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News From CALL April 2024
Sketch by Susan Carpenter from the Sketch Club Interest Group.
President’s Message
- Barbara Decker Pierce, CALL President
Last month I wrote about the diversity of CALL programming. This month I want to focus on small group discussion programs. Right now, we have over 50 Interest Groups and Study Programs listed on our website. Members of these groups meet regularly for peer-to-peer learning. Interest Groups are ongoing. The membership may change as people come and go but the topic that unites the group stays the same.
Study programs, on the other hand, are time limited. The topic studied in these groups is usually specific, with the intent of learning about an issue or idea in more detail. Every group, interest or study sets its own rules about how meetings proceed but it is usually the members who take responsibility for providing discussion content.
I want to thank those CALL members who make contributions to others' learning. Many would say they learned the most by preparing their presentations. But the work that goes into researching topics and facilitating discussions is appreciated by the other members of the group and is fundamental to everyone’s learning.
So, kudos to our peer teachers and all who step up to give of their time and talents to others. That’s what a volunteer organization is all about.
Request from the CALL Volunteer Committee
It’s time to Hit Reset!
- Shauna Romanzin, CALL Web Team
Volunteers are the lifeblood of CALL. In fact, the organization is administered, coordinated and implemented entirely by volunteers.
The Volunteer Committee is tasked with endeavouring to match members with volunteer opportunities. To do this, we rely, in part, on the information each of you provided when you originally registered regarding your skills, interests and willingness to volunteer.
As we have a significant number of longstanding members, and as newer members become better acquainted with CALL program offerings, the Volunteer Committee is requesting that you review and refresh your information, as appropriate.
Straightforward instructions on how to refresh your membership record can be found below.
Help us to help you continue to have a rewarding experience with CALL!
#1 Login into your CALL account and select View Profile
#2 Scroll down to the Volunteer fields. Make sure Willingness to Volunteer = Yes, and enter your volunteer area of interest and/or skills. Click Save
April Events
Science & Environment
Infectious Disease Pandemics: Historical Lessons and Future Concerns
Tuesday, April 2, 7:30 pm Online via Zoom
Speaker: Dr. Tracy O’Connor
Historic and recent pandemics resulting from natural and human activities have made us all more aware of the spread of infectious diseases. We understand more about how our population has responded to and been shaped by plagues such as smallpox. We have learned how to create vaccines against these threats and how to use disease as a weapon against others.
Dr. O’Connor has an extensive background in Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology, with a PhD in Medical Biochemistry. After serving as Department Chair and Associate Dean she recently retired as a tenured professor from teaching Microbiology at Mount Royal University.
Registration required. For more information and to register, go to the Science & Environment page.
Health and Wellness
Am I at Risk? My Kidney Health
Monday, April 8 1:30–3:00 pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speakers: Tracy Zeiler and Michelle Hofer
Kidneys are a critical part of your health, but how do they work, and how can you keep them healthy?
Anyone can develop kidney disease, but some are at higher risk. Too few Canadians understand the seriousness of kidney disease and the lifelong journey that diagnosis brings. Kidney disease is known as a silent killer; people may not know they have it until it is too late because a significant amount of your kidney function can be lost without any symptoms.
Learn why your kidneys are so important, what your kidneys do, the major causes and risk factors, how to recognize early warning signs of decline, and what you can do to keep your kidneys healthy. We’ll also discuss some types of kidney disease, treatments, and organ donation.
This speaker event is presented by The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Southern Alberta Branch & Alberta Health Services.
Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5 at the door). Registration is not required. If you have questions about this event, please contact wellness@calgarylifelonglearners.ca
CALL Café
Operation Eyesight
Monday, April 15, 1:00–3:00 pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, Scott Hall
Speaker: Elizabeth Roden
Sixty years ago a wonderful organization slowly developed in Calgary. Operation Eyesight began to support a program that brought medical assistance to people in South Asia. Now, through the prevention of blindness and restoration of sight, this international organization changes the lives of thousands of people on an ongoing basis. Operation Eyesight Universal (OEU) has a major impact in many countries around the world. From India to Ethiopia, from Ghana to Nepal, the work of OEU is assisting men, women and children to improve not only their sight but their lives.
Join Elizabeth Roden, Director of Marketing and Communications at Operation Eyesight, for a special film presentation that will take you on a journey across the globe, from Operation Eyesight’s humble beginnings in 1963 to where its global community is transforming lives today through the Gift of Sight. There will be a Q&A session immediately following the film. For more information, visit operationeyesight.com
Registration required. You must be a member to register and members can bring 1- 4 guests.
Treks & Travels
A Trek to Everest Base Camp – A Childhood Dream
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7:30 pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speaker: Peter Fischer
Photo of Nepal, by Peter Fischer
The Everest region is one of the most popular and breathtaking hiking destinations in the world. And when Peter saw an Everest Base Camp review in National Geographic Traveller, he knew the trek was for him. The journey is approximately 65 km and takes up to seven days, one way, for those who are in good physical shape.
Peter will share his photographs and experiences – the trails, the views, the elevation and the challenges of his adventure in the Himalaya Mountains.
This speaker series is free for members of CALL. Guests are welcome and are asked to pay $5.
Interest Group Updates
Medieval History: Words, Words, Words
Fridays 1:00–3:00 pm, April 12 to 26 Room 310, cSPACE Marda Loop
Speaker: Dr. Alana Gowdy
This three-session interest group will be presented by Dr. Alana Gowdy. In April, Medieval History: Words, Words, Words will focus on three examples of the written record that come from a wide span of history. The Vindolanda Letters were written by soldiers near Hadrian's Wall, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was started by Alfred the Great, and the Magna Carta was prepared for King John in the thirteenth century.
Historical materials provide information of weighty value. However, these CALL sessions will view history with a light heart, a touch of humour, and a variety of instructional approaches.
For more information and to register go to the Medieval History: Words, Words, Words page.
New Study Program
Sustainability Matters–Calgary in Transition
Wednesdays, April 17, 24, 10:00 am–12:00 pm Room 310, cSPACE Marda Loop
Wednesdays, May 1, 8, 22, 29 Upper Hall Marda Loop Community Association (no session on May 15)
Facilitator: Dr. Noel Keough
Calgary is at a crossroads. The economy that built our city is fading under economic pressures and climate crisis. But a more vibrant Calgary is within our grasp. What can we learn from cities around the world? How can we best leverage our own resources, intellectual and cultural assets? What is our role and responsibility in the global transition?
Explore such questions in Sustainability Matters – Calgary in Transition, a new study program facilitated by Dr. Noel Keough, author of Sustainability Matters: Prospects for a Just Transition in Calgary, Canada’s Petro-City.
For more information and to register, go to the Sustainability Matters—Calgary in Transition page.
Calgary Opera Rehearsals
CALL Member Opportunity to See Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold
Thursday April 18, 7:00 pm Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14 Avenue SW
The final dress rehearsals for the Calgary Opera mainstage productions are not open to the public. However, CALL members can attend the final dress rehearsals for just $20 (including GST and handling fees). The tickets are general admission to seats in the first balcony and first floor terraces.
This is the first time Wagner’s Das Rheingold has been performed at Calgary Opera. The first opera in the famous Ring Cycle tetralogy that Wagner wrote, Das Rheingold is based on Norse mythology. Here’s an excerpt from the Calgary Opera’s website:
Gold, protected by the daughters of the river Rhine, harbours a deep magic. Anyone who casts a ring made from it can rule the whole world but must also renounce love forever. The promise of unlimited power proves irresistible to opportunistic gods, arguing giants, and ambitious dwarfs. The power of the gold trades hands many times, leaving a trail of misery and murder in its wake. Whoever wears the “Rheingold” is cursed to be its slave.
Note: You must be a CALL member to take advantage of this opportunity.
For more information, including how to purchase tickets, go to Calgary Opera Rehearsals.
New Session!
Finding Peace and Joy Within
Wednesdays, 10:00 am – noon, May 1 to June 19 2024 Room 310, cSPACE Marda Loop
Facilitator: Barry Ronellenfitch
There is a universal human desire to be happy and to avoid suffering. And for the wise, this desire extends to those we love and to our community. We try to fulfill that desire through our outer world – family, career, service, hobbies, recreation, etc. Through modern technology, we now have wealth, health, and social connection to an extent that our ancestors (and many in developing nations) could only dream of. Yet which of us is truly happy and free of suffering? Do you have the feeling that “something” is missing?
We have known since we were small children that we have a mind and a body. However, we have a third, inner resource that we easily overlook, that can provide a source of uncaused joy and respite from suffering.
Please join us at “Finding Peace and Joy Within” to have a direct experience of this resource to help you have a happier and more fulfilled life. For more information and to register, go to Finding Peace and Joy Within.
CALL Blog
Intergenerational Programs: Antidote to Ageism?
- Maureen Osis, CALL Communication Team
Ageism affects everyone. It is one of the most widespread and socially accepted forms of prejudice. To address the impact of ageism, CALL and Mount Royal University collaborated to develop a program – the Intergenerational Speaker Series.
CALL president, Barbara Decker Pierce, describes the program and shares feedback from participants at the first four events held in 2023. Many comments reflect a new understanding of the other generation gained by both young and older adults. Barbara shared her favourite comment from a student: “I wasn’t sure what to expect from this event but I’m really glad I came. It has made me think about my attitudes toward older people and the biases that I came in with. Thanks.”
The CALL Blog is public so please share with your family and friends. It is easy to do. Just copy the URL https://calgarylifelonglearners.ca/Blog/13325844 and paste into an email or text message. Any questions or feedback, please contact me: blog@calgarylifelonglearners.ca
Your CALL Newsletter
The CALL Newsletter is our way to communicate what is going on in our community. It's a way to highlight events of interest, ‘peek behind the curtain of CALL’ and to give some general information about CALL groups and members.
You are invited to send your ideas and suggestions for future issues to communications@calgarylifelonglearners.ca. We reserve the right to edit submissions and to determine when submissions will be published.
CALL Newsletter dates for posting
The newsletter group has decided to return to posting once a month. The posting dates for 2024 are:
- April 19
- May 24
- June 21
- August 23
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.