Holiday Greetings! - Empire State College · 2019-01-31 · Holiday Greetings! As the holidays...
Transcript of Holiday Greetings! - Empire State College · 2019-01-31 · Holiday Greetings! As the holidays...
December, 2017
ACADEMY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
WE’RE SAVING YOU A SEAT!
Save the Date 2
Thank you, Donors! 2
Holiday Shopping 2 & 6
Prestwick End-of-Term Social 3
Study Group Reviews 5, 7
Storytellers 9
B & N Bookfair 11 & 12
Inside this issue:
Points of Interest
1. Donor Appreciation!
2. Holiday shopping at Barnes & Noble
3. Holiday shopping at The Academy
4. A.L.L. Snow Days
Shout Out!
A.L.L. Pilot Members! Look what you started
25 years ago!
25 Years
A.L.L. Celebrates 25 Years!
Holiday Greetings!
As the holidays near, I want to thank you for your enthusiasm and positive respons-es to A.L.L.’s growth and quality of curric-ulum. Volunteerism, mutual support, and dedication to our mission to learn, grow
and play are strong at the Academy.
We are very fortunate to have the contin-uing sponsorship of the SUNY Empire
State College Foundation as well as the support of Empire State College’s presi-dent, Merodie Hancock, and the many talented members of the college faculty and staff who assist us in administering our educational programs and activities
for our members.
Thank you to our sponsoring partners, especially Prestwick Chase, and to all Academy members for the part each of
you play and the support you offer.
The word is out and membership contin-ues to grow. Here are some things to look forward to in 2018 as we continue to cel-
ebrate the Academy’s 25th anniversary:
Winter Storytellers Series 2018 every Wed, noon to 1pm, Jan 3 through
Feb 21, snow date Feb 28
Feb 10 Home Made Theater play
fundraiser, Inspecting Carol
Feb 28 Dine Out at Cantina fundrais-
er
New and exciting spring curriculum &
Academy Extras, term starts April 9
A.L.L.’s Special Interest Groups
Spring Term Kick-off Luncheon April 4
at the Knights of Columbus
Rai$ing Dough fundraiser at the West
Side Sports Bar & Grill April 17
A.L.L. Volunteer Appreciation Lunch-
eon April 27
In May, look for Balet Flowers day, Barnes & Noble Bookfair, and a spe-cial program with lunch at the Holi-
day Inn on May 18
In June, look for an ice cream social,
Continued on page 2
NOTES FROM THe
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
P A G E 2 A . L . L . T H E N E W S
Upcoming Events Save These Dates!
Dec 1 - Celebrating Sliver Banquet, Gideon Putnam Hotel
12 - 4 PM
Dec 9 - Barnes & Noble Bookfair for A.L.L., Wilton Square,
Route 50, 9 AM - 5 PM (See pages 11 and 12 for vouchers
and flyer)
Dec 12 - Happy Hanukkah!
Dec 21, 25 & 26 A.L.L. Office Closed for the Christmas Holi-
day, Merry Christmas!
Jan 1 - A.L.L. Office Closed for New Year’s Day
Jan 3, Jan 10 - A.L.L. Storytellers, (See page 9)
Jan 15 - A.L.L. Office Closed for Martin Luther King Day
Jan 17, Jan 24, Jan 31 - A.L.L. Storytellers, (See page 9)
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR NOTES ( C O N T I N U E D )
party at Prestwick and the Academy Annual Meet-
ing June 14,
All this, and much more!
I look forward to seeing many of you at Barnes & Noble for our Academy Book Fair on December 9. (See vouch-ers and flyer on pages 11 and 12.) Be on the lookout for the Spring Term Brochures this month. Registration starts January 22. Vera and I will keep in touch with you
throughout the winter by e-mail and in A.L.L. the News.
On behalf of Officer Manager Vera Kasson and I, best
wishes to you and your family this holiday season!
SCHOOL CLOSING =
Academy closing
When Saratoga Springs public schools are closed or de-
layed due to bad weather this winter, The Academy is, too.
When Saratoga Springs public schools are closed due to
bad weather, Storytellers (see page 9 for flyer) is postponed
for that day. Watch your television or listen for radio an-
nouncements for Saratoga Springs Public school clo-
sures/delays.
THANK YOU,
ACADEMY DONORS!
The Academy executive council voted to change The
Academy tradition of publishing donors’ names to print-
ing only the total number of donors as well as the aggre-
gate amount of donations here in A.L.L. the News.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who donated
with your registrations, in response to our bi-annual
fund drive letters, and at other times during the year! For
the fiscal year that started July 1, 2016 and concluded
June 30, 2017, 137 individuals donated a total of
$14,325.
Membership dues and class fees cover only a portion of
The Academy’s expenses. Fundraising efforts and dona-
tions close the gap enabling us to pay staff and to con-
tinue to offer study groups, volunteer and social oppor-
tunities, Academy Extras, Storytellers, and all the other
programs you have come to expect.
Submitted by Third Age Press Chair Sue Valaitis
Copies of the June 2017 edition of The Apple Tree can be
found at Northshire Bookstore on Broadway in Saratoga
Springs. They are on the shelf with the other literary jour-
nals, to the right, just inside the door. Cold, inside days are
coming and it’s always nice to have some good reading
material on hand, for yourself or to share with a friend,
perhaps even written by someone you know.
In the back of the bookstore, you will find boxes of note-
cards designed by some of our ALL members. (For your
convenience, designs of all cards included in each box
now appear on the back of the box.) Notecards and cop-
ies of The Apple Tree will be available for purchase at the
Celebrating Silver Gala at the Gideon Putnam on Decem-
ber 1st, but if you cannot attend, you can always find
them at Northshire.
A.L .L . MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE AT
NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE
P A G E 3
Prestwick Chase End-of-Semester Social!
Thanks to John Rowe, Kellie Postlethwaite, and Fred
McNeary at Prestwick Chase, more than 80 A.L.L. mem-
bers and their guests enjoyed live music, cocktails, hors
d’oeuvers and socializing in Prestwick’s cozy High Rock
Bar and Lounge Thursday evening, November 9! It was
the perfect event to conclude a successful fall semester!
Thank you, Prestwick Chase, for all you do for The Acade-
my! Your friendship and support is greatly appreciated!
Prestwick’s culinary team knocked it out of the park, evi-
dent by these photos taken at the social that tell the story
best!
P A G E 4 A . L . L . T H E N E W S
ACADEMY FOR
LIFELONG LEARNING
CELEBRATING SILVER!
Celebrate with Empire State College our 25 years of collaborative efforts to create an outstandingly successful lifelong learning center in Saratoga Springs!
We welcome your input and ideas for the 25th Anniversary. Send your ideas or com-ments to me at [email protected]. I invite you to join the Celebrating Silver Com-mittee and work with a wonderful team!
Memories . . . Tales to Share . . . Unforgettable Moments!
(submitted by Pat Rohstedt)
Join us in celebrating 25 years of A.L.L. by sharing your memories of past study groups, special events or, even committees. Got a memory in mind to share? Thought of an anecdote from a special class? Remember what happened when…? With all these memories, we could fill a book! For now, we’ll sprinkle them throughout the 25th year like silver stars. Send your anecdote to [email protected], or leave it at the ALL office addressed to me, Pat Rohstedt, with Vera.
25 YEARS OF MEMORIES
Submitted by Pat Rohstedt
This memory from an anonymous A.L.L. mem-ber helps celebrate the Academy's 25th year. If you have a memory that makes you smile, please see above for how to submit it for publi-cation.
Great literature Discussions
With the announcement of each A.L.L.
session, I find myself searching first for
study group leaders Levith and Whee-
lock. Are they doing another session?
What will be their lit choices? Shake-
speare (lot’s of that!), Wharton, Parker,
Fitzgerald, Malamud, Crane, Poe, Par-
ker, or …..? Fearless leaders, Levith and
Wheelock, have boldly challenged us to
read and reflect. And to talk! Oh, what
great discussions we have had! Never to
be forgotten!
~ Anonymous
ENJOYING POETRY: READING AND WRITING
STUDY GROUP REVIEW
“This course is open to members interested in writing origi-
nal poetry. We read poetry of all kinds, from Shakespeare to
contemporary poets, focusing on different poetic forms and
experimenting with writing. We use these poems as spring-
boards for writing poetry. The course is primarily a writing
class. Participants are encouraged to write and share their
work. All levels of experience and interest welcome.” Study
group Leader Janice Cutbush
“This was my first class with the Academy, and I loved it!
Will definitely participate again next fall along with another
class. These lifelong learning opportunities are wonderful! .
. . My promised piece for A.L.L. the News about our Enjoy-
ing Poetry: Writing and Reading class is below. I started
writing a regular article but then decided—Hey, this was a
poetry class. I’ll write a poem about it! Different.” A.L.L.
Member Kathleen Rehl
Transitioning into retirement and rather new to Saratoga Springs Wanting to connect with a unique community This poetry class description caught my fancy Would be intriguing to write in a fresh genre. Already published a book—64,000 copies in circulation Also write for journals and popular blogs But never tried penning poetry before Wanted to evoke distinctive feelings. We 15 participants shared our poems weekly and listened to others Some were newbies like me, others repeats of almost a decade With Janice’s skillful guidance we created poetry Autobiographical, narrative, ballad, character, archaic word, specific meter, hidden meaning, rhyming, advice poems and more. Enjoyed writing “Widowhood,” “204 Plus One,” “Promise Me, Please,” “October 7,” “Wrong Reasons,” and “Advice to Myself ” Encouraged to try new poetry forms Wrote a love poem with constraint of 13 words “Late husband said don’t remain alone. Met widower online. Seven joyful years together.” Insightful work this poetry writing is Learned much about its style and myself Thank you, Janice, and our friendly poets I’ll continue creating poetry alone for now See you next fall!
Photos from “Coffee House cele-bration of poetry” a class event, sent by Janice Cutbush
111 West Ave. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-6069 Phone : 518-587-2100, x 2415 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] www.esc.edu/ALL
A.L.L.
We’re
Saving
You a
Seat!
A.L .L . ’s Future
& Your
Legacy The Academy’s future depends on fi-nancial sustainability. Please consider making a difference that will serve oth-ers through your legacy by making a bequest to the Academy for Lifelong
Learning at Saratoga Springs in your will. This is a meaningful way to sup-port the life-changing work at the Academy. Please also consider sug-gesting to those wishing to offer re-membrances to direct them to the
Academy.
Holiday shopping
AT THE ACADEMY!
Not sure what to get for that special someone or casual friend? Consider
Academy merchandise! Inventory is being kept off site during
our anticipated move to 113 West, but don’t let that stop you
from purchasing all your Academy favorites! Please contact:
Alice Martin at [email protected] for tote bags. Note
cards? A box of 10 all-occasion A.L.L. cards and envelopes is
the perfect paper on which to write all your hand-written
notes and holiday greetings! Contact Judy Tirelli at [email protected]
for cards. And, don’t forget Apple Trees, the A.L.L. Journal is just $7! Con-
tact Sue Valaitis at [email protected] for current and past issues. Con-
tact Vera at the A.L.L. office for gift certificates. The Academy Office can
accept checks or cash (exact change is appreciated).
Theater Games—Study Group Review
Submitted by Nancy Weber
This fall I was one of 15 ALL students who had the good
fortune to enroll in Linda McKenney’s experiential theater
class. Linda has a rich and varied history of theatrical experi-
ence and is passionate about the dramatic arts. The first day
she acknowledged that while she has taught many similar
classes with young children, this was her first experience
teaching adults, and she asked for our patience as she
learned to adapt activities. Any doubts about her ability to
make the transition to teaching Lifelong Learners was im-
mediately dispelled-- there was consensus that Linda de-
serves an A+ for her efforts! We all looked forward to each
session and sorely missed our Columbus Day class. Even on
the day of the Las Vegas terrorist attack, when each of us
arrived in despair, Linda skillfully facilitated a healing exer-
cise that resulted in a collective energetic shift. Once we
had voiced our sorrows, were reminded we were not alone
and experienced the physical release of our pain, we were
able to access our playfulness. This is but one example of
what a classmate, describes as Linda’s “superb leadership.”
Linda invited us to suspend any self- doubts or judgements
and gave us permission and encouragement to be ridicu-
lously silly. During our first session, when several of us ad-
mitted that our enthusiasm and curiosity was combined
with an equal or even greater amount of nervous appre-
hension, Linda put us all at ease. She immediately wove a
web of trust and support and then, as two classmates note:
“Linda took us on a magic carpet ride…in which our inner
genies could come out and play”.
And play we did! Each week Linda introduced new exercis-
es requiring increasing trust and complexity. These activities
include Zip, Zap, Zoop, Pass the monkey (a class favorite)
Three questions, Return Counter, Gibberish, What Are You
Doing and Act Out Headlines. Through these activities we
quickly learned that improv involves more than spontaneity
and careful attunement to/reliance upon the human and
non-human elements of the environment. Above all, it re-
quires trusting that there are no wrong responses, willing-
ness to listen to your gut and taking a leap of faith to invite
your inner 8 year old to come out to play.
Each delightful week offered the opportunity for zany col-
laboration resulting in two hours of virtually non- stop
laughter. I could continue to gush about Linda, this class
and my amazingly talented and gutsy partners in play. In-
stead I’ll end with some comments shared by appreciative
classmates. One new friend said: “Linda’s ability and pas-
sion helped me to reach a level of self-awareness and con-
nectivity to our group that I had not thought possible”. An-
other commented that “Linda joined together a group of
fun loving want-a-bees and made them cast members and
buddies”. And last, but not least, one classmate offered
what I believe is the best thing one could say about any
ALL experience: “…this class allowed me to become more of
myself.”
If this class is offered again, I urge you to consider enrolling-
- you’ll be in for a treat! On behalf of our class, thank you
Linda, for this infectiously wacky and transformative jour-
ney.
Join a Committee The Academy is governed by the Executive Council with 5 committees and Third Age Press. Chairs and co-chairs of each of the committees serve as members of the Exec-utive Council along with the Chair, Vice Chair, Financial Officer, Secretary and 2 Mem-bers-at-Large.
Curriculum Committee
Develops curriculum for fall & spring terms, recruits study group leaders & speakers
Event Planning Committee
Plans Academy events and activities, provides hospitality
Finance Committee
Reviews the annual budget, assists in long-term financial planning
Membership Committee
Promotes membership, informs members and the community of activities, and coordi-
nates Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Resource Development Committee
Sources potential sponsors, fundraising activities, conducts the fund drive each spring
and fall
More Opportunities to Volunteer
Study Group Leaders and Speakers The Curriculum Committee is looking for study group leaders to offer 4- to 8-week
study groups and one-time speakers
Office Volunteers Assist office manager and executive director with office activities
Special Event Volunteers
Assist committees during special events and fundraisers, usually a one-time or short-term activity
For more information or to volunteer, contact the Academy Office!
(518) 587-2100 x2415 or email [email protected] Stop by between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Mon – Thurs.
SUNY Empire State College 111 West Avenue, Saratoga Springs