ABOUT US

Northwest Harris County Retired Teachers Association (NWCRTA) was established 50 years ago

on December 12, 1972, to serve retired teachers from Spring Branch ISD, along with their neighbors from

Katy and Cy-Fair ISD’s.  At that time there were 17 charter members, and Dr. L.C. McDonald, then

President of TRTA, led the installation of James Biggs, Sr as the unit’s first President. The charter members

included: Don Adams, Reba Adams, Jeanette Bennett, James Biggs, Sr., Joe W. Chumbley, Maurice

Frederick, Josephine Healy, Lillie Holbrook, Eulagenia Mitchell, Elsie Pate, Gussie Patton, Helen Speer,

O.B. Speer, Margaret Sweitzer, and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Yeager.

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From that first meeting until today the unit has grown to over 200 members, and has become an

integral part of the Spring Branch-Memorial Community. As those community ties strengthened, as our

neighboring districts grew to be large enough to form their own TRTA affiliate units, and as a way of

recognizing all employees (not just teachers) who are eligible for TRS benefits, the name of our unit was

officially changed on July 1, 2016 to become the Spring Branch Area Retired School Employees.

(SBARSE) Though our name changed, our goals haven’t!

 

We are dedicated to and actively involved in:

• Encouraging the economic, intellectual, social, and physical well-being of our members.

• Promoting educational excellence by providing books for children.

• Encouraging volunteer opportunities.

• Supporting legislation favorable to retired and active school personnel.

• Having fun!

 

SBARSE members have served in leadership positions with TRTA on the Local, Area 4, and State

levels. They send a delegation to the State convention every year and talk to our Legislators at the Day at

the Capitol. SBARSE also helped host the 2016 TRTA convention that was held in Houston. In 2018,

SBARSE member, Corky Pence, won the prestigious E.L. Galyean Award for his many years of

outstanding service to TRTA.

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SBARSE has maintained close ties with the Spring Branch ISD community through its Children’s

Book Project and beyond. Over the years, the unit has put almost 10,000 books in the hands of Spring

Branch students! For the past several years SBARSE has earned the Good Neighbor Recognition from

Spring Branch ISD for completing 3 or more activities in support of the district. Besides participation in the

Book Project, SBARSE members serve as volunteers and mentors in both the schools, and in the

community, in a wide variety of ways.

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Monthly meetings for SBARSE are both fun and informative. Speakers have run the gamut from

naturalists and historians, to weathermen and authors, and field trips have taken members from the

National Museum of Funeral History to the Houston Ship Channel and many places in between. Always

though, ensuring the well-being of our retirees through a strong Teacher Retirement System stays a priority.

 

SBARSE is an active and vibrant organization, and we look forward to the next 50 years of

supporting our retired school employees.