2022 RETA Breeze March-April

RETA’s mission is to enhance the professional development of industrial refrigeration operating and technical engineers. This motto is not complex but is closely tied in with each RETA Chapter’s purpose, visions, and goals. RETA Chapters are comprised of RETA members dedicated to the mission and the education of members and their guests. Each month a speaker or presenter is arranged and confirmed to share a topic from their specific area of expertise. Chapters generally meet in person at a location which can remain the same every month or rotate to various sites, and share a meal followed by the professional presentation. When the speaker concluded, questions and answers were offered and a time of visiting with likeminded individuals about daily activities. Those procedures were common protocol prior to the worldwide public health issues. On March 23, 2022, the RETA Board of Directors approved and granted the 50th RETA Chapter Charter. The Iowa group of technicians, mechanics, and operators joined together to focus on educating through safety and their hunger to stay abreast of changing developments within the industrial refrigeration arena. This journey began during confined times. Each meeting prior to receiving the RETA Iowa Chapter designation was presented in a timely manner. They started on time and ended on time, and now both an in-person and virtual audience meeting format is offered. Emerging from the pandemic, numerous virtual communication platforms developed, hence meetings were held without travel or outside exposure. Plan a meeting, learn a new topic, and receive educational hours. Sound simple? What do the preceding sentences have in common with the topic of this article? With RETA, 50 Chapters is quite a milestone. The combination of determined individuals and their employers giving the green light to share knowledge with all of those that have a desire to broaden and improve themselves. Becoming a Chapter leader does require an effort but RETA has the ingredients and instructions to develop a successful group of likeminded members to energize Chapters and their officers. Chapters are required to meet once annually or on a regular basis per the bylaws; however, after the setback of covid, many are not meeting whatsoever. Virtual meetings are now the new staple, but most chapters do not explore how they works. Here is my point. Since many Chapters have not hosted meetings in the last year, the chance is high that RETA will have to discontinue their Charter which was carefully planned and approved through hard working hands and efforts by others. If your Chapter has not met for a year or longer and you want to make a difference, you can be the spark to renew what was once a thriving group. This is possible with your commitment and guidance from RETA HQ. To begin an initiative to revamp a chapter, please contact Dan Denton at RETA Headquarters by phone or email.

THE RETA MISSION & RETA CHAPTERS

Thank you,

Dan Denton RETA Chapter Liaison

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