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National Resource Center
for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes Newsletter
September 2013
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Greetings from Kali
| I'm having trouble believing that fall is really here already, but receiving daily notices of your classes starting up is helping to remind me that it is now Fall Semester. The newsletter this month contains articles reflecting on some fun summer courses, as well as a few items about activities you might want to adopt for your own OLLI. A good mix. Thanks to those who are sharing great ideas with us all.
Kali
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OLLIs -- Toot Your Horns!
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Toot your horn! Does your OLLI have news that you are proud of and would like to share with the network? The NRC newsletter is looking for articles about those special happenings that you know will inspire and excite others. So, keep the network newsletter in mind as a place to "toot your horn!"
If you have a story to share, please send it (with photos if possible) to Fran or Anne at the National Resource Center.
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A Trip to the Oil Patch with OLLI at the University of North Dakota
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For the second year in a row, OLLI at UND has organized a trip to the Oil Patch in North Central North Dakota. Two on-board experts and OLLI members from both sites (Grand Forks and Bismarck) traveled an entire day by bus through small and large communities. Local officials stepped on the bus to share with members how the oil boom has affected their cities and towns. Experts from oil companies also came on board to lead a tour through their company sites. The real treat of the day was having lunch at the Dunn County Lodge Man Camp - as guests of Target Logistics Management, LLC.
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OLLI at George Mason Thank Campus Support Staff with a Special Appreciation Luncheon
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George Mason Staff relaxing after enjoying the
'thank you" lunch from OLLI.
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OLLI at George Mason University hosted a special luncheon this summer for 150 of support staff - janitors, painters, locksmiths, and many others in the Facilities Office and other support offices such as the architects, who provide excellent services to OLLI now and will be vital to our future. These are Mason staff who often are not shown appreciation for their services. They make OLLI run smoothly and are critical to keeping our facilities repaired and operating.
Our Tallwood office staff organized the event, using a catering company for the BBQ sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad and chips. They also went out and bought dozens and dozens of cookies and mixed gallons of juices for the appreciative and hungry crowd.
Several Board members and other OLLI members were on hand to help serve the food and to welcome and thank our guests for all the services they provide to us.
From Mason, Tom Calhoun, Vice President for Facilities, and Larry Spaine, Director, Facilities Management, attended the luncheon. Larry told me that he and his siblings gave their mom a membership to OLLI for her Mother's Day present. This is another excellent way, along with the scholarships we provide to the departments who provide teachers for our courses, to express our thanks to George Mason University.
Submitted by - John Woods, OLLI at George Mason University
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OLLI at Auburn Leaders Participate in Southern Regional Conference
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Leaders and staff from OLLI at Auburn University recently participated in the Sixth Annual Southern Regional Conference for Lifelong Learning held on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. During this three day conference attended by over 200 adult learners, OLLI at Auburn leaders and staff attended programs and lecture and lead sessions dealing with programming for older adults. Although it is designated as a southern conference, learners from any state may participate. During the conference participants met with colleagues and fellow learners from Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Sessions were offered on marketing, curriculum, membership management, effective teaching, institutional relationships, research possibilities and much more.
At the conference, Virginia O'Leary, OLLI at Auburn Secretary, presented the session "Dancing with a Date: Finding a Campus Partner to Survey Your Membership." Linda Shook, OLLI at Auburn director, presented a session entitled "What Not to Offer - Curriculum Ideas That Didn't Make the Grade." OLLI leaders who attended were Jane Brown, Mary Burkhart, Barbara Daron, Yvonne Kozlowski, Gail McCullers, Virginia O'Leary, Linda Shook, Susan Stanley, and Carl Thompson.
OLLI at Auburn served as the founder and inaugural host for the Southern Regional Conference for Institutes for Learning in Retirement in 2008 and hosted the conference again in 2009. The purpose of the conference is for institutes for learning in retirement and those interested in starting an institute to gather and share ideas about lifelong learning. In 2010 OLLI at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, hosted the conference. In 2011, OLLI at the University of Alabama sponsored the conference. OLLI at the University of North Florida hosted the 2012 conference. In 2014, OLLI at the University of North Carolina - Ashville will host the regional conference.
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OLLI at Penn State Book Club Members Chat via Skype with OLLI Author Joann Leonard
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Photo: Joann Leonard
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Last Spring, OLLI at Penn State's Book Club read and fell in love with the book, The Healer of Fox Hollow by Joann Leonard. Joann, who was for years an active OLLI at Penn State member until she moved to California (she is now a member of OLLI at Santa Cruz), spent an afternoon with the book club members via Skype answering questions and receiving feedback about the story's themes and cast of characters. Book club members reported this to be the BEST experience of their four years together. Joann will Skype with other OLLI book clubs who may be interested in reading The Healer of Fox Hollow.
To learn more about the book and author, and to contact Joann, visit her website at joannroseleonard.com. (Joann is also listed on the OLLI Authors: Fiction page on the OLLI NRC website.)
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What I Did on My Summer Vacation: UNF OLLI Director Attends OLLI at URI's Fall Course Sampler Day and Open House
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OLLI at URI staff and members (left to right):
Mary Keane (Member & Course Catalog Editor), Beth Leconte (Director), Judy Wood (Member & Volunteer Committee), Roberta Palmer (Membership Director), Gina Campbell (Member & Volunteer Committee).
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While University of North Florida OLLI's Director Jeanette Toohey was on vacation in her native Rhode Island she reached out to Beth Leconte, OLLI at URI's Director with a request to meet. Beth kindly offered and Jeanette gratefully accepted an invitation to participate in OLLI at URI's Fall kickoff event. Following a warm welcome, lovely refreshments and time to socialize, participants had the opportunity to learn more about 20 of the 31 courses offered in the Fall 2013 term. Five sessions scheduled every 30 minutes offered four concurrent presentations for students to sample. "We are just beginning to explore new formats for our Fall kickoff event and OLLI at URI's Course Sampler Day and Open House holds promise as an option for UNF OLLI to consider," Jeanette reports.
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OLLI at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln Solves a Summer Murder Mystery
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Pictured are characters from the murder at Casa Noir and Who killed Ricky Slick?.
Owner May King Ensmete needed help to solve the crime. It's the 1920s, and the bootleg booze she sells is illegal, so she doesn't want to call in the cops as that could ruin her business...
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The theme of "Murder Mysteries" spawned the largest summer enrollment yet at OLLI at UNL. Courses included whodunit books, movies and "Unsolved Mysteries of Law Enforcement: Cold Cases and Missing Persons". A murder mystery dinner in late July brought more than 100 OLLI members and guests together to solve the murder at Casa Noir (see photo above). Participants found clues, listened to the suspects, and played detective while enjoying a sumptuous meal. The script was written by an OLLI member. Acting and event planning were done by OLLI members and a student worker.
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The Northwest Earth Institute's Annual EcoChallenge
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October 15-30 is the Northwest Earth Institute's annual EcoChallenge! The EcoChallenge is a fun and useful way to kick-start sustainability learning in higher education.
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Human Values in Aging Newsletter
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Pinnochio for Italian Language Classes
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Pinocchio: Storia di un burattino, a new intermediate-advanced cultural reader, has been published this month by Edizioni Farinelli. This new 320-page Pinocchio book incorporates the entire original 1883 edition of Carlo Collodi's Le avventure di Pinocchio. It is extensively annotated to facilitate language understanding and includes accompanying exercises to accelerate language acquisition and sharpen conversational skills through the development of critical thinking and enhanced understanding of Italian culture.
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Wikimedia Commons Picture Credits
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