Welcome to our fifth edition of
The Inside Scoop
, our electronic
newsletter
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or members only.
Please
enjoy this issue,
and
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eedback by emailing
Committee Spotlight: Publications
The Publications Committee is comprised of two co-chairs, a managing editor and members of the standing committee. Working in collaboration with the Academic Programs Committee and Encore Learning staff, we prepare, publish and distribute the Encore Learning course catalogs twice per year. Each catalog contains 30 or more college-level non-credit courses as well as general information about the organization including opportunities to volunteer, participate in club activities and special events.
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Publications Co-Chairs Millie Lawson and Jill Neuville
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The co-chairs of the Publications Committee solicit bids for graphic design and printing and, with the managing editor, proof the drafts received from the graphic designer. The managing editor coordinates the editing and proofing work done by the members of the standing committee, who take the course proposals submitted by the Academic Programs Committee and prepare them for submission to the managing editor. Our goal is to present a professional level course catalog that entices members and non-members to become involved in the organization by taking a course, volunteering to serve on a committee, joining a club or enjoying a special event.
We are always looking for volunteers for our varied tasks, all of which can be done from home with a computer. Please contact the Volunteer Committee Chair, Steven Shapiro, through the Encore Learning office at info@encorelearning.net if you are interested in joining us to produce the course catalog.
Get to Know Your Board of Directors
In each edition,
we f
eature different members on our Board of Directors. Our Treasurer, John Morton, tells you a little about himself below.
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Treasurer John Morton
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I was born in Evanston Illinois, the first suburb north of Chicago and the home of Northwestern. Evanston had one of the best public school systems in the country-much like Arlington-and I had several inspiring teachers and decided I wanted to become one myself. However, after getting doctorate in economics at the end of the 1960s, I was faced with a glut on the college teacher market, and instead started what became a career as an international economist at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington. It was a wonderful place to work, and I still have lunch with former colleagues every week. (We hardly ever talk about economics.)
After retirement, I have been able to more fully indulge my lifelong passion for reading and books. One of my favorite authors is Anthony Powell (pronounced "pole") who wrote a series of twelve comic novels called
A Dance to the Music of Time. Powell is not to everyone's taste, but I never seem to get tired of revisiting his world. I also enjoy listening to classical music and opera. I have developed something of an obsession with Richard Wagner's four Ring Cycle operas and have attended ten different performances of The Ring at various venues around the world. I thought I would stop at ten - a good round number - but I haven't been able to resist signing up for the San Francisco Opera's Ring next year. An interest in British history and art led me into studying, and then collecting, the satirical prints of James Gillray who was active around 1800 in England. I have had great fun acquired over 150 of his prints, but am now in the process of donating them to a museum. For many years, I was an avid biker on the W&OD trail. I am no gourmet, but my wife and I have enjoyed the ethnic restaurants in and around Arlington. I'm not sure what I would choose for all of my last meal, but dessert would definitely be flan from Nam Viet in Clarendon.
I joined Encore Learning due to the persistent prodding of former Encore Learning Vice President and friend Mike Morton (no relation). It's been a great opportunity to learn something about subjects totally new to me. At the urging of my wife, who thinks that I am involved in too many activities, I try to ration myself to two courses a semester, but it is not easy. The best part of serving as Treasurer has been the opportunity to work with the other members of the Board, Encore Learning's excellent staff and its many volunteers. The downside has been trying to learn how to navigate the intricacies of QuickBooks.
More News and Photos
Check out the following stories on our
website:
Library Lecture Devotee? Comfortable with Audio Visual systems?
If you answered yes to both questions -
we need you! Central Library has installed a new AV system and we need a few dedicated volunteers to be trained on how to use it, and then attend the monthly library lectures and assist our speakers. The training will be held at Central Library on Monday, October 23 from 12-1:00 P.M. The Meet-the-Speaker Series lectures are held on various Mondays from 3-4:30 P.M. Please
contact the office if you can help out.
AASP's September 30th Brain Health Event
Encore Learning board member Ed Rader represented us at this event, where instructors Nort Beckerman and Dwight Rodgers were speakers.
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Instructor Nort Beckerman talks with an attendee.
Photo courtesy of Ed Rader.
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Instructor Dwight Rodgers. Photo courtesy of Ed Rader.
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WiFi at George Mason
If you have classes at Founders Hall of George Mason University's Arlington campus, you may wish to access the free campus Wi-Fi system. As always, please be conscious of those around you when using tablets and laptops in the classroom. Please set phone to mute or turn it off to avoid disturbing the flow of class.
Detailed instructions from our hosts at Mason are online at GUEST NETWORK ACCESS.
For those interested, the basic steps are:
- On your device, select MASON as your wireless network
- Go to your web browser and enter itservices.gmu.edu
- The self-registration portal will appear
- Click on Create an Account and enter your information to complete the self-registration
If you have an issue,
assistance for all campus IT Services is available through Mason's ITS Support Center: 703-993-8870. Encore Learning is unable to offer support for Mason Wi-Fi.
Staff Corner
Our fall Course Preview at NRECA was a resounding success with over 30 instructors presenting to a large crowd of current and potential members. Our courses began filling as expected promptly at 10 A.M. on September 11, the first day of registration.
Kudos to those who wisely followed the catalog and website suggestions to be prepared and to renew in advance.
With some classroom reassignments, we were able to accommodate many off the waitlists as well. Thanks to all who patiently waited while we eked out every last bit of space available to us. We still have seats in many courses, some which start in mid-October or later. Don't miss out on a terrific semester of challenging, new, and popular academic courses.
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Fall Course Preview. Photo courtesy of Mike Morton.
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Enrolled already? Your
classroom may have changed since you registered.
Please
check online
to verify where your class is being held. Log in and select My
Activities
for up-to-date classroom number and class times. While there, you can also
View Class Media
if any has been posted for your course. Or select the course name to access additional logistics, scrolling to the bottom for skip dates, make-up sessions, etc. Detailed instructions on all these options are available on our website.
Fall Semester: By the Numbers
- Courses offered: 32
- Seats filled: 1074
- Seats still available: 319
- Locations offered: 4
- Smallest class size: 8
- Largest class size: 70
- Members enrolled in courses: 578
- Greatest number of fall courses taken by one member: 7 (!)
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. 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.
Help Spread the Word!
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. Do you have time to help spread the word about our wonderful organization?
No time for meetings? No problem! Help Beth share our news via social media - either Facebook, NextDoor or occasionally your neighborhood email group. Just email the office and let Beth know you're willing to help.
Refer a friend. When joining online, new members may enter a "Referred by" name. We look forward you to thanking you here in the newsletter - see below!
Bring friends to our "Meet the Speaker" series at Arlington Central Library. These events are open to the public and a great way for prospective members to learn more about us.
Anyone can do it! When you simply like our Facebook page or share our Facebook posts to your social network, it's a huge help!
Announcements
- Volunteers are always needed. If you'd like to get more involved, please email info@encorelearning.net.
- Check your email for updated course information from your class aides
Welcome New Members!
In September 2017,
67 new members joined Encore Learning. Please be sure to give these folks a warm welcome.
John Baker
Holly Baker
Anne Baxter
BP Beach
Deborah Beck
Dawn Bennett
Robert Berry, Jr.
Virgil Bodeen
Peg Boyne
Judith Chammas
Lincoln Cummings
Sara DeWalt
Dru Dowdy
Hamzah Edrees
Edward Eisen
Miu Eng
Keith Fairbrother
James Freund
Melvin Goldberg
Robert Gottel
Holly Hambley
Diane Heim
Sandra Heistad
Newell Highsmith
Panida Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Sheila Jefferson
Randy Kerr
Marti Klein
Elly Gardner Kluge
Sheila Kronenberg
John Kudless
Carolyn Lathey
Jonathan Lathey
Laura Leussing
Christine Levesque
Margaret Linn
Nubia Lopez
Richard Mayer
Mary Melley
Ken Melley
Pam Meredith
Susan Montevere
Glenn Mucklow
Gary Nordlinger
Diane Perry
Carol Petrosky
Marie-Claude Pippitt
Claire Pitzer
John Pitzer
Desiree Reynolds
Robert Reynolds
Barbara Rovin
Mark Rubin
Sonia Scadden
Lawrence Scadden
Geraldine Shannon
Ann Sharp
Hilda Sheffer
Susan Sherry
Pat Simpich
Steven Svartz
Robert Swan
Wendy Swanson
Gail Woolwine
Peter Yang
Alex Yellin
And a huge Thank You to the following members and instructors for referring friends and family:
Syd Boyne
Sharon Bisdee
Pat and Bob Chatten
Becky Fehrs
Julie Gentry
Frederick Jackson
Ann Knaupp
Clara Miller
Carol Mullen
Ed Rader
Barbara Sakamoto
Sharon Schumacher
Paul Sherry
Larry Suiters
Steve Svartz
Martha Trunk
Verne Vance
Bayla White
Please email the office with any corrections.
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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