NINE OLLI-MASON MEMBERS, two OLLI family members and 13 other travelers (including members of two other DC-area lifelong-learning institutes) visited Ireland for two weeks in September 2012, led by Mason professor emeritus Dr. Cóilín Owens. This is Rod Zumbro's video of trip highlights (adapted from a 42-minute DVD of a previous OLLI trip led by Prof. Owens, with new photos and new instrumental music). The trip included the major cities of Dublin and Galway, visits to the ancient passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, a "jaunting car" ride through Killarney National Park, a visit to the Heritage Centre at Cobh – site of massive Irish emigration, and a stay at one of Ireland's best castle hotels, Ashford Castle.
Archives for August 2013
Day on the Bay
ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2012, twenty OLLI members took a working "cruise" on the Chesapeake Bay out of Annapolis, Maryland, aboard the skipjack Stanley Norman, a vintage, oyster-dredging sailboat owned and operated by The Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Crewmembers gave talks on skipjack history, oyster-fishery history, oyster biology, Bay ecology and threats to it. While under sail, the boat dredged for oysters, and OLLI participants assisted in unfurling and hoisting sails, hauling in an oyster dredge, and culling the oyster catch. OLLI member Dick Young created this video of the event and graciously shared it with us.
Bus Trip in Montana & Wyoming 2012
Forty-six OLLI-Mason members, relatives and friends met in Billings, Montana in June 2012 for this unique trip. They visited historical sites in Montana and Wyoming related to events studied in the spring course about the Plains Indian Wars, including visits to the Little Bighorn Battlefield (Custer's Last Stand) in Montana, and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming. A Rod Zumbro movie.
Related visits to national parks. A number of OLLI members visited national parks in the region before or after the bus trip. One such visit was to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons; to watch a video of this visit, click here.
Yellowstone and Grand Teton
This video shows the highlights of Rod and Susanne Zumbro's June 2012 visit to Yellowstone National Park and nearby Grand Teton National Park, including many wildlife sightings and well-known sights such as Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs. This visit was taken immediately after the three-day OLLI Bus Trip Out West to historical sites associated with the Plains Indian wars; to watch a video of the bus trip, click here.
OLLI-Mason 20th Anniversary Reception
AS PART OF OLLI-MASON'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY celebrations in 2011, OLLI hosted a breakfast reception for the University leadership and presented its $20,000 gift to the University. Brief remarks were given by Mrs. George Johnson (wife of former Mason President Dr. George Johnson), Provost Dr. Peter Stearns, Jennifer Connors, Mason President Dr. Alan Merten and Del. Ken Plum, with closing remarks by OLLI President Manny Pablo. Here is the video by Rod Zumbro of this reception.
Reflections of former OLLI-Mason presidents
As part of OLLI-Mason's 20th anniversary celebrations in 2011, Rod Zumbro prepared this video of the reflections of former presidents – about one minute from each. The video includes comments of our first three presidents from previously recorded videos plus new reflections from all but one of the living OLLI former presidents as of 2011.