, president; Phil Herron, co-president elect; Frances Herron, co-president elect; Ann Day, treasurer; Martha Waters, secretary; Cynthia Ables, membership chairwoman; and Joan Bohannon, past-president.

The FRREA meets the second Monday of these months: September, November, December, February, April and May at 11:30 a.m. at the Charles C. Parker Center at Etowah Park.

Last year FRREA members volunteered almost 8,000 hours of their time to help others at local schools, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, Habitat for Humanity and community kitchens. In addition, FRREA completes several group service projects each year such as collecting and donating school supplies for needy children in local schools, books for the Hospitality House and “lend a hand, bring a can” to help the food pantries in the Rome area.

The organization awards annual scholarships to education-major students at the local higher educational institutes. The number of awards given varies from year to year.

The purpose of the Floyd-Rome Retired Educators Association is:

 To provide an opportunity for support and fellowship with friends and retired educators;

 To provide an organiza­tional framework through which retired educators continue a life of service to fellow members, their active colleagues, and their communities;

 To respond to community needs and encourage retired educators to contribute their talents and experience to the decision-making processes in their communities; and

 To familiarize retired and active educators with benefits of membership in the local unit and the state organization.

The organization would like for all retired educators, whether they were teachers, secretaries, bus drivers, custodians or administrators, to join the Floyd-Rome Retired Educators Association. Interested parties should call Ed Waters at 706-234-5104.