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OLLI
E-News #7 of Sep. 9, 2005
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REMINDER
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>>
FALL-TERM CLASSES START Monday, Sep.
19!
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EVENTS
BEFORE
CLASSES START
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>>
SPECIAL EVENT "A": Fall
for the Book Festival (Kenneth
Walsh), Wednesday, Sep.
14, 11:00
AM, Tallwood
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SPECIAL EVENT "B": China's
Economic Awakening, Thursday, Sep. 15, 10:00 AM, Tallwood
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SPECIAL EVENT "C": Fall
for the Book Festival (Tim
O'Brien), Sunday, Sep.
18, 7:00 PM at GMU Concert Hall, bus from Tallwood at 6:15 PM
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>> New-Member
Profile: Meet new members Bob and Ida
Portland.
>> Fall
For the Book at OLLI: How OLLI is
involved with Fall for the Book events.
>> Meet
Your Directors: Learn more about
directors Abbie, Kathryn & Florence.
>> Board
Retreat: How OLLI
plans to work effectively with the executive director.
>> Undersubscribed
Courses: It's not too
late to sign up for many courses. |
 By Carolyn Sanders, OLLI
E-News staff writer
New members
Bob & Ida Portland
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BOB PORTLAND'S FIRST WORDS, when phoned for an interview, were, "My
wife will be back shortly; I suggest you call again in
20 minutes." Now, that's my definition of a smart man who has been
well taught by a smart woman! We welcome both Bob and his smart wife
Ida to OLLI.
A former elementary education teacher, Ida made
certain I spelled her hometown of New Canaan, Connecticut, correctly.
Bob is also a Yankee--from Hazleton, Pennsylvania. His 42-year career
with the telephone company--from Bell Labs to Verizon--took them to
several cities; she insists she just kept up with the three children
and followed him from place to place; they've lived in Virginia for 22
years now. She also managed a brief career as an office manager for
a local podiatrist. The wealth of available cultural opportunities is
one of their main reasons for retiring in
this area.
Bob proudly points out that Ida is Vice President
of the Friends
of the Center for the Arts at GMU, and
through that association, they met OLLI members who encouraged them to
join this active organization. Let that be a message to all
members--tell
the folks you know and work with about OLLI.
Both Ida and Bob have an interest that's dear to
OLLI hearts: they like to cook. I mean, they REALLY like to cook--they
know and use fresh herbs, some of which are homegrown.
The Portlands love to travel and will
leave very soon for a cruise to Europe. While in town, they look
forward to taking a course in the government of Mexico, participating
in the activities at St. Mary's Church, and being entertained by twin
three-year-old granddaughters who live locally. Visits with the other
four granddaughters, who live in New York City, are also on their busy
agenda.
Again, welcome to the Portlands.
Editor's Note. We
plan to tell the
membership about some of our new members--their background, how they
were attracted to OLLI, and what they think of the OLLI experience. If
you are a new member and want to have your profile included, please
contact
the Publications
Committee chair or the editor. Back
to top.
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  By Kathryn
Russell, Program Review Committee chair
OLLI STUDENTS DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL CLASSES BEGIN to enjoy some
delightful cultural experiences. Each year at this time, OLLI
coordinates with GMU and Fairfax County Public Libraries to present
some exciting events featuring contemporary authors and their works.
This year we're sponsoring two presentations, which you can find listed
in the catalog under "Special Events."
 The first event, "From Mount Vernon
to Crawford," will be held at OLLI on Wednesday, September 14, at
11:00 AM. Noted author and chief correspondent for U.S. News and World Report Kenneth
T. Walsh (photo at left) will share with us his experiences covering
U.S. presidents, the eras in which they lived, and their private
retreats.
 The second event spotlights noted
author
Tim O'Brien (photo at right), who has penned several books, many
of them recounting his war experiences in Viet Nam. His writing style
is powerful, brimming with vivid images and unforgettable characters.
One of his books, The Things They
Carried, will be the October selection for Tallwood Book Club's
discussion.
His writings will also be featured in Dr. Lesley Smith's upcoming
course,
"War and Literature" (number 402). Tim O'Brien's presentation will be
held
at 7:00 PM at the GMU Concert Hall on Sunday, September 18, and a bus
will
be provided from Tallwood, departing at 6:15 PM.
Don't miss these two outstanding events, and see
the Fall for
the Book Website for more information on other Fall for the Book
festival events. Back
to top.
  By Elizabeth Crawford, OLLI E-News staff writer
PICTURED HERE are the smiling faces of Abbie Edwards, Kathryn Russell,
and Florence Adler.
ABBIE EDWARDS exemplifies the best of OLLI, an
active member with a wide range of interests. A former teacher of
photography, art, computer graphics, and yearbook at Herndon High
School, she is a  published photographer, a director of the Reston Triathlon
for
nine years, co-president of the Reston/Herndon branch of the American
Association of University Women, and an instructor of Comparative
Religions
for OLLI at Lake Anne and Tallwood.
As the Reston Support Committee chair,
her particular focus is on Reston, where Abbie is "always concerned
with the quality of our programs." She wants "to stay involved with
increasing membership and in finding top notch instructors in our area
to teach OLLI courses on a variety of topics." Recently, she has taken
on the important job of interim Program Coordinator in charge of
putting together winter semester courses at Lake Anne.
KATHRYN RUSSELL
joined LRI in 1997 and is in her second term on the Board of Directors.
After serving two years as Vice President, she became chair of the
Program Review Committee, the purpose of which has been to facilitate
communication between the Board and the Program Coordinator. With the
changing role
of the Board and Carol Ferrara's retirement as Program Coordinator,
Kathryn--with fellow committee members RoseMary Gustin and Bob
Bohall--has taken on
the mammoth job of interim Program Coordinator of winter semester
courses
at Tallwood.
 Many would say that her best decision
so far has been to assign herself to teach "Hamlet: Shakespeare's Mosaic."
Devotees of her earlier courses on The
Tempest, King Lear, Macbeth, etc. can hardly wait to
"Brush Up (Their) Shakespeare" this fall.
Kathryn is very excited that Dick Chobot has been
hired. She is sure that OLLI can go "in all kinds of directions" under
his leadership because of his "familiarity with the academic world and
willingness to find new resources at GMU."
FLORENCE ADLER also
joined LRI in 1997 and is in her second term on the Board. Florence is
chair of the Special Events Committee, a subcommittee of  the Program
Committee. Her background as director of a private school, a position
that involved planning curriculum, hiring, and mentoring, and a
simultaneous career as a lifelong student, prepared her well for the
multiple tasks involved in coordinating the many special events offered
at OLLI.
For certain lectures, readings
by authors, trips to plays, operas, musicals, historic sites, and
museums, a morning of bird watching, an afternoon of kayaking, or an
evening of wine tasting with music, we must thank Florence and her
committee. As OLLI grows, Florence hopes to grow her committee. She
would welcome new members with new ideas, new contacts, and a desire to
delight the membership with increasingly special events.
Editor's Note.
Look for more directors' photos and profiles in future issues of OLLI E-News. Back
to top.
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 By Carol Henderson, Secretary
 THE OLLI BOARD HELD A RETREAT on
August 22 on
the transition to an Institute with a full-time executive director. The
Board recognized the need to focus on its major role of governance
while the executive director focuses on management.
As OLLI secretary, I presented a summary of my
research on nonprofit organization leadership and management,
concentrating on board and executive director roles and
responsibilities, and led
a discussion of the appropriate relationship between the two. A summary
follows.
- Members who serve on committees or as
office or other
volunteers should expect those assignments to continue during the fall
term.
- The three members of the Program Review
Committee (Kathryn
Russell, chair; Bob Bohall and RoseMary Gustin) will together serve as
interim chair of the Program Committee.
- Any future chair of the Program Committee
will be a member
rather than a staff person.
- The executive director becomes
responsible for future
program planning and development, but the Program Review Committee will
continue with its current work to develop and coordinate winter term
courses.
- The executive director becomes the
supervisor of all other
OLLI staff, and is expected to hire a part-time staff person to assist
with program duties as budgeted by the Board. Back
to
top.
 By Jennifer
Maloney, OLLI Administrator
YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR CONFIRMATION LETTER SOON showing the courses and
events in which you have been enrolled. Many courses and events are not
full, and it's not too late to sign up. You may register for any of the
still-available
courses and events by filling in a
Change of Schedule Request form available in the Tallwood social room.
If you are unable to come by Tallwood to fill out this form, you may email or call the office
(703-503-3384) with your request.
If your plans have changed such that you will no
longer be able to attend any of the courses in which you are
enrolled, PLEASE NOTIFY THE OFFICE by email or phone
(703-503-3384) as soon as possible so that if that course is full,
members on the waiting list can be given an opportunity to enroll.
Thank you! Back
to top.
FROM THE WASHINGTON POST OF SEP. 7, 2005:
 Helen Simon Beery, 70, an Air Force
wife who
settled in the Washington area in the 1970s and did volunteer work and
was a member of several organizations, died Sept. 2 at Inova Loudoun
Hospital. She
had Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease.
Mrs. Beery was a native of Kansas City, Mo.,
and a graduate of what is now William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.
She married in 1955 and accompanied her husband on
his military assignments. After settling in the Washington area, she
did volunteer work with the Arlington Ladies, a group that attends
graveside internment services at Arlington National Cemetery.
She also was a member of McLean Bible Church, the
National Symphony Orchestra's women's committee and the national Air
Force Officers Wives Club.
Editor's Note.
Former LRI member Helen Beery was the wife of former LRI member Ray
Beery, who served as LRI
president 1999-2000. Back
to top.
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Rod
Zumbro
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OLLI E-NEWS
Editor
Proofreader
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Zumbro). Comments, suggestions or complaints? Please contact the editor or the
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Canyock.
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Updated:
May 15, 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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