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Welcome to your August newsletter!
 It is difficult to believe that we are already heading into the month of August. We hope you have been enjoying all that summer in Maine has to offer! While you are outdoors taking photos this summer, consider entering one of your images in the MSCN Photography Contest -- details are below.
This month we are pleased to report that Anne and Fran from the Maine Senior College Network office staffed a booth at the First Annual Senior Summer Expo in Lewiston in July.
In addition, this month's newsletter has an article and photos about a 5-mile hiking expedition taken by Gold LEAF Institute members, and information from Sunrise Senior College about how they are celebrating their 10th anniversary.
Lewiston-Auburn Senior College has a newly-elected board, and you can meet the members in this newsletter.
We also feature information about an upcoming September spoken word and music event at Tunk Mountain Arts and Crafts, established by a long-time Sunrise Senior College member and instructor.
Visit the Poet's Corner to read a poem from an OLLI at USM member. And, if you write poetry, please consider entering this year's MSCN Poet Laureate contest -- details are in this newsletter.
Have a wonderful August!
Sincerely,
Kali Lightfoot
Executive Director
Maine Senior College Network
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MSCN Exhibits at Summer
Senior Expo
Maine Senior College Network was a corporate sponsor of the First Annual Summer Senior Expo held at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in Lewiston on July 20. The Expo drew a huge crowd.  | |
Fran Myers, MSCN Director of Conferences, and
Anne Cardale, MSCN Director of Communication, staffed the MSCN booth at the July Senior Expo in Lewiston. (photo by Rachel Morin)
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Booths lined the large banquet room with exhibitors handing out literature about services and accommodations geared to the senior population and answering questions about their organization's offerings. Many of the booths offered door prizes and giveaways. The MSCN staff raffled off an Amazon Kindle, and the winner was Patricia Casson of Lewiston. The Port City Jazz Band played throughout the day. Maine Senior College Network will have a presence at future senior expos including the "Life Without Limits" Expo on September 20, 2011, at the Cook's Corner Mall in Brunswick and the Maine Seniors' Expo on January 25, 2012, at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston. - submitted by Rachel Morin for the Maine Senior College Network. |
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Stretching Their Limits at
Gold LEAF Institute
From time to time people at Gold LEAF submit plans to the curriculum committee for hikes. Most such "classes" are adopted and well attended. But most are short strolls really: a quarter mile in, a quarter mile out; a half-hour walk around a pond; a brief foray with a ranger in a forest.
Recently, two Gold LEAF members proposed something more ambitious: a hike to the Poplar Stream Hut along the Maine Huts and Trails system at Carrabassett near Flagstaff Lake, two and a half miles in, same out, with lunch and a tour provided at the hut.
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Intrepid Gold LEAF trekkers smile for the camera before beginning their five-mile hike on the Hut-to-Hut Trail near Carrabassett.
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Now a hike of that length in Maine's western mountains can be a bit challenging and cautionary flyers were duly issued: wear hiking boots, bring water, insect repellent and walking sticks, be sure you can do the distance. After all, once deep in the woods on a rugged forest path, there's only one way out -- walking. In all, 17 people signed up.
The day went well. The weather was perfect, the pace was moderate, and everyone made it there and back. But it occurred to one of our number to note that, if the average age of participants was figured at 65 -- one person was 82, another 79, and the youngest 58 -- we collectively represented more than 1,000 years of age.
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Gold LEAF member Belle Foss takes a break at
Poplar Stream Falls.
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Not only did every person make it, everyone seemed cheerful and reasonably chipper at the end. The group walked along Poplar Stream, visited a waterfall, climbed a crudely constructed stone stairway (one person counted 78 steps), and almost everyone said they'd do it again.
One fact was clear: while many had some previous experience in the woods, several as lone hikers in younger days, more than one said they felt they could come because of the support and companionship they knew they'd have. Thus it is that the concept of a "college" sponsoring classes and activities for seniors is again vindicated. For while the hikers' ages may add up to 1,000 years, with each other's help and encouragement, they reach a little higher, walk a little longer, and stretch their limits a little further than they might be able to do alone.
- Submitted by Richard Matthews for Gold LEAF Institute, Farmington.
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It's a Snap to Enter the
MSCN Photo Contest
 Gorgeous sunsets, panoramic shore views, beautiful woodlands -- the beauty of nature surrounds us in Maine. If you enjoy capturing this beauty with your digital camera, it's a snap to enter MSCN's first photography contest. The contest theme is "Outdoor Maine," photos taken of the natural world in our beautiful state. If you are a member of a Maine Senior College you are eligible to enter. One entry per person; photos must be submitted in digital format, and must be previously unpublished. Please email your entry as an attachment to kallen@usm.maine.edu. Be sure to include your name, where your photo was taken, and tell us which Maine Senior College you belong to. Deadline for entries is November 1, 2011. The photographer of the image judged the top pick will receive a digital photo frame, and the winner will be announced in the December MSCN newsletter. |
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Ten For the Tenth at
Sunrise Senior College
 In 2002, Kali Lightfoot, then Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM, came to Machias to light a spark to develop a senior college program at University of Maine Machias. Thank goodness two very special people, Barbara Manchester and Pat Smith, attended that meeting which was held at the Bluebird Ranch Restaurant. With their usual "do it now" attitude the two women approached John Joseph, then the President of UMM, to discuss establishing a senior college. As they say, the rest is history.
Named Sunrise Senior College (SSC), the first semester in 2002 was more successful then anyone could have imagined. Nearly 80 people enrolled to take some or all of the five courses offered. Sunrise Senior College's member numbers have been growing ever since. All of this growth has been accomplished by some incredibly talented volunteers who had the foresight to see that a lifelong learning program would raise the quality of life in the local community.
This fall Sunrise Senior College starts its tenth year! In celebration of this wonderful anniversary, SSC announces "Ten for the Tenth." The SSC membership fee for 2011-2012 will be $10. In addition to SSC membership the $10 fee also allows a member to take one free SSC course in the 2011 fall semester -- additional courses taken during SSC's 2011 fall semester will cost only $10 apiece as well. This fee still includes books and materials for the fall courses. Now is the time to join or rejoin to see if what Sunrise Senior College offers can become part of your life.
SSC's tenth annual meeting will be held on May 19, 2012, with a dinner-dance celebration. The University of Maine Machias ukulele band under the direction of Gene Nichols will perform. Then, Gene will be the event's disc jockey, and will spin some oldies but goodies for our dancing pleasure.You are invited to kick up your heels and celebrate both life and learning at Sunrise Senior College.
- submitted by Gail Peters for Sunrise Senior College, Machias.
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Who Will Be The Next MSCN Poet Laureate?
Do you write poetry? Are you a member of a Maine senior college? Then you could be the 2011 MSCN Poet Laureate! It's easy to enter -- just submit a piece of your unpublished work (one poem per person, please) to: MSCN, Attention: Kyle Allen, P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104, or email your poem to Kyle at kallen@usm.maine.edu. Be sure to include your name, contact information, and note at which Maine Senior College you are a member. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2011. The winner will be announced and their poem will be included in the December MSCN Newsletter, and the 2011 MSCN Poet Laureate will receive an Amazon Kindle e-book reader. We are looking forward to reading some fine poetry! |
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Meet the Board Members at Lewiston-Auburn Senior College
Lewiston-Auburn Senior College at USM held their Annual Meeting in June and welcomed the new Board of Directors for 2011-2012.
Left to right in the above photo are: Rachel Morin, Rose Goodwin, Florence Roberts, Joyce Campbell, Lincoln Ladd, Donna Sweetser, Elinor Goldblatt, Hugh Keene (Chair), Maureen Tibbetts, Anita Therrien, Robert Bowyer (Co-chair), Grace Keene, June Spear, and Crystal Ward.
- submitted by Rachel Morin for Lewiston-Auburn Senior College.
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Cherryfield Gallery to Host September Spoken Word and Music Event
 Cynthia Huntington, a long-time member and instructor at Sunrise Senior College, has opened Tunk Mountain Arts and Crafts, home to the William D. Sherar Gallery, in Cherryfield. The gallery displays a beautiful selection of paintings, sculpture, handcrafted furniture, photography and more. Also offered is an extraordinary collection of working and decorative decoys from the collection of William D. Sherar to whom the gallery will be officially dedicated during a special performance event on September 17th at 7 p.m. You may download a pdf containing detailed information about the upcoming performance and how to purchase tickets.
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The Poet's Corner
Cell Phone Prison II
Never alone, never at peace.
Interrupted, intruded on.
Held captive, with lines made fast to rings --
In a hand-held jail, a jail in hand,
With only a tiny backlit window on the world:
We, who are so selfishly out of context.
Who self-impose our own cellular walls,
And self-incarcerate with the volume turned up.
Yet we could, instead, consider
Bailing out of this hard cell free and clear,
Into the pines and ocean currents.
We could celebrate trading phone lines for boat lines,
Ring tones for pine cones, cells for shells.
We could heed the soft call of islands and the open sea -
How many bars does that take?
Can you hear me now?
- by Janet Stebbins, OLLI at USM
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Don't forget to go to the Maine Senior College Network website to find out what is happening around the state!
Maine Senior College Network |
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The Maine Senior College Network Display Boards are available to any senior college that would like to borrow them. For more information, check out the link below.
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About Us
Maine Senior College Network
P.O. Box 9300
Portland, Maine 04104-9300
(207)780-4128
(207)780-4317 (fax)
Kali Lightfoot
Executive Director
Anne Cardale
Director of Communication
Director of Conferences
fmyers@usm.maine.edu
Kyle Allen
Coordinator
kallen@usm.maine.edu |
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