Woodstock Candy Posting Page
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
AARP turns a nifty 50 today
By Robert N. Jenkins, LifeTimes Editor
In print: Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Yes, there will be cake and balloons. No, none of the balloons will be black ones bearing the smirking legend, "Look who turned 50!''
But the organization whose very acronym stood for hitting the big 5-0 is celebrating: AARP reaches the half-century mark today.
AARP no longer bothers spelling out its full name — the American Association of Retired Persons — because in 1999 its leaders wanted to make clear that it represents more than just retirees. It had dropped its minimum age to 50 from 55 in 1983. Membership in the 50 states and three territories is about 39-million; Florida reached 3-million this year, second only to California.
AARP was spun off from the National Retired Teachers Association, founded in 1947 by Ethel Percy Andrus. As director of welfare for a California teachers' group, recounts AARP historian Lily Liu, Andrus "found a retired teacher living in what (she) called a chicken coop. These retirees had pensions, but they were so meager, and they had no group health insurance.''
Andrus' work led her to create the National Retired Teachers Association, which attracted enough noneducator retirees that Andrus created the American Association of Retired Persons. The incorporation papers were signed on July 1, 1958.
In 1959 the new association began a mail-order pharmacy, which drew even more members. About this time, Andrus realized the number of retirees moving to Florida, so she had AARP create Hospitality House on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. It offered everything from hotel recommendations to afternoon teas — and a pharmacy.
Though a nonprofit, AARP spends tens of millions to identify the issues most important to older adults and to influence legislation on these topics.
Increasingly, America's focus is on "younger'' older people, the 78-million boomers, ages 44 to 62. There are 1.05-million Florida boomers who are AARP members.
About that birthday party: Celebrations will take place in many local offices. But AARP is saving the blowout for the first week of September in Washington, D.C., when even nonmembers are invited. Workshops and programs during that three-day Life@50+ event range from online dating to reverse mortgages, long-term care insurance to therapeutic massage, advances in brain health to "sex and love through menopause and beyond.''
Robert N. Jenkins can be reached at bjenkins@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8496.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/article652749.ece
by: Woodstock Candy
By Robert N. Jenkins, LifeTimes Editor
In print: Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Yes, there will be cake and balloons. No, none of the balloons will be black ones bearing the smirking legend, "Look who turned 50!''
But the organization whose very acronym stood for hitting the big 5-0 is celebrating: AARP reaches the half-century mark today.
AARP no longer bothers spelling out its full name — the American Association of Retired Persons — because in 1999 its leaders wanted to make clear that it represents more than just retirees. It had dropped its minimum age to 50 from 55 in 1983. Membership in the 50 states and three territories is about 39-million; Florida reached 3-million this year, second only to California.
AARP was spun off from the National Retired Teachers Association, founded in 1947 by Ethel Percy Andrus. As director of welfare for a California teachers' group, recounts AARP historian Lily Liu, Andrus "found a retired teacher living in what (she) called a chicken coop. These retirees had pensions, but they were so meager, and they had no group health insurance.''
Andrus' work led her to create the National Retired Teachers Association, which attracted enough noneducator retirees that Andrus created the American Association of Retired Persons. The incorporation papers were signed on July 1, 1958.
In 1959 the new association began a mail-order pharmacy, which drew even more members. About this time, Andrus realized the number of retirees moving to Florida, so she had AARP create Hospitality House on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. It offered everything from hotel recommendations to afternoon teas — and a pharmacy.
Though a nonprofit, AARP spends tens of millions to identify the issues most important to older adults and to influence legislation on these topics.
Increasingly, America's focus is on "younger'' older people, the 78-million boomers, ages 44 to 62. There are 1.05-million Florida boomers who are AARP members.
About that birthday party: Celebrations will take place in many local offices. But AARP is saving the blowout for the first week of September in Washington, D.C., when even nonmembers are invited. Workshops and programs during that three-day Life@50+ event range from online dating to reverse mortgages, long-term care insurance to therapeutic massage, advances in brain health to "sex and love through menopause and beyond.''
Robert N. Jenkins can be reached at bjenkins@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8496.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/article652749.ece
by: Woodstock Candy
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- April 2010
- May 2010
- June 2010
- July 2010
- August 2010
- September 2010
- October 2010
- November 2010
- December 2010
- January 2011
- February 2011
- March 2011
- April 2011
- May 2011
- June 2011
- July 2011
- August 2011
- September 2011
- October 2011
- November 2011
- December 2011
- January 2012
- February 2012
- March 2012
- April 2012
- May 2012
- June 2012
- July 2012
- August 2012
- September 2012
- October 2012
- November 2012
- December 2012
- January 2013
- February 2013
- March 2013
- April 2013
- May 2013
- June 2013
- July 2013
- August 2013
- September 2013
- October 2013
- November 2013
- December 2013
- January 2014
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]