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OLLI
E-News #8 of Sep. 16, 2005
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REMINDERS
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CLASSES FOR THE FALL TERM START MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19!
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THE TALLWOOD OFFICE is
open for business during the term from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily except
Friday, when it closes at 12 noon.
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ALERTS
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GEORGE MASON'S CONVERSATION PROGRAM: More
volunteers
from OLLI are sorely needed to help
foreign students with their English skills.
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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; seats on the bus are still
available, and non-OLLI guests are welcome.
>>
NEW MEMBER COFFEE on Friday,
September 23 (see the "Getting to Know You" article below) for old as
well as new members.
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>> President's
Message:
Welcome back from OLLI president Charles Duggan.
>> Welcome
to OLLI News:
This is the first edition for the fall 2005 term.
>> What?
Me Wear a Name Tag? Here's Why: Good advice for
all of us.
>> Special
Board Meeting: Board members meet with the
new executive director.
>> Office
Volunteers Needed: OLLI needs
volunteers to help out in the office.
>> A
Grand Send-off for Carol Ferrara: Highlights of
the reception for Carol.
>> OLLI
Special Events: Your committee does it
all for you, but needs your help.
>> Three Hotels
at Mason: See a highly rated play at GMU's Harris Theater.
>> Getting
to Know You: Join us for the New Member
Coffee at 10:30 AM Friday.
>> Veterans
History Project: Help the nation preserve
World War II/Korea history.
>> The
Gardens of OLLIwood: The story of
our gardeners, "The Dirty Knee Club."
>> Memorial
Service: For the late husband of OLLI
member Roxanne Cramer.
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 By Charles Duggan,
President
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IS A PLEASURE TO WELCOME EVERYONE BACK for the start of a new
program year at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
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| We once again have a great lineup of
classes
and events. Evidence of this is reflected in the overwhelming response
to
three special classes: “China,” “The Great Divide” and “Focus on the
Media.”
Not wanting to turn any member away from a course if we can help it, we
have moved these classes off-site to the Christ Lutheran Church. If you
signed up for these classes, you have received special instructions on
how
to find the church. |
The beginning of
the year also marks the beginning of a new era for OLLI. What I am
referring to is the establishment
of the role of an OLLI executive director. Effective September 1st,
Richard “Dick” Chobot (pronounced Sha BOW, as in bow and arrow) has
joined us in this senior management role.
Dick comes to us with an impressive background in
program development and management and now, for the first time in OLLI
history, we have a full-time, on-site manager. Dick’s presence will
make a big difference as we continue to develop and prosper in the
coming years. Please introduce yourself to Dick and welcome him to
OLLI. Back
to top.
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 By Gordon
Canyock, Publications Committee chair
WELCOME TO THIS OLLI E-News
version of the first print edition of the OLLI News for fall 2005, which
I am editing again this term. As most of you know, during the summer we
have been sending an electronic version called OLLI E-News, edited by Rod Zumbro,
to those members with email accounts. The reaction to both versions of
our weekly
newsletters so far has been very positive.
We will place the printed OLLI News in classrooms for the
next eight weeks, but we will also email you the SAME content before
each
week's classes start, except
that the content will be edited by Rod into this OLLI E-News format to include
breaking-news announcements, photos and clickable links. (Note: Some OLLI E-News articles you've already
seen are being printed in OLLI
News for the benefit of members without email but
are not being re-published here.)
LET
ME KNOW YOUR IMPRESSIONS.
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I
encourage you to write letters to the editor.
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So if you are not taking classes during a term or
if you have to be away from OLLI for a while during a term, you won't
miss out on news and information.
Please let me know
your impressions of these publications, including comments and
suggestions for the kinds of information you think should be
included in future issues. We are always looking for feature writers
and reporters, so please volunteer to join the Publications Committee
and help us with writing.
I would also like to encourage you to write letters to
the OLLI News editor
(that's me, for now). I will plan to devote up to a page for your
comments, suggestions, and ideas pertaining to OLLI. Please try to keep
them
to less than 200 words. If you prefer, I will cite that famous author
“Anonymous” as the writer, but I do need to know who submitted the
article. Back
to top.
 By Susanne
Zumbro, Administration Committee chair
HERE AT OLLI, WE PROVIDE ALL OF OUR
MEMBERS WITH NAME TAGS, and we request that members wear
them when on campus. Some of our members have questioned why.
OK, here's why.
Remember when you were the new OLLI member in the
class, and you didn't know a soul? I remember that, and I remember
feeling like it was so much easier to start a conversation with someone
wearing a name tag. They just seemed friendlier and easier to approach.
CAN'T
REMEMBER SOMEONE'S NAME?
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I
sure have, and I appreciated those name tags!
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Have you ever been embarrassed because you can't
remember someone's name? I sure have. And, I might add, this seems to
be happening to me more frequently as the years pass by. I have
appreciated those name tags. Otherwise, I might have avoided someone
lest I be embarrassed by not remembering a name.
Have you ever attended a class where the instructor
is able to call on people in the front row by name because they are
wearing a name tag? Those instructors have been most appreciative of
those willing name tag wearers.
In summary, please wear your name tag as a
welcoming gesture to new members, as a courtesy to those of us who
might be a little forgetful, as a sign of respect to our wonderful
instructors, and last but not least, to respect OLLI policy. Back
to top.
 By
Eileen
Duggan, Acting Secretary
A SPECIAL EXECUTIVE-SESSION MEETING of the OLLI Board of Directors was
held at Tallwood on September 8, 2005, to introduce our new Executive
Director, Dr. Richard Chobot, to the Board and to talk about management
transition.
The
executive director expressed admiration for what OLLI has accomplished
through the EFFORTS OF ITS VOLUNTEER MEMBERS.
President Charles Duggan asked Dick to share his
impressions about OLLI and then opened the floor
to a free-form exchange of questions and views.
Dick expressed admiration for what OLLI has
accomplished through the efforts of its volunteer members. He also
commended OLLI for developing a strong relationship with GMU. Dick has
been absorbing information as quickly as he can about the organization
and how it functions. He recognizes that his first priority is to
assume responsibility for the OLLI program, which is the cornerstone of
the organization. He intends to tap resources at GMU and also at
associations and think tanks throughout the area. Dick also stated that
he recognizes his role in building membership and our financial base.
The discussion then turned to OLLI’s future and
specifically to growth. Dick noted that
while we have a mission statement and goals, we do not have a unified
vision for our future. He indicated that the Board must provide
strategic direction and a philosophical framework.
Charles commented that his vision centered around
our need to serve the community through increased membership. Other
Board members expressed concern about rapid growth, space, parking and
loss of community.
Dick suggested that there were two issues:
- OLLI, THE SPACE,
which has limits on growth; and
- OLLI, THE CONCEPT, through which
lifelong learning could be transmitted to other locations by OUTREACH
or by DISTANCE LEARNING using electronic technology.
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It was agreed to defer to the Long Term Planning
Committee the task of proposing a vision, a strategic plan and timeline
that will be presented to the Board for its review. Back
to top.
  By Mona Smith, Volunteer
Coordinator
THE OLLI OFFICE AT TALLWOOD NEEDS a few more volunteers to work
one morning per month from
9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon (or more if you have the time). While staff
works in the back office, a person is needed up front to answer the
telephone, address catalogs, assist with adding or dropping courses,
and perform other duties that may arise.
It is a good chance to get to know OLLI members
whom you haven't met and to learn more about the
workings of the organization. It is also a very valuable contribution
to OLLI. You will be richly rewarded for your efforts (coffee or tea
and free cookies) while you work.
Please contact me by phone (703-442-8029) or email to
sign up for the day of your choice. Back
to top.
 By Rod Zumbro, OLLI E-News editor
 A LARGE NUMBER OF friends and current and former LRI/OLLI
members
gathered at Tallwood on September
8 to honor and say goodbye to OLLI program coordinator Carol
Ferrara—LRI’s first employee. Board member Pat Cosslett organized the
event, and Hospitality Committee chair Sandra Driesslein and her
committee provided drinks and a superb arrangement of home-made goodies
for attendees to enjoy.
OLLI president Charles Duggan presided over
the ceremony honoring Carol. The keynote
speaker was Delegate
Ken Plum (Virginia House of Delegates, 36th District), who, along
with the late Kathryn Brooks and OLLI senior president emeritus
Lilyan Spero, helped found the Learning in Retirement Institute in
1991. Carol was
the member of Ken’s staff who was working on the creation of LRI;
Ken loaned Carol to LRI, after which she became our first employee.
Charles Duggan praised Carol for her work in her positions
at LRI/OLLI, including her latest job as program coordinator. For
six years she has been responsible—along with volunteer Program
Committee and Resource Group members—for the development of the
wonderful array of courses we’ve all exp
erienced. On behalf of OLLI, Charles presented Carol with two gifts: a
five-year paid OLLI membership so she can come back to OLLI and take
whatever courses she’d like; and a lovely Tiffany brooch.
Carol introduced her family, who had come with her
to share the celebration, and gave a gracious speech describing how
much her job at OLLI has meant to her
and why she decided to retire.
Saying goodbye to Carol was a
sad occasion for many of us, some of whom have known her and relied on
her and valued her friendship for more than a dozen years. But
we all wish her well, and we are looking forward to seeing her again
in class one of these days. Back
to top.
 By Florence Adler, Special Events Committee chair
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED ABOUT the historical beginnings of our site at
Tallwood and its surroundings? Page
Johnson, the commissioner of revenue for the City of Fairfax and
avid historian of Fairfax City, spoke to us about these origins in
a presentation last summer.
 WERE YOU THERE when octogenarian
Seymour Greene regaled us with his experiences during World War II when
he traveled with Irving Berlin's historical military musical "This Is
the Army" and then entertained us by playing music from the 30's and
40's on his trombone?
DID YOU HEAR Dr. John Grauerholz, a retired
board-certified pathologist, discuss the evolution of death
investigation from the drowning of Ophelia to the deaths at the World
Trade Center?
DID YOU ACCOMPANY US on trips to the new Udvar-Hazy
Air and Space Museum or the new National Museum of the American Indian
shortly after they opened, or take a walking tour of Annapolis or a
tour of historic Fredericksburg?
HAVE YOU JOINED US at the Arena Stage, the Wayside
Theater, or The Contemporary American Theater Festival at
Shepherdstown, West Virginia?
HAVE YOU BEEN ENJOYING THEATER with us at our very
own George Mason University? In addition to
attending performances of the GMU Players
and the Theater
of
the First Amendment, we have had the benefit of some of the
best performers in music, dance, opera as well as theater at the Center for the Arts
right
next door to us. These are part of Great Performances at Mason.
All of the above classes, trips and outings were
planned and scheduled by members of the Special Events Subcommittee of
the Program Committee. Our lectures and discussions are one-time
special events scheduled on Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 - 3:30 PM,
trips are held on Fridays, and most theater outings are Saturday
matinees, with an occasional one on a Wednesday afternoon.
We invite you to join us in seeking out new
speakers and in planning new trips. Please join our committee, which
meets at Tallwood on the first Wednesday of every month. Back
to top.
 THE
THEATER OF
THE FIRST AMENDMENT is performing Three Hotels, which Time magazine lauded as one of the
“ten best plays of 1994” and stars Kevin Murray and Mary Lechter,
both of whom have taught classes at OLLI.
For those members who did not sign up to see it as
an OLLI Special Event on September 24, you may
wish to see the play on your own. Performances are scheduled for
Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 PM, and
Sunday at 4:00 PM from now through October 2 at GMU’s Harris Theater (map). Back
to top.
 By Debbie Halverson, Membership Committee chair
FALL IS THE TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS, like schools
starting up again, no less exciting for OLLI members who return
to campus with energy and enthusiasm.
One of the greatest delights for OLLI folks at the
start of a new term is the arrival in classes of our new members. We
feel certain, as we look forward to exciting classes, some new, some
old favorites, that they--our new members--will be enthusiastic as
well. And we look forward to meeting them in a more
relaxed setting.
OLD
AND NEW MEMBERS WILL MINGLE OVER COFFEE AND GOODIES...
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at
10:30 AM on Friday,
September 23.
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Tradition has it that,
on the first
Friday of the term, we greet you, our new members, at the New Member
Coffee. This Friday, September 23rd, at 10:30 at Tallwood, old and new
members will mingle over coffee and goodies, the like of which it
is impossible to describe, prepared by the Hospitality Committee. The
red dot on your name tag will identify you as new to Board members,
committee chairs, and many members, all of whom have been new at one
time and who will want to be there to welcome you to OLLI.
Members: Toss on your name tag and come on over to
Tallwood to meet and greet your colleagues and new friends. We're
looking forward to seeing you all. Back
to top.
By Florence Adler, Special Events Committee chair
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NEEDS YOUR HELP to preserve the history of
World War II and Korea. Come to Tallwood at 2:00 PM on October 19 and
hear how you can help the Library as a volunteer historian-for-a-day.
Tape-record war veterans' stories or donate your
wartime letters, diaries, photos, or memoirs. A
senior staff person from the Library's Veterans History Project
will tell you all about this important effort and will show fascinating
samples of the materials they already have.
As an example, see former OLLI member Marion
Gurfein's story. Back
to top.
 By Elizabeth Crawford, OLLI
E-News staff writer
ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE. That said, creation of the little Garden of
Eden that we walk past on our way into Tallwood has taken a lot of
human effort. For countless hours spent in planning, planting,
and 
maintaining the landscaping, we must thank Valerie Braybrooke (photo at
left) and her band of intrepid gardeners known as the "Dirty Knee Club."
Just five days
after joining LRI two years ago, Valerie was asked to co-chair the
landscaping section of the Facilities Committee with Ray Solomon. Her
immersion was swift as she prepared a plan for Phase I (2004 LRI
budget) to submit to the Board and later to GMU. Phase I included the
70
feet of space in front of the office, Social Room, and TA-1 windows.
 Some original trees were left in place
or moved, and new plantings were added, keeping in mind textural
contrast, height differences, and seasonal interest. Only a pro would
think to
plant Witch Hazel, which blooms in February or a Butterfly Bush to
attract
butterflies in the summer. The primary colors here are yellow and blue.
Anyone who can not distinguish a lysimachia nummularia from a
chamaecyparis
pisifera filifera may wish to consult the diagram that is displayed in
the Social Room. Also important in Valerie's design concept was
choosing
plants likely to grow in this space, mostly perennials but also a
couple
of annuals, as well as plants that would bloom in sequence.
IF
YOU NOTICED THAT
THE COLORS ARE REMINISCENT OF A BROTHEL GARDEN,
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it
is merely a sign
of active OLLI minds at work.
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Recognition of the success of Phase I prompted more
volunteers to work on Phase II (2005 OLLI budget), a more ambitious
project thanks to the Osher grant. Phase II includes the space to the
left of the walkway from the parking lot to the patio and provides us
all with a valuable lesson in defensive gardening. Before planting, the
gardener must anticipate and correct possible problems. For example,
the salt that melts the snow in the parking lot, while necessary to
keep the humans from falling, is no friend to the plants. Valerie and
her crew dug out an eight inch deep trench (by hand!), removing clay
that was embedded with gravel. They made a dry river bed that they then
filled with River Jacks, rock by rock.
If the salt water cooperates, it will now drain
into the rocks. But since Mother Nature sometimes has a mind of her
own, further precautions have been taken. The gardeners unloaded eight
truckloads of topsoil and built a stone wall to create a raised bed
that will be protected from excess runoff. For this raised garden
Valerie chose purple, cerise, and magenta plants that require a lot of
sun. If some members have noticed that the colors are reminiscent of a
brothel
garden, it is merely a sign of active OLLI minds at work.
Beside the raised garden,
toward the patio, we now have an area of bog plants that will be
happy to receive any excess water. The bog garden has been the subject
of intense inquiry as members extend the curiosity they show in class
to the flora outside. The gardeners consider the questions and
compliments from members the main reward for all their hard work.
Valerie has insisted that her gardeners respect the plants by learning
their Latin names, and
the gardeners welcome a chance to share their knowledge with the rest
of
us.
 Obviously, what must come next is
Phase III (2006 OLLI budget), which will include the downhill side
around TA-1 and the area at the back of the building between the
staircases. Now members who park in the swimming pool lot and enter
the building from the back miss the gardens in the front. Eventually
the back will be beautiful as well.
Currently, the triangular area in front of
the building has been herbicided and is empty except for the tree.
It was necessary to eliminate the weeds because they were sending
forth seeds that were anxious to settle in the rich soil of Phases I
and II. Valerie hopes that money can be found to landscape this area,
perhaps as an extension of Phase III.
Finally, the gardeners hope to move on to Phase IV,
in which the ground in the center of the loop in
the back will be planted with perennials, vegetables, and a cutting
garden. Once each season of planting is completed, the gardeners cannot
go on hiatus. They remain busy weeding, watering, fertilizing,
mulching, and pruning.
What can we say to our friends who have done all
this hard work in good weather and bad and learned all that Latin too?
At the very least, thank you to the Dirty Knee Club:
Club members (left to right) Craig Zane, Jack Underhill, Bob Matthews,
Valerie Braybrooke, Bill Ackerman, John DeVoll, Judy Riekse, Beverly George and
Benny Meyer. Missing club members are Sylvia Myers, Ollie Parrott,
Kathryn Russell and Susan Voss.
Volunteers who are seasoned gardeners or are
willing to learn are always welcome to join the Dirty Knee Club. Those
of us who are happy that our knees are not dirty and our thumbs are not
green may think that we have no role to play in what member Barbara
Achilles has rightly described as "truly a work of art."
In fact, we can all contribute. If we choose to
make donations as Friends of OLLI, we may earmark those donations
for landscaping.
Further, it is common knowledge that plants thrive
when people talk to them. We might not want word to spread that
Tallwood is full of senior citizens who talk to plants. However, if
plants can listen, then they can certainly eavesdrop. If we speak
clearly
when we compliment the gardeners at work, the plants will hear us and
stand that much taller and bloom in ever greater color. Back
to top.
HAROLD LESLIE CRAMER passed away after a long illness on August 13,
2005. He was married for 37 years to his second wife, OLLI member
Roxanne Cramer.
Les was a Boston native with
a doctorate in education from Harvard. He came to DC in 1969 as
research director for the Peace Corps and later founded Cramer
Associates, consultants on speech enhancement of audio tapes.
A memorial service will be held at the Fairfax
Unitarian Church, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton, Virginia at 2:00 PM on
Saturday, September 24, 2005. Contributions may be
made to Capital Hospice, 6565 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042.
The Washington
Post published his obituary on Sep. 11 and maintains a guest book for friends to express their sympathy. Back
to top.
Rod
Zumbro
Karen Hamilton
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OLLI E-NEWS
Editor
Proofreader
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About OLLI E-News. OLLI E-News is
emailed to OLLI members on Fridays. 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 change your email
settings. To read 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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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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