5CLIR REPORTER May 2015 Volume XXVIII, Number 4

CALENDAR

MAY

Fri 1 – Special Program: Great Decisions: Human Trafficking in the 21st Century with Erin

Albright, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Northampton Senior Center, 67 Conz Street, Northampton. Contact:

Jake Greenburg. Open to the public. Tickets available at the door!

Thu 7 – Special Program: Viewpoints with Hy Edelstein, 12:30-2:00 p.m., Highland Valley Elder

Services, 320 Riverside Drive, Florence. Contact: Hy Edelstein. No need to register!

Thu 7 – Executive Committee meeting, 1:15-2:00 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

Thu 7 – Curriculum Committee meeting, 2:15-4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

Thu 14 - Council meeting, 2:15-4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

Mon 18 – Close of registration for inclusion in lottery for over-subscribed fall 2015 seminars

Mon 18 – Close of registration for summer 2015 programs

Thu 21 – Special Program: Finding Family Interest, noon, Gaustad’s home. Bring brown bag

lunch. Contact: Bobbie Reitt.

Thu 21 – Special Program: Science Roundtable: Bee Decline with Professor Anne Averill, Co-

Director of the Environmental Conservation Program at the University of Massachusetts in

Amherst, 2:00-3:30 p.m., Lathrop Community Meeting House, 1 Shallowbrook Lane,

Northampton. Contacts: John Armstrong and Dottie Rosenthal.

Thu 28 – Special Program: Travel Interest Group, David Entin will present Bolivia, 2:00-4:00

p.m., Lathrop Community Meeting House, 1 Shallowbrook Lane, Northampton. Contact: Joan

Wofford.

Fri 29 – Special Program: French conversation, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Contact: Judith Pool.

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, MICHAEL GREENEBAUM

The 5CLIR Operations Manual says:

“The outgoing President shall prepare an Annual Report highlighting the noteworthy activities and any concerns that arose during his/her year of service. The President shall submit that Report to the Office Manager for posting on the 5CLIR website by September 1 of the year in which the President's term of office ends.”

I have decided to present my Annual Report to the membership in the May and June President’s Letters. This month I will mention the noteworthy activities; next month I will point out some areas of concern.

Perhaps most significantly, our membership grew significantly this year; at the end of April it hovered around the 300 mark. This meant, on a practical level, that we didn’t have to raise our dues this year but also that we continue to attract enthusiastic new members, many of whom immediately got into harness by presenting seminars and other programs.

Perhaps one reason for this is our increasingly close relationship with the five retirement communities in the Pioneer Valley. Not only do they provide space for our seminars and programs but this year Loomis Village hosted and underwrote our New Members’ Coffee. Lathrop Northampton has always been generous in allowing us to use their meeting house for programs and events. This expanding relationship with the retirement communities is mutually beneficial. We gain access to beautiful spaces with convenient parking; they get to point to 5CLIR as one of the attractions of this area for retirees.

Our twice-yearly catalog of seminars and programs has become a stunning ambassador to the larger community with which it is shared. Liz Tiley has created a document that is a beautiful and a browsable document of 5CLIR’s living history.

5CLIR governance has had a busy year. Our committees created and oversaw seminars and programs wild in their profusion and variety. They provided welcoming events for new members. The Curriculum Committee provided guidance, encouragement and support for moderators both new and old. The Finance Committee and Treasurer worked together to create a budget document that met the needs both of 5CLIR and Five Colleges Inc.

In the fall, Council simplified and rationalized the membership categories. An ad hoc committee was appointed to reconcile the Bylaws and the Operations Manual, and while this process will overlap into the next membership year, I anticipate that Council will approve the revisions to the Operations Manual this year and will be prepared to bring the revisions to the Bylaws to the membership for ratification next year.

A new feature “News from Council” was introduced into the Newsletter this year to keep members informed about governance actions.

Finally, we said goodbye to some friends who were instrumental in the development and ongoing success of 5CLIR. We do this every January not only to remember them but also to remind ourselves that we are part of a long and unfinished history.

Michael

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NEWS FROM COUNCIL At its April meeting Council decided to defer the submission of the Bylaw revisions originally

planned for the April annual meeting. The disposition of these revisions will be a matter for the new

2015-2016 Council to determine.

GREAT DECISIONS IN MAY Great Decisions events take place on Friday mornings between 9:30 am and noon at the

Northampton Senior Center.

Human Trafficking in the 21st Century with Erin Albright on May 1

For more details or to order tickets online, please visit the Great Decisions page of our website at

5clir.org/great-decisions.

FINDING FAMILY

The Finding Family interest group will hold its last session of the year on Thursday, May 21, at noon

at the home of Gail Gaustad. We will discuss plans for our work together during the coming year.

We will be delighted to welcome anyone in LIR who might like to join us in our ongoing effort to

identify resources for researchers in family and local history, both those in local libraries and those

found online.

Everyone attending is asked to bring his or her own brown bag lunch. We will provide beverages

and dessert. Our planning session will follow the meal.

Anyone needing directions to the Gaustad’s or wishing to know more about the Finding Family

group should call or email Bobbie Reitt.

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SCIENCE ROUNDTABLE – BEE DECLINE

Professor Anne Averill, Co-Director of the Environmental Conservation Program at the University

of Massachusetts in Amherst, will speak on “Bee Decline” at the Science Roundtable session on

Thursday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Averill will discuss the importance of bees and the significance of the ongoing bee decline. She

will cover current research on the multiple stressors affecting honeybees and bumblebees,

including diseases, pesticides, and poor nutrition. She will conclude with advice on how each of us

can create bee-friendly landscapes to help conserve these valuable pollinators.

Anne Averill completed her undergraduate study at Smith College, her PhD at University of

Massachusetts-Amherst, and her post-doctoral training at Cornell University. Her research focuses

on native bees, especially bumble bees in cranberry. Her work is partially funded by an

interdisciplinary USDA grant that involves Northeast crops and focuses on bee species diversity and

health. Much of her work involves impacts of pathogens, habitat enhancements, and pesticides on

bees in agricultural systems.

The Science Roundtable is open to all members of Five College Learning in Retirement. Sessions are

held in the Meeting House at the Lathrop Community, which is located just off Bridge Road in

Northampton. Please observe all parking signs. Limited parking is available so co-leaders John

Armstrong and Dottie Rosenthal encourage you to carpool. If you have any questions about this

session, please contact one of them.

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AN AFTERNOON OF POETRY PHOTOS BY KAY KLAUSEWITZ

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MUSIC SALON PHOTOS BY SUE GERSTLE

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5CLIR 2014–2015

OFFICERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President: Michael Greenebaum (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

Vice President/President Elect: Sheila Klem (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

Past President: Carol Jolly (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

Secretary: Ellen Peck (1 year term extended to 6/30/15)

Treasurer: Betsy Loughran (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

Assistant Treasurer: Susan Beer (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Rafe de Lima (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

Jim Perot (3 year term ends 6/30/15)

Jim Scott (3 year term ends 6/30/15)

Dean Poli (3 year term ends 6/30/16)

Fran Volkmann (3 year term ends 6/30/16)

Zina Tillona (3 year term ends 6/30/16)

Jim Averill (3 year term ends 6/30/17)

Marybeth Bridegam (3 year term ends 6/30/17)

Tyll van Geel (3 year term ends 6/30/17)

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Curriculum Committee: Betsy Siersma (3 year term ends 6/30/16) & Dean Poli (3 year term ends

6/30/17)

Finance Committee: Betsy Loughran (3 year term ends 6/30/16)

Great Decisions: Jacob Greenburg (3 year term ends 6/30/17)

Member Services Committee: Henny Lewin & Joan McKelvey (3 year terms end 6/30/15)

Public Relations Committee (Publicity): Joan Wofford pro tem (3 year term ends 6/30/14)

Special Programs: Ina Luadtke (3 year term ends 6/30/16)

Tech Committee: Jim Perot (3 year term ends 6/30/15)

Winter/Summer Programs: Honoré David pro tem (3 year term ends 6/30/14) & Ruth Kosiorek (3 year term ends 6/30/15)

Historian: Sara Wright (3 year term extended to 6/30/15)

Ombudsman: Anne Lombard (1 year term ends 6/30/15)

Five Colleges, Inc., Liaison: Larry Ambs (3 year term ends 6/30/15)

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5CLIR CALENDAR

2015

January 8 Memorial Program, 10 a.m. – noon, Amherst College Alumni House

9 Snow date for Memorial Program, same time and place

No Executive Committee meeting

No Curriculum Committee meeting

No Council

February 5 Executive Committee Meeting, 1:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

5 Curriculum Committee Meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

12 Council Meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

13 New Members Coffee, 10:00–12:00 noon, Loomis Village, South Hadley

23 First day of spring semester seminars

March 5 Executive Committee meeting, 1:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

5 Curriculum Committee meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

6 Meeting for Potential Moderators, 10:00 a.m.–noon, Northampton Lathrop

12 Council meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

15 Deadline for proposals for fall semester 2015

April 2 Executive Committee meeting, 1:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

2 Curriculum Committee meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

9 Council meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

* Spring Social Event TBA

26 (Sunday) Annual Meeting 1:15/Preview 2:00–3:45 p.m., Smith Campus Center

May 7 Last day of spring semester seminars (last snow date: May 14)

7 Executive committee meeting, 1:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

7 Curriculum Committee meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

14 Council meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

18 Close of registration for inclusion in any lottery for fall 2015 seminars

25 Lottery for oversubscribed fall seminars

June 4 Executive committee meeting, 1:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

4 Curriculum Committee meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

11 Council meeting, 2:15–4:15 p.m., Five Colleges, Inc.

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5CLIR REPORTER is published by

Five College Learning in Retirement

Neilson Library, Smith College

Northampton, MA 01063

Phone: (413) 585-3756

Email: 5clir@smith.edu

Website: www.5clir.org

Please submit articles and suggestions to:

Editor: Liz Tiley