A brief look back at the summer term

MISSING IMAGES IN LAST WEEK'S OLLI E-NEWS

We regret that some of the photos accompanying articles in last week's OLLI E-News were missing. Mason had a power problem affecting its Web servers, and images that had been uploaded just before the power outage were "lost" for a few days. They've now been restored, so if you want to see last Friday's newsletter as it was intended to be seen, take another look at that newsletter in your inbox or view the online version. -- Rod Zumbro, OLLI E-News editor

HOW AN IDEA BECOMES A CLASS By RoseMary Gustin, Program Committee chair
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW OLLI CLASSES COME TO BE? The answer is OLLI members make it happen – in one way or another. Member input is what makes our program so strong. Personal contact is very helpful. For example, the Winter ’05 class on "Wisdom of the Body" resulted from a chance meeting between two former Mason colleagues. One was a Resource Group Chair who suggested that his colleague teach a biology class at OLLI. He invited her to the Science, Health & Technology Resource Group meeting, the idea was discussed, and the very popular class was born. Not all our classes come together with such serendipity, so we have set up a program-planning process. Executive Director Dick Chobot and Program Assistant Rae Schafer assist the process at all stages.
     If you have some good ideas and are not interested in process, stop reading and give your ideas to Rae or Dick. They’ll make sure that those ideas get to the appropriate Resource Group.

The Resource Groups are the heart of the process. There is a Resource Group for each of the categories in the catalog as well as one for Special Events and Friday programs. Development of a Reston Resource Group is evolving. Currently each Resource Group tries to include some classes for Reston. Each Resource Group is made up of as many OLLI members as are interested in the category and willing to attend. They usually meet a few weeks before the Program Committee meeting so they can brainstorm ideas for class topics and instructors and agree on some worth pursuing. Each Resource Group works to develop several potential classes following guidance from the Program Committee Chair on the appropriate number of classes allowed.      The Resource Group Chairs present their group’s potential class ideas to the Program Committee (Chair, Resource Group Chairs, Executive Director, Program Assistant and Liaison Coordinator). Program Committee action usually centers around avoiding duplication and developing synergy for potential classes and between Special Events and classes. Resource Group Chairs learn what other groups are planning and can work together on interdisciplinary classes. The Resource Group Chairs then contact their groups – usually by phone or e-mail – and the work of program planning continues there. Group members contact speakers they know or have researched to learn their interest in teaching a class at OLLI. Next, they need to get firm commitments on topics and teachers by the target completion dates for each term.      Each Resource Group Chair notifies the Program Assistant and the Program Committee Chair of firm classes (with teachers committed) and requests a scheduled time slot from the Program Assistant (Rae). She maintains the calendar so that confusion on timing or availability of certain times is minimized. She is the only one to schedule classes. Class descriptions and teacher bios for the catalog are sent to her. Work on the catalog is extensive but signals that program planning for that term is complete.

     Program planning is like a river; it just keeps rolling along. The fall catalog is being finalized now. Resource Group meetings are being held in preparation for the August 23 Program Committee meeting. That meeting will focus on Winter ’07 and give some attention to Spring ’07. Ideas are accepted any time by Rae, Dick or the appropriate Resource Group chair.

THE AD HOC BYLAWS REVIEW COMMITTEE, established on September 18, 2005, has submitted a proposed draft revision of the existing Bylaws which will be discussed at the next three Board meetings, starting today.
     Bylaws are a compilation of the fundamental rules and regulations by which an organization is structured and governs itself. They are equivalent to our constitution. The updated version recognizes the role of the Executive Director, streamlines the nominating procedures section, updates some sections to bring them into conformance with Virginia law, and allows for a flexible Board size.
     All OLLI members are welcome to come to the meetings and participate in the deliberations.