The Inside Scoop - for Members Only
 
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Welcome to  The Inside Scoop , our electronic  newsletter for  members only.
Please  enjoy this issue,  and  share your feedback  by email. We always look forward to hearing from you.

Get to Know Your Board of Directors

This month, we welcome our new Treasurer, Kevin Connors.

At Ayers Rock in Australia. Photo courtesy Kevin Connors.

1. How long have you been an Encore Learning member?

Since 2008! It seems like forever, but in the best sense of the word. 

2. What made you decide to join the Board?

To my surprise, the Nominating Committee reached out to me one day this past spring. I know that I have taken a good number of courses so it seemed like it was time to do something more for Encore Learning.

3. What is your favorite thing about Encore Learning, so far?

The range of courses and high level of instruction would be reasons enough, but the willingness of instructors to provide their services is impressive.

4. Where did you grow up?

I am a native of Irvington-on-Hudson, NY, just north of New York City. As you might guess, it is the heart of Washington Irving country and his home is nearby.

5. What else do you do in your spare time, when you are not volunteering for Encore Learning?

Tennis, tennis, tennis plus a ton of reading and periodic biking when I am in town, and traveling happily takes me out of town from time to time.

6. What's your favorite food?

Hard to pin down one favorite food, but Italian and Vietnamese food rank right up there near the top.

7. Share a favorite book, poem, or piece of music.

Many of the old TV shows had memorable theme songs/music so I would rank Rawhide, Bonanza and the Hitchcock show among my favorites, along with Blazing Saddles and the Magnificent Seven.

On the road in Utah in 2008. Photo courtesy Kevin Connors.

8. Who is your hero?

Take any of many figures in history, often obscure or little known, and they would rank up there, even though they rarely sought any attention. One particular individual who survived the Holocaust, Gerda Weissmann Klein, is an inspiration for her impressively positive outlook on life despite her wartime experiences, and she has since become a dedicated proponent of civic engagement and education. She is an author whose book became the basis of an Academy Award-winning documentary and is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

9. Where is your favorite place in the world to be?

Either at a baseball stadium, a tennis court, or somewhere in France or Italy . . . just depends on the season!

10. What is one thing you'd like our members to know about you?

I am the youngest of a family of six kids and have not only nieces/nephews, but great-great nieces/nephews!

News and Photos

The Cinema Club has two new Co-chairs, Lee Cooper and Kathie Burch. Welcome and thanks for volunteering! Here are some photos that Lee took at a restaurant after the film on the  Cinema Club outing in May.





If you subscribe to the Cinema Club email list, you'll be treated to Lee's recaps after the film. Here's her review of Rocketman, which they viewed in June.

How Wonderful Life Is While You're in the World
Rocketman
Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard

This wonderful biopic of Elton John was a rich cornucopia for the eye 
and a beautiful symphony for the ear. Born Reginald Dwight in 1947, 
Elton John was a child musical prodigy. When trying to break into the 
music business, a magical moment occurred: he was handed an envelope 
with a pile of lyrics. They were by Bernie Taupin, who became his 
lifelong lyricist and friend. I had always thought that Elton John had 
written his own lyrics but apparently Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics and 
Elton John wrote the music.

The most painful moments in the movie were his interactions with his 
horrifically insensitive parents. As someone commented, Bryce Dallas 
Howard, who played his mother, has made a career of playing nasty 
women. Also painful was his descent into drug and alcohol addiction.

Taron Egerton, who played Elton John, was terrific. Apparently, he did 
all of his own singing and it was fantastic. He seemed to be having a 
wonderful time and I think the audience had a wonderful time with him.

Rating: 4 (the group rated it from 3.5 up to 5, with the majority 4-4.5)

If you're interested in joining the Cinema Club, please email info@encorelearning.net.

Twitter Round Up

Did you know we're on Twitter? You can follow us  @EncoreLearngAr l
Several of our instructors and affiliates are on Twitter, as well - you may wish to follow them. Below are a few interesting recent tweets that mention us, some featuring members in photos. You don't have to have the Twitter application to see the tweets, just click on the links provided and they will open in your browser.

WETA tweeted about our volunteering during their Spring pledge drive:  https://twitter.com/wetatvfm/status/1131259218936438785

Arlington Public Library tweets about our joint events - here's one from the talk given by Rich Kauzlarich and Katherine E. Young: 


In April, our Tech Hobbyist Club met Representative Don Beyer while he was touring our host facility, the Virginia Tech Thinkabit lab. Instructor Jim Egenrieder tweeted about it:


as did Rep Beyer:   
https://twitter.com/RepDonBeyer/status/1117915890635431936

Staff Corner

Summer office hours are in effect now through Labor Day. The office is open on Tuesdays  from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. through Labor Day. Details are listed on our calendar . Please contact us ahead of time if you require a face to face meeting.  To reach us, call 703-228-2144 or send an email to info@encorelearning.net.

-- Patty Rowland, Office Administrator

Connecting Friends with Encore Learning

We're often referred to as the "best kept secret in Arlington." New members join mostly because they hear about Encore Learning from a friend.  When joining online, new members may enter a "Referred by" name. We look forward to thanking you here in the newsletter - see below.

Bring friends to our  "Encore Learning Presents" series at Arlington Central Library. These lectures and films are open to the public and a great way for prospective members to learn more about us. Details can always be found in our list of upcoming  Special Events.

Share on social media. When you simply like our Facebook page or share our Facebook posts and events to your social network, it's a huge help.

Like us on Facebook

Announcements
  • Volunteers are always needed. If you'd like to get more involved, please email us.
  • Check our calendar for Special Events, Club meetings, and office holiday closures.
Welcome New Members

In May  2019, the following new members joined Encore Learning. Please be sure to give these folks a warm welcome.

Sabrina Brassard
Katherine Mattos
Suzanne McIntosh

And Thank You to the following for the referral:

Jan Kennemer

Please email the office with any corrections.

Photos, Photos, Photos...

We all love looking at them and it seems we can never get enough here in the office. Please share your photos of Encore Learning activities with us. The higher the resolution of the photo, the better (1 MB or higher). Shots taken on your mobile phone are great! Just email them to us and if we use your photos, we will make sure to acknowledge you as the photographer. We can't use thumbnails, though, so please check your photo size settings prior to emailing.

Don't Want to Wait for the Next Edition of The Inside Scoop?

 

Donations are Always Welcome

Encore Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Any donation is a charitable contribution deductible from income tax to the full extent permitted by law. Members, friends and organizations wishing to support Encore Learning may direct contributions to our  General Fund  or to our  Arlington Youth Scholarship .

We hope you enjoyed this edition of  The Inside Scoop . If you would like to submit an article or share some photos of members participating in Encore Learning activities, please email Beth Dowd: info@encorelearning.net .
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