HERE IS THE NEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
"How
did you learn about OLLI?"
Vote
here in this Web poll and instantly see the results of your vote. Check back
anytime during the week to see how the online membership has voted. ( Note: We apologize if the Question of the
Week is not visible, which can happen when this free service we are
using exceeds its bandwidth, and we ask you to re-visit
the site later to see if you can vote.)
A new question will be posted each Friday, for your
voting pleasure.
LAST WEEK'S question
was, "Might
you be interested in joining other OLLI members in an international
travel/learning experience?"
Results:
Only 13 percent voted "No." By far the biggest response was
"Yes--Europe," with more than 40 percent of the votes. A distant second
was "Yes--Asia," with 17 percent of the votes. Back
to top.
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Thoughts from the New Guy
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By Dr. Richard
Chobot, Executive Director
 I
FORMALLY JOINED OLLI AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR on September 1. For these
first few months I claim the protection of the “new guy
exemption.” If I fail to remember your name, if I commit a faux pas that contravenes the
cultural norms of OLLI, or if you just see me wandering around in
something of
a daze…just excuse it as my being the “new guy.”
However, “new guy” protection ends on January 1,
2006. I resolve to greet the New Year bright eyed and fully
in control as your Executive Director.
"New
guy that I am, my initial impressions of OLLI are beyond positive. I am joining an
organization that already is great,
thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers and part-time staff."
It was made very clear to me when I attended the
Elderhostel International Network Conference shortly after I joined the
staff that OLLI at GMU enjoys a well-deserved reputation among its peer
organizations. The fact that our catalogs kept disappearing from the
materials table suggests that many other OLLIs look to us for
programming
ideas. The appearance of president Charles Duggan on the OLLI
information
panel speaks to the stature of our program within the OLLI network.
Perhaps my greatest delight is in joining
a community of learners. Although I have been involved in adult
education of one sort or another for over 30 years, this is the first
time I have worked in an organization where learners come for the joy
of leaning, rather than being primarily motivated by job-related
reasons.
"Know
that I am committed to
maintaining the quality of the basic program, while also expanding its
scope and its financial base."
My initial efforts have been focused on learning
the procedures of OLLI, working on program planning for the winter
term, and formulating ideas as to how I, as the first Executive
Director, can best serve the membership and help the organization to
grow to the next level of excellence.
I look forward to greeting each member personally,
and in playing a role, along with my staff and volunteer colleagues, in
continuing to bring you the highest quality lifelong learning courses
and experiences. Back to top.
  By Rod Zumbro, OLLI
E-News editor
IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF OLLI E-NEWS, I wrote an article
about the upcoming September 2005 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics,
not really expecting anyone from OLLI to participate. Was I surprised
to
hear that an OLLI member not only participated on September 17 but also
won four medals, including a gold medal! OLLI’s Senior Olympian is
member
Averett Tombes, age 73.
Ave, a retired professor, university administrator,
and consultant, joined OLLI in 2003. Having been a recreational runner
all his life, he’s no stranger to athletic endeavors. In college, he
ran cross country, put the shot, and played baseball and football in
intramural competition. After retirement, Ave began playing in the
Northern
Virginia Senior Softball league, and his coach started using him as a
replacement runner for some of his slower teammates.
Ave realized he might be able to compete
successfully in local track and field competitions and decided to give
the Northern
Virginia Senior
Olympics a try in September 2004. Ave’s wife, OLLI member Jane
Tombes,
was in the stands to encourage him as he competed in the 70-74 age
group.
The result: Ave won a gold medal in the 200-meter run and a bronze
medal
in the shot put!
To do even better the next time, Ave decided he
needed some training. He worked out at the GMU Field House two to three
times a week, lifting weights, sprinting and practicing putting the
shot. He also worked with two coaches for the shot put and joined the
Potomac Valley Track Club, participating in two competitive events. Now
Ave felt ready for the September 2005 Northern Virginia Senior
Olympics, but he
modestly told Jane not to come because he was skeptical of winning
anything.
OLLI members with a
GMU ID card can use the Field House for free...
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and can get the employee discount
at the Aquatics and Fitness Center.
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Well, we know better. Ave won the gold medal in
the 200-meter run and bronze medals in the 50-meter dash, 100-meter
dash
and shot put! What’s the secret? Ave says, “You have to enjoy physical
activity enough in order to train all year long and be competitive in
your events. You must also have a competitive streak in your makeup.”
Ave notes that the GMU Affiliate ID card allows the use of a great
facility,
the GMU Field House, free of charge. Application forms
are available in the OLLI office.
The next Northern Virginia Senior Olympics will be
held in September 2006. Motivated OLLI members have a full year to
prepare for the competition, or if they just want to stay in shape,
they might want to re-read Elizabeth Crawford's article, "Shake,
Rattle
and Roll" (and the clarification
on getting the employee discount), about the GMU Aquatics and Fitness
Center. But don't forget to congratulate Senior Olympian Ave Tombes
when you see him in class. Back to top.
Board of Directors Meeting
|
 By
Carol Henderson, Secretary
AT ITS SEPTEMBER 16 meeting, the Board dissolved the Executive Director
Search Ad Hoc Committee and approved a new Bylaws Revision Ad Hoc
Committee chaired by Gordon Canyock. This committee will review the
current bylaws and recommend to the Board any revisions that it deems
appropriate.
For example, last year's nominating committee
suggested changes in election procedures that would require changes
to the bylaws, and the role of an executive director is not addressed
in the current bylaws. If the Board agrees with the committee’s
recommendations, a special meeting of the membership will be called to
vote on adoption.
The
Board discussed offering
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE to members.
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Among other issues
discussed was the possibility of offering international travel service
to members; Susanne
Zumbro was asked to investigate this possibility.
The Board also heard from the Program Review
Committee and Reston Support Committee that program development is well
underway for the winter term by these committees and numerous
volunteers.
In addition, the Facilities Committee reported on
arrangements made to hold and equip three very large classes at Christ
Lutheran Church because fall enrollments were too large for TA-1 at
Tallwood.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Friday,
October 21 at 10:00 AM at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend.
Back to top.
Coming Events
at GMU October 3-9
|
By Jan Bohall, OLLI Catalog editor
GMU Players, Studio Series
Marat/Sade, by Peter
Weiss
Oct 7-9
Fri & Sat, at 8:00 PM,
Sat & Sun at 2:00 PM
Admission free, but tickets required
Center for the Arts: Black Box
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|
The Flying Karamazov Brothers
LIFE, A Guide for the Perplexed
Sun, Oct 9, at 7:00 PM
$40, $32, $20
GMU Concert Hall
Children 12 and under half price
Pre-performance discussion
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Flu Vaccine Clinic at Tallwood
|
By Dr. Richard
Chobot, Executive Director
OLLI HAS SCHEDULED A FLU VACCINE
CLINIC at the Tallwood site from 12:30 to 3:30 PM on Friday, October
14, 2004. Inova Healthcare will conduct the clinic. The cost is $21,
which can be
paid by cash or check. If Medicare Part B covers you, simply bring your
card and Inova will complete the paperwork. The clinic will be
conducted in the Social Room Annex.
VERY IMPORTANT: Following Centers for Disease
Control guidance, Inova will limit flu shots before November 1, 2005
to the following high-risk groups:
- Persons aged 65 or older.
- Persons aged 2–64 with “comorbid
conditions” (two medical conditions existing simultaneously and
independently).
- Children aged 6-23 months.
- Pregnant women.
- Healthcare personnel who provide
direct patient care.
- Household contacts and out-of-home
caregivers of
children aged 6 months or older.
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If you do not fit in any of these categories (e.g.,
younger than 65 with no chronic condition), you will not be able to get
a flu shot at this clinic.
We have scheduled an additional clinic on
November 4 from 12:30 to 3:30 PM at Tallwood. This clinic will be
immediately following our Town Meeting. We are also trying to schedule
a clinic in Reston at Lake Anne. To avoid cost to OLLI, each clinic
must serve a minimum of 30 people.
To learn more about this year’s flu risk,
visit the Centers for Disease Control Website. Back to top.
Mathilde Speier Leaves OLLI for GMU
|
By
Carol Henderson, Secretary
 MATHILDE SPEIER WILL LEAVE HER POSITION as OLLI
Administrative Assistant at Lake Anne on October 6. She has been the
OLLI staffer in
Reston for nearly five years, setting up classrooms, arranging for
coffee
and cookies and helping instructors with classroom audiovisual and
computer
equipment. More recently she assisted Carol Ferrara in course
development
and coordination, experience that she feels will prove useful in her
new
post.
Mathilde has accepted a full-time position as Arts
Management Assistant for the Master
of Arts Management program in the College of Visual and Performing
Arts at George Mason University. She will work with program director
Dr. Meg Brindle on a variety of duties, including setting up
internships for students, marketing and communication and
administrative work in the office.
Mathilde is excited about the opportunity
to be associated with this one-year old and rapidly growing GMU
program. It makes use of her OLLI experience as well as her knowledge
of European languages and her earlier career in arts journalism and as
a teacher in two Dutch art academies.
OLLI members appreciate Mathilde’s dedication to
the Institute and wish her well in her new position at OLLI’s affiliate
institution, GMU. After Reston Support Committee chair Abbie Edwards
returns from overseas travel and before the end of the fall term, OLLI
will schedule an opportunity for members to express their appreciation
and say farewell to Mathilde Speier. Back to top.
Help OLLI Recruit New Members
|
DO YOU KNOW
A FRIEND, neighbor or acquaintance who might be interested in OLLI? You
can help OLLI in its recruiting efforts by forwarding this newsletter
via email to that person.
After bringing a friend to class, forwarding this
newsletter is one of the best ways of showing others what our wonderful
institute is all about. Back to top.
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Winter Special Events Forecast
|
 By Florence Adler,
Special Events Committee chair
THE SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE IS PLANNING the following events for the
winter 2006 term:
Saturday,
Jan 21,
a matinee performance of Lift: Icarus and Me,
by
the Theater of the First Amendment at GMU’s Harris Theater
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Wednesday,
Jan 25, Catherine Flye of InterAct Theater will discuss “How to use
your voice
and speech successfully."
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Saturday,
Feb 4,
a matinee performance of Damn Yankees at Arena
Stage
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Wednesday,
Feb 8, Dr. Fred Schack will discuss "Fitness for the Mature Adult" at
Tallwood.
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Wednesday,
Feb 15,
John Wood will present a Trip Tale on his recent visit to Jordan.
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Saturday,
Feb 25, a GMU Players matinee performance of James Joyce's The
Dead, a musical directed by Rick Davis, at Harris Theater
|
 By
Michael Styles, History Club coordinator
THE FIRST FALL MEETING OF THE OLLI HISTORY CLUB will be at Tallwood on
Wednesday, October 5, at 2:00 PM.
Don Ferrett’s topic is “Dead Men Do Tell Tales.” Ever wonder what
life was really like on the frontier in the good old days?
The Lake Huron shore region of Michigan was
sparsely populated until after the Civil War. A search of publicly
available documents concerning a small township cemetery brings to life
the settlement and development of the region during its formative
years. The story of the cemetery itself is almost as entertaining as
were the lives of some of the colorful characters buried there. Back to top.
Ms. Ollie Ettakit Speaks on OLLI Etiquette
|
 By OLLI's staff expert on OLLI etiquette
Dear Ms.
Ettakit:
What do you think about OLLI students who fall asleep in class
and yet persist in sitting in the front of the classroom? -- Anonymous
I try not to think
about them at
all, but if I must, then I would comment that those who know they have
such a tendency should select a seat toward the rear of the classroom
and at least avoid snoring.
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Dear Ms.
Ettakit:
I noticed with interest the new Ms. Ollie Ettakit column in the
email
OLLI newsletter. My comment for a future issue is that it is so
annoying to be in a class where the students constantly interrupt the
speaker. Ostensibly they are asking questions or making comments, but
from my point of view they are interrupting. I wonder if Ms. Ettakit
could ask everybody to wait until the end to make their comments so
that the rest of us can hear a continuous presentation from the speaker
we have chosen to come and listen to.
-- J.A., Arlington
An excellent question,
Dear J.A., which raises a series of questions in my mind. Why is it
that some members seem to select topics which relate to their own
knowledge and expertise and are more than willing to present that
information to all of us, including the presenter?
What does this behavior say about us? Why
do we attend these classes? Are we there to learn or to teach? If the
latter is true, then we need to meet with the OLLI Program Committee
with
the idea of lecturing on a subject related to our own expertise.
Recently, I attended an OLLI class given by a
professor whose research background on the topic of his lecture was
quite extensive. When he was not more than fifteen minutes into his
presentation, several hands went up. In almost every case when called
on, those audience members would expound on the topic before asking
their
questions. Frequently the lecturer would have to respond by saying that
he was just about to present that material. This pattern continued
until
finally one exasperated class member raised her hand to protest this
intrusion
on the speaker and to ask that questions be held until the end of the
lecture.
The audience responded with vigorous applause.
I know that some lecturers will tell a class that
they welcome questions any time, and some classes are naturally
interactive. Yet I still think that we need to give our lecturers as
much time as
they need to present the material as they have planned it.
As OLLI members, we have an amazing variety of
experiences in many fields and are anxious to share them. However, why
not register for classes in areas about which you know very little?
Don’t we all want to continue learning? Isn’t that what “Learning in
Retirement” is all about?
I would humbly remind the reader that it is
important to show respect for the lecturer who was chosen for his or
her knowledge of the subject. Also, please try to remember that what
the
lecturer wants from us is a simple question – not another lecture.
So my advice to the gentle reader is to listen
carefully, jot down a question in your notebook, and ask it at the end
of the lecture. Chances are that the speaker will have answered your
question by then!
|
Email your OLLI
etiquette questions to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (who is distraught that she
cannot
reply personally)
via the print-edition OLLI News
editor, Gordon
Canyock. Back to top.
|
 By
Elizabeth Crawford, OLLI
E-News
staff writer
OLLI ROCKS, AS OUR GRANDCHILDREN WOULD SAY. We have 691 members, 66
of whom are new.
Welcome to those new members who were not listed in
last week's newsletter:
Marie
Espinoza, Katherine Foster, Jean Robinson, Diane Rosacker, Eleanor Saslaw, and Elaine Wilson.
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Back to top.
Afraid of Email
and Computers?
|
By Rod Zumbro, OLLI E-News editor
FEAR EMAIL AND COMPUTERS NO MORE. Here’s a non-stressful, no-cost way
to try them.
Call your local library
branch and make an appointment for a free Internet tutorial (most
Fairfax County branches offer them). You’ll receive 45 minutes of
hands-on, one-on-one training on how to use a mouse, how to access the
Web, what a clickable link is, etc. When it’s over, you’ll know enough
to carry out your mission: Open a free email account.
 It’s
easy. Beforehand, write down the email addresses of a couple of your
children or friends. Log onto any available Internet terminal at the
library; type your library card number and then your
birthday (in MMDDYYYY format) as your password. Then, type
“mail.yahoo.com/”
(without the quotation marks) and press Enter to go to Yahoo! Mail, my suggestion for free
email and also PC Magazine Editors’ Choice 2005. Click “Sign Up.”
In a few moments, you’ll have a free email account
with a unique username (such as johndoe@yahoo.com) and a unique
password that you made up (suggestion: a child or grandchild’s first
name
and the last two digits of his or her birth year). You can now sign in
to your email account from ANY computer with Internet access ANYWHERE
in
the world—including one in a family member’s home, at a public or
university
library, or in an Internet café or shopping mall.
Send a test message to yourself and then click
“Check Mail” to read that message! Send an email to the people whose
addresses you wrote down. In a day or so, check your mail at the
library. Exchange emails with children, grandchildren, siblings and
friends, just to get the feel of it. Give email the “Good Ol’ OLLI Try.”
If you like having email, give your email
address to the office so you can be
added to our OLLI email group. You’ll start getting OLLI emails,
including
president’s messages and our weekly newsletter, OLLI E-News, with alerts,
reminders, articles, photos, color highlights, and clickable links—even
when classes are not in session. You’ll be happy to be connected to
your family, friends and the world!
Editor's Note. Why, you ask, is this
article included in an email newsletter read almost exclusively by
members who have email? One reason is to give you the same content that
you'll see next week in the printed OLLI
News in classrooms. The more important reason is in case you
want to print this article and give it to a friend or family member [to
print just one article, select it with your mouse, right click, select
Print, then print the "Selection"]. Back to top.
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TWO SPECIAL EVENT CHANGES
by Florence Adler, Special Events Committee chair
|
Special Event H: Shenandoah Valley Museum
October 14, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Now open to non-member guests. 10 seats available.
Cost is $35.00.
Please refer to catalog description.
|
Due to the low registration in Special Event K (The presentation on
the Veterans History Project
of the Library of Congress), the event, scheduled for Oct 19, has been
canceled. We might try again in the spring if any interest arises.
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SPACE
AVAILABLE
FOR COURSE 311 BUS TRIP
by
Jennifer Maloney, OLLI Administrator
|
Spots are
available for the November
4 bus trip to Washington, D.C. as part of Course 311, Crucial Events in American
History. Please note this bus trip will depart from Lake Anne at
9 AM and return to Lake Anne at approximately 2 PM. The cost is $22,
and checks may be made out to OLLI and dropped off at the office. The
itinerary will likely include visiting an exhibit at the American History
Museum and a guided tour by National Park Service Rangers of the World War II
Memorial. Please call the office if you have any questions.
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Back to
top.
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Victimization of Elderly and Seniors
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THE GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY-FAIRFAX COUNTY Commission For Women
Lecture Series, co-sponsored by AARP, is pleased to present,
“Victimization
of the Elderly and Senior Population.” This presentation will discuss
issues concerning criminal victimization of the elderly population and
the impact it has in their lives.
The presentation features Professor Karen Bune, Professor in Administration
of Justice, George Mason University, and will be held Wednesday,
October 12, 2005, 7:30-8:30 PM at the Fairfax County Government Center,
Conference Rooms 4-5, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax,
Virginia.
Refreshments provided, no fee, free parking
available. For more information, visit the GMU Lecture Series Website
or call (703) 993-8846. Back to top.
Theater of the First Amendment First Fridays at Old
Town
Hall
|
 By Kevin Murray,
Theater of the First Amendment managing director
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 at 8:00 PM, the Theater of the
First
Amendment presents First Fridays at Old Town Hall, a free reading
of
a brand-new work by noted American playwright Sherry Kramer entitled SOFA: Enchanted Evening, a
one-woman, one-Barbie play. She was also the author of the
award-winning TFA play, Things That
Break.
Our hostess for the evening describes her childhood
in 1964 Springfield, Missouri, a life of Barbie dolls with all the
accessories, while America plunged into murky political waters in Iran
through the
Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). She then proceeds to lead us through
a keen observation of recent American politics into today's post-9/11
world.
Thought-provoking, witty, and acerbic.
You are invited to join the TFA team for a
discussion, with wine and refreshments, after the presentation. Back to top.
THE EDITORIAL
STAFF WILL PUBLISH your brief letters commenting on OLLI activities and
will try to include follow-up information from the relevant committee
or staff member, usually the next week.
-- Gordon
Canyock, OLLI
News editor
Parking Lot Potholes
In last
week’s issue, we reported that repairs would be initiated. So far there
has been little progress, but the Facilities Committee reports that the
contractor will repair the lot on Saturday, Oct 1. We shall see.
Garden Costs
Also in
last week’s issue, a member questioned the cost of the new garden in
front of Tallwood. Valerie Braybrooke, the leader of the
Dirty Knee
Club, responds:
The Gardens at OLLIwood come with a price tag for preparation of the
beds, plants and maintenance: only the plants can be seen. LRI/OLLI
paid for in-the-ground gypsum, topsoil, compost, fertilizers,
herbicides; above-the-ground trees, shrubs, perennials; and repetitions
of annuals, mulch and water. We also had to buy a few tools. With my
professional license I was able to
get a deep discount for OLLI on all plants, chemicals and organic
products; our gardeners used our own vehicles to deliver what was
brought to the site; we worked with our own tools; we dug up hundreds
of bulbs to be planted later; I dug and over-wintered the red Canna
rhizomes for replanting; and we donated hundreds of hours of labor. If
the installation of Phase I had been hired out to a garden nursery,
charging retail, and for delivery and labor, it would
have cost over $7,000. The actual cost to OLLI members for installing
Phase
I was about $2,000. Phase II was paid for using Osher funds. I would be
delighted
to give anyone a private tour of our gardens.
--Valerie Braybrooke, OLLI member
Poor Sound
System at the Church
Dear Editor:
I was
disappointed that the sound system at Christ Lutheran Church has not
been repaired or replaced. At
the Monday Focus
on the Media course, the
lectern
mike did work, but the speaker had to stay behind the lectern of course
as no portable clip-on mike was available. At the Tuesday The Great Divide course, neither mike was available.
Fortunately, the voice of the speaker, Prof. James Pfiffner, carried
well. After the
many difficulties we had during the winter and spring semester Foreign Affairs courses, I recommended that OLLI refrain
from using Christ Lutheran Church because of our inability to monitor
and maintain the audio system at this remote site.
-- Harold Davey, Alexandria
The
Facilities Committee Chair took immediate action on this letter and
responded as follows:
I immediately met with [Executive Director]
Dick Chobot, and we researched
and selected an appropriate portable sound system with a lapel
microphone,
ordered one, had it delivered overnight, and by Thursday’s class at
Christ
Lutheran, it was up and operating, and seemed to do a good job.
-- Ben Gold, Facilities Committee chair
Online Registration in Our Future?
Dear Editor:
I was talking
to a friend of mine who lives in Arlington, and she tells me that their
lifelong learning institute allows you to register for classes and pay
your fees online. Have
we considered implementing such a policy? It seems to me that any
expenses involved in paying a credit company could be offset by the
savings
in time and workload for our staff. Another bonus is that my
friend
knows right away if she got into her classes or not.
-- Anonymous
Back to top.
Rod
Zumbro
Karen Hamilton
|
OLLI E-NEWS
Editor
Proofreader
|
About OLLI E-News. OLLI E-News is emailed to OLLI
members on Fridays when sufficient content is available. Each issue
contains new content (during class terms, the same content will appear
the following week in the printed OLLI
News distributed in classrooms). We encourage OLLI members and
staff employees to submit news items and write articles. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact the editor or the
Publications Committee chair, Gordon
Canyock.
Note
about HTML graphics. If
you do NOT see photos and clickable links in this message, you might
want to ask your child or teenaged grandchild to fix things for you. Or
you could change your email settings yourself. Here's how to view
html-formatted messages in three popular email systems:
- Outlook
Express. Click Tools; select Options; in the Read tab, uncheck
"Read all messages in plain text."
- Yahoo
Mail. Click Mail Options/General Preferences; under Security,
uncheck "Block HTML graphics in email messages from being
downloaded."
- AOL.
Upgrade, if possible, to an AOL version above 5.0. Back
to top.
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