Religious Studies Program Planning Group will meet today, Friday, January 26, at 1:30, at Tallwood to plan our program for Summer and Fall 2018. Please join us and participate in the development of our future activities.
The Tai Chi Club meeting is canceled for Saturday, January 27.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published February 2; regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, January 30, at 6:00.
Explore a Hobby and Make New Friends;
Join a Club at OLLI!
By Alice Slayton Clark,
Communications and Program Associate
Did you know there are dozens of fabulous clubs at OLLI that meet throughout the year? Interested in chess? Tai Chi? Bridge? History? Books? Theater? Check out the Ongoing Activities section in the winter term course catalog (p. 30) and register for clubs that spark an interest. And don’t forget to renew your membership in clubs you already attend, as rosters are reconstituted in January every calendar year.
Clubs are an excellent outlet for pursuing interests and meeting new people in a stress-free environment. Pick up a new skill, hone an old one, increase your knowledge, and keep yourself busy during and between terms.
If you have an idea for club that is not currently addressed or you would like a club replicated at your home campus, contact the OLLI office. We'll help you vet your idea, schedule an organizational meeting, and write a brief E-News notice inviting members to attend. If there is significant interest demonstrated at your meeting, your club is on its way. View the club guidelines under "forms and other documents" on DocStore (http://www.olligmu.org/~docstore/) and/or contact program associate Alice Slayton Clark for more information (aclark24@gmu.edu). You may also want to attend the Loudoun club organizational meeting February 8, from 2-3:30 (Room 208), and help launch new non-fiction, classical music, and collections clubs in Loudoun.
Remember, clubs are not teaching courses, but an opportunity for members to share their time and hobbies with like-minded individuals. Sign up now and enjoy the fun!
Board Meeting Summary By Rita Way, SecretaryThe Board of Directors met January 19, 2018, at Tallwood. Board President Ray Beery opened the meeting stating that the New Year is an “opportunity to excel” as a team. Ray recommended that to start we need to produce an operations plan for 2018 and put it into writing. The next goal is to focus on a strategic plan with a set of goals of what we intend to do over a three- to five-year period.Executive Director Jennifer Disano reported that as of January 12, 2018, total membership is 1,145 (annual membership is 1,109 and term membership is 36). Jennifer also announced that OLLI will be testing space use at St. Peters in the Woods (SPW), in Fairfax Station. If the space proves desirable we will schedule more courses there in the future. Our contract for Lord of Life Fairfax has been renewed. OLLI members need to note and adhere to reserved parking signage in the Lord of Life Church parking lot. More classroom space has been acquired at RCC at Hunters Woods and Lake Anne to support additional OLLI programs in Reston. Jennifer also mentioned that OLLI members have to use parking passes for 2018 each time they are at Loudoun. For assistance contact Leigh Knox, Loudoun site assistant.
Under new business, the Board approved a set of modified Guidelines for the Development of the OLLI Budget and also approved the 2018 budget prepared under those guidelines.
History Club Meeting By Beth Lambert, History Club CoordinatorThe first meeting of the History Club for this term will be on Wednesday, February 7, at 2:15 in TA-1. Our presenter will be Peter Ansoff, who will speak about a mystery flag that is depicted in a 1754 engraving of a ship at anchor in the Philadelphia waterfront. The flag resembles the “Continental Colors” or “Grand Union” flag of the American Revolutionary War navy. But that flag, and the Continental Navy itself, were not created until 1775. Peter will propose a surprising answer to the mystery, one that involves, as he says, “some maritime history, some art history, and a brief excursion into the history of beer.” This is a presentation designed to please everyone, so plan to attend the meeting on Wednesday, February 7, at 2:15 in TA-1.All OLLI members are welcome to attend History Club meetings. If you wish to be on the permanent mailing list of History Club members, please register for the Club on the OLLI website.
Twice a year we collect EMPTY prescription bottles at Tallwood. The winter session collection is from January 22 to February 16, in the social room at Tallwood. Please remove all labels, and be sure to include the cap. At the end of the collection, the bottles are sorted, washed, bagged, and mailed to Matthew 25: Ministries in Cincinnati, Ohio. This organization is a highly-regarded international humanitarian and disaster relief organization whose motto is: "Caring for a Needy World with the Things We Throw Away." The empty bottles are combined with medical supplies and sent to developing countries where sometimes medicines are dispensed in paper because they don't have bottles. If you'd like to help with the sorting, washing, and mailing, please contact Ginge Sivigny (sivigny@verizon.net).
Planning Ahead:
April 28, 2018 – 10:00 to 2:00. The NationalPrescriptionDrug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. You can drop off all unused medications that day at local police stations. This event occurs each April and October.There are also some year-round drug take back locations. To learn more, visit https://takebackday.dea.gov/.
Cooking Column Easy Pot RoastWhen talking about holiday foods recently, my United Service Organizations (USO) volunteer partner mentioned she had tried a terrific pot roast recipe that included only three ingredients, plus a chuck roast. “You just throw all this stuff in a slow cooker and let it go,” she said, re-emphasizing how easy it was to make. That definitely got my attention! So I dragged out the slow cooker and with my wife’s supervision, I followed the instructions with great trepidation. How could two packets of anything and a stick of butter produce anything good? (Well, the butter did give it credibility!) I’m here to report . . . it is a terrific recipe with excellent results! And just as easy and tasty as my friend reported. I hope some of you will dust off your slow cooker and give it a try. Enjoy! –John Nash The cooking column is intended to be an occasional feature. If you wish to contribute your favorite original recipe, please forward it with a brief note about the recipe, a personal photo, and perhaps a glamour shot of your creation to ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline for recipe submissions is 6:00 on Monday prior to publication.
Ed. Note: David Gundry has volunteered to be Associate Editor for the OLLI E-News. We are looking for OLLI members to volunteer to be staff writers for the E-News.
Job Description: Occasionally accept an assignment from the E-News editorial staff to write an article on a specific topic (example: a profile of a new Board member, committee chair or resource group chair/co-chair). Volunteers may also contribute OLLI-related articles, such as human-interest stories, on their own.
Time Commitment: Two to four hours per article (target length is no more than 350 words).
For those fortunate to have multiple grandchildren
Who find special dates like birthdays slipping past
As we forget to check the family calendar
Forget card, gift, call to mark the day,
How many grandchildren come into our lives
Before this begins to happen?
Eight, ten, a baker’s dozen?
How did our grandmothers manage to remember
In their days of fifty or sixty grandchildren?
Did they simply shrug and carry on
Allowing the lapse as inevitable,
Leaving it to parents to note that special day?
jan bohall
Performances, January 26 through February 5By 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
Dublin Irish Dance: Stepping Out
Sat, Jan 27, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company
Concert Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $30.The Birdland All-Stars: The Art of Jazz
Sun, Jan 28, 7:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company
Concert Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Fri, Feb 02, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company
Concert Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra: Inspiring the Next Generation
Sat, Feb 03, 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $65, $53, $39.
NPHC Annual Step Show
Fri, Jan 26, 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission:
$10 in advance; $15 on Jan 26.Faculty Artist Series: JuliannaNickel, flute
Sat Jan 27, 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.Joel Graham and Mark Thiele, Joint Doctoral Conducting Recital with the Wind Symphony
Thu, Feb 1, 8:00
deLaski 3001, Performing Arts Building
Admission: Free.Mason Cabaret
Sat, Feb 03, 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: $30.
Faculty Artist Series: John Kilkenny, percussion Sun, Feb 4, 3:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
Faculty Artist Series: Ensemble da Camera of Washington
Sun, Feb 4, 7:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
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 mid-week but to check any time 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).
Fri Jan 26
12:00noon 1:30pm
Photography Club–TA-3 Religious Studies Program Planning Group–TA-1
Wed Jan 31
1:45pm
Bridge Club–TA-3
Fri Feb 2
9:15am
9:30am
11:00am
11:00am
1:00pm
1:00pm
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Annex
Classic Literature Club–TA-2
Homer, etc.–Annex
Dr. Who Club–TA-3
Chess Club–TA-2
Sat Feb 3
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Wed Feb 7
1:30pm
1:45pm
2:15pm
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club–TA-3
History Club–TA-1
Fri Feb 9
9:15am
9:30am
9:30am
11:00am
11:00am
1:00pm
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Annex
Photography Club–TA-1
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: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: Jean Boltz, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Shirley Springfloat, Linda Randall,
Gerry Ann Strube
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.
Clubs are an excellent outlet for pursuing interests and meeting new people in a stress-free environment. Pick up a new skill, hone an old one, increase your knowledge, and keep yourself busy during and between terms.
The Board of Directors met January 19, 2018, at Tallwood. Board President Ray Beery opened the meeting stating that the New Year is an “opportunity to excel” as a team. Ray recommended that to start we need to produce an operations plan for 2018 and put it into writing. The next goal is to focus on a strategic plan with a set of goals of what we intend to do over a three- to five-year period.
Twice a year we collect EMPTY prescription bottles at Tallwood. The winter session collection is from January 22 to February 16, in the social room at Tallwood. Please remove all labels, and be sure to include the cap. At the end of the collection, the bottles are sorted, washed, bagged, and mailed to Matthew 25: Ministries in Cincinnati, Ohio. This organization is a highly-regarded international humanitarian and disaster relief organization whose motto is: "Caring for a Needy World with the Things We Throw Away." The empty bottles are combined with medical supplies and sent to developing countries where sometimes medicines are dispensed in paper because they don't have bottles. If you'd like to help with the sorting, washing, and mailing, please contact Ginge Sivigny (
