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OLLI
E-News 36-06 of September 22, 2006
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ALERT
> FREE SENIOR MOVIES at Reston
Town Center Multiplex Cinema, 4th Wed of each month, 10:00-12 noon,
refreshments and door prizes. Wed,
Sep 27: Akeelah and the Bee. More info,
including movies during upcoming months, or call 703-435-6530.
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REMINDERS
> FALL FOR THE
BOOK starts Wed,
Sep 27. See Website
for schedule and details.
>
VISION SERIES
of lectures at
Center for the Arts starts Mon, Sep 25. Read more.
> TFA PRESENTS "WORDS AT NIGHT": Wed, Sep 27, 8:30,
Harris Theater, free.
Staged readings
of
literary works by new professors in Mason's MFA Program in Creative
Writing.
>
OLLI RESTON ARTISTS' exhibit is on display in the
social room annex. Photos of the exhibit in the banner image above by
Gordon Canyock.
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| ARTICLES AND
NOTICES
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DEPARTMENTS
> PROFILE.
Board member Valerie Braybrooke. By Mary Jane Steele
> CENTER FOR
THE ARTS. Upcoming arts and music events at Mason. By Jan Bohall
>
MASON
HIGHLIGHTS. Events at nearby Mason. By Barbara Kyriakakis
>
COMING
ATTRACTIONS: OLLI non-class
events for next two weeks. |
Editor's Note. This is the last of
the three recent issues edited by guest editor John West. From now on,
please return to the previous practice of sending all input for OLLI
E-News to me. Thank you.
-- Rod Zumbro, OLLI E-News
editor
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Highlights of the Sep 15 Board
meeting
 By Carol Henderson, OLLI Secretary
THE
SEP 15 BOARD MEETING was held in Reston in the classroom
space at Lake Anne with several OLLI members present as observers.
President Debbie Halverson took special care to explain Board
procedures for the benefit of the guests.
Development Committee chair Eileen
Duggan and
executive director Dick Chobot presented a development plan. Eileen
explained to Board members that she would need their help in
cultivating potential donors as OLLI looks ahead to the need within the
next few years to raise substantial funding for moving and other
expenses depending on GMU’s plans for the Tallwood site and the
development of its University Based Retirement Community.
The Board approved unanimously a set
of
revised bylaws prepared by Gordon Canyock, who chairs an Ad Hoc Bylaws
Revision Committee. This followed up on months of work by the committee
and deliberations by Board members via email and at the two previous
Board meetings. The next step is to bring this package to the full
membership via a special mailing with a mail ballot, and a special
membership meeting, now scheduled for Nov 14 at 10:00 at Tallwood.
The Nov 14 meeting is just one of several key
dates this fall. Debbie Halverson called attention to the full list:
- Fri, Oct 20, 11:30:
OLLI’s 15th anniversary celebration, Christ Lutheran Church
- Fri, Oct 27, 10:00:
The
October Board meeting is being moved a week later to this date
at Tallwood in order not to conflict with the 15th anniversary event
- Fri, Nov 3, 10:00:
OLLI Town Meeting, Tallwood
- Tues, Nov 14, 10:00:
Special Membership Meeting on bylaws revision, Tallwood
- Fri, Nov 17, 10:00:
November Board meeting, Tallwood
- Fri, Dec 1, 11:30:
Holiday Party, International Country Club of Fairfax
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The
Board also approved by a vote of 8 to 2
language to provide strict accounting for the use of any meals and
entertainment expenses as authorized by the Board in July. The
implementing language reads as follows: It is expected that there will
be occasions when an OLLI representative will be expected to incur
meals and entertainment expense on behalf of the Institute. Such
occasions shall typically be instances when an OLLI representative is
hosting or entertaining a GMU contact or other non-OLLI guest. The only
individuals empowered to incur or authorize such expenses are the
president and the Executive Director. If an individual other than the
president or the Executive Director incurs such expense, pre-approval,
if possible, must be obtained. All requests for reimbursement of meal
and entertainment expense must be documented, approved by the president
and reviewed by the treasurer before reimbursement.
The next meeting of the Board will be
held on
Friday, Oct 27 at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to
attend. President Debbie Halverson has been scheduling a public comment
period near the end of the agenda to hear from members attending Board
meetings.
| Editor's Note. You may read
highlights of
previous Board meetings on the OLLI Website; the direct link is the Board
Meeting Highlights page (on the "Other" dropdown menu). The
detailed minutes of recent
meetings of OLLI's Board of
directors are posted in the Social Room at Tallwood for review and are
available upon request from the administrative assistant at the Lake
Anne site in Reston. Minutes of a given meeting are approved at the
next monthly board meeting, so there is at least a month's delay before
the approved minutes are available for perusal by OLLI members. |
FROM
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A special treat
 By Dick Chobot, Executive Director
We are kicking off
our Friday Program with a special treat. Bob Harmon was a young
infantryman with the 319th Regiment, 80th Infantry Division when he
landed in Europe in August 1944. The 80th Division fought as part
of George Patton’s Third Army. Bob fought in the Battle of the
Ardennes and the liberation of Luxembourg.
Date: Friday, September 29
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Place: Tallwood; TA-1
Program: An
Infantryman’s Recollections of World War II in Europe
- The War in Europe: Normandy
to
Germany: Original combat footage (30 minutes)
- Presentation by Bob Harmon:
Recollections
of World War II in Europe (45 minutes)
- Questions & Discussion
(30 minutes)
Speaker: Charles R.
“Bob” Harmon is a retired Professor (Emeritus) of History.
He received an M.A. in History from the University of Washington. Bob
taught for 40 years at Seattle University. He retired in
1993. Among other topics, Bob has taught and lectured on World
War II and Winston Churchill in the US and Europe. Bob’s
decorations include the Combat Infantry Badge, four campaign ribbons,
and the Normandy Medal.
Bob’s son, Chris Harmon, holds the Kim Adamson
Chair of Insurgency and Terrorism at the Marine Corps University in
Quantico. He has been an OLLI speaker.
Bob’s visit is a rare opportunity to hear
directly from one of a vanishing breed of men who Tom Brokaw referred
to as "the greatest generation".
Come join us.
"This generation of Americans has a
rendezvous with destiny."
—
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt
Why
Was I Wait Listed?
I HAVE
BEEN in the Executive Director’s position through a full cycle
of terms. From the lofty perspective of one year’s service, I
have decided to answer the age-old question: Why was I wait
listed for (fill in the course name)?
Most OLLI members are aware of the facts that
we have limited space in the three Tallwood classrooms. When we have an
especially popular class, we find another venue. We are also somewhat
constrained at Lake Anne, where the space allows,
at most, 50 participants in one class.
This fall, we are scouting additional overflow
sites: the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, the
Fairfax American Legion Hall, the Lake Anne Community Center and NOVA
offices in Reston. This will give us additional flexibility in
accommodating larger classes in the future.
Additional
space is all well and good, but how can you
improve your chance to get into the classes of your choice? Here
are
the basic decision rules that staff use in making class assignments:
- Priority assigned to
individual classes
is the most important factor; earliness of registration is second in
importance.
- Our goal is to try to
ensure members get
into their
first and second priority classes. Computer processing works to
accomplish this.
- Walk-in registrations
on the first day of
registration are processed before any other registrations. They
have
the best chance of getting into their high priority classes.
- Early mail-in
registrations are
date-stamped on
receipt but not opened or processed until after walk-in registrations
on the first day of registration are complete.
- These rules are applied
uniformly to all
OLLI members.
- But
Dick, I never received my catalog, or I received it too late to
register in a timely manner.
We send the catalogs at Bulk Rate. Obviously, Bulk Rate mailings do not
receive the same handling as First Class mail. If we mailed the
Catalog First Class, it would cost over $1.00 a unit. If you have not
received your catalog by the week before registration, please call the
office.
What can you do to improve your chances of getting into a popular
course?
- Register in person the first day of
registration.
- Register promptly by mail when you
receive notice
that the
upcoming term catalog has been posted on the OLLI web site. This
information will be in the E-News.
What are we doing to improve the efficiency of the system?
- We are evaluating an online
registration and payment
system.
This system will allow registration and personal record upgrades
on line in addition to through the office.
- More information regarding online
registration will
be forthcoming in the near future.
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I hope that this article has
helped you understand the challenges OLLI staff face as they process
registrations four times a year. We ask for you understanding and
recognition that it is our goal to meet the learning needs of members
to the maximum degree practicable.
Back
to top
TREASURER’S
MESSAGE TO THE MEMBERSHIP
Annual Audit Results
 By Don Yesukaitis,
Treasurer
GURMAN
& CO., the independent public accounting firm
that we retain, has completed and reported on the results of their
audit of our financial statements for the year ended on December 31,
2005. As in the previous years for which we have had a CPA firm audit
our financials, the firm has issued an unqualified, or if you will, a
“clean” auditors’ report, and has also indicated that their review and
testing of our accounting controls and procedures has not resulted in
their discovery of any material or significant matters to be brought to
our attention.
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One of the suggestions that the auditors made to us is for us to
expand the audit committee currently consisting of three CPAs who sit
on the finance committee to include a couple of our other members with
financial backgrounds. If you have such a background and would be
interested in serving, I would estimate that it would take you perhaps
5-10 hours a year, please contact me at dcy1@ix.netcom.com. |
If any member would like to review the 2005
auditors’ report and the audited financial statements and footnotes
and/or report on our controls and procedures as well as our annual tax
return filed this past August with the IRS, please do so through the
Tallwood office.
HELP WANTED
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Publications
Committee
has immediate opening for a graphic artist and
layout designer. Salary commensurate with experience, but not to exceed
the salary of the Chair. Benefits include a free OLLI Volunteer
lanyard, a free pass from attending committee meetings, and cookies if
you come anyway. We are also in need of a photo editor for OLLI E-News,
digital photographers, and staff writers. Please submit applications
directly to the Chair of
the Publications Committee, an equal
opportunity employer. Gordon
Canyock, Publications Committee.
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| HISTORY
CLUB FEATURES THE WAR OF THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE. |
THE
NEXT HISTORY CLUB MEETING at
OLLI will be on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 2:00. Bob Persell will
discuss Francisco Solano Lopez, dictator and inept diplomat that
managed to get tiny Paraguay simultaneously at war with Argentina,
Brazil, and Uruguay, 1865-1870. He was killed in the war, was
buried with his Irish mistress and is now considered a Paraguayan
hero. All OLLI members are welcome. Bob Bohall, History Committee.
|
PROFILE OF VALERIE BRAYBROOKE
OLLI board member and landscape architect
 By
Mary Jane Steele, OLLI E-News staff writer
 YOU
MIGHT NOT KNOW VALERIE BRAYBROOKE, but you certainly
know her work and that of her “dirty dozen’s” teammates when you walk
past the OLLI garden. Valerie, who “found” OLLI in 2003, attended the
newcomers’ party and within five minutes says that Gordon Canyock had
her signed up to start landscaping. Valerie, designed the gardens, but
gives a big kudo to her “gang” who keep the gardens looking top notch.
Valerie garnered her landscape architect
certification the old fashioned way: she read for it. She didn’t tell
family or friends what she was up to, but while her children were in
school, she sequestered herself in the library studying for her
certification. The secrecy was just in case she didn’t pass. Not a
chance.
The landscaping certification was added to an
undergraduate degree in pre-med and art history. Then it was on to an
advanced degree in art history. As a widow of a military man killed on
active duty, Valerie discovered she was entitled to the benefits of the
GI bill for education. But since Congress, in its infinite wisdom,
based the tuition grant on tuition at the University of West Virginia,
Valerie had to combine school, work and the care of two children. That
hurdle surmounted, Valerie was on to the next: finding a job in museum
administration. There were no women in administrative positions when
she finished her degree. Valerie branched out to other parts of the
country and made a career of opening new museums primarily in the
midwest and west.
History, foreign affairs and international
topics are her areas of interest at OLLI. In addition to heading the
landscape team, Valerie is head of the strategic planning subcommittee.
Valerie feels that the two most important areas in the OLLI dynamics
are the programs and socializing.
When spare time presents itself, Valerie
enjoys reading and photography. She also is very fond of cars and maybe
the only OLLI member who has won a Lexus. In her youth she participated
in car rallies on the north shore of Massachusetts driving a Pantera
(think Maserati), no less. She is also a pilot. It’s not all work and
no play for Valerie Braybrooke.
Photo
of Valerie and Canna Lily 'Black Knight' by Gordon Canyock.
COMING EVENTS AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Something for everyone at nearby Mason
 By Jan Bohall, OLLI
E-News staff writer
For tickets, visit tickets.com, call 888-945-2468 or go by the Center for the Arts Ticket Office, Tue–Sat, 10:00–6:00.
Jean
Carrington Cook
Piano Recital
featuring
Mason faculty
and students |
Michael Feinstein
A
four-time Grammy nominee |
|
The program includes Prof. Linda Monson,
OLLI Guest Instructor.
Sunday,
Sep 24, at 3:00
Admission $10 adults, students free
Concert Hall |
Mr. Feinstein is known for his Broadway
hit, Isn’t It Romantic and as
pop vocalist, arranger and composer. He will perform Alexander’s
Ragtime Band with classics by Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, Mercer, Jerome
Kern and others.
Saturday, Sep 30, 8:00
Admission $50, $42, $25
Concert Hall
Come early at 7:15 for a pre-performance discussion in the Grand Tier
Lobby.
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MASON HIGHLIGHTS
A brief listing of other events at nearby
Mason
 By Barbara Kyriakakis, OLLI
E-News assistant editor
- The
much
touted Vision
Series
sponsored by United
Bank will present its first lecture entitled The Flight of the
Creative
Class: The New Global Competition for
Talent. Speaker: Richard
Florida, Hirst Professor of
Public Policy. Sep. 25, 8 pm, Concert
Hall.
|
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Non-class events at OLLI for the next two
weeks
The following list covering the
next two weeks is extracted for your
convenience from the more
complete OLLI
Staff Forecast of Non-Class Events. Board, committee and resource-group
meetings are highlighted
in bold. OLLI members are
welcome at all Board, committee and resource-group meetings (except
executive sessions).
Sept
22 Friday 9:30
AM Drama Club TA-1
10:00 AM
Recorder Workshop TA-2
10:00 AM
Fiction Book Club Reston Library
10:30 AM
Newcomer Coffee TA Annex
11:30 AM
Recorder Group TA-2
1:30 PM
Homer Book Club TA Annex
27 Wednesday 1:30
PM Bridge TA-3
2:00 PM
Special Event B: Cezanne in Provence TA-1
7:30 PM
Spec Event C: Fall for the Book: Deborah Tannen
GMU
Meet
Bus at Tallwood 6:45 pm
29 Friday 9:30 AM
Drama Club TA-1
9:30 AM
Recorder Class TA-2
11:30 AM
Recorder Group TA-2
1:00 PM An
Infantryman’s Recollections TA-1
1:30 PM
Homer Book Club TA Annex
3:00 PM
Spec Event D: Fall for the Book: Doris Goodwin
GMU
Meet
Bus at Tallwood 2:15
OCT
1 Sunday 4:30 PM
Fall for the Book TA-1
4 Wednesday 9:30
AM Painting Workshop Reston
Storefront Musuem
1:30 PM
Fiction Writers' Club Annex
1:30 PM
Bridge TA-3
2:00 PM
History Book Club TA-2
2:00 PM
Spec Event E: Author Bernard Trainor TA-1
6 Friday 8:30 AM
Spec Event F: Ladew Topiary Gardens Bus Trip
9:30 AM
Drama Club TA-1
10:00 AM
Recorder Workshop TA-2
11:30 AM
Recorder Group TA-2
1:00 - 4:00
pm Flu Shot Clinic TA-1/Annex
1:30 PM
Homer Book Club TA -3
|
Rod
Zumbro
Editor
Karen
Hamilton
Deputy
Editor
|
Guest
editor for this week: OLLI member John West |
About
OLLI
E-News. OLLI
E-News is
OLLI's weekly newsletter; it is emailed to OLLI
members with email addresses on Fridays. When classes are in
session, printed copies of this newsletter are distributed in
classrooms, primarily for members without email. We encourage OLLI
members and
staff employees to submit news items and write articles; deadline to
the editor is 7:00 PM Wed for that week's issue. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact the OLLI
E-News 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 a teenaged
grandchild or a neighborhood teenager or college student to fix things
for you. Or you could change your
email settings yourself. Here's how to view html-formatted messages
like this newsletter 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.
GMU Webmail.
If OLLI E-News is being sent
to your gmu.edu email address, we recommend against using GMU Webmail
(i.e., iPlanet "Messenger Express") to read the newsletter because it
is not easy to view our newsletter as a single
integrated
document, with text and accompanying images. As you may know, you can
easily use other email systems, such
as Outlook Express or Yahoo Mail, to retrieve mail sent to external
addresses such as your gmu.edu address. An alternative is to read your
newsletter online at the OLLI Website after it is posted
each Friday.
|
OLLI
E-News Editorial Staff
Assistant
Editor, Database Manager
Barbara Kyriakakis
Assistant
Editor
Arleen Richman
Photo
Editor
Michael Coyne |
| Copyright
©
2006 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University.
Materials in this publication subject to OLLI-GMU copyright may be
reproduced for noncommercial educational purposes as long as credit is
given to OLLI-GMU. |
|
Updated:
September 22, 2006
Copyright © 2006 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at
George Mason University. Materials in this publication subject to
OLLI-GMU copyright may be reproduced for noncommercial educational
purposes as long as credit is given to OLLI-GMU.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University
4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384; E-mail: olli@gmu.edu;
Fax: (703) 503-2832
Original site design and construction by OLLI-GMU member Rod Zumbro. |
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