new to olli at usm? check us out at newsletter may 20… · 2016. it is interesting to know our...
TRANSCRIPT
May 2017
New to OLLI at USM? Check us out at www.usm.maine.edu/olli
National OLLI Conference Report
Robert Hyssong, Program Coordinator
Always learning something new
On the plane to Irving, Texas, to at-
tend my fifth OLLI National Confer-
ence, I thought to myself, “I’ve been
to this conference four other times.
Am I really going to learn anything
new on this trip?” Silly Rob! I AL-
WAYS learn new things at the con-
ference and come home with interest-
ing ideas and great insights, and this
one was no exception.
To cover all the great information I
gained from this year’s three-day conference would take up most
of this newsletter, so instead, I’ll sum up the highlights for you.
First, though, some general information about the conference is
important. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes National Con-
ference takes place every 18 months, and it moves around the
country. This year it was held in sunny, warm Irving, Texas, but it
has taken place in San Jose, Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Salt
Lake City, just to name a few.
The OLLI National Resource Center (NRC) at Northwestern
University (formerly housed at USM) organizes the conference.
Two participants attend from each of the 120 OLLIs, normally one
staff and one volunteer, for three days of lectures, workshops,
food, and sharing. This time, Janet Stebbins, Advisory Board
Chair, and I represented OLLI at USM.
The conference is broken up into several parts: plenary sessions,
congruent breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, networking
breaks, receptions, and meals. The plenary sessions were excellent.
The Welcome Session included a welcome message from Mary
Bitterman, president of the Bernard Osher Foundation; David
Blazevich, Bernard Osher Foundation Senior Program Director;
Bernard Osher himself (he attends each and every OLLI National
conference); and Steve Thaxton, Director of the OLLI National
Resource Center. Steve started his OLLI experience right here at
OLLI at USM as a member of the volunteer desk team, and as an
In this issue
Advisory Board
Senior Moment
Notes from
Susan
OLLI Excursion
International
Trip
Walking Club
Spring
Celebration
Bike and Nosh
OLLI Night Out
(Continued on page 2)
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National OLLI Conference Report (Continued from page 1)
indispensable member of the database transition committee while he finished up his MS in Adult and
Higher Education at USM.
Steve spoke the most and gave us a lot of great information. There are now 120 OLLIs throughout the
country, serving more than 377 towns and cities in the US. Our OLLI was one of eight OLLIs that par-
ticipated in a member survey in 2014 conducted by the NRC, and one of 12 OLLIs that participated in
2016. It is interesting to know our OLLI at USM is very similar in many ways to other OLLIs through-
out the county.
The majority of OLLI members are between 65 and 74 years old; there are more female members
than male; and OLLIs are 94.7 percent white regardless of geographical location. History, fine arts,
current affairs, and literature are the top four interest topics, and these changed very little between 2014
and 2016. The only thing that changed significantly was iPad and tablet use. Use went up in all age
brackets, generally between 20 and 30 percent, but use increased 50 percent in the 85+ age bracket.
Impressive!
Other plenary sessions were presented by guest speakers. These included (1) “generational volunteer-
ing,” explaining how each generation, from Greatest Generation through Generation X, volunteers and
views volunteering (I found this fascinating!); (2) the keynote address from Dr. Bill Thomas on Aging
Reconsidered; and (3) another on fundraising.
The breakout sessions were also very interesting. There were five congruent topics per time block,
and 4 different time blocks over the three days. Janet and I attended different sessions in order to max-
imize the knowledge between us.
I attended a session on Facebook and Twitter, neither of which our OLLI currently has. I learned that
no OLLI represented in the room has a Twitter account, and only two people had personal Twitter ac-
counts. Clearly, there is little demand for Twitter when it comes to OLLIs. About 2/3 of the OLLIs in
the room had a Facebook page, and 100 percent of those individuals had a personal Facebook page.
We learned that it was difficult to spread information using a “brand” Facebook page (like Nike, or
Trader Joe’s, or OLLI) and have people actually see it, without paying Facebook. It was suggested that
forming a members-only Facebook group that people can join is a smarter way to get the word out. We
may look into that.
Another session I attended was about whether OLLI was ready for members from Generation X.
What I learned is that no OLLI is 100 percent ready, but OLLI at USM is more prepared than most be-
cause we have some framework in place. Gen-Xers like courses and workshops on topics related to
health and wellness, and finances and retirement. We already offer similar courses, but some OLLIs
can’t because they are prevented by their own bylaws from offering courses on such topics.
Gen-Xers also want or need shorter courses and more scheduling flexibility. Our OLLI offers Satur-
day workshops between two and six hours long, with sessions lasting from a single Saturday to three
consecutive weekends. Many OLLIs haven’t even considered these scheduling options, but we have
been offering Saturday workshops since 2011. We will continue to evolve to meet the needs and de-
sires of our members, as we always have.
One might think you would only learn usable information in the plenary and breakout sessions, but
that is not true at all! In fact, some of the best ideas come from those “non-session” times of the confer-
ence by talking with staff and volunteers from other OLLIs throughout the country. (Continued on page 4)
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WEB SITES
Maine Senior College Network
www.maineseniorcollege.org
OLLI National Resource Center
www.osher.net
OLLI at USM
www.usm.maine.edu/olli
ADVISORY BOARD
Janet Stebbins, Chair
Jack Lynch, Vice-Chair
Elsa van Bergen, Communications
Chair
Matt Goldfarb, SAGE Chair
Richard Leslie, Resource Development
Chair
Paula Johnson, Community Chair
John Sutherland, Education Chair
Bob Bahm
Susan Gesing, Immediate Past Chair
Susan Jennings
Joy Larrabee
Tom McGovern
Gael McKibben
Steve Schiffman
Dick Sturgeon
Lois Winter
OLLI members are invited to attend
Advisory Board meetings. Check
with the OLLI office for date, time,
and place. Please contact the Chair if
you wish to address the Board.
OLLI NEWSLETTER
OLLI Office:
Wishcamper Center 210
P. O. Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
Phone: 207 780-4406 or
1-800-800-4876
TTY 1-207-780-5646
Fax: 207 780-4317
E-mail: [email protected]
Tim Baehr, Managing Editor
Don King, Editor
Amy Liston, Contributing Editor
Mogens Ravn, Layout Editor
Please send newsletter material to the
OLLI Office, via our e-mail.
Deadline for the June
issue is May 15.
OLLI STAFF
Susan Morrow, Assistant Director for
Program
Rob Hyssong, Program Coordinator
Linda Skinner, Admin. Assistant I
Sue Schier, Admin. Assistant II
Advisory Board
In early April, Rob Hyssong and I were fortunate enough to rep-
resent OLLI at USM at the National OLLI Conference this year
outside of Dallas, Texas.
There are now 120 OLLIs nationwide, and when they all send
representatives who gather in one (large) room, four things quickly
become clear.
1. The OLLI “world” is alive and well, professional, beautifully-
organized, thriving and growing, and offering astonishing pro-
grams to those in elderhood.
2. There are as many ways to organize and run an OLLI as there
are programs; the genius of the Osher family’s vision is that these
unique local approaches are supported and encouraged.
3. Our OLLI, the first OLLI, is doing remarkably well, and
thanks to the careful management we have had over the years, we
are not facing some of the significant financial worries facing
many of the others.
4. The National Resource Center is a treasure trove of great ide-
as, statistics, and useful advice for those of us toiling in the fields.
As we approach our 20th birthday, it is wonderful to see how we
fit in the larger picture, and the true value of our efforts.
—Janet Stebbins, Board Chair, [email protected]
Senior Moment
OLLI drawing instructor and contributor
to Reflections Steve Hrehovcik announces
that his book, Rebel Without A Clue—A
Way-Off Broadway Memoir, is now avail-
able in a paperback version.
The 220-page paperback recounts the
same misadventures described in his
eBook about his turbulent, often farcical,
journey in an enthusiastic search for a ca-
reer in the theater. At the end of each
chapter in the eBook and paperback, Hrehovcik has drawn car-
toons that dramatize the humor and theme of his story.
The eBook ($5.99) and paperback ($9.99) are available from
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other Internet outlets.
As you are all aware, our current online registration system has been challenging, to say the
least. Our three-year contract is about to expire, and the University of Maine System’s Office,
with input from OLLI and Professional Development Programs (PDP), has decided not to
renew.
This means that in the not-so-distant future, OLLI will be transitioning to a new online
registration system. For several months now, Rob and I have been engaged in an RFP
(requests for proposals) process.
Together with people from PDP, we have looked at requirements, processes, adjustments,
financials, reporting, ease-of-use, integration, and time frames. It has been a time-consuming
process so far, and we’re not quite halfway to what we hope will be a very favorable outcome.
During the transition, there will be bumps along the way. Please be patient. The OLLI staff,
volunteers, work-study students, and Advisory Board members are all willing to help you with
any problems you encounter.
We will do our best to keep you informed of changes as they happen, to avoid unpleasant
surprises. Please make a point to read e-mail from OLLI, especially if the subject line contains
the word registration.
It is our hope that the transition will be as smooth as possible, and that the new system will
be exactly what OLLI needs!
—Susan Morrow, Assistant Director for Program
NOTES FROM SUSAN
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In case you don’t know, no OLLI is exactly like another. Some may be similar, but there are always
differences, and where there are differences, there are opportunities to learn new things. I had conver-
sations about registration databases, registration procedures, volunteers, staffing, classes, workshops,
membership size, advisory boards, classrooms, buildings, number of campuses/locations, cost of clas-
ses, and many more!
I also had the pleasure of talking directly with Mary Bitterman, Mr. Osher, and my pal Steve Thax-
ton. It was a fantastic conference!
OLLIs are amazing. I am reminded of just how amazing with every conference I attend. We should
all be proud of the incredible program we have all helped create and flourish.
(Click on the logo below to go to the NRC Facebook page, with photos of the conference.)
National OLLI Conference Report (Continued from page 2)
Remember to pick up a CLYNK bag at the office for your deposit bottles and cans! Proceeds benefit OLLI.
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On May 24 OLLI Excursions Takes You to Matisse in the Studio
Wednesday, May 24
What inspires an artist? What gets the creative juices flowing? In the case of Henri Matisse, a recently
opened exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston explores these very questions by taking an
intimate look at his studio and his creative process.
The show examines the importance of the various objects in his studio and the inspirations they pro-
vided. Matisse’s broad range of cultural interests is shown in his collection of textiles, sculptures, and
masks from Asia, Africa, and the Islamic worlds. Many of these are also included in the exhibition and
juxtaposed with works created in his studio over the span of his career.
Featured are 70 paintings, drawings, prints, cutouts, and bronzes. Many are loans from private collec-
tions as well as some never before seen outside of France. The MFA is the only U.S. stop on this inter-
national tour of Matisse in the Studio.
OLLI’s own art historians Tan and Joy Larrabee have made a preliminary visit to the show and will
accompany OLLI to prepare you for many of the works you will see. They will also be in the galleries
during our stay. Joy will talk about the history of the MFA and share her secret enthusiasm for one of
the museum’s collections.
Lunch is on your own. The MFA has four types of restaurants, ranging from white table cloth to café
with a regional menu to café/wine bar to cafeteria.
Mobile audio guides are available, should you wish to rent one.
Trip is limited to 48 OLLI members. Cost is $53 and includes the tip for the bus driver. Departure is
from Wishcamper Center at 8:15 a.m. on May 24, returning to Portland at approximately 6:00 p.m.
Deadline for registration is May 18. There will be no refunds after that unless the space is filled from a
waiting list.
To reserve
Beginning May 2 at 10:00 a.m.
Use the online OLLI registration system (under OLLI Events) (www.usm.maine.edu/OLLI). [This is the same system we’ve been using for class registration.]
Beginning May 5
Mail your check to OLLI, PO Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104, OR
Call 780-4406 to pay with a card, OR
Register in person at the office.
For further information call Gael McKibben at 774-7177.
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International Trip: England and Scotland
Thursday, Nov. 9, to Sunday, Nov. 19
Join OLLI for an 11-day journey from Glasgow to London. We begin our adventure with three days
in Scotland, where we will visit Stirling, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and Pitlochry. Traveling by bus, we
make our way to York, England, stopping for a tour of Melrose Abbey on our way.
From York we journey down to Stow-on-the-Wold, where we spend three days exploring Stratford-
upon-Avon, Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Blenheim Palace. We end our tour in London, where we
have an afternoon tour and then a full day of free time to explore London on our own.
During this trip, we will stay in four hotels: three nights in Edinburgh, one night in York, three nights
in Stow-on-the-Wold, and two nights in London.
The price includes round-trip bus transportation between Portland and Boston; round-trip airfare; all
hotels; all entrance fees to castles, cathedrals, distillery, and abbeys we will be visiting,; and all break-
fasts, two lunches, and three dinners.
All travelers must be OLLI members, and you must be able to walk 1.5 miles unassisted over
uneven terrain and climb the equivalent of two flights of stairs.
Cost is $2,995 per person (double occupancy) plus travelers’ insurance. Four single rooms are availa-
ble for an additional $700 each. Trip is limited to 45 people. The registration form can be picked up in
the OLLI office, or call the office (207-780-4406) and one can be e-mailed to you.
Registration forms will be accepted in the OLLI office beginning on Monday, May 22, at 8:00 a.m.
Registration can be done through the mail or in person. Do not mail your registration form to AAA.
A $300 non-refundable deposit is required at time of registration. Checks should be made payable to
AAA.
Pitlochry, Scotland Stonehenge
’Tis May ~ Time to Play ~ Mark the Date ~ Spring Celebration!
Dear OLLI Friends,
Please support our efforts by joining us on MAY 17th! Here’s the schedule of performances:
10:00–11:00 a.m. OLLI Senior Players Room 133
11:10–11:40 a.m. Dance Class Demonstration Room 102
11:45–12:15 p.m. Recorders Room 102
12:20–12:55 p.m. Brown bag lunch * Forum
Serenade by OLLI Ukes! 12:25–12:55 p.m. Forum
1:00–2:00 p.m. Reader’s Theater Performance Class Room 133
2:05–2:35 p.m. OLLI Singers Room 102
* Drinks and desserts will be provided at lunchtime in the Forum. It’s a delightful way to spend
your day. Just pack your lunch and come prepared to tap your toes, hum some tunes, and enjoy the
short plays by our two theater groups.
Join us for music and laughter; you’ll leave with a smile on your face.
—Your Community Committee
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Two Walks Planned for May
The walkers will return to Norumbega Farm in New Gloucester on Wednesday, May 10, for another
guided walk with Michael Fralich on another part of his unique forested land. We hope to see early
wildflowers and perhaps some birds.
On Tuesday, May 23, we will visit Reid State Park in Georgetown and walk to the rocky headland at
the start of Mile Beach, Griffith Head, which affords us sweeping ocean views of Seguin Light and
several islands. On the Web: https://visitmaine.com/things-to-do/parks-recreation-areas/reid-state-park/
Both walks were very popular last year and we are looking forward to these repeat excursions.
NOTE:
For the New Gloucester outing, we’ll meet at Back Cove
across from Hannaford at 9:50 a.m. to carpool.
For the outing to Reid State Park, we’ll meet at 9:50 a.m.
at the information center at Exit 17 off Rte 295 in Yar-
mouth to carpool to Reid State.
Bring your lunch and water, and watch the weather to decide
on foot gear: It may be damp under foot for the walks. Dress
warmly or bring an extra layer for the ocean breezes. If you
have any questions or are a new walker, call Rae Garcelon at
846-3304.
Ann Babbitt dips her toes in the ocean on the walk at Spring Point
Do Something
Delicious
Come join us at Bruno’s Res-
taurant and Tavern for May
OLLI Night Out.
This popular restaurant and
tavern features mouth-watering
Italian, seafood, and creative
American entrees—many fea-
turing homemade pastas. Or
check out their famous steak or
chicken sandwiches, pizzas and
calzones, their long list of appe-
tizers, and desserts from heav-
en. See their menu at https://
brunosportland.com/menu/.
Phone is 878-9511.
There is plenty of free park-
ing.
The restaurant respectfully
requests that if you are paying
with cash, do not use 20-dollar
bills.
When: Tuesday, May 16, at 6
p.m.
Where: Bruno’s Restaurant
and Tavern, 33 Allen Avenue,
Portland.
Reservations: Please reserve
by noon Monday, May 15.
Contact Barbara Bardack:
865-2009;
Hope to see you there.
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Bike and Nosh May Rides
The Bike & Nosh group plans bicycle rides of varying lengths
and difficulty levels, so there is something for everybody. If you'd
like to find out about how to participate and receive notice of fu-
ture upcoming rides, please send an e-mail to
shoshanahoose @gmail.com.
Naples/Sebago Lake State Park Ride. Wednesday, May 17,
10 a.m. (Rain date Friday, May 19). This is a 16-mile ride on quiet
country roads (before the tourist season) that includes one hill, but
mostly easy terrain except a very short distance on Routes 302 and
114. We will make short stops along the way at the picnic area by
the state park beach and historic Songo Locks. Lunch will be near
the end of the ride in Naples.
Meet in the parking lot of the red-roofed Naples Historical Socie-
ty Museum. After the intersection of Route 114 and Route 302 in
Naples on the causeway, drive about 1/2 mile north on 302 and
turn left on Lamb Mills Road. Take another quick left into the
parking lot of the Naples Post Office, proceed ahead to the red-
roofed museum, and park in that lot. Seniors are admitted to the
park for free, but bring money for lunch.
Please let the leader, Connie Piper, know by Tuesday, May 16, if
you are coming ([email protected], 207-712-0974). Include
your cell phone number in your response.
Cape Elizabeth Ride. Sunday, May 21, 2 p.m. A 7- to 10-mile
ride (group’s choice) out to Crescent Beach, Kettle Cove, and Two
Lights. Meet in the parking lot across from the IGA in Cape Eliza-
beth.
Contact the leader, Marianne Hill, with any questions
([email protected], 601-906-7487).
Back Roads North of Yarmouth Ride. Wednesday, May 24,
10 a.m. A 16-mile ride on lovely back roads skirting four towns:
Yarmouth, Freeport, Pownal, and North Yarmouth. Nicely paved
roads with decent shoulders. Mostly rolling hills with maybe one
good-size one, riding through quiet neighborhoods, woods, and
fields. Meet at the Yarmouth Hannaford. Park in the back left sec-
tion facing the store. Stop at Maples for a light lunch or coffee af-
ter the ride. Bagels to die for!
Contact the leader, Mimi MacLeod, with any questions
([email protected]). Barbara Trentacosta is co-leading the
ride.
All participants on Bike & Nosh rides must be OLLI members in
good standing, and they must sign a 2017 release form.