Notes from the Sept. 15 Board Meeting By Rita Way, SecretaryThe first Board of Directors meeting for the 2017-18 academic year was opened Sept. 15 on an enthusiastic note by Board President Ray Beery. He compared the meeting to a type of “convocation,” inviting the Board and OLLI members to be proactive in promoting OLLI in the community. He also announced that two OLLI members have made generous donations to OLLI as a memorial to their loved ones.Executive Director Jennifer Disano reported that as of September 11, 2017, OLLI total membership is 1,166 (annual membership is 1,101 and term membership 65). A vigorous marketing push during the summer through social media, ads in local papers, and an ad at Cinema Arts movie theater helped us gain about 60 new members. It is important, however, that we all play a role in marketing, especially through word-of-mouth.
Dave Osterman has accepted the position of chair of the Finance Committee. His expertise in this field will be a great contribution to us all. Negotiations are taking place in the search for a new Outreach Committee chair. A new newsletter for the Loudoun OLLI community is being created and written by Kathie West. Also, for those interested in forming clubs in the Reston/Loudoun area, please notify either Beth Lambert, Reston coordinator, or Barbara Wilan, Loudoun program chair.
The Board of Directors extends a warm welcome to our new and returning OLLI members for a fulfilling year at OLLI.
As we enter this season of giving thanks, George Mason University offers a special thank you to the OLLI members who opened their hearts and their wallets to contribute to the 25th Anniversary Gift for the Office of Military Service (OMS). Additional thanks to the OLLI matching donor who accelerated effort to reach OLLI’s goal of raising $25,000 for programs to help student veterans.
The OMS is still in the process of expending OLLI’s very generous gift and we expect to hear from them soon regarding how the money has been spent to help students. In the meantime, OMS is deeply indebted to the OLLI benefactors identified in the attached list:
The picture of
brick farmhouse
white porch
white windows
white fence
white snow
innocence
of blue sky
is all I note
It reminds me
of the house
my mother resided in
after marrying a man
who played mandolin
and sang songs
a hundred verses long
and recited poems
sometimes ‘til dawn
and saved my mother
from being alone.
Performances, September 22 through October 2By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff WriterFor tickets for either Center for the Arts (CFA) or Hylton, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hyltonticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
ARTS by George!: An Evening Like No Other
Sat, Sep 23, 5:00; performance at 8:00
The evening begins by showcasing student performances and art amid an array of food and beverages. It culminates with a performance by Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara. The event is a benefit in support of student scholarships at Mason's College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Admission: $275/person ($120 tax deductible); performance only: $100, $85, $60.
Festival of South African Dance
Sat, Sep 30, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company.
Concert Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Aquila Theatre: Sense & Sensibility
Sun, Oct 1, 4:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company.
Concert Hall
Admission: $44, $37, $26.
Potomac Arts & Mason Wind Symphony Young People's Concert
Sun, Sep 24, 3:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Children (up through grade 12), $5, adults, $12; seniors, $8.Mason Jazz Ensemble at Blues Alley
Mon, Oct 2, 8:00
Buy tickets through Blues Alley at:
https://www.bluesalleylive.com/?fuseaction=home.artist&VenueID=3&artistid=12302
Blues Alley Club, Blues Alley Northwest, Washington, DC
Admission: $20 + $5 cover.
Gallery Exhibit: Iconographic Visions, Works by Julia Dzikiewicz and Michael Fischerkeller
Continues through Oct 21
The Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00 - 6:00, Thu, 10:00 - 8:00 and two hours before performances.
For more information, visit https://cvpa.gmu.edu/gands.
Gallery reception (Sep 28) now open only to Friends of the Hylton Center. Contact Jacque Connor at 703-993-7150 or jconnor8@gmu.edu for more information.
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom
Sat, Sep 23, 3:00 and 7:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adults, $22; seniors, $20.
Traveling with George Mason’s Cultural Tours, now to be called Mason Voyages, has been a great experience for at least 30 OLLI members this year.
We have posted some new opportunities for 2018! Start off the New Year right with a trip to southern Spain in January. It is very affordable and gives you a chance to get out of the Virginia weather for a while. A deposit is needed by September 25.
In March, we have some amazing programs including Ecuador and the Galapagos, exotic Thailand, and a chance to visit southern Germany with Achim Loch, our German-speaking staff member. Further information on these programs can be found on our website.
We have a tour posted for May 2018 to Scotland. What a great present for your graduating grandchild!
I will be planning the second half of 2018 and am open to suggestions. Contact Rita Rowand.
Photo of OLLI members visiting Machu Picchu in 2017
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office, with direct web links added when available. The list is accurate as of midweek but to check anytime for the latest information, please view the latest forecast of upcoming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kickoff coffees, etc. (bolded below).
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Annex
Theater Lovers Club–TA-1 Finance Committee–TBA
Classic Literature Club–TA-2
Homer, etc. –Annex
Dr. Who Club–TA-3
Chess Club–TA-2
Sat Sep 30
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Wed Oct 4
1:30pm
1:45pm
1:45pm
2:15pm
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club–TA-3 Special Event Committee–Annex
History Club–TA-1
Fri Oct 6
9:15am
9:30am
11:00am
11:00am
1:00pm
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Annex
Classic Literature Club–TA-2
Homer, etc. –Annex
Chess Club–TA-2
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor: Sheri Siesseger
Weekly Editor Team: Jean Boltz, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Polly Johnsen, Shirley Springfloat
Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark
Submissions. Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline – 6:00 Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 Monday for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
By Rita Way, SecretaryThe first Board of Directors meeting for the 2017-18 academic year was opened Sept. 15 on an enthusiastic note by Board President Ray Beery. He compared the meeting to a type of “convocation,” inviting the Board and OLLI members to be proactive in promoting OLLI in the community. He also announced that two OLLI members have made generous donations to OLLI as a memorial to their loved ones.Executive Director Jennifer Disano reported that as of September 11, 2017, OLLI total membership is 1,166 (annual membership is 1,101 and term membership 65). A vigorous marketing push during the summer through social media, ads in local papers, and an ad at Cinema Arts movie theater helped us gain about 60 new members. It is important, however, that we all play a role in marketing, especially through word-of-mouth.
Mason's Travel 
to