The first presentation in the Special 25th Anniversary Lecture Series, a collaboration with George Mason University, will be given on February 23 from 12:30 to 2 in the Front Ballroom at The Hub on Mason campus. Dr. William Pomeranz, Deputy Director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies at the Woodrow Wilson Center, will present “Mr. Putin: What’s He Up to Now?” Register for course 1001BT on the member portal.
Fairfax County needs election officers for upcoming elections. Election officers must be registered voters in Virginia and complete required training and forms. You may choose to accept the $175 stipend for a full day, or volunteer your time. View “Become an Election Officer” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV5cWp1fn60. For more information, visit the Office of Elections website or call 703-324-4735, TTY 711.
The Board met on January 15, 2016. We had a good general response to the fall Friends of OLLI (FOLLI) fundraising campaign, but few designations were made for the anniversary gift for the Office of Military Services at Mason. Renewed efforts are needed to support this important gift.
Jim Dunphy is now the chair of the liaison subcommittee. Michelle Blandburg, who is the chair of this year’s nominating committee for Board candidates, has formed her committee. Joining her are Toni Acton, Ray Beery, Camille Hodges, Beth Lambert, Dave Mason, Ted Parker, and Martha Powers.
The present space for staff at Tallwood has become severely inadequate, so the Board voted to approve relocating staff to the cottage. All staff except Susan Todenhoft and Bill Walsh will be relocated to the cottage between the end of the spring term and the beginning of the summer term. (Note: During the parking lot work, all staff will be in the cottage.) The Annex and rental facilities will be used for clubs and classes previously held in the cottage.
Two resolutions were approved. One makes a $2,000 donation from FOLLI funds to the Fall for the Book. The other gives lifetime memberships to Delegate Ken Plum and his wife Jane in recognition of Ken's important role in the founding of our OLLI and his continuing support for our program.
Fun Facts to Celebrate OLLI's 25th Anniversary By Ray Beery, Member, Board of DirectorsThe open house on September 5, 1996, was held in the “most awful weather imaginable” due to Hurricane Fran. The electricity went on and off, but 100 people attended, and 11 were interested in joining LRI. (LRI News, Oct '96)OLLI will celebrate its 25th year of classes for seniors in 2016. We'll be publishing fun facts and interesting milestones about the Institute each week that OLLI E-News is published from now until the end of the fall term, 2016.
If you ask our instructors why they volunteer to teach classes at OLLI, you’re likely to hear comments such as these:
“I love my subject and find it rewarding to be able to share it with others.”
“OLLI students are appreciative of my efforts and often contribute their own expertise.”
“I love reading and researching my topic to prepare for teaching.”
If you have a desire to join the ranks of OLLI teachers and would like to develop a course to teach at OLLI, now is a perfect time to let us know. Program planners are working on schedules for the upcoming summer and fall terms and welcome new course proposals.
Inside
OLLI-MasonMaking MusicBy Helen Ackerman, Recorder Consort Coordinator
If you go to OLLI on Friday mornings, you might hear strange sounds and laughter coming from TA-3. It’s the OLLI Recorder Consort practicing.
The consort is a club currently consisting of up to 20 members, and welcomes anyone who would like to play music from composers ranging in style from Henry VIII through Handel and on to Gershwin. Some members are experienced musicians; others never played the recorder before joining the group. Some have even managed to learn the instrument in their 50s and 60s without any previous musical experience.
The primary purpose of the consort is bringing music lovers together to share the joy of making music. However, the consort also provides entertainment to others at several performances each year. It plays seasonal music for the annual OLLI Holiday Lunch and also performs at various local nursing homes. It has performed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, playing—what else—music inspired by flowers. The group has provided period music for a Civil War enactment at historic Blenheim House in Fairfax City.
Subgroups of the consort also meet regularly to practice and perform. Current members include Sharon Belanger, Judyth Britt, Helen Ackerman, Jeanne Coglianese, Milt Eisner, Diana Graham, Jayne Hart, Marge Hogarty, Deborah Kyle, Mike McNamara, Diana Schmidt, Joan Singer, Joan Smith, Leslie Vandivere, and Gail Zander.
The Recorder Consort meets weekly from 9:00 to 11:30 on Fridays when OLLI is open. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Helen Ackerman at helenackerman@hotmail.com.
Christmas performance at Olley Glen Senior Residences
The Literature/Language/Theater Planning Group is looking for volunteers to teach two courses: Beginning Spanish and Chekhov's Short Stories or Plays. If you are interested in teaching either of these courses or would like more information, please contact Doris Bloch (dbloch50@hotmail.com or 703-389-2888) or Bill Taylor (jane2billtaylor@verizon.net or 703-451-3371).
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group Coordinator
All OLLI members are invited to join Theater Lovers' Group members on Friday, January 29, from 10:00 to noon in TA-1 to meet Joe Kaplan, Hexagon president. Hexagon is DC’s original political satire musical comedy revue. Kaplan will discuss Hexagon’s 60-year history and play videos of some of its past shows, which will have you laughing uproariously.
Hexagon is a 100 percent volunteer organization that puts on one show a year in March or April and donates its profits to charity. This year’s show is titled Red, White, and Voters’ Blues. Considering the current political theatrics, the show should be a blast. TLG will attend a matinee, the date of which will be determined later.
The January Photo of the Month theme was open (i.e, unspecified). We selected Ed Marion's photo "Great Falls Chute Runner." Ed's photo may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website.
-- By Angela Talaber, Photography Club Coordinator
Pen angry
At my urge to document
The blue-and-white-tiled fountain
Coffee – strong
Multi-grained bread in white bowl – open
Child wearing bib overalls throwing white fire engine
Eggs sourced from Amish farm near my Pennsylvania cabin
My need to entertain wait staff
Wild mushrooms
Fire engine in deep grits
Father cleaning with white linen napkin dipped in water
Restaurant – the Blue Duck – filled with young techie political artistic types
chaffing under my stereotypical shackles otherwise laughing relaxing
laughing
relaxing
I conspicuously (possibly only to me) the only baby-boomer in room
zoom in on remaining chocolate chip cherry marshmallow breathing
on white plate on Amish cherry table separate from white plate cradling
bill
I pick up which
Performances, January 22 through February 1By 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 page or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
Aquila Theatre: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Fri, Jan 22, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company
Concert Hall
Admission: $44, $37, $26.
The Band of the Royal Marines
Sat, Jan 23, 2:00 and 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company
Concert Hall
Admission: $52, $44, $31.
son Student & Faculty Performances
(see music.gmu.edu for additional student recitals)Mason Improv Show
Fri, Jan 22, 8:00
Theatre SpaceFaculty Artist Series - Brass Area: Dr. Amy Horn, French Horn
Sat, Jan 23, 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
Art Feast by Associate Artists at the Workhouse
Nov 16 - Jan 31
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
The Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00 - 6:00, Thu, 10:00 - 8:00 and two hours before performances.
Admission: Free.
Center for the Arts Pied Piper Theater: NARNIA
Sat, Jan 16, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jan 17, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adult, $20; children, $15.
Dance Etc. 35th Annual Winter Concert
Sat, Jan 16, 7:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20..
Theaterpalooza: The Snow Queen
Thu, Jan 21 and Fri, Jan 22, 7:00
Sat, Jan 23, 1:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adult, $15; senior, $12.
Scotch Whisky Master Class
Sat, Jan 23, 5:00
Merchant Hall Stage
Admission: $50.
The Band of the Royal Marines
Sun, Jan 22, 4:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company
Merchant Hall
Admission: $52, $44, $31.
Burns Night Supper
Sun, Jan 24, 6:30
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $125.
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 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).
Sat Jan 23
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Tue Jan 26
10:00am
Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Wed Jan 27
1:45pm
1:45pm
Bridge Club–TA-3
Spanish Club–TA-2
Fri Jan 29
9:00am
10:00am
10:00am
11:00am
11:00am
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Theater Lovers Group–TA-1
Craft and Conversation–Cottage
Homer, etc–Annex
Classic Literature Club–TA-2
Sat Jan 30
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Tue Feb 2
10:00am
Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Hendon
Wed Feb 3
1:30pm
1:45pm
1:45pm
2:15pm
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club–TA-3 Special Events Committee–Annex
History Club–TA-1
Fri Feb 5
9:00am
9:00am
10:00am
11:00am
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Dirty Knee Club–Annex
Craft and Conversation–Cottage
Homer, etc–Annex
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor/Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor: Sheri Siesseger
Weekly Editorial Team: John Nash, Paul Van Hemel, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere, Jean Boltz Proofreaders: Gordon Canyock, Marilyn O'Brien, Susan Van Hemel, Nancy Michel
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:ollidev.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
By Helen Ackerman, Recorder Consort Coordinator
