ENews May 10, 2024

May 10, 2024

Alerts & Notices

• You should have received an email on May 3 with a link to a ballot for the Board of Directors election, which goes through May 17 at noon. If you did not receive this (check your spam/junk folders), contact the OLLI office at olli@gmu.edu.

• Summer-term registration begins May 14 (the term begins June 24).

• The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, May 17; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, May 14, at 6:00.

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OLLI Annual Meeting and Candidate Forum

 

By Bob Heyer, Secretary

On Friday, May 3, OLLI Executive Director, Jennifer Disano, opened our annual business meeting and reported that our membership is currently at 928. Our major income is from annual membership dues, which is why Jennifer emphasized our main goal this year is recruiting new people! We are also working with senior living facilities like The Mather as they open their residences, to introduce and assist residents to join OLLI. In addition to member donations, we are increasing program sales to provide lectures for a fee at senior facilities (Silverstone, Landing, Providence). The Fairfax County Public Library system has renewed our contract, and we are investigating contracts with Loudoun and Prince William Counties.

We have acquired some new staff and instructors to continue providing robust, diverse, and interesting classes on Zoom, in person, and hybrid. Additionally, we provide many outside activities through clubs, tours, parties, and functions, as well as travel to Iceland and next year to the Albuquerque balloon festival and to Japan. With the closure of Mason’s Loudoun facility, we are investigating alternative locations in the Loudoun and Reston areas for classes and meetings. In the City of Fairfax, we are monitoring the proposed Arts Center for potential future use as well.

Retiring OLLI President Lillian Brooks noted that our change in business approach returning from COVID and the use of Zoom/hybrid classes has resulted in an increasing yet balanced budget. In the past two years, Lillian and Jennifer have been instrumental in working with many people and organizations to help make this transition. Additionally, OLLI has a relationship with an attorney to be used as needed.
OLLI Election Chair Marilyn Harriman introduced the five 2024 Board member candidates to the forum; Toni Acton, Dick Crawford, Camille Hodges, and Zach Teich are current Board members running for another term, and Suresh Mohla is a very experienced manager from the field of cancer research and management. Marilyn asked a number of questions for the candidates to discuss their management and organizational experiences. The candidates also took questions from OLLI members; each discussed how they could best apply their talents and experiences as a director on the board. OLLI has emailed voting instructions and a link to your ballot. Voting began on May 3 and ends at noon on May 17.

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Date: Tuesday, June 11
Time: 10:00-11:30

We need your thoughts and ideas. Whether you enjoy the classics or spy novels, sci-fi, or memoir, want to read poetry, learn a language, explore playwrights and the world of theater, or hone your writing skills, the LLT Program Planning Group would love to hear from you.

Please join us for our semi-annual all-campus program planning group meeting for literature, language, theater, and writing program planning on Tuesday June 11 at 10:00 via Zoom.

We will be reviewing past terms and looking forward to planning winter 2024 and beyond. All OLLI members can contribute to the excellent programming offered to our membership. Bring ideas for literature, language, theater, and writing programs, and possible instructor resources for this popular programming area. And, of course, if you or anyone you know would like to join our committee, here is your opportunity to see the process in action. Spread the word. See you on June 11.

Click this link from Shannon Morrow, our staff program associate, for the Zoom meeting. We will send a reminder closer to the meeting and the link will be available on the Daily Schedule. If you would like to be added to our LLT mailing list for a reminder, please email Pat Bangs at: pbangs68@gmail.com.

Meeting ID: 992 1591 3405
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   +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
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Find your local number: https://gmu.zoom.us/u/amm98Dnx4
Join by SIP 99215913405@zoomcrc.com.

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By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators

Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on May 15 at 4:00.

The topic for May 15: What is the Ideal Number of Children a Person Should Aim For? This may prove to be an interesting discussion, as each of us might have widely diverse opinions to share. Join Team Bloch on Wednesday at 4:00 for what likely will be a lively hour of conversation. No sign-up needed; we convene informally every Wednesday afternoon on the OLLI 24/7 Chat Line.

Check your OLLI Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesday May 15 and join us to share your thoughts.

Time to Cheer...Spring is Here! 

 

 By John Nash, E-News Editor


OK, maybe the title's a bit corny but spring has arrived and, with the warm temperatures, is quickly turning into summer! We again enjoyed the daffodils and dogwoods while the azaleas are making their final display. Fall in Virginia is beautiful, but spring here is simply fantastic, in my opinion. Maybe it's because the drab winter months have finally gone.

Spring is also a time for laying out our travel calendars, joining family gatherings – my family has an annual reunion in Texas where we see how each of us as aged, enjoy great barbecue, and tell the same old stories...still laughing at them like they were new – enjoying cook-outs with friends, and planning vacations. We probably should have done the latter this winter to get the best deals but there's still time to plan and enjoy a nice trip. Even day trips in the local area are great but do require some planning to avoid saying, “Oops, my calendar is filled up then!”

We recently received the summer OLLI catalog with its usual offerings of great classes and programs. With both Zoom and in-person activities, you should take some time to select a few that keep you involved with a great program and some wonderful friends. A little planning now will keep you engaged, and your time filled with worthwhile activities.

Remember, lay out your calendar now that includes signing up for summer OLLI classes and programs. Spring is here and you should be, too!

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Computer Club

3rd Saturday, May 18
Microsoft Copilot
Good/Safe Practices in the Digital Age

The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS) on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in person and via Zoom. The Zoom session opens at 12:45.

Microsoft Copilot—Presented by Lorrin Garson

Artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of a computer to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings, is a rapidly progressing technology. Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant that can provide a variety of information: e.g., cite sources of information, create poems and songs, create images, write computer code in multiple languages, translate between languages, create drafts of documents. Copilot is available on the web (https://copilot.microsoft.com), PCs, and Apple computers. Numerous examples of Copilot's capabilities will be presented.

Lorrin Garson had a long career in technical publishing of chemical information. His presentations to our computer groups are famous for their thorough research and clarity in explaining topics such as cryptography, encryption of personal data, cloud storage, and the origins of personal computers.

Learn in 30: Good/Safe Practices in the Digital Age—Presented by Roger Fujii

This talk will briefly cover what people should and should not do in the complex world we live in. While the intent is not to raise the anxiety level of anyone, people should be aware of what is out there and how to reasonably protect oneself. Unfortunately, some things are beyond your control, but this discussion will go over what people can do to minimize bad things happening.

Roger Fujii has helped OLLI with technology challenges for its email and LAN systems since 2006, and been a PATACS stalwart since the ‘80s.

See full details on this meeting by clicking here. For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG Website. OPCUG dues are $5 and are now due for 2024 (and 2023, if you didn’t get around to paying earlier in the year!). See http://olligmu.org/opcug/comm.html for details on making payment.

To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 389574 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 857 2717 9449 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method), or dial in at 301-715-8592.

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