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News From CALL March 2024
Action Photo by Joe Horler from the Digital Photography Interest Group.
President’s Message
- Barbara Decker Pierce, CALL President
When we were working on the Road Ahead report last fall, it became clear that one of CALL’s key strengths is the variety of programming choices provided to its members. CALL is not just one thing… It is many things that have emerged over time as members identified what was important to them and how they wanted to proceed along their lifelong learning path.
At the core of CALL programming are Speaker Events and small group discussions in Interest Groups. But over the years, CALL has also offered its members conferences, workshops, social events, and has partnered with other organizations to provide informative programming.
The many programs CALL offers and the variety of delivery formats available make it easy for those with diverse learning styles to find a learning approach to suit them. CALL’s diversity also provides members with an opportunity to stretch and try something new.
Join with those who want to be challenged by new ideas presented by expert speakers, visit faraway lands as CALL members share their travel experiences, or look for an opportunity to meet with other keen learners in small group discussions. At CALL, we listen, talk, sing, play, draw, walk, snap, and meditate … all in pursuit of personal growth.
Volunteer Opportunity
Arts and Culture Coordinator
The Program Committee is seeking an Arts and Culture Coordinator to support facilitators in the development and administration of their programs.
This new coordinator position brings together the interest areas of Creative Arts (for example, CALL of the Uke, Great Big Sing, and Open Studio) and Cultural Appreciation (CALL to the Cinema, CPO Rehearsals, Calgary Opera Rehearsals).
You do not need to be an expert in those areas. You need to be someone who likes mentoring and problem solving and would enjoy helping others turn their good ideas for new programs into reality. Zoom expertise is not a requirement. As a member of the Program Committee, you will be supported by the expertise and experience of its members who work together to nurture and sustain CALL programming. The position (including attendance at Program Committee meetings) averages 8 to 12 hours per month.
Ideally the position will commence May 1, but the Program Committee does not meet every month during the summer, and it is possible for committee members to participate by Zoom.
For more information, please contact Adrienne.New CALL Blog
- Maureen Osis, CALL Communications Committee
Our topic for this month is “Lifelong Learning for the Health of It”. We have heard that many people enroll in lifelong learning programs for the joy of learning. However, engaging in CALL programs can also have many health benefits.
I discussed this topic with Dr. Alana Gowdy, who is well-known to many CALL members for her rather light-hearted courses in medieval history. Our conversation followed-up on an interesting article that Alana wrote for the CALL newsletter, January 2023 "Lifelong Learning—Reasons for Enrolling"
I think you will enjoy the video of our conversation in which Alana shares her passion for teaching and for her participation in CALL programs. And I hope that you enjoy the very positive message that our “brains can stay healthy and active” as we age.
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 and paste into an email or text message.
Any questions or feedback, please contact me, Maureen Osis, at blog@calgarylifelonglearners.ca.
February Events
CALL Café
Winston Churchill and the Emerald Lake Painting–1929
Tuesday, February 20, 1:00–2:30pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW (Monday is a holiday.)
Speaker: David Finch
Calgary historian, David Finch, will tell the story of how one of the Churchill paintings, done in the Rockies, returned to Canada. Registration required. Members can bring 1- 4 guests.
Treks & Travels
Guernsey – A Personal View
Wednesday, February 21, 7:30pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Reg Brehaut
Reg Brehaut has lived, worked and vacationed on this unique island and he will share what keeps pulling him back. No registration required. Members of the public are welcome to attend at a cost of $5.
March Events
Speaker Event
Mirrors and Monsters
March 4, 1:00pm Scott Hall, Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speaker: James Hume
What do the monsters of Greek mythology reveal about the classical understanding of human nature? Why, if these monsters are so terrifying, do they also decorate ancient party bowls, perfume bottles, and cosmetic mirrors? What do the representations of Medusa that feature in contemporary literature, advertising, television and film tell us about our own time?
James Hume will answer these questions and more in Mirrors and Monsters. An Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Classics and Religion, he has taught Classical Mythology and Literature for over three decades to upwards of 300 University of Calgary students at a time.
For more information and to register, go to the Speaker Events page. You must be a CALL member to register. Members of the public are welcome to attend at a cost of $5, collected at the door.
Science & Environment
Wildfire Management in the Time of Global Warming
Tuesday, March 5, 7:30pm Online via Zoom
Speaker: Jane Park
It is anticipated that the coming fire season in Western Canada will again be affected by higher than average temperatures, decreased humidity, lower ground moisture from winter snow falls, and episodes of high winds. These effects of global warming are exacerbated by the current El Nino phenomenon. This will contribute to increased likelihood of forest fires caused by both natural events such as lightning and human factors like equipment, camping, and cigarettes. These fires have the potential to burn faster, farther, and more furiously than in previous decades. To better understand the challenge of forest fires, and the current approach to their management we are pleased to have an expert in this field to speak to CALL members.
Jane Park has been the Fire and Vegetation Specialist in Banff National Park located on the traditional territories of the Treaty 6, 7 and 8 First Nations and the Metis Nation homeland, since 2011. She started her career with Parks Canada in 2002 as a park warden for Banff National Park and has worked in various parks from Vuntut National Park (traditional territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation) in the Yukon to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve (traditional territory of the Haida Nation) on the northwest coast of BC. She is an Incident Commander on one of the 5 Parks Canada National Incident Management teams and has worked on numerous large wildfires across many national parks and provinces in Canada. She was also a member of the first CIFFC deployment to the Australian bushfires during the 2019 and 2020 fire season.
For more information and to register, go to the Science & Environment page.
Health and Wellness
Nutrition and Aging
Monday, March 11, 1:30-3:00pm, Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speakers: Monica Storey, BHE, MS and Sheila Tyminski, BHEc, MEd
Join Monica and Sheila, who were both registered dietitians for over 35 years, to learn about how the foods we eat can make a positive difference in how we age. In addition to overall healthy eating practices for seniors, they will focus on nutrition strategies for bone health, sarcopenia, frailty, cardiovascular disease and cognition. Practical advice on identifying nutrition gaps, and choosing foods and appropriate supplements for optimal health and disease prevention will be provided. Evidence based resources will be highlighted.
Intergenerational Speaker Series
Music Therapy: Tune Into Wellness
Wednesday March 13, 11:00am–1:00pm, Lunch Included, Mt. Royal University Lincoln Park Room J301
Facilitator: Jennifer Buchanan
March is Music Therapy Awareness Month, making it the perfect opportunity to learn more about this allied health profession and how music is the ideal bridge between all ages. Jennifer Buchanan holds an MBA, MTA, and is the Founder and President of JB Music Therapy. She is the past President and former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists and is a current Director at the National Music Centre.
Registration is not being done through the CALL website but through MRU. To register for this event, go to the MRU Intergenerational Speaker Series page.
CALL Café
Calgary Fire Department “Steps to Safety”
Monday, March 18, 1:00–2:30pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speaker: Randy Chevrier
With a steady increase in the age of the Canadian population, there is a growing awareness of the hazards associated with ageing. House fires are becoming more common. Do you know that most house fires occur in the kitchen but that any electric appliance can be the cause? In addition to the more obvious stoves, fire can begin in tumble dryers, washing machines, even fridges. In Canada every year there are approximately 20,000 house fires, many with injuries, some with death.
As part of their mandate to protect the citizens of Calgary, the Fire Department offers sessions giving information and advice.
The emphasis of this presentation is on "Steps to Safety". CALL members will learn tips and techniques on how to remain safe within our homes.
We will begin with coffee and chat from 1:00pm and Randy will speak at 1:30.
And by the way, there are 43 fire stations in Calgary, but their numbers reach from 1 to 45. Which two do you think are missing?
For more information and to register, go to the CALL Café page.
Interest Group Updates
Written Word, Prairie and Quebec Novels
First session is Tuesday, April 16, 10:00am–12:00pm, Online, through Zoom
We are inviting new members to the spring session of the Prairie and Quebec Novel Group. A collaborative effort between CALL and the McGill Community of Lifelong Learners in Montreal (MCLL), this discussion group will provide participants with an opportunity to increase, through novels, their appreciation of two distinct places – the Canadian Prairies and Quebec.
Discussions are lively but amiable, and opportunities abound for gaining new insights and making new acquaintances. Join fellow lifelong learners from Calgary and Montreal via Zoom to increase your understanding and appreciation of these two fascinating regions of our country. The books we are reading this session include The Trade by Fred Stenson, The Street by Mordechai Richler, Fight Night by Miriam Toews, and You Will Love What You Have Killed (Tu aimerais ce que tu as tué) by Kevin Lambert.
For further dates of meetings and registration, see the Written Word, Prairie and Quebec Novels page.
Calgary Opera Rehearsals
CALL Member Opportunity to see Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold
Thursday April 18, 7pm, 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.
To buy tickets:
You have two options:
Either
Call the opera box office at 403-262-7286 weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm and collect your tickets at the ticket pick-up table on the main floor of Jubilee Auditorium.
or
Purchase your ticket by cash or card at Jubilee Auditorium on the night of the Dress Rehearsal.
Note: You must be a CALL member to take advantage of this opportunity.
For more information, go to the Calgary Opera Rehearsals page.Questions: contact program@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:
- March 22
- April 19
- May 24
- June 21
- August 23
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.