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News From CALL January 2024
Photo by Paul Fesko, a member of CALL’s Digital Photography group
President’s Message
- Barbara Decker Pierce – CALL President
Probably like me, you are well into preparations for another magical holiday season. Our tree arrived yesterday, the baking is making my kitchen amazingly small, and I look forward to upcoming visits from friends and family.
Good news – CALL’s membership is growing. We are up over 100 members as compared to this time last year and it looks like we will start the new year having already replaced our regular attrition. As I said – good news! I expect we can thank those of you talking up the benefits of CALL to friends and neighbours for much of this growth.
Along with membership growth, we recently welcomed a group of new and enthusiastic members who have stepped forward to help and contribute to CALL programming and administration. We very much appreciate their involvement and support. Of course, there is always room for more. Check out Adrienne Kertzer’s note on program development to get ideas for possible programs in the coming year. I encourage you to consider how you can work with us to help turn these possibilities into reality.
On behalf of the Board, I wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year!
December Events
Reminder: CALL Café
Seasonal Celebration
Monday, December 18, 1:00–3:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
This lively festive celebration will feature some of CALL’s very talented members, including a performance from "CALL of the Uke", stories written by "Our Lives Our stories" group members, a selection from the "Guitar Jam" group and a performance by the "Reader's Theatre" group.
For more information go to the CALL Café page; Register for the event.
Guests of CALL members are welcome.
January Events
Science & Environment
Exploring Asteroid Bennu
Tuesday, January 9, 7:30pm Online via Zoom
Speaker: Alan Hildebrand
Professor Alan Hildebrand is from the University of Calgary, and has been a Co-investigator in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx space project investigating the Near Earth Object, Bennu, since 2009. Recently the mission spacecraft delivered a sample taken from the asteroid back to earth before continuing on its way to investigate another asteroid called Apex.
Please join us on Zoom at 7:30 pm on January 9 to learn about the details of this international space mission, its accomplishments and findings. It promises to be an evening that will take us out of this world.
For more information and to register, go to the Science & Environment page.
CALL Café
The News Media and Climate Change
January 15, 1:00–3:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Gillian Steward
After languishing on the back pages for years, news coverage of the climate crisis is now front and centre. Massive forest fires, flooding, and deadly heat waves hit the headlines almost daily. Scientific reports come at us fast and furious. But how useful has news coverage been when it comes to understanding the local impacts of climate change? How could it be more helpful?
Ms. Steward is a Calgary-based journalist who writes a regular column for The Toronto Star. In 2014 she was awarded the prestigious Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy to research and write a series of in-depth articles about the Alberta oil sands. Gillian was also the managing editor at The Calgary Herald and acting publisher at Alberta Views. She has also taught journalism at Mount Royal University.
Members must register to attend and can bring up to four guests for this presentation. Refreshments and socializing from 1 to 1:30 with presentation to follow in Scott Hall.
For more information and to register, go to the CALL Café page.
Treks & Travels
A Food Tour of Southern India
Wednesday, January 17, 7:30–9:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Donna Kennedy-Glans
India is a magical destination, and southern India, less travelled by Canadians, offers a special kind of off-the-beaten path allure. In the autumn of 2022, a small group of intrepid foodies from Canada travelled to south India on a tour led by Calgarian, Karen Anderson, owner of Alberta Food Tours. Donna Kennedy-Glans was part of the group, and with her camera at the ready, was able to capture some of the sights. Alas, she was unable to capture the sounds, scents or tastes so hopefully her images will conjure up those sensations in your imagination!
If you want to know more about the food of southern India, follow one of these links:
https://nationalpost.com/life/food/india-street-food-tour
or
https://nationalpost.com/life/food/history-culture-and-the-quest-to-discover-some-of-indias-least-known-cuisines
Members of the public are invited to attend for a fee of $5.
For more information, go to the Treks & Travels page.
Intergenerational Speaker Series – Event 3
Coping with Transitions
Wednesday, January 24, 11:00am–1:00pm.
Mount Royal University Lincoln Park Room, J301
Save the date for our next Intergenerational Speaker Series at Mt. Royal University. The title of the third event in this year’s series is “Coping with Change: Navigating through Life’s Transitions”. This topic explores periods of disruption/transition, and we will be discussing how moving through the various stages in life offer unique opportunities for insight and wisdom.
Registration is not being done through the CALL website but will be set up soon by MRU. To register for this event, go to the IGSS Events page
Interest Group Updates
Great Big Sing
Great Big Sing (GBS) is starting again in February 2024 and is accepting new members. You can register now. GBS is all about the joy of singing with others and no previous singing experience is required. No performances, no observers, and no recording ---just the fun of it. See the Great Big Sing page for details and registration.
Stitchery Studio
New! Stitchery Studio allows members to work on their own stitchery projects in the company of others sharing ideas and techniques. This could involve embroidery, knitting. crochet or even darning. Meets monthly starting January 2. Check out the Stitchery Studio page for further details.
Calgary's History – The War Years, 1914-47
Speakers: Tom Kerwin and Don Smith
The Fall 2023 Group "Frontier Calgary" was hugely successful in portraying Calgary's early history. The Group was focused on biographical sketches and had several outstanding external experts, as well as some on‑site visits.
This winter series will explore the critical years of 1914 – 47, mainly via mini-presentations by group members on individuals and trends from that era. Each of the sessions will tackle a distinct theme, e.g. World War One (Impacts), World War Two (Impacts), The Depression, Labour, Education, Oil and Gas, Indigenous Peoples, Ethnic Groups, and so on.
One of the main sourcebooks for this semester will be the 1987 publication of the Chinook Country Chapter of the Historical Society of Alberta, Calgarians After The Frontier, ed. Max Foran and Sheilagh Jameson.
To register, go Calgary's History – The War Years page.
New Times and Days for “Finding Peace and Joy Within”
Wednesdays, 10 am to noon, Jan. 17 to March 6, 2024. Room 310, cSpace.
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 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 and health 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. Learn more about “Finding Peace and Joy Within” and register through the button.
Introduction to Zentangle
It's time to register for the Introduction to Zentangle class (one class only) on Monday morning January 22. This class is a pre-requisite for joining the Studio group which will begin meeting in February.
CALL’s Approach to Program Development: It Takes Two
- Adrienne Kertzer, Chair, Program Committee
One of my favorite Stephen Sondheim musicals is Into the Woods, when James Corden, the baker, sings “It Takes Two” to Emily Blunt, the baker’s wife. As I think about CALL programming, those lyrics are running through my head.
Obviously, CALL depends on the work of many committees. But when it comes to programming, the Program Committee and CALL’s membership are the two key players. However much the Program Committee identifies programs it would like to offer, without CALL members willing to organize or facilitate programs, these programs will not happen. CALL’s website lists 53 interest groups and study programs that we currently offer.
These groups would not exist without the 75 CALL members who in 2023 served as their facilitators or co-facilitators. Recently the members of the Program Committee generated a New Year’s Wish List of topics we would love to offer.
Some suggestions were prompted by groups we would like to see return: Understanding Islam, Attending Theatre, Visits to Galleries and Artists’ Studios, and Square Dancing.
Some were activity-based: Pickleball, Scrabble, Chess, Board Games, and Exercising When Your Ability to Do So Is Restricted.
Some fit within creative arts: Choral Group, Beginning Guitar Lessons, and Tap Dancing.
Some were about life as we grow older: Finding Meaning in Early Retirement, Cooking for 1 or 2, and Options for Housing as We Age (The Right Place).
Some focused on learning more about Calgary: Calgary’s Infrastructure, Public Art Site Tours, and Visiting Different Calgary Venues (for example, the Central Library, Studio Bell).
Some were topics that could fit within Written Word, Current Issues, or Social Sciences & Philosophy/Religion: Introduction to Mythology, CALL Reads One Book, Research and Writing Family Histories, Conversational German, Conversational French, The Impact of German Romanticism, The History of Money, and An Assessment of Henry Kissinger.
If you would like to facilitate or co-facilitate one of these topics, please contact me at program@calgarylifelonglearners.ca. If the topic that you would like to facilitate is not on this list, I want to hear from you as well!
You don’t need to be an expert to facilitate an interest group; all you need is the desire to learn about the topic in the company of others.
CALL has the infrastructure to support facilitators. The area coordinators on the Program Committee will be happy to support and assist you with setting up and offering programs. What the Program Committee cannot do is develop programming on its own.
Like Sondheim’s baker, we know that it takes two.
Happy New Year!
To take a peek at the clip Adrienne is referring to, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLt8MuCOkng.
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 2023-24 are:
- January 19
- February 16
- March 22
- April 19
- May 24
- June 21
- August 23
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.