PARIS — The Oxford County Educators Association-Retired met on March 23 at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, where the culinary arts program served the group a delicious meal. It was prepared and served by the students, who did an excellent job.

The menu was impressive and was so well appreciated that the group asked if they could meet there again this month. The meeting will be at 11 a.m. Friday, April 27. The dinner will be served at noon and there will be a program following at 1 p.m. The program will focus on the life and work of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The March meeting was devoted to a discussion of the retired teachers’ retirement system and their health care coverage. This discussion was led by John Kimball, president of OCEA-R. Both of these subjects present a challenge to retired teachers, many of whom rely entirely on these programs for their income and well-being. New laws have capped cost-of-living increases at 3 percent for three years. After that, the COLA will not apply to a teacher’s total retirement benefit. Such cutbacks have a direct effect on the lives of retired educators. Retired teachers are concerned that further cuts may make their situation even more difficult.

The annual convention of the Maine Educators Association-Retired will be held on May 9 at the Augusta Civic Center.

Membership is open to retired teachers who live in Oxford County or to people who were employed in some other capacity by a school.