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 Message from the President
Dear <<First Name>>,
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
― Maya Angelou
Last November, it was noted in the Newsletter that we formed a long-range planning subcommittee, which is led by Eleanor Wieder, with members Carol Goss, Carmela Gersbeck, Mary McClellan, and Jill Lundquist, all devoting their time to our shared goal of making LLI the best it can be. Their task involves looking at similar work in the past, brainstorming any new questions, and meeting in workshops with representatives of our standing committees and associated teams. The results will be presented to Council with recommendations for LLI’s leaders. The last time LLI started such a review was in 2015.
What is your vision over the next one to five years? This is the first of the seven questions being asked. Most of us have sat in a job interview where we answered that type of question. Like that process, we are asking our committees and teams to think about now and the future. The goal is to make sure we are all doing our best work for LLI’s membership. The following question was not asked but underlies the point of this work.
Does what you do benefit LLI?
Of course, it does!
That sounds like an easy question to answer. And for some, it is. But what if it is not realistic?
It can be challenging to recognize limitations or biases in ourselves. When it comes to a committee or team, it can be even more of a problem, especially if groupthink leads to faulty decision-making. It can be easy to settle in and get comfortable. One can be easily convinced by their own righteousness.
I had the opportunity to observe the first workshop last month, where members of our communications team and curriculum committee answered questions and brainstormed ideas with the long-range planning subcommittee. I was impressed by the participants’ reflective practice and their willingness to adjust processes where necessary to achieve our shared goal. From my perspective, they answered the most important question resoundingly: Does what you do benefit LLI? Of course, it does!
We are truly fortunate to have very committed members doing such high-level work. Kudos all around.
Best,
Robert Beaury
president@lli.bard.edu
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A Foretaste of Spring Classes
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by Deborah Lanser
Get ready to start planning your spring class schedule when the catalog comes out on February 22. Once again, the Curriculum Committee has ensured we have courses on a wide variety of topics, from economics to poetry, US history to music, healthcare to hiking, and much more. Some of the most popular courses and presenters from previous semesters will return, while newcomers will add to the diversity of offerings. Zoom classes will be held on Thursdays, starting March 14, and in-person classes on Fridays, starting March 15. Registration starts on February 29. Here’s a foretaste of what will be on offer. And good luck choosing which ones to take!
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by Mary McClellan
The nomination period for LLI Council positions has ended, and we have a full slate of candidates. Voting will take place from March 10th to March 17th. Watch for important information in the March newsletter about the candidates and for the e-ballot.
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Meet Three WinterFest Presenters!
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by Susan Phillips and Carmela Gersbeck
The folks on the Bard LLI Communications Committee who come up with this newsletter every month are always interested to know how Bard LLI is fortunate to enlist so many talented people who are willing to share their knowledge and experience through LLI classes. Who encouraged these generous people to spend time and energy preparing an hour-and-a-half presentation? For some newer presenters of WinterFest classes, working with Zoom was a brand-new, and sometimes challenging, format. How did that go? Did they feel sufficiently supported by class managers, producers, and the LLI tech team? Was Zoom a useful vehicle for the information they had to share?
Here is a bit of background about three of our 2024 WinterFest presenters and how they felt about using Zoom.
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Illustration from Bard Center for Civic Engagement.
Bard Sanctuary Fund.
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A Letter from Jonathan Becker
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by Jill Lundquist
The Lifetime Learning Institute at Bard operates under the umbrella of Bard's Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), which does extraordinary work locally, regionally, nationally, and worldwide. Please take a look at their website to get a little sense of the fine work they are doing: https://cce.bard.edu/.
Jonathan Becker is the Director of CCE, as well as being Vice Chancellor of the Open Society University Network and Bard's Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs. In the letter to the CCE Board of Advisors that Jonathan sent as a new year's message, he reviews just a small number of the initiatives that are currently underway. Click here to read the letter.
CCE is one of the programs at Bard College that LLI donates to annually in appreciation of the excellent support they provide to LLI and the outstanding work they do. This year, CCE requested that our donation be directed specifically to the Bard Sanctuary Fund, which provides refuge and support for displaced and undocumented students. Please take a look at their website as well:
https://cce.bard.edu/community/sanctuary-fund/.
LLI member Jill Lundquist serves as LLI's liaison to CCE and, as such, is a member of the CCE Board of Advisors.
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Become a Tour Guide at Blithewood Garden
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by Amy Parella
Are you interested in being a garden tour guide at Bard? The Friends of Blithewood Garden are looking for volunteers to provide tours through the grounds starting in spring 2024. Blithewood Garden is highly sought as a Hudson Valley destination, as well as a popular local resource that inspires gardeners, artists, and all sorts of history, design, and landscape aficionados. As a garden tour guide, you will get firsthand experience in a historic Beaux Arts garden while interacting with the public and our visitors. Garden guides are essential to our mission of public outreach. Prior experience is not required.
If you are interested, contact Amy Parella at aparrell@bard.edu or horticulture@bard.edu. Come join us in the gardens! Stay tuned for more information on an upcoming training session.
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From Our Friends at the Bard Arboretum
The new year is an ideal time to focus on your health and well-being. Step outside and explore! The Bard Arboretum offers opportunities for everyone to foster physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Walk or run through your favorite areas of the Arboretum, snowshoe or cross-country ski on our trails or catch up with a friend during a lunchtime stroll around campus.
The Bard Arboretum is open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day. The Montgomery Place grounds are also open daily from sunrise to sunset, every day, free of charge. Use our brochures to discover more about the history and architecture of these historic grounds. If the weather is just too much, get inspired virtually with our free, online audio and video clips.
Click Here for a Montgomery Place Brochure
Click Here for an Arboretum Winter Walking Tour
Visit the Bard Arboretum Website
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by Cathy Reinis
With sorrow, we learned of the deaths of three longtime LLI members. Joy Gross was an early member of LLI who was very active in the Rhinebeck community. You can read about her many activities: Joy Gross obituary. Dacie Kershaw was a very active member, organizing courses, putting together off-Friday visits to horse farms, and many other activities. You can read more about her extraordinary life: Dacie Kershaw obituary. Lou Klein was president of LLI for several years and helped LLI document and improve its workings and its relationship with Bard. Lou was always an active community member as you can see: Louis Klein Obituary (1942 - 2024) - Kingston, NY - Daily Freeman.
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Council Notes for January 2024
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by Susan Simon
At the Council Meeting of January 16, 2024:
- Treasurer Jerry Brockett reported that we have contributed $25,550 to Bard since July 2023, with an additional $5,750 to be donated in spring 2024.
- The preliminary budget was reviewed in preparation for presentation at the May 2024 Annual Membership meeting.
- Council discussed LLI social gatherings and how to improve/enhance them for 2024-25.
- All open Council positions have a nominee; nominee info will be posted in the March 7th newsletter, and voting will take place via Survey Monkey from March 10–17, 2024.
- The spring ‘24 semester is set—stay tuned.
- The LLI Annual Meeting date is TBD (mid-May).
- The next LLI Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.
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Highlights of the Bard Calendar
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by Deborah Lanser
Bard will celebrate Black History Month in February. Here are some events that may be of interest.
Tuesday, February 13, 3:00 p.m. Tony Cokes: Two Works and an Archive. Two moving image works by Tony Cokes will be displayed alongside archival material from the John G. Hanhardt Archives at the Center for Curatorial Studies and the archives of the Hessel Museum of Art. Hessel Museum of Art.
Thursday, February 15, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. For the Love of Community. An exploration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy of civic engagement and social justice. Chapel of the Holy Innocents.
Friday, February 16, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Black History Month Showcase. Multi-Purpose Room, Bertelsmann Campus Center.
Thursday, February 29, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Open Mic Poetry Reading. The poetry will celebrate the contributions of Black artists. Attendees will also preview the Stevenson Library’s new collection of Black poetry. Stevenson Library first floor.
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Upcoming Meetings and Important Dates
for Members
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by Carmela Gersbeck
Tuesday, February 13: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.
Wednesday, February 14: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.
Tuesday, February 20: Council meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu. The February meeting will be held on Tuesday as the Presidents’ Day holiday will be celebrated on Monday, February 19.
Monday, February 26: The Communications team meets at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.
Sunday, March 10 - Sunday, March 17: Bard LLI voting takes place via Survey Monkey.
Tuesday, March 12: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.
Wednesday, March 13: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.
Thursday, March 14: Spring semester starts. Spring Zoom classes will be held on March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18, and 25. In-person classes will be held on March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, and May 3. Please note that there are no in-person classes on April 26.
Monday, March 18: Council meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.
Monday, March 25: The Communications team meets at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.
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This newsletter is a publication of Bard LLI Council. Communications Team Chair: Cathy Reinis. Writers and editors: Susan Christoffersen, Kathryn Clark, Felice Gelman, Carmela Gersbeck, Ann Green, Emilie Hauser, Alan Katz, Deborah Lanser, Jill Lundquist, Gretchen Lytle, Cristina Ochagavia, Susan Phillips, Margaret Shuhala. Photographers: Gary Miller, Chair, Carol DeBartolis, Carmela Gersbeck, Gretchen Lytle.
The opinions and views expressed in the LLI Newsletter are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of LLI or its members. In addition, any link to a website or content belonging to or originating from third parties are not investigated, monitored or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability or completeness by LLI, nor does LLI accept any responsibility for such content.
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