ENews August 28, 2026

August 28, 2026

• Alerts & Notices
• Welcome to the Fall Term
• Got Course Ideas? … Join the HSS/CE Program Planning Group
• OLLI Hiking Club News
• Photography Club
• Photo of the Month
• Poet's Corner
• Obituary: Robert Patton Carroll
• Meetings & Clubs
• About OLLI E-News

Alerts & Notices

• Registration is now open for the fall term of OLLI classes.
• The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday,
  September 11. The regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, September 8, at 6:00.

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At OLLI Mason, we strive to cultivate a warm and inviting environment where everyone feels welcome – a place to connect with your peers, discover new interests, enjoy excellent programming, and of course to learn. No matter what you’re curious about, we hope you’ll enjoy the new catalog and join us for the tremendous offerings coming this fall. You may have noticed that the catalog now features class, club, and activity grids at the front to help you discover all that OLLI has to offer.

This fall, whether you’re a new or returning member, join us at the kick-off coffee. This annual tradition is a great opportunity to meet new friends, reconnect, and hear about exciting plans underway to make your member experience even better.

The 250th anniversary programming continues this fall with 14 classes and activities! The Mason Library is planning an intergenerational program exploring the values of the American Revolution. This will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on all of the 250th classes and programs from the past year.

Have you ever participated in a drumming circle? Come make some noise at this innovative new class!

Based on member feedback from the questionnaire, we’re piloting a new class format – lunch and lecture. Enjoy a delicious catered lunch followed by a lecture on the history of our local music scene with musician and musicologist, Ken Avis.

We’ll be creating a community mural with artist Brianna Camp at the entrance to the Tallwood campus. Members will be invited to provide feedback on the initial design and then can work side by side with the artist to help paint the mural! No experience needed.

One of our leading strategic goals is to be visible. We value our current members and are always looking for ways to reach new members and instructors. Please help spread the word about all the great things happening at OLLI Mason. Guest passes are available in the office. Be sure to follow us on social media, share our posts, and post about your favorite classes and activities.

See you soon!

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Got Course Ideas? … Join the HSS/CE Program Planning Group

  
By Camille Hodges, HSS/CE Planning Team Chair



OLLI is known for its great course ideas. In case you were unaware… many of these ideas come directly from you! We at OLLI need to know what courses/topics strongly reflect your interest and/or your desire to know more about. Also, let us know of any topics you would be willing to teach at OLLI. Our members are our strength when it comes to course proposals.

Check out the current catalog and decide which category might best support your area of expertise. Also, if you have personal contact with people who would be great OLLI instructors, please invite them to present as well.

The Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events (HSS/CE) team is committed to inviting presentations that support many areas including psychology, politics, cultural interests, inter- and intrapersonal interactions, human culture, ethics, and cultural awareness. Our team meets virtually three or four times per year and communicates continuously.
 
To join the HSS/CE programming team, here’s the link: [email protected].
Got course ideas?  Here’s the link for the OLLI course proposal form: https://olli.gmu.edu/olli-course-proposal-form/.

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in earlier E-News editions. It
is repeated here to encourage member participation in program
planning for HSS/CE.

OLLI Hiking Club News

 

By Kathy Rones, Hiking Club Coordinator


Nine OLLI members recently completed a spirited hike of over 4 miles at Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane, VA. After the hike, we had lunch at the Marshall Diner in nearby Marshall, VA. 

We enjoyed the variety of hiking terrains (e.g., steep, challenging hills; shaded level paths in the woods or beside meadows; a gravel road), and the views from the Piedmont overlook. It’s a lovely state park and was serene and definitely uncrowded. We only crossed paths with about 6 other hikers. We plan to hike in this park again in the spring, and will try a longer hike, including parts of the Appalachian Trail.

Looking ahead, in September you can join us for hikes at Fountainhead Regional Park on Sep 10 (with a backup date of Sep 11) and Shenandoah National Park on Sep 22 (with a backup date of Sep 25). 

Please register for “OLLI Hiking Club Fall session” to receive emails and updates about our hikes.

By John Olsen and Lynn Cline, Photography Club Coordinators

The OPC is one of the OLLI clubs you can join.

Don't forget, when registering for the OLLI fall program, you may also register for the OLLI clubs in which you are interested to participate. One of the most popular and enjoyable is the OLLI Photo Club which meets the second and fourth Friday of each month. You can attend in person at Tallwood or join in through the Zoom connections which are furnished each weekday morning.

Members of the OPC love sharing photos, and we have both monthly competitions and galleries where members can display their photographs. The monthly competition for September is Wildlife-animals (excluding birds); October is Technique-Diptych or Triptych; November is Autumnal Colors; and December is Open (no theme).

The OPC also has monthly field trips to local areas where you can join other OPC photographers to practice your photographic skills and monthly guest speakers from whom you can learn how to take better photographs.

We also support various projects such as photographing the Mason student opera performances and providing photographic service to the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics. This latter effort is a big job where OPC members volunteer to document (photograph) various NVSO events. The NVSO is from September 11 through October 4, so if you are interested in helping out, please contact John Olsen.

If you have an interest in photography, consider joining the OLLI Photo Club. Remember: it's free and, as with the other clubs, a part of your membership.

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