From 1937 through the early 1980s, the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR) was the only organization in Pennsylvania serving the needs and interests of retired public school employees. Over the years, PASR has worked closely with all of the organizations representing active school employees and received support from all of the organizations in encouraging educators, administrators, and school support personnel to join together and support PASR in retirement.

As divisions of the active organizations, most of the other retiree groups were organized and operate primarily to provide support to the goals and objectives of the active members of the organization, and secondarily to promote the needs and interests of the retirees themselves. The retiree groups are subsidiaries to and governed by the parent, active member organizations.

Unlike all of the other retiree groups, PASR is an independent, voluntary membership organization. It consists of, is governed by, and works exclusively to serve the needs and interests of all school retirees — regardless of the positions held or the organizations to which its members belonged prior to retirement. Our members elect our officers, board members, and chapter presidents. All serve on a strictly volunteer basis, and none receive any payment for their services other than reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.

PASR is organized at the local, region, and state levels, but unlike many of the other organizations PASR does not compel participation and support of all levels. It does not have a unified dues structure. The local chapters establish their own dues structures.

Membership in PASR is strictly voluntary. The state association of PASR does not bestow gift memberships to individuals upon retirement or otherwise count as members anyone who has not chosen to become a member of our association with the self-payment of dues.

Many of the active employee organizations provide gift memberships in their retirement divisions to their members upon retirement. PASR encourages all school retirees to accept these gift memberships and join the retired membership divisions of the organizations that served them when they were working in the schools.

However, please remember that we must also help and serve ourselves—the retired school employees of the Commonwealth. We must join and work together to serve the common needs and interests of all school retirees. Please consider joining PASR today. Help us help you!