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News From CALL Mid-May 2020
Creative Projects
"Chickadees over a frozen pond" by Tony Campos
We were just beginning to know each other when the pandemic closed everything down. Instead of going on pause, we decided to meet weekly. We stumbled through our first free zoom meeting. It was exhausting and yet we all came back next week. Some goofy moments aside, we are now proficient on our various devices, capable of sharing a screen and using the chat room. We are adapting.
Creative Projects began in October on Wednesday mornings at cSpace as a sketchbook group. We renamed ourselves 'Creative Projects' to more accurately reflect the diverse interests in this group. We have set up an online group page to share our work and record our links. Before the Covid crisis, we enjoyed meeting in the North Treehouse Room on the first and third Wednesdays. Now we are weekly on Zoom … go figure.
We work on the principle that drawing is a skill that can be learned. Through learning to draw, we connect with our creativity and perception. We work on projects that intrigue us. Story book illustration has caught the attention of a few in the group. Others are interested in drawing as a meditative process, botanical drawing, and personal journals. We are beginning to realize that Zoom offers us new possibilities. But still, we are looking forward to meeting again in person however that may unfold. In the meantime, we draw together weekly. If you would like to know more, contact the facilitator, Barbara Amos.
The newsletter is showcasing our Interest Groups.
Please send submissions to newsletter@calgarylifelonglearners.ca
Health & Wellness Online Speaker Series
LINKages
Tuesday, May 26, 2020 1:00 - 2:00 PM
online via Zoom (CALL Members only)
Information and registration
Presenters: Ruby Lecot, Executive Director and Dianne Leong-Fortier, Board Member
LINKages Society of Alberta has been meaningfully connecting isolated seniors and youth in Calgary for 25 years. Ruby and Dianne will share the inspiring work and stories of intergenerational mentorship and engagement fostered through the organization.
From a single school/care centre visitation program in 1994, LINKages has grown to 15 long term intergenerational programs, community programs in all four quadrants of the city, and exploratory work into supporting seniors living with dementia.
ZOOM tip: If you are using Zoom from a desktop/laptop, you can remain muted throughout a meeting and hold down the spacebar when you want to unmute and talk. Quick, easy and no more fumbling to click the unmute button. Checkout the following link for details: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360000510003-Push-to-Talk
CALL Membership
The CALL membership year is September 1 – August 31, but we have always encouraged new members to sign up and take advantage of a special deal that extends their membership from May 1 to September of the following year. This year we are also extending the invitation for current members to renew at any time after May 1. The membership Team is well organized and will be happy to accept and process renewing memberships as well as new ones at any time after May 1.
Check the website for information including methods of payment for new or renewing memberships
Volunteer Opportunity
Secretary to the Program Committee
This role will commence at the end of July. The duties include;
- attending regular monthly meetings,
- preparing Minutes and the Consent Agenda,
- distribution of the meeting info package to Program Committee Members, and,
- maintaining lists of Program Committee “organizational structure” and members.
If you are interested in this posting please email Volunteer Coordinator and we will respond as quickly as possible.
CoVid19 Research Project — Opportunity to Participate
Dr. Meghan McDonough, University of Calgary, is conducting research on ways that social distancing has impacted older adults’ lives by disrupting participation in group physical activity programs. She is recruiting approximately 30 participants over the age of 55 to participate. Interested CALL members are invited to participate. Contact Lindsay lindsay.morrison@ucalgary.ca
More Things To Do Online
Our Mid-April Newsletter presented a long list of online resources. Here are a few more:
- Calgary Public Library During the Library's closure to help limit the spread of COVID-19, come join us online for some virtual programming! Free programs will be offered online for a variety of audiences in the upcoming weeks. Registration is required for some programs, and is being done through Eventbrite, after which you will receive a link to attend the program online. Check back often for new programs being added.
- Wordfest Happy Hour Complimentary Online Happy Hour conversations with best-selling authors from around the world. Pour yourself your favourite libation and tune into Zoom every Thursday at 5:30 PM (MT). Registration details at the link.
- Listen with Giller The Audible audiobook service is making Giller prize-winning titles free until June 28 2020. It's a good way to try out audio books. Listen while you spring clean, garden, walk the neighbourhood or exercise.
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Stratfest@Home With this year's Stratford Festival on hold, viewers can stream 12 of the Bard's plays through July. The films were shot during a live performance in front of a full audience, and this is the first time they've been available for free. Each film will remain available for a three-week period online. Here's the full schedule:
- “Macbeth”: May 7 – 28
- "The Tempest": May 14 – June 4
- "Timon of Athens": May 21 – June 11
- "Love’s Labour’s Lost": May 28 – June 18
- "Hamlet": June 4 – 25
- "King John": June 11 – July 2
- "Pericles": June 18 – July 9
- "Antony and Cleopatra": June 25 – July 16
- "Romeo and Juliet": July 2 – 23
- "The Taming of the Shrew": July 9 – 30
Your CALL Newsletter
The CALL Newsletter is our way to communicate what is going on in our community. Usually we communicate to members about upcoming events, however, since all CALL gatherings are postponed for an undetermined period of time, we decided to use the newsletters as a way to ‘peek behind the curtain of CALL’, to give some general information about CALL groups and members.
You are invited to send your ideas and suggestions for future issues to newsletter@calgarylifelonglearners.ca. Let us know what your Interest Groups are doing and your strategies for coping with this situation in which the whole world finds itself. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity; not every submission will necessarily be published.
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.