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News From CALL April 2025
| Volunteer Opportunities | April Events | Group Updates |
Photo by Frankie Thornhill, a member of the Digital Photography Interest Group
President’s Report
- Adrienne Kertzer
A few weeks ago, I attended a screening of The Brutalist. During the intermission I realized that a significant number of the attendees were CALL members. True to CALL’s philosophy that we learn from each other, I asked a fellow CALL member about an image early in the film that puzzled me.
Like the film’s protagonist whose future life is symbolized by how he views the Statue of Liberty when he departs the ship, my experience in the theatre lobby has deepened my understanding of CALL’s Vision statement that it offers its members opportunities “to connect with a wide range of individuals and organizations” and to thereby contribute “significantly toward Calgary’s ongoing effort to become a highly livable city.”
There are several ways in which CALL enriches the “life of the larger community.” In my own case, not only have I taken advantage of opportunities to connect with a wide range of individuals through my participation in a variety of CALL interest groups, speaker series, and speaker events, but as a volunteer I’ve also connected with numerous organizations through the CALL events I have helped to organize.
But my experience in the theatre lobby has highlighted that there is a third way in which CALL contributes to “Calgary’s ongoing effort to become a highly livable city.” When I attend non- CALL events and encounter other members of CALL who share my interests, my feeling that Calgary is a livable city is inseparable from the opportunities that CALL has provided me.
You can contact me at president@calgarylifelonglearners.ca.
From the CALL Board of Directors
We all know CALL is a 100% volunteer run organization, but have you ever wondered how many teams are involved in providing our programming?
- Shauna Romanzin, IT Chair.
Interest Groups are formed first by a CALL member who has an idea for a group and is willing to volunteer to lead it as a facilitator. The facilitator works with their area coordinator, who is also a volunteer. The coordinator assists the facilitator to bring the new program to life.
The Speaker Series Events are also dependent on volunteers. First the volunteers in the Speaker Series Committee arrange for a lecturer. If the talk is to be online, the volunteers who help with Zoom are involved. If the event is in person, a volunteer is needed to provide audio/visual support. More volunteers are needed to put out chairs and refreshments, which they have purchased. Other volunteers from the Membership Committee collect door receipts and process new memberships. Meanwhile, volunteers on the Operations Committee found and arranged the venue for the event.
All events and programs need a webpage to publicize their doings, so webteam volunteers keep it up to date, and then the volunteers on the Communications Team inform members of the new offerings.
And how do CALL’s bills get paid? Volunteers on the Finance Committee, along with our volunteer Treasurer does that work, and they ensure accounts are kept in order.
And then volunteers make sure that all Records are stored.
Even the CALL Board of Directors, who ensure that all pieces are working together, are people who have volunteered.
So… the next time you are waiting for your Interest Group or Speaker Series Event to start, take a moment to think of all your fellow CALL members who have volunteered their time to make it a reality. Perhaps you would like to facilitate a group, or you know a member who might!
Without volunteers, the programming CALL offers could not happen! Please consider volunteering your time to help with CALL. Contact volunteer@calgarylifelonglearners.ca
Help Shape CALL’s Future – Join the Board!
- Ron Foyer, Coordinator, Governance
As we approach the end of another successful year of CALL programs, I hope you’ve enjoyed the many events and Interest Groups that make this organization so special. Now, it’s time to start planning for the year ahead—and we need your help to make CALL even better!
One great way to contribute is by joining the CALL Board. Board terms run from October to October, with elections taking place at our AGM in late October. Some positions have one-year terms, while others are for two years. This year, we will be electing the following positions:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- IT Chair
- Communications Chair
- Membership Chair
- Operations Chair
- Volunteers Chair
- Governance Chair
The current President and Vice President cannot stand for re-election, but all other roles are open to both returning and new candidates.
Why consider joining the Board?
Help CALL continue to thrive and grow.
Bring fresh ideas to improve our programs and operations.
Gain valuable experience in leadership and governance.
CALL runs like a well-tuned engine, thanks to strong policies, procedures, and governance. But we need engaged members like you to keep it running smoothly and evolving for the future.
Interested? Have questions? I’d love to chat!
Contact me, Ron Foyer, at governance@calgarylifelonglearners.com
Let’s work together to make CALL even better next year!
April Events
Science and Environment
Where Do We Get the Power?
Tuesday, April 1, 7:30–9:00pm via Zoom
Speaker: Russell Edworthy
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, electric vehicles play a key role as a transitional technology, moving the automotive sector away from directly burning fossil fuels. But if the energy doesn't come from gasoline or diesel, where DOES it come from?
This presentation will try to answer this question, first from an individual perspective (demystifying the EV charging experience), and then moving on to the bigger picture of how charging EVs will affect demand on the electrical grid. Will the Alberta grid be able to handle the strain? Come and find out!
Russell Edworthy has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was a Power Engineering instructor at SAIT Polytechnic for a decade. Russell has an abiding interest in alternative energy, energy storage, and picking away at the puzzle of how to use technology wisely to reduce our impact on the planet.
You must be a CALL Member to register.
Health and Wellness
Geriatric Giants With a Twist
Monday, April 7, 1:30–3:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Dr. Cheryl Okoli
Have you or someone you know experienced a fall, depression, incontinence, dizziness, delirium, osteoporosis, and more? Did you know that these symptoms are called the geriatric giants? Join Dr. Cheryl Okoli, DHA as she takes us on an interactive, fun, educational journey with some health promotional tips to tackle and/or prevent eight of these geriatric giants!
Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5 at the door). Registration is not required.
CALL Café
Celebrating Calgary's 150th Birthday!
Monday, April 14, 1:00–3:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Make sure to mark your calendar for the April 14th Café when members of CALL's Calgary's History group will show highlights from our city's 150 years – from the construction of Fort Calgary to its current-day diversity, fast approaching two million residents! Come to see our splendid past, sample some birthday cake, and share your recollections.
Members are asked to register on the CALL Café page.
Open to members, guests and the public. If you decide to invite guests after you have registered, you will need to cancel your first registration, then register again and indicate the number of guests that you will bring.
Treks and Travels
A Different View: East Africa from Two Perspectives
Wednesday, April 16, 7:30–9:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Acres Drive NW
Speaker: Dr. Paul Paetkau
In the 1970s there was a devastating drought in East Africa and the Kenyans needed help recovering. Between 1977 and 1980, Dr. Paul Paetkau, a biologist/ecologist, was an advisor to the Kenyan Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization, and the Rural Development Department of the National Christian Council. It was a meaningful experience. He returned in 2010, to spend four months in Africa, during which time he travelled for 43 days by truck from Cape Town to Nairobi.
Come hear Paul’s stories and see his photographs of living and working in Kenya and travelling through East Africa.
No registration required. Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5).
Special Program
Try Ringing for a Change
Friday, April 11, 3:30–5:00pm(8 visitors)
Saturday, April 12, 1:30–3:00pm and 3:00–4:30pm (6 visitors/session)
Christ Church, 3602 8 Street SW
Presenters: The Bellringers at Christ Church
When you hear bells ringing, you know you have found a community. Not many Calgarians know that one of the largest and loudest instruments of the world is located right in the heart of their city. The bells, mounted on wooden wheels, are made to swing with heavy ropes all powered by human muscle.
Your visit will be an interactive opportunity to learn about the many fascinating historical facts of tower bells, the traditional English art of change ringing, hear about the ringers’ personal experiences, and not to forget, having a pull yourself!
A tour guide will be waiting for you in the Sanctuary to reveal the magic behind the stained glass windows of Christ Church. After your visit to the church and its belfry, you will walk away with a great insight what it is to learn to ring tower bells that weigh up to 952 pounds.
Please Note: To reach the ringing room you need to be able to climb three sets of stairs. The last one is quite steep and narrow. Ringing is a moderate form of physical exercise.
You will need to wear comfortable clothes which allow your arms to rise above your head and flat shoes. For your safety, please do not wear long skirts or loose jackets that can be caught in a moving rope.
Registration is limited to 20 people over the 3 tours.
Open to CALL members only
Register on the Special Programs page.
Interest and Study Groups
CALL to the Opera
A Sensational Night at the Opera!
Thursday, April 3, 7:00pm
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14 Ave NW
CALL members are invited to attend the dress rehearsal for an upcoming Calgary Opera performance for only $20. The third and final opera of the season will be a truly unique performance. There will be two operas on this night!
What is a double bill, and how do opera companies pair operas together?
A double bill is an evening made of two shorter operas (usually one-act operas) that are presented one after another. The upcoming Calgary Opera double bill presents first the dark and mysterious Hungarian drama Bluebeard’s Castle, followed by a short intermission, and then the delightful Italian comedy Gianni Schicchi.
The Opera study guides are posted on the Calgary Opera website.
For more information and to purchase and reserve your ticket, see CALL to the Opera
The West and Quebec through their Literature
Has there ever been a better time to celebrate Canadian literature?
Tuesdays, 10:00am–12:00pm (Calgary Time) Online via Zoom
- April 15: real ones by katherena vermette (lower case letters the author’s choice)
- April 30: May Our Joy Endure (Que notre joie demeure) by Kevin Lambert.
- May 13: Prairie Edge by Conor Kerr
- May 27: Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hemon
- June 10, final discussion of all books.
Join us in a lively discussion of books from western Canada and Quebec. Now in its fifth year, this interest group bridges CALL members and MCLL (McGill Community of Lifelong Learners), and examines the literature of both parts of the country. While our focus is mainly novels, we have also read short stories and non-fiction.
All sessions are conducted in English.
If you wish to join the group, register on the The West and Quebec through their Literature webpage
History and the Arts
A Whirlwind Tour of History and the Arts from Their Beginnings to the Present
New Session!
Tuesdays, 10:00–11:30am, May 27-June 10
May 27 and June 3 on Zoom
June 10: in person, at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, Meeting Area on Second Floor
Facilitator: Malcolm Rennie
This spring, History and the Arts will provide a rapid overview of History and the Arts from their beginnings through to the modern era. Designed for CALL members who are new to the topic and for those who have participated in previous sessions and would like to review and reconnect, our meetings will focus throughout on the multiple ways the arts reflect our past.
For more information about the syllabus, flexible attendance policy and to register, see the page at History and the Arts.
CALL Members’ Corner
We Have More than Just Five Senses!
- Health and Wellness Committee
On March 10, the Health and Wellness Committee welcomed members and guests to an interesting and informative presentation by Jordan King entitled: “Presentation on Aging And Balance: Investigating Electrical Vestibular Stimulation As A Fall Prevention Strategy”
In this talk, Jordan explained that we have more than five senses; the two lesser known senses are proprioception and vestibular. These two senses, along with vision, comprise the system that helps us maintain our balance. He described how the three systems coordinate for balance and outlined scenarios where one sense might not be able to provide the sensory input (for example, vision in a dark room) but the other senses are able to compensate to some degree. Jordan also informed us that the vestibular system is “one of the first to decline with age.”
Jordan supplied the audience with some ideas for maintaining the sensory systems to promote balance as we age. The information is here: https://physioandexerciselab.com.au/top-8-vestibular-exercises/.
He then described his research studies into stimulating the vestibular system to promote adequate balance, where participants attended sessions three times per week for six weeks. During the sessions, the participants engaged in several balance tests including standing still for one minute on a hard surface and then on a foam surface, standing with eyes open and with eyes closed and walking two different distances. A sensor recorded the participants’ stability while engaging in the activities.
Between the tests, Electrical Vestibular Stimulation was administered for 20 minutes, and the balance tests were repeated.
The results of the study are proving that the electrical vestibular stimulation was improving the balance of those study subjects who had been receiving the Stimulation.
It is hoped that the equipment will be available sometime in the future for use by the general public following Health Canada and FDA approval.
Jordan also encouraged all of us to become participants in studies at the university. Here is a link for those interested in becoming involved at the University of Calgary: https://research.ucalgary.ca/participate.
Finally, Jordan reminded all of us of the value of exercise in maintaining good balance in order to prevent falls.
We look forward to the next presentation on April 7, 2025 titled “Geriatric Giants with a Twist” presented by Dr. Cheryl Okoli DHA.
CALL Blog
Social Media - is it Helping or Harming Us?
- Maureen Osis, CALL Communications Team
Our February Blog post explored how participating on social media can be of value to non-profit organizations, such as CALL.
This month, Mary Oxendale Spensley, Chair of CALL Communications Committee, explores both potential harms and benefits of social media for individuals, communities and society. Mary wrote: “Hopefully I will make the point that overall, social media is an important and useful tool when used insightfully.” She advises us to discern what is helpful and true, as opposed to harmful and manipulative.
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/Social-Media-Helping-or-Harming/13470184) and paste into an email or text message.
If you are on Facebook, please follow us.
Any questions or feedback, please contact me: blog@calgarylifelonglearners.ca
If you have a topic that you would like to write with me, I would welcome your interest.
The CALL Newsletter
- Newsletter Team
Did you know that we appreciate receiving articles from our members? We are happy to publish articles that celebrate CALL. Your personal experience about how you have benefited would be a valuable contribution to this newsletter. Please 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 postings 2025
- April 25
- May 23
- June 27
- August 22
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.
