Professional Photographer Stan Bysshe Treated the Photo Club to an Informative Review of the Evolution of His Career Development and Changing Photographic Technology, with Photos,May 10
I wanted to communicate to you that my term as president comes to an end in June 2024 when a new president and executive committee of the Board of Directors will be elected. I spent the last two years working to effectively represent OLLI and lead the Institute in a progressive and sustainable direction. It has been my honor to serve as your president and I am proud of the work that was accomplished during my tenure.
My first year as president was during the aftermath of COVID-19. By that I mean that it took a long time for us to recover and feel comfortable around people. In those days, we were still wearing masks and distancing. Our membership numbers were declining, even though OLLI continued offering a rich program through Zoom. We also faced a budget deficit related to the decrease in membership. It was time for the Board to look at other ways to secure funding and memberships in tandem with the outstanding and continual work of the Outreach Committee. We began to engage with residential retirement communities to see if we could offer some of our classes for a fee. At first, we didn’t get much interest, but, once Silverstone properties entered into an agreement with us, it seemed like the dam opened up, and now we have several prospects for other lucrative partnerships. Our new contractual partnerships raised the need to have outside legal advice on this and other matters on a precautionary basis. We were able to secure a respected law firm to represent OLLI, on retainer, and on an as-needed basis.
In an effort to connect with the Fairfax community, I discovered that we were offering some classes for free in Fairfax public libraries. Jennifer Disano and I met several times with Supervisor Herrity, then chair of the Older Adults Committee. As a result of those meetings, OLLI has received funding from Fairfax County Public Library system for the past two years. At a recent meeting with Supervisor Alcorn, who took over as chair of the Older Adults Committee, we discovered other areas that we could tap into with the County that have the potential for revenue and recruitment of new members.
With the support of the Board, I reinstated the travel committee which offered exciting travel opportunities for OLLI members. It is important that more members consider these exciting trips both in the U.S. and abroad. OLLI works with travel agencies that give us a percentage of the revenue received from OLLI travelers. We have received our first payment from the Iceland trip that we sponsored.
The OLLI strategic plan called for more diversity in our membership. The Board approved the establishment of a Diversity Committee as a standing committee, reporting directly to the president. That committee is exploring ways to attract various ethnic and racial groups that may not know about OLLI and would be interested in what OLLI has to offer. The goals are to improve the diversity of our members, provide more classes of ethnically diverse interest, and at the same time, grow as an organization.
These efforts resulted in a budget with a healthy surplus for this year. OLLI is financially stable, but there are a lot of things that we can do with that surplus. One example involves the Board review of ways to enhance programming in Loudoun and Reston after the closing of the Mason facility at Loudoun. A small group of Board members are discussing alternatives and possible rentals for class space in Loudoun/Reston and will bring some thoughts to the Board to consider in the months ahead.
Our relationship with George Mason is excellent. Jennifer and I met with the temporary provost, but a new provost is coming on board, and it will be important to continue to foster a good relationship with that office. This year President Gregory Washington spoke at our Teacher Appreciation Dinner as we distributed scholarships to students from 17 different departments. It is clear that the University takes great pride in affiliating with OLLI Mason.
Lastly, my experience as OLLI president has heightened my resolve to keep our Institute thriving and I plan to continue that goal as a Board member this year. I have learned that we can only enhance the intellectual and social aspects of OLLI with volunteers. OLLI is fortunate to have an excellent staff and Executive Director, but we will always need volunteers from our membership for events, teaching classes, program planning, joining a committee, and even serving on the Board. I encourage members to think of ways they can help OLLI. We all have skills to contribute that can enrich the OLLI experience.
Thank you, OLLI members, for your support during these last two years.
Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Meeting May 23
By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Co-Chair
Here is the information for our meeting next week. Feel free to invite anyone you wish to join us as we begin planning for the 2025 winter term.
Topic: Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events (HSS/CE) Program Planning Group meeting
Time: May 23, 2024, 10:00 Eastern Time (US and Canada) Click on this link to join the Zoom meeting (the link will also appear in the emailed May 23 OLLI Daily Schedule).
Meeting ID: 987 6090 1798
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Dial by your location +1 267 831 0333 US (Philadelphia) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Find your local number: https://gmu.zoom.us/u/awDnslnyA
Join by SIP 98760901798@zoomcrc.com
If you love knowledge, learning and competition, come join us this summer for Trivia night!
The plan is to meet on Thursdays for Pour House trivia, which seems to be the best fit for our age group. We are currently trying to decide between Kalypso’s in Reston and Solace Outpost in Falls Church. If you have questions or would like to be on the list, please send your contact info to amount1963@gmail.com or call/text (423) 524-5149.
In the meantime, I'll keep everyone up to date on our progress, including a weekly status report and the “final question.”
The Tallwood Book Club will switch to Zoom meetings for June, July, and August. The meetings will be on the second Friday of each month from 2:30-4:00. Scheduled books are as follows:
June 14 Tastes Like War by Margaret Cho
July 12 Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
August 9 Moloka’i by Alan Brenner
The Zoom link will be shown on the OLLI Daily Schedule for each date.
The May 2024 Photo of the Month theme was Springtime. We selected Cookie (Ellen) Hilert's photo "Pond at Burke Center," which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website.
-- By John Olsen and Ed Marion, Photography Club Coordinators
Dennis Halpin, OLLI member from fall 2019 to December2023, died at home in Burke, Virginia, on April 19. A lifelong learner, Dennis earned a BA degree in political science and history from Loyola University and studied journalism at Columbia University. He was a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English in Korea.
Dennis served as a congressional staffer on the House of Representatives International Relations Committee, rallying Congress to pass legislation such as the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004. He promoted human rights in both Koreas during his career.
An avid reader, Dennis had a passion for languages and mastered Korean, Chinese, and Italian throughout his life, and he continued to pursue new interests and expand his interests at OLLI.
A Catholic funeral mass will be held at 11:30 on Saturday, May 18, at Saint Mary's of Sorrows Parish, 5222 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22032. Following the mass, there will be a funeral reception in Fairfax at Auld Shebeen, 3971 Chain Bridge Road, in the Cellar Room from 1:30-4:30, with a live Celtic band. Additionally, a Buddhist funeral will take place from 11:00 until 3:00 on Sunday, May 19, at Bub Hwa Buddhist Temple, 7202 Poplar Street, Annandale, Virginia, with a lunch provided at the Temple.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468. You can also buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below) or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of information on interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this linkto stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website,Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances.
National Community Band Festival: Day 1
Sat, Jun 1, 4:00-9:00
Clark County Community Band 4:00
City of Falls Church Ensemble 5:15
The Main Street Community Ensemble 6:15
Herndon Regional Wind Ensemble 7:45
Center for the Arts
Admission: $19 Adult, $16 Senior.
National Community Band Festival: Day 2
Sun, Jun 2, 1:00
The Cathedral Brass
Arlington Concert Band
Fairfax Wind Symphony
Center for the Arts
Admission: $19 Adult, $16 Senior.
Please note: OLLI Meetings and Clubs may currently take place in several formats: some are in person only, some are online only, and some are hybrid, meaning that they take place in person and are accessible online simultaneously. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. The list is accurate as of mid-week, but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kick-off coffees, etc., bolded below. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat May 18
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Personal Computer User Group
Mon May 20
9:30 am
11:00 am
4:00 pm
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Poetry Writing Club – online
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Tue May 21
9:30 am
2:00 pm
4:30 pm
Annex Art – online
Gentle Yoga Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed May 22
10:00 am
10:30 am
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Investment Forum – online
Theater Lovers’ Group – online
Thu May 23
10:00 am
11:50 am
3:00 pm
4:30 pm
Humanities & Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group – online
All the News – online
Gentle Yoga Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri May 24
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Mah Jongg Club
Crafts and Conversation
Homer, etc. – online
Photography Club
Sat May 25
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon May 27
11:00 am
Poetry Reading Club – online
Tue May 28
9:30 am
2:00 pm
4:30 pm
Annex Art – online
Gentle Yoga Club
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed May 29
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu May 30
11:50 am
3:00 pm
4:30 pm
6:00 pm
All the News – online
Gentle Yoga Club
Tai Chi Club – online
Ethnic Eats Club – online
Fri May 31
9:30 am
11:00 am
2:30 pm
Crafts and Conversation
Homer, etc. – online
Caregivers Group – online
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger,Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Tom Appich, Martha Kossoff, Anne Hartshorn, Bonnie Becker, Carol McManus
Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:olli.gmu.edu/" without the quotes.
The May 2024 Photo of the Month theme was Springtime. We selected Cookie (Ellen) Hilert's 
Dennis Halpin, OLLI member from fall 2019 to December