 WANTED:
VISIONARY VOLUNTEERS
From the executive
director
I AM LOOKING FOR A FEW OLLI MEMBERS who share a strong belief in the mission
of OLLI and would like to work with one of the groups that emerged from
the actions of the Board at its recent planning retreat. During
discussions at the Pathways to the Future "Advance" on October 23, the
Board agreed that we should form the following working groups:
- Task Force on Programs – To focus on increasing
involvement of members in the development and presentation of
outstanding courses; to further refine the oversight of program
development; and to explore available options for presentation of
courses at multiple locations.
- Task Force on Organization – To focus on analyzing
the current structure of the Board of Directors, committees, and
resource groups in order to determine any changes which would better
meet current and future needs of OLLI.
- Facilities
Committee – To focus on space needs for classes, socialization, and
parking. The committee will divide its tasks based on needs at each of
the three locations – Fairfax, Reston, and Loudoun.
As I see it, the two task forces will organize and meet beginning in
January/February of 2010, and recommendations by both groups will be
submitted to the Board of Directors for approval and further action by
May or June. The Facilities Committee will become a standing committee
that will meet as necessary to make recommendations to the Board. The
first responsibility of the Facilities Committee will be to analyze our
current usage and come up with a plan for short-term improvements at
Tallwood.
As executive director, I look forward to
working with dedicated volunteers in each of the newly formed groups.
Please email me and let me know
if you are interested in serving on one of these groups.
 OLLI BOARD
TO MAKE BUDGET/DUES DECISIONS NOV 20
About the OLLI budget process and the
upcoming dues decision
ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES of the OLLI Board of Directors is to
approve the annual budget. The budget is a plan for matching expected
income with the necessary expenditures. In developing a budget plan,
the executive director works with committee chairs and the Finance
Committee to analyze variables related to resources, materials, staff
support, and operational costs. A preliminary proposal is submitted to
the Board each year during the July/August/September time frame.
Through continued discussion, including the annual Town Hall Meeting,
budget estimates are refined.
When the proposed budget was discussed by the
Board in September, it appeared that we would need some increase in the
annual membership dues to meet growing needs and to offset the dramatic
decrease in the annual payout from the Osher Endowment. Since that
time, we have gathered more accurate numbers about membership growth,
which translates into higher than expected income. There has been
additional discussion of the concepts of short-range annual budget
planning and long-range planning for up to five years.
As you know, the Osher Foundation has also
announced a generous one-time gift of $25,000 to each of the 120 OLLIs
around the country. We do not yet know when we will receive that gift
or if there are any restrictions on its use. Previous grants from the
Osher Foundation have gone for a variety of improvements to OLLI
facilities, equipment, and staffing.
|
At its monthly meeting at 9:30 (note
time) on Friday, November 20, the OLLI Board of
Directors will discuss these new developments and make its final
decisions. There are several options being considered, including some
that would maintain the current level of membership dues for full
members with no increase during 2010. Board members have heard a wide
range of views and perspectives expressed by OLLI members at the Town
Hall Meeting on November 6 and subsequently. They will carefully weigh
these perspectives and options as part of this important responsibility. |
As always, members are invited to attend the monthly meetings of the
Board of Directors.
By
Thom Clement,
Executive Director
TOWN HALL MEETING ON
NOV 6
The forum included discussion about a
proposed dues increase
 By Rod Zumbro,
Board
member
Scenes
from last
Friday's Town Hall Meeting; collage by the writer of photos by Dan
Feighery.
Click here
to view a 25-second slideshow of Dan Feighery's Town Hall Meeting
photos.
LAST
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, interested OLLI members
filled most of TA-1 for OLLI's fifth annual Town Hall Meeting.
Following brief opening remarks by President Emmett Fenlon, Executive
Director Thom Clement delivered a presentation covering membership, the
Board retreat, the proposed 2010 budget and the class
schedule change. Treasurer Dave Mason spoke about the long-range budget
and dues.
Much of
the ensuing discussion centered on the proposed increase of
full-membership dues to $365 per year as a result of a projected
funding shortfall of $6,900 in 2010, as shown on the below chart from
the presentation. It was noted that the chart's Total Funding
amount for 2010 does not include
the recently announced $25,000 Osher gift
as expected income (for reasons cited by Thom in his article
immediately above) and that a 2009 surplus of $20,408 is projected.
Some members thought that they could
accommodate a $15/year
dues increase because the weekly or monthly increase would be small.
Other members pointed out that a
dues increase is not necessary because funding is available from
sources like the Osher gift or the 2009
surplus. One member stated that he and his wife would not
renew
their
memberships if dues are increased. (You can
view the [pdf] presentation online by clicking here; if
you have questions or comments about the presentation, please contact
the executive director).
The final 2010 budget will
be presented to the Board of Directors next Friday, November 20. After
discussion, the Board will vote to approve the budget as
presented or with modification.
|
If you wish to express your views about dues,
feel free to do so before Friday. You may contact the office
(your comments will be forwarded to all members of the Board), or you
may
contact any director
individually (see this list).
You are welcome to attend Friday's Board meeting at 9:30 in TA-1. |
Back to top
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY &
HEALTH RESOURCE GROUP MEETING
|
 Tue, Nov 17: Planning future courses
|
 PHOTOGRAPHY
CLUB MEETING
Thu, Nov 19: "Attracting the Eye"
THE PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB MEETING THIS MONTH
will be on
Thursday, November 19, at 9:30 in TA-1. We have a great speaker lined
up: Joshua Taylor, Jr. (photo at
right). Josh's program, "Attracting the Eye," is
designed to motivate photographers to look at familiar subjects in
fresh ways and to utilize design elements to transform everyday
subjects into exciting and striking images. The emphasis is on software
enhancements, in-camera manipulations, and compositional elements to
build strong photographic images. A wide range of photographic subjects
will be covered, including landscape, architecture, close-up/macro, and
garden photography.
Josh brings to his programs and assignments a
background of over 30 years' experience in photography, including
newspaper and magazine photography, teaching, and workshops. You can
learn more about Josh and see some of his work at http://www.archiphotoworkshops.com.
All OLLI members are welcome to attend
meetings of the Photography Club.
Contributed
by Photography Club Coordinator Dan Feighery.
Back to top
OLLI COMPUTER
CLUB
Sat, Nov 21: "Internet Shopping" and
"Buying on eBay"
THE
NOVEMBER MEETING of
the OLLI Computer Club (officially, the OLLI Personal Computer User
Group) will be held jointly with the Washington Area Computer User
Group on Saturday, November 21, from 12:30 – 3:30 in TA-1. We'll have
two main presentations plus a "Learn 30" session as described
below.
Internet
Shopping -- Tools and Skills, by Geof Goodrum. With "Black
Friday"
and the holiday shopping season coming soon, now is a great time to
sharpen your online shopping skills. Start by comparing prices, finding
professional and owner reviews and ratings, and locating the nearest
and best-rated stores for gifts. Also learn about online wish lists to
help others find just the right item for you.
Buying on
eBay -- Your
Alternative Thrift Store, by Tallwood Site Assistant
Bill Walsh. eBay is now a center for many types of auction and
non-auction transactions for both used and factory-new products. This
presentation about buying on eBay will include basic information about
creating an account, searching for items, and bidding, as well as tips
on what you need to look for to make the transaction a success.
"Learn 30"
-- Be safer on the 'Net with a User Account Instead of an Admin Account,
by Neal Grotenstein. Most people just use an Admin account for their
computers, permitting all Windows capabilities to be used ... including
software installs. A User account, since it will not allow unlimited
software installation, is a reasonable way to prevent undesirable
software from being installed. The discussion will cover what this
approach offers and does not offer.
 TFA STAGED READING WITH OLLI MEMBERS
Sat, Nov 21: The Rivers and Ravines
 By Kevin Murray, TFA Managing Director
THEATER OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT, Mason's
professional theater company, presents a staged reading of The Rivers and Ravines, written and
directed by Heather McDonald, at theSPACE in Old Town Fairfax on
Saturday, November 21, at 8:00. The wonderful cast of 25 includes OLLI
members Gordon Canyock, Roxanne Cramer, Charles Duggan, Paulette
Lichtman-Panzer, Jane McCulloch, Thelma Weiner and Susanne Zumbro.
Set during the farm crisis of the early 1980s,
the play celebrates the hope and spirituality of a community facing
economic hardship. The evening will include a pre-show reception with a
cash bar starting at 7:00 and a brief discussion with Heather McDonald
after the reading. TFA will also collect canned goods at the door for Food for Others
of Fairfax. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at the door and available at
the Center for the Arts Concert Hall box office.
theSPACE is located at 3955 Chain Bridge Road,
Fairfax, VA 22030, in the Old Town Plaza retail complex. Free parking
is available in the underground garage, accessible from either Chain
Bridge Road or University Drive. Pedestrian entrance is on North
Street, next to the fountain.
PHOTO
OF THE
MONTH
Selected by the OLLI Photography Club
"Rockscape"
by Don Allen.
in
its original size and other sizes, see this
Web page. To see other photos by
members of the OLLI Photography Club, visit the club's Web site.
OLLI MEMBER'S BOOK
PUBLISHED
|
 Politics and Society in Southeast Asia by Peter
Poole
The Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 caused severe
hardship in Southeast Asia, and many countries tightened their
regulation of banks and other financial institutions, adopted more
conservative fiscal policies, and made themselves less vulnerable to
Western market fluctuations by forming closer trade and investment ties
with their neighbors. This book analyzes the major political and
economic reforms that resulted from the Asian financial crisis, looking
particularly at how such reforms helped to prepare Asian countries for
coping with the 2009 global recession. Peter hopes to offer an OLLI course on
this subject in the spring.
As a foreign service officer, he served
in Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines, and he has taught at Old
Dominion University and the Naval War College.
Peter is the co-editor of
OLLI's literary journal, Fairfax Ink.
|
 OLLI
SPIRITWEAR
|
|
|
DEPARTMENTS
|
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).
- President:
Emmett Fenlon
- Executive
Director: Thom
Clement, phone 703-503-7866
- OLLI Office, phone
703-503-3384
- Tallwood
Administrator/OLLI Registrar: Maria
Buczek, phone 703-503-3384
- Board
members: See Organization page
(Note: To send an email to the
entire Board, send it to the office
or the OLLI
E-News editor, and your
message will be forwarded to all members of the Board)
- Committee
chairs, resource-group chairs: See Organization
page
- Suggestions: Online
suggestion box
- Letters to
the editor or letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit
(etiquette
matters): OLLI
E-News Editor Rod Zumbro,
phone
703-569-2750
MASON ARTS AND
MUSIC
Upcoming Mason performances, Nov 13-22
By Jan Bohall, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
FOR
TICKETS, call
1-888-945-2468 (phone orders are handled by tickets.com)
or visit the Center for the Arts Box Office, Tue-Sat, 10:00-6:00. More
info on tickets at the CFA tickets page.
Mason
Dance Company
Fall
Concert
Fri–Sat, Nov 13–14, 8:00
Fri, Nov 13, 2:00
The
concert will feature a premiere by visiting guest artist Christopher
d'Amboise.
Admission: $10 seniors/students, $15 other adults, $7 groups of 10 or
more
Harris Theater |
Jazz
4 Justice
Featuring
the GMU Jazz
Ensemble and Combos
Jim
Carroll, director
Fri, Nov 13, 8:00
This annual concert is a benefit for pro bono work and community
outreach for youth and for the music scholarship fund at George Mason’s
School of Music. It will feature George Weiner as special guest
conductor and Geoffrey Gallante, a nine-year-old trumpet star. Come
hear music of Maria Schneider, Alan Baylock, Count Basie, Duke
Ellington, Cab Calloway and
other jazz greats.
Admission: $15 seniors/students, $20 other adults
Concert Hall
A cash bar will open at 7:15. Jam sessions will follow the concert in
the Main Lobby. Bring your instrument; musicians of all levels are
welcome.
|
Shanghai
Symphony Orchestra
Long Yu,
conductor
Di Wu,
piano
Sat, Nov 14, 8:00
Formed in 1879 and now known as "the best in the Far East," the
orchestra performs works of China's composers as well as music of the
Western world. Their program will include Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto
No. 2 with Di Wu, Tchaikovsky's Romeo
and Juliet Overture and China
Air Suite by Bao Yuankai.
Admission: $50, $42, $25
Concert Hall
Come at 7:15 for a free artistic discussion on Grand Tier III. |
American
Youth Philharmonic
Featuring
Matthew Sidney
Hazelwood, guest conductor
and
Victoria Bass, cello
Sun, Nov 15, 1:00
The American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO) provides competitive
world-class training and performance opportunities for young musicians,
age 7-21. It is the Youth Orchestra in Residence at George Mason’s
Center for the Arts.
Admission: $10 seniors/students, $14 other adults
Concert Hall |
GMU
Various Chamber Ensembles
Sun, Nov 15, 2:00
This performance was originally scheduled for both Nov 15 and 22. It
has been blended into one program, and the concert on Nov 22 is
canceled.
Admission: Free, no ticket required
Harris Theater
GMU
Vocal Jazz Concert
Stan
Engebretson, conductor
Julie
Neish, asst.
conductor
Sun, Nov 15, 7:00
Two vocal groups will perform, Soundcheque and the Timesquare Singers,
with several soloists. Soundcheque’s offerings will include "Acapella
in Acapulco" by The Real Group, "Autumn Leaves" arr. by Darren Motton
and "Signed, Sealed and Delivered, I’m Yours" by Stevie Wonder,
arr. by Engebretson. Timesquare Singers will do "Boy with Dreams" by
Terry Barr, "I’ve Gotta Run" by Ann Marie White and "In Short" by Luke
Walker.
Admission: Free, no ticket required
Harris Theater |
Keyboard
Conversations®
With
Jeffrey Siegel
Chopin the Patriot
Sun, Nov 15, 7:00
Mr. Siegel continues his year-long celebration of Chopin with three
polonaises that honor Chopin’s homeland of Poland and the heroism of
its people: the tender G Minor, the brooding C Minor and the heroic
A-Flat, plus several buoyant and poignant mazurkas.
Admission: $38, $30, $19
Family Friendly: Youth grade 12 and under, half-price with an adult. (Note change from "age 12 and under" last
season.)
Concert Hall |
Studio Series #2
The
Exonerated
Written
by Jessica Blank
and Erik Jensen
Directed
by Kate Welsh
Thu, Fri, Sat, Nov 19, 20, 21, 8:00
Sat, Sun, Nov 21, 22, 2:00
The
play dramatizes the stories of five men and one woman wrongfully
convicted of murder, but later released after years of imprisonment
where they were subjected to brutality and degradation. The film
version starred Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover and Brian Dennehy. Note:
This play is intended for mature audiences.
Admission: $3 Seniors, students, $6 other adults
Black Box Theater (Lower level of
Performing Arts Bldg, next to TheaterSpace. From Level 2 of Parking
Deck take the bridge. Enter first door on left and follow hallway; go
through gray doors and down stairs.)
|
GMU Workshop Jazz Band Concert
Thu, Nov 19, 8:00
Admission: Free, no ticket required
Harris Theater
Aquila Theatre Company
As You
Like It
Fri, Nov 20, 8:00
Set in a period of revolution in France, Shakespeare's classic comedy
tells the story of power hungry men exiling their brothers, girls
portraying guys and love found in unexpected places. The production is
faithful to Shakespeare, yet perfectly accessible to modern audiences.
Admission: $34, $26, $17
Concert Hall
Come at 7:15 for a free artistic discussion on Grand Tier III.
|
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
Christopher
Zimmerman,
conductor
Chu-Fang
Huang, piano
Sat, Nov 21, 8:00
The
orchestra will perform Falla's The
Three-Cornered Hat, Suites 1 and 2; Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue;
Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G; and Ginastera's Estancia.
Admission: $55, $45, $35, $25
Concert Hall
Come at 7:00 for a free, pre-concert lecture on Grand Tier III.
ArtsBeijing 2009 Performance
Featuring
Beijing Dance
Drama Opera
and
China National
Acrobatic Troupe
Sun, Nov 22, 7:00
This presentation represents contemporary and classical Chinese
performance arts. It is cosponsored by the Confucius Institute at
Mason, the Washington-Beijing Cultural Exchange Association, the Mu
Ping Dance Performance Art Troupe, the Association of Chinese Students
and Scholars and the Association of Chinese American Professors at
Mason.
Admission: $65, $45, $25
Concert Hall
|
MASON HIGHLIGHTS
Other Mason events
 By Helen Ackerman, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
- Understanding
Islam
Lecture Series: Life After Death. Fourth in a five-week lecture
series promoting peace, diversity, and understanding about the
teachings of Islam. Sat, Nov. 14, 4:30 to 6:30, Science & Tech II,
Room 7. Free.
- Astronomy
Observing
Session. Check the stars during the clear nights of fall.
The
observing session will be canceled if the sky is more than half
overcast one hour before the session is scheduled to begin. Tue, Nov
17, about 6:00. Research I, Observatory. Free.
- American
Indian and
Alaskan Native Heritage Month: Maze of Injustice - Indigenous Women's
Rights. Features speakers Gabrielle Tayac of the Smithsonian
American Indian Museum, and Dave Nicholas, former tribal law
enforcement officer. Sponsored by Amnesty International. Tue, Nov 17,
7:00. Johnson Center, Room G. Free.
- Johnson
&
Strachan Distinguished Speaker Series: Knox Singleton. Knox
Singleton, president and CEO of Inova Health System, will address the
state of our nation’s healthcare system and the proposed government
reform plan. Tue, Nov 17, 7:00 to 8:30. Johnson Center, Cinema. Tickets
required; reserve your ticket online.
- Getting
to Happy: 7 Steps to a More Contented Life. Wed, Nov 18,
12:00 to 1:00. SUB II, Room 7. Register online at the HR Training
website. Free.
- American
Indian and
Alaskan Native Heritage Month: Trail of Tears Intertribal Dance Troupe.
Enjoy Native American dancing, and bring a toy, backpack, or school
supplies to help support Lakota children of the Cheyenne River
Reservation in South Dakota. Thu, Nov 19, 1:00 to 2:30. Johnson Center,
Dewberry 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 master calendar maintained by the office, with
direct Web links added when available. See Upcoming
Non-Class Events to view the real-time OLLI online calendar used by
the office. Note: Board,
committee, resource-group and 'membership-type' meetings/events below
are highlighted
in bold. OLLI members are
welcome at all Board, committee and resource-group meetings (except
during executive sessions).
Fri Nov 13
Fall Term Ends
8:30am Special Event - F967, Abraham
Lincoln’s
Washington
City - Bus Trip
9am
Recorder
Lessons
-
TA-3
10am
Travel
Club - TA-1
10am
Drama
Club - TA-3
10am Recorder Consort
- TA-2
10:30am Special
Event - L973, Tour
Geography and Map Divisions - Library of Congress
11am Homer Group -
Social Room Annex
Tue
Nov
17 10am
Science,
Technology &
Health Resource Group Meeting - Annex
10:30am
Knitting and Needlework
Club - Lake Anne Coffee Shop
Wed Nov
18 10am
Bridge Club - TA-3
12pm
Planning
Committee Meeting - Annex
Thu Nov 19
9:30am Photography
Club - TA-1
Fri Nov 20
9:30am Board
of Directors Meeting - TA-1
10am Drama Club - TA-3
10am Recorder Consort
- TA-2
11am Homer Group -
Social Room Annex
Sat Nov 21
12:30pm OLLI
Personal Computer User Group
- TA-1
Mon Nov
23 - Fri Nov
27
OLLI Office and Tallwood Closed
Tue
Nov
24 10:30am
Knitting and Needlework
Club - Lake Anne Coffee Shop
|
About OLLI E-News and the
member/volunteers who
produce it
Rod
Zumbro
Editor |
John West
Deputy
Editor |
Barbara Kyriakakis
Associate
Editor |
|
|
Review Team: Gordon Canyock,
Michael Coyne, Barbara Kyriakakis, John West, Susanne Zumbro
Database
Manager: Barbara
Kyriakakis; Photo
Editor: Michael Coyne
|
- 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 our
archive of all past issues by date or issue number.
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