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News From CALL May 2024
Sculpture in front of TC Energy building called Weaving Fence and Horn, photographed by Nick from the Digital Photography Group
President’s Message
- Barbara Decker Pierce, CALL President
April is Volunteer Month and as an organization we have a lot to celebrate. I’m sure you have heard us say many times before that we couldn’t offer CALL programming without the contributions of our wonderful volunteers. We recently held a special event for volunteers so we could learn about the Japanese art of Ikigai, which is to learn one’s life’s worth. It was a way to thank and further inspire the many of you who stepped up during the dark days of the COVID pandemic. You gave of your time and your talents so we could continue to provide amazing programming under challenging circumstances. Thank you!
Now, the organization is beginning to grow again. We see new members stepping up to take on volunteer roles. This can only be a good thing for CALL. Thank you!
Please be assured that the contributions of all our volunteers are recognized, are appreciated, and are valued. In this organization you matter – in this organization you make a difference. Thank you!
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| Tim Tamashiro is a jazz singer, speaker, and former national radio host who inspired CALL volunteers to find their true purpose in life, doing what they love, are good at, and is important to society. | Volunteers enjoyed and were inspired by Tim’s call to find what most delights us. |
May Events
Science & Environment
Stormwater Management
Tuesday, May 7, 7:30 pm Online via Zoom
Speaker: Kyle White
Stormwater is the water from rainstorms and melting snow that flows into storm drains in the road and is carried through an underground pipe system to our rivers. Stormwater from snowmelt and rain enters the Bow and Elbow rivers without going through a treatment plant, so there is a requirement to ensure the water draining into the rivers is clean.
Kyle White is the program strategist supporting the implementation of Calgary’s recently approved Stormwater Strategy. Kyle will describe how the city’s stormwater management system reduces the impact of flooding, pollution and stream erosion through practices that improve the quality and decrease the volume of stormwater entering our rivers.
Registration required. For more information and to register, go to the Science & Environment page.
Health and Wellness
Acting our Age
Monday, May 13 1:30–3:00 pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Facilitator: Molly McDonald
"Acting our Age" is a senior drama group committed to bringing joy and laughter to our audiences. As we age, we often have to deal with changes to our physical bodies that affect our mental and emotional well-being. So a fun and effective way to strengthen our mental and emotional well-being is simply to laugh. Laughing at something funny is such a simple act, but it offers a wide variety of benefits – from relieving stress and muscle tension to improving cardio-respiratory functioning. To quote Charlie Chaplin, "A day without laughter is a day wasted". We sincerely hope that our performance will bring you a bit of that necessary daily dose of "laughter medicine".
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
Treks & Travels
Exploring the South Atlantic and Antarctica
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 7:30 pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speaker: Fred Swaine
The wildlife, history and topography of Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands will be highlighted from a journey between southern Argentina and Antarctica. The presentation will include photos of the wildlife as well as a discussion of a portion of Shackleton’s voyage.
Fred Swaine is an avid adventurous traveller who enjoys exploring various areas of our planet, along with different cultures.
No registration required. Members of the public are welcome to attend at a cost of $5, payable at the door.
CALL Café
10 Strategies for Building a Family Tree
Tuesday, May 21, 1:00–3:00 pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, Scott Hall
Speaker: Tara Shymanski
Are you researching your family tree and want to do it right? This session will provide 10 strategies to increase the odds that your tree is accurate. The strategies include where to start, how to keep track of and organize your research, and how to analyze the records you find.
Practising these strategies will give you confidence as your family tree is extended. This presentation will benefit new and not so new genealogy researchers.
Our presenter, Tara Shymanski, is a professional genealogy speaker and presenter. As a teenager, she listened to stories about her ancestors and wanted to learn more about them. She was hooked.
This keen interest spurred her to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in History and to continue her education by receiving a Certificate in Canadian Records from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.
Members must register to attend and can bring up to four guests for this presentation. Refreshments and socializing from 1 to 1:30 with the presentation to follow in Scott Hall.
For more information and to register, go to the CALL Café page.
Intergenerational Speaker Series – Event 5
Pathways to Nature: Connectedness to Health
May 22, 2024, 11:00 am–1:00 pm Lincoln Park Room. Mt. Royal University
Speaker: Sonya Jakubec
This will be the fifth and final event of the 2023-24 Intergenerational Speaker Series. Join us to learn about the role nature plays in our health and wellbeing. Taking time to breathe in the air, feel the sun and wind, visit special waters or landscapes, or look at plants and animals can all make important contributions. The place of parks and nature in the cycles of life is universally valued.
Sonya Jakubec is an RN, PhD who will share evidence that parks and nature offer a valuable intervention for people of all abilities across the lifespan. Stories and exploration of pathways to nature connectedness will inspire you to incorporate nature more intentionally into your health practices – and everyday life!
Register at https://sites.google.com/mtroyal.ca/igss/events.
Special Programs
Call to the Garden
Waterwise Gardening and Drought Tolerant Plants
This year, CALL to the Garden will meet the 2nd Thursday morning of each month between May and August. Our first session on May 9th will include a visit to the Calgary Horticultural Society.
For more information and to register go to the Call to the Garden page.
April Blog Post
I Volunteer Because
- Maureen Osis, CALL Communications Team
As April 14 - 20 is National Volunteer Week, CALL thanked our volunteers at a special event on April 16th.
CALL is a unique lifelong learning organization that depends entirely on volunteers. To emphasize, all the programming and the behind-the-scenes contributions are done by volunteers.
Across Canada, volunteers contributed approximately 2.5 billion hours in 2018. Without this contribution, most charities and non-profits would not be able to offer their services.
But did you know that volunteering also has many benefits for the volunteer?
In this month’s post, read more about the health and personal benefits shared by some members of CALL. Also learn more about micro‑volunteering!
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-Volunteer-Because 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:
- May 24
- June 21
- August 23
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.