|
OLLI
E-News
#21-11 of May 27, 2011
|
Issue #21-11 of May 27, 2011
ELECTION
RESULTS
New Board members
 By Dick Young, 2011 Nominating Committee Chair
| From left, Gordon
Canyock, Ernestine Meyer, Manny Pablo, Martha Scanlon, Imogene Willis,
Bob Zener. |
THE BALLOTS HAVE BEEN CAST
and counted. The
candidates elected
to serve on OLLI's Board of Directors until 2014 are Gordon Canyock,
Ernestine Meyer, Manny Pablo, Martha Scanlon, Imogene Willis and Bob
Zener. We extend our congratulations to them.
The voter turnout was similar to recent years,
with 421 members voting.
This election represents the infusion of new
blood into the Board as Ernestine Meyer, Martha Scanlon, Imogene Willis
and Bob Zener have not previously run or served. OLLI's president,
Manny Pablo, was elected for a second three-year term on the Board, and
Gordon Canyock is returning to the Board after a two-year absence
required by the bylaws.
The Committee is grateful to all candidates
for their effective and capable participation in the election process.
There was a narrow margin between successful and unsuccessful
candidates. We believe that the candidates who were not elected will
continue to be among OLLI's greatest contributors and that they deserve
consideration to fill any Board positions that may be vacated.
The six successful candidates will meet on
Friday, June 10 with the 12 carryover Board members to elect the
officers who will serve OLLI until next year's election.
For their fine work, I extend my personal
thanks to the members of the Nominating Committee – Debbie Halverson,
Rosemary McDonald, Ted Parker, Mary Ann Seesholtz and Kathie West.
Editor's
note. To see the names and profiles of Board
members, committee and resource-group chairs, and management/staff, click here to view
our Website's Organization
page.
EVALUATING SCHEDULE CHANGES
From the executive director
WE ALL KNOW THAT
the OLLI program has become increasingly rich over the years. The good
news is that members have more choices from a broad diversity of topics
and excellent presenters. Programs in Reston and Loudoun have developed
their own character based on the interests of members and the resources
available closer to those sites. Along with our growth, we have
experienced challenges in scheduling.
|
There is no schedule that is perfect for everyone all of the time.
In the interest of continual improvement, we monitor the responses of
members when we make adjustments. The class times in Loudoun were
adjusted earlier this year, and we would like to hear from a wide range
of OLLI members – via an online
survey – who
have opinions about the scheduling of classes. Whether or not you
attended classes in Loudoun this term, we'd like to hear your
perspective. |
Please click on the following link to
participate in this online survey:
Back to top
FORMER SSGT JIM MILLER HELPS VETERANS
 Works as Veteran Transition
Coordinator at Mason
 STAFF SERGEANT JIM MILLER left
the Marine Corps after eight
years of service on August 18, 2009 and started classes 12 days later
at George Mason University. Jim (photo
above right) was in Iraq when he applied to Mason. While serving
his third and final tour, Jim says he was fortunate to have had access
to a
computer, so he could plan the next stage of his life while serving his
country. He turned to Mason's Office of Military Services for
assistance with the college application process. Jim ended up working
there – as a Veteran Transition Coordinator, helping other veterans
make the same transition.
OLLI's special fundraising campaign – OLLI Supports Our Vets – has a goal
to raise $20,000 for the Office of Military Services in commemoration
of OLLI's 20th anniversary this year. Created in 2008, this Office has
become a one-stop shop for information and assistance regarding
admission to the University and use of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other
veteran benefits. Mason is one of the few schools in the country to
have such an office. There are currently 1,575 veterans, active-duty
service members and family members at Mason for whom the Office
provides assistance.
|
One of Jim's highlights
while a Mason
student was being asked by the White House to introduce President
Obama, who was giving a speech on campus (see link below). Jim, along with Jennifer Connors,
Director of the Office of Military Services, attended the OLLI annual
meeting and picnic on May 6. After the picnic, OLLI member David Mason
interviewed Jim. In the interview (see
link below), Jim tells more about himself and the Office of
Military Services. |
We hope every
OLLI member will make a
generous contribution to this special campaign.
Online
resources for more information (click to view)—
- David Mason's
video
interview
of veteran Jim Miller
- White House
blog story
of Jim Miller
- Mason Spirit magazine article
(May 2011) "Making the Most of the Military Mindset"
- Video message to
OLLI members from Jennifer Conners, Mason Office of Military Services
- OLLI
campaign
flyer (pdf) with tear-off credit card/check/cash donation form that
can
be given to staff at any site or mailed to OLLI
Back
to top
DEPARTING
BOARD MEMBERS
Recognizing their service to OLLI
 By Rod Zumbro,
OLLI E-News
Editor,
Board member
AFTER THIS
MONTH'S ELECTION,
four members of
OLLI's Board of
Directors will be replaced by newly elected directors. It's time to
recognize these departing Board members— Kathleen
Meyer, Bob Persell, Jack Underhill and Kathie West—who have served
faithfully on behalf of the membership. Kathleen, Bob and Kathie served
three years, and Jack served more than four years (since February 2007).
   
From
left, Kathleen
Meyer, Bob
Persell, Jack Underhill, Kathie West.
Click any photo above to view the person's profile in OLLI E-News.
Despite spending the significant time on Board
matters required of a director, these individuals were also active in
other volunteer activities at OLLI. During their Board terms, Kathleen
and Jack each served for one year as secretary, and Kathie served for
one year as vice president. All four departing directors were
instrumental in helping the Board make its many important governance
decisions during recent years. On behalf of the membership, I want to
thank Kathleen, Bob, Jack and Kathie for their years of selfless
dedication to our wonderful Institute. We will miss you on the Board!
Back to top
OLLI PLAYERS TO
AGAIN PERFORM AT MASON
Theater of the First Amendment's First
Light program
 By Eileen Duggan, President, Friends of Theater at Mason
ON SUNDAY, JUNE 5, THE OLLI PLAYERS
will once again present staged readings of original short plays written
by OLLI members. Under the direction of Kathie West, our thespian group
will read and perform the following four original works:
- Conrad
Geller's The Turing Machine,
a thought-provoking work about consciousness;
- Bob
Greenspan's Somewhere in Italy,
a story of love and loss;
- Manny Pablo's
No Pets
Allowed, a
tale of a cat hater with a long-kept secret; and
- Thelma
Weiner's The Asteroid Apophis,
a comedic take on reactions to the imminent destruction of Planet
Earth.
The plays will be presented in TheaterSpace on
the Mason campus at 1:00. Each play is 10-15 minutes long, and at the
end of the
program there will be a Q&A session where you can quiz the
playwrights, directors and actors. Admission is free – with open
seating. The OLLI program has been a very popular event for the past
five years so
be sure to arrive early to get a good seat.
OLLI participants truly
appreciate the loyal support shown by fellow OLLI members. Please
come on June 5 to support your OLLI colleagues, and enjoy a magical
afternoon of
theater.
After the OLLI program, two winning Mason
student plays selected from the Student Playwright Competition and
Mentorship Program will be performed at 3:00 and 5:00, respectively.
The First Light program will then resume the following weekend with the
reading of three new works by professional playwrights – one Friday
evening, June 10 and two on Saturday, June 11. Click
here for details, including directions and a complete listing of
performances for both weekends.
Back to top
SINGING
FOR FUN PERFORMS
A visit to The Virginian retirement
community
| Singing for Fun group serenades seniors at
The Virginian in Fairfax; inset, Helen Anderson and Palmer McGrew waltz
to the music. Photos by Sandy Mitchell. |
ON THE LAST DAY of their spring
class, Singing for Fun members visited The Virginian retirement
community in Fairfax to deliver their rendition of old Broadway show
tunes to a crowded room of senior citizens, who did plenty of singing
along. Included was an old-fashioned waltz by Helen Anderson and Palmer
McGrew; they were spectacular, and the
dance
was well received by the audience.
The Singing for
Fun group is led by Linda George and accompanied by Gayle Parsons. To
join this class, you needn't have a perfect voice – just the desire to
have fun while remembering the wonderful music of "Old Broadway."
-- By Sandy Mitchell, OLLI member
PHOTO CLUB EXCURSION
Nature's Best Exhibit, Smithsonian Natural
History Museum
| OLLI Photography Club members at the
Nature's Best exhibit; photo by Dan Feighery. |
ON THURSDAY, MAY 19, Mr.
Charles Veatch, Chairman of Nature's Best Publishing LLC, led a group
of OLLI Photography Club members on a private tour of the Windland
Smith Rice International 2010 Awards Exhibition at the Smithsonian
Natural History Museum. This celebration of creative talent and
discovery has become one of the most prestigious competitions of its
kind, uncovering new photographers and new perspectives from around the
globe.
The exhibit features a selection of 39
enlarged photographic prints, ranging in size from 2-foot by 3-foot to
4-foot by 6-foot, from the 2010 Nature's Best Photography Awards. This
fantastic grouping of the best nature photographs from around the world
is on display until September 25.
-- By Dan Feighery, OLLI Photography Club Coordinator
Click
here
to
view thumbnails of each award-winning photograph, which—when
clicked—expand to a larger photo and details about the image and how
the photographer captured it.
Back
to top
LILYAN SPERO
Founding member, third president, honorary
board member for life, active member for 20 years
 FOUNDING OLLI
MEMBER
LILYAN SPERO (photo
at right)
died peacefully on Saturday, May 21. Lilyan was part of the 1990
steering committee that worked to organize the Learning in Retirement
Institute at George Mason University and was an original founding
member of our Institute. She served on LRI's first Board of Directors
and served as our Institute's third president (1993-1994).
Lilyan was later made honorary board member for life, the only
individual ever so
designated. She remained active at OLLI and enthusiastic about the
Institute for 20 years, serving as an inspiration to all who knew her.
From longtime OLLI member and former president
Jan Dewire: Lilyan was a citizen of
the political world and devoted to lifelong learning. Her interest
started on the Fairfax County Commission on Aging, which supported the
establishment of a
Learning In Retirement Institute in Northern Virginia. She found one
place after another for us to meet. Lilyan loved the courses and was
responsible for finding many courses for the program; when she called,
people responded. Lilyan could be determined and feisty and, yes,
opinionated – but always with love for OLLI. I will surely miss her.
From OLLI member Eileen Duggan: Lilyan will be sorely missed by all of us
who considered her a friend. She and her husband, Abe, who predeceased
her, were among the early founding members of OLLI. What I loved most
about Lilyan was her passion and commitment to effect positive change
and to make a difference through civic engagement. She worked long and
hard to create opportunities for all the citizens of Fairfax County to
attain a better quality of life.
Donations in Lilyan's
memory may be made to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George
Mason University, 4210
Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032. Information on a
memorial service will be provided to OLLI members when it becomes
available.
For more
information about Lilyan—
- OLLI E-News
profile
of
Lilyan.
- One-minute video of
Lilyan's reflections about OLLI.
- Guide to Retirement Living article
about Lilyan and OLLI.
|
|
|
|
OLLI
SPIRITWEAR
Click image or here to shop
Order
sweatshirts,
shirts, caps and tote bags with the OLLI/Mason logo
at any time directly from the vendor for delivery to your home. At the
store, click "OLLI-GMU Store" to see the pictures, then click on each
item
to see details. Note: The
pictures do not show our logo but it
will be embroidered on items that you order.
|
OLLI FACEBOOK GROUP
Click
icon or here to
join
OLLI
members are
encouraged to join the OLLI Facebook group as
a means
of enhancing intra-OLLI communications. Recent articles: how to join;
how to post
photos. (The icon is also under the Quick
Links table
on our Home page and What's New page.) Note: Once you join the OLLI group,
you can access the group from your personal Facebook page by clicking
on "Groups" or "More" in the left-side navigation area. |
|
Selected by the OLLI Poetry
Workshop
|
In
Arlington
Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori*
In Arlington, across the rolling green
That somehow speaks of drums in old tattoo,
The granite hosts in ordered march are seen
In final and perpetual review.
No protests here, no placards on parade,
Within the ranks and columns of the dead.
No chanted slogans, only silent shade
And quiet affirmations left unsaid.
These hosts file past with honors old yet new.
No marches play, but drums and drummers mute
Keep cadence for this timeless, hushed review:
While Duty, standing, takes their last salute.
*It is sweet
and becoming to die for one’s country—Horace
(Inscribed
on the
Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.)
Michael
McNamara
Colonel, USA
(Ret.)
Note: This poem first
appeared in OLLI's Fairfax Ink,
issue no. 7 of spring 2006.
|
Back
to top
Other Mason events
 By Helen Ackerman, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
 DMV
On Campus. The 32-foot, handicapped-accessible mobile office is
equipped to process all DMV transactions such as driver's licenses,
identification cards, vehicle titles, license plates, decals, disabled
parking permits, and more. DMV 2 Go is wireless and equipped with a
Virginia Internet portal through which customers can research and find
information about other state services. With a visit from DMV 2
Go, you can take advantage of convenient DMV services without making a
trip to a DMV location. Mon, Jun 13 and Tue, Jun 14, 9.00 to 4.00.
Parking Lot A. |
 HYLTON ARTS AND MUSIC
Upcoming Manassas performances, May 27 - Jun 5
By Sheri
Siesseger, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
FOR
TICKETS, call
1-888-945-2468 or click "Buy Tickets" at the event listing in the calendar
(phone and
online orders are handled by
tickets.com; a service charge applies) – or visit the box office in the
lobby of the Hylton
Performing
Arts Center on Mason's Prince William Campus in Manassas, Wed-Sat,
noon to 6:00. More info on tickets is at the ticket
purchase page.
Hope for Japan: Japan Charity Concert
Mon, May 30, 6:30
Proceeds from ticket sales
for this event will be donated to the American Red Cross for help to
victims of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The program
includes "Un bel di" from Madame Butterfly; Lakme Flower Duet; Chopin's Ballade in A flat Major; There is a Balm in Gilead, a
traditional spiritual; Sakura-Cherry
Blossom, an original piano composition; and Red Dragonfly, a Japanese folk
song. A slide show depicting the catastrophe and an exhibit of Japanese
art are part of the presentation.
Admission: $20 – 35
Merchant Hall |
Prince William Little Theater
The
Women
Fri, Jun 3 and Sat, Jun 4, 8:00
Sat, Jun 4 and Sun, Jun 5, 2:00
Directed by Scott Olson, PWLT presents Clare Boothe Luce's story set in
the high society world of New York City during the Great Depression.
The play addresses themes including the role of the modern woman,
marriage and divorce, friendship, beauty standards, gossip and
socioeconomic class.
Admission: $15, adults; $12,
seniors and students;
$8, children under 12
Gregory Family Theater |
Boyle
School of Irish Dance
Sun,
Jun 5, 6:00
This program features both short performances by the Boyle School's
youngest students as well as performances by its champion dancers.
Admission: $10; children under 12,
$5
Merchant Hall |
COMING
ATTRACTIONS
Upcoming non-class events at
OLLI
THE
FOLLOWING LIST covering the next two weeks is extracted for your
convenience from the master calendar maintained by the office, with
direct Web links added when available. OLLI members are welcome at all
Board, committee and resource group meetings. For more activities
specifically related to the Loudoun
site, see Roberta Sherman's latest Loudoun
Notes (pdf). For
more activities
specifically related to the Reston
site, see Sharon Gilman's latest Eye on Reston (Word
document).
Note:
The below list is accurate as of mid-week but for the very latest
information, please see Upcoming
Non-Class Events to view the
real-time OLLI online
calendar maintained by
the office.
Back
to top
KEY CONTACT
INFORMATION
How to contact OLLI
HERE
IS A READY REFERENCE on how to contact OLLI.
For email
addresses and phone numbers not listed below, please consult the online
Membership Directory (log in to Member
Portal).
About OLLI E-News
and the
member/volunteers who
produce it
Rod
Zumbro
Editor |
Barbara Kyriakakis
Associate
Editor |
|
|
Review Team: Gordon
Canyock,
Barbara Kyriakakis, John West
Database
Manager: Barbara
Kyriakakis
|
- About
this newsletter.
OLLI's
weekly newsletter, OLLI
E-News,
is
emailed
to
current
OLLI
members
with
email
addresses
on
Fridays.
When
classes
are
in
session, printed copies of this newsletter are distributed in
classrooms. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact Editor Rod
Zumbro or Communications Committee Chair Gordon
Canyock.
- Submissions. We
encourage members
to submit news items, articles and photos for this newsletter. The deadline
to
the editor is 7:00 pm Wed (7:00 pm Mon for letters to the
editor
for which an
OLLI response is appropriate) for that
week's issue; submissions
earlier in
the week are strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated.
Please
limit
articles to about 250 words. Submit material via email to Editor Rod
Zumbro
(email rzumbro@gmu.edu).
- Read the latest
issue early. The
new weekly issue of OLLI
E-News
is posted to the OLLI Web site Thursday evening. Read it by visiting http://www.olli.gmu.edu/pubs.htm#enews,
where
you
will
find
a
list
of
the
last
12
issues;
click
the
latest issue listed.
- Viewing or searching past
issues. Your options for finding items in past issues of OLLI E-News
include viewing the last
12
issues; searching the
content of
ALL issues for any word or words; and searching the
DocStore archive of all past issues by date or issue number.
|
|
Updated:
May 27, 2011
Copyright © 2011 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at
George Mason University. Materials in this publication subject to
OLLI-Mason copyright may be reproduced for noncommercial educational
purposes as long as credit is given to OLLI-Mason.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George
Mason University, 4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384; Email: olli@gmu.edu;
Fax:
(703) 503-2832
Original site design and construction by OLLI-Mason member Rod Zumbro. |
|
By 
