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.

Fall 2020: Update
Work on our Fall 2020 semester is rolling along. Please save the following dates - note we are starting earlier this semester:

Virtual Course Preview: THURSDAY, August 27, 2020
Online Registration opens: Monday, August 31, 2020

All instructors and schedules are being confirmed so the catalog can be shared in August. We anticipate 30+ virtual courses. To offer these courses, we need your help!

We are actively seeking and training Virtual Class Aides who will host Zoom meetings and ensure a successful class experience. If you are interested in being a Virtual Class Aide, please complete the 1-minute survey and then you will receive information about the training opportunities.


This survey is administered by SurveyMonkey. You only need to respond once if you are interested.

In the meantime, more and more of our year-round activities are also moving online using Zoom. Here are some of our Club Coordinators and Committee Chairs attending Zoom training:

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Annual Meeting
Thanks to all of our members who attended our first virtual Annual Meeting online and submitted their ballots to elect our incoming Board of Directors. Read all about it in this News post from our homepage:


The new Board assumes its responsibilities on July 1, 2020. Look for an updated link on our website, complete with brief bios, in our July issue. In the meantime, you might wish to read the "Get to Know Your Board Members" article featuring our incoming President, Tom Adams , that we published in July of 2018. 

For more meeting details, read the 2020 Annual Meeting Minutes.

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Ongoing Virtual Activities
We will continue to host virtual Clubs and Special E vents throughout the summer on Zoom.  Many of you are already familiar with Zoom but if you need help, our FAQ page has resources to help get you started and troubleshoot, if necessary:
Please note that Zoom is requiring a software update to its application that must be completed by May 30, 2020 so when you connect to Zoom, you may be prompted to update the application.

Clubs
In case you missed it last month - here's an update from all ten Clubs - learn which Clubs are still meeting virtually and which ones are waiting it out.

Zoom Hang Out
Staff will be hosting an informal Zoom hang out for members on Monday, June 22 from 10:30-11:30 A.M. Drop in! Come by to practice your Zoom skills, or just to chat with Encore Learning friends.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87070505708

To dial in by phone: (301) 715-8592  Meeting ID: 870 7050 5708

We hope to see you there! If there is enough interest, we may run more of these sessions throughout the summer.

Special Events

May 4, 2020 was the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. Kris McLaughlin, a Kent State University graduate, worked with the DC area KSU Alumni Club to present the  PBS film The Day the 60's Died. Kris and IT Committee Co-chair Marty Suydam introduced the film, and then led a Q & A afterward. The event was very well-attended and there were many moving memories shared from people who were students on campus at the time to Vietnam veterans like Marty, who was deep in the jungle and didn't hear about it until weeks later. 

Marty Suydam introducing the film on Zoom.

May is National Mental Health Month and we were lucky to have Kate McCauley join us as a speaker on May 15th. Kate's talk about maintaining healthy relationships during the pandemic was well attended and there was some very helpful Q&A.

Kate McCauley on Zoom.

For those who missed it, you can now view the  video recording.
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Did you know....

We have a YouTube channel. If you are looking for a recent video of one of our presentations and it's available to the public, it will be posted there. You can find our Zoom trainings, Special Events and Spring 2020 Course Preview videos at our channel. If you'd like to be updated whenever we post a new video, login to YouTube, then subscribe to our channel.

View our videos on YouTube
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Please Volunteer - Important Roles Currently Vacant

The Publications Committee is looking for a new Managing Editor. While Managing Editor sounds intimidating, the role is really less about editing and more about logistics and team coordination. You don't have to find a single comma splice! But you do have to be able to manage timelines, keep track of  documents and work well on a computer. The Publications Committee is a well-oiled machine and you will have lots of support.  Carolyn Gosling , the current Managing Editor, would love someone to work with her now as we prepare the Fall 2020 catalog, so that they will be ready to take over for the Spring 2021 catalog.  Many thanks to  Carolyn for her years of service in this role. Please send an email to info@encorelearning.net if you are interested and staff will connect you with Publications Committee Co-Chairs Millie Lawson and Jill Neuville.

The Special Events Committee is looking for a volunteer to help with publicity. The primary responsibility is contacting local media outlets via email or online form submission to notifying them of upcoming events. If you would like to join the Special Events Committee to help plan or promote our ongoing events, please email the office at info@encorelearning.net.
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Partner Events and Happenings
June 1  - George Mason University hosts: Social Inequities and the Disparities of Impact - 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Virtual event . Mason's  Institute for a Sustainable Earth's  webinar series on the Covid-19 pandemic continues.  Learn more and register.

From Arlington County's Office of Senior Adult Programs:

During this difficult and unusual time, Arlington 55+ Programs invites you to participate in our virtual programs. Book club readers, bridge partners, exercise students, discussion group confabs and sudoku puzzlers are just a few examples of how participants are meeting online to recreate and socialize. Add your name to receive the links to these programs and more. All are welcome. Email to  OSAP@arlingtonva.us to receive the news every two weeks.
 
A specific program that might be of interest, a Zoom balance class:
 
SAIL - Stay Active and Independent for Life  Exercising: improving strength, balance and fitness is important to stay active and reduce the risk of falls. The SAIL curriculum includes aerobics, balance exercises, stretching routines and education. It is proven to improve balance, mobility, strength and flexibility and to reduce known risk factors for falls. This Zoom class will be especially beneficial for those who have taken a SAIL class in the past.
Mondays, June 1 through August 17, 1:00-2:00 P.M.
Instructor:  Sara Pappa and other coaches from Northern Virginia Falls Prevention Alliance.   Registration in Zoom is Required:
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Zoom Reminder of the Month
There are multiple ways to enter a Zoom meeting. Here's a surefire way to get into Zoom, every time (especially if you can't find a link or it won't work):

1. Make sure you have the Meeting ID number and, if required, password.
2. Type  zoom.us/join into your browser
3. Type in the meeting ID and, if required, type in the password.
4. Follow any other prompts, like type in your name (first and last, please) and your email.

You're in! 
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Staff Corner
How strange to be wrapping up my first year as Executive Director of Encore Learning and be operating entirely virtually. The organization is all about connecting our members and I enjoyed meeting so many of you over the first eight months of our year together. And now I am meeting so many more of you online. We are continuously learning about how to make the virtual experiences meaningful and fitting with the Encore Learning mission. I welcome your ideas and feedback about our courses, clubs and events, as well as look for new ways to teach, learn, share and grow. 

Over 130 members joined us in welcoming the new Encore Learning Board of Directors who will take office on July 1, 2020. With the new terms, we say goodbye to dear leaders. Art Gosling served as President for six years and led Encore Learning through dues and registration changes, sustained growth, and transition. The sustainability of Encore Learning during this challenging time can be attributed to Art's calm and thoughtful leadership. We, the staff of Encore Learning, thank you Art.  We also want to thank David Rhoad, Jill Neuville and Jere Cummings for their service on the Board and as Committee Chairs.  Each board member wears multiple hats, as they lead critical daily ongoing operational functions as well as guide strategy and policy to serve the membership as a whole. 

Our staff are all working during this time, with no specific open hours, but checking email regularly. The best way to reach us is via email to info@encorelearning.net. Voicemail messages are checked once daily.

Lora 
Lora Pollari-Welbes, Executive Director
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Blooming Where You Are Planted
Member Ed Rader is working on his photography skills during this time of social distancing. Thanks to Ed for sharing these two photos, taken on recent walks around his neighborhood:



Share with your fellow members what you are doing to stay positive and connected during this time. Send us your ideas and some photos of how you're thriving during this period of confinement. Suggestions: cooking, gardening, reading, playing card or board games, exercising, having a virtual or phone chat with a friend - take a snap and send it in! We'll edit and then publish a compilation in next month's eNews. 

Email to info@encorelearning.net and include "eNews" in the subject line.  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. 
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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.

Ask friends to join to our  virtual  "Encore Learning Presents series   (normally held   at Arlington Central Library). These lectures , panels  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. Forward our emails to a friend - use the handy link at the bottom of each email message. 

Like us on Facebook
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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.
  • Save the dates:
    • Virtual Course Preview - August 27, 2020
    • Online Registration opens - August 31, 2020
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Welcome New Members
In April  2020, the following new members joined Encore Learning. Please be sure to give these folks a warm welcome.

Jody Clark
Lisa McCloughry

THANK YOU to all of you who kindly refer friends.
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Don't Want to Wait for the Next Edition of The Inside Scoop ?
     
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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 .


Teach, Learn, Share, Grow, Explore with Others 50+