OLLILife

A community of learners over 50

March, 2024 | Vol 4, No.5

Our Membership Grows!

As March gracefully unfolds, we are reminded of the beauty of continuous growth and the power of community. It's a time for renewal, for embracing new challenges, and for celebrating the journey of lifelong learning.

This time last year, we embarked on an exciting journey with our membership campaign. And what an incredible year it has been!

Thanks to your unwavering support, we welcomed 503 new members into our vibrant community. Each new member brings fresh perspectives, diverse experiences, and boundless enthusiasm for learning.

As we reflect on our journey, let's take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to our growth – whether through spreading the word, gifting memberships, or warmly welcoming new faces into our fold. Your dedication and generosity have truly made a difference.

Nominate Someone Awesome

Now, as we march forward into another inspiring year, let's keep the momentum going. I'm thrilled to announce that we're seeking nominations for awesome volunteers within our organization. These individuals embody the spirit of lifelong learning and contribute selflessly to our community.

If you know someone who deserves recognition, please nominate them by March 8. Together, let's shine a spotlight on those who make our organization thrive.

So, let's greet March with open arms and a shared smile. Whether you're a new member or a returning friend, know that you are an integral part of our journey. Let's continue marching forward, embracing the joy of learning and the power of community.

Mar. 8 - Volunteer Awards Nominations Deadline

Apr. 26 - OLLI Membership Appreciation Picnic

OLLI Membership Appreciation Picnic

Mark your calendars for Fri., Apr. 26, at 11 a.m.

Plans are in motion for a Membership Appreciation Picnic!

Be on the lookout for upcoming details.

Plan to join us for food, games, and fun!

Are You A Numbers Person?

You Can Make a Difference On The Finance Committee

OLLI-USF's Finance Committee is looking for an OLLI volunteer to lead the committee. As Finance Committee chair, you will help shape OLLI-USF’s financial strategy by working closely with the OLLI-USF director, the USF Foundation, and the OLLI Board of Advisors.

Skills needed for that position include being a leader with a strategic perspective, an understanding of spreadsheets, and general knowledge of budgets.

Let your leadership abilities shine! Contact Bruce Gobioff today for more information.

Nominate an Outstanding Volunteer Today!

Our more than 200 volunteers are the lifeblood of this organization. Their efforts keep OLLI available and affordable for all of us.

Show your appreciation for an OLLI volunteer by nominating him or her for one of the following awards: 

--Award of Excellence, for an outstanding contribution to a one-time event or project

--Above and Beyond, for a significant contribution to an ongoing project

--Lifetime Achievement, for significant contributions to the growth and development of OLLI over the years

--Exemplary Teamwork Award, to acknowledge a significant contribution to OLLI by a team.

You can help us recognize outstanding volunteers by nominating them for an award. 

Nominations are reviewed and determined by members of our Volunteer Engagement Committee. 

The winners will be announced at the Volunteer Appreciation event this spring. They will be celebrated on our Facebook page, profiled in OLLILife, and featured in our fall catalog.

The deadline for awards nominations is 5 p.m., Friday, Mar. 8.

Please click here to submit a Volunteer Awards nomination.



---Diane Russell

Supporting Feed-a-Bull Pantry

Pictured are USF student volunteers at the Feed-a-Bull Pantry with a donation from the February Food, Glorious Food SIG Lunch Bunch. The group collected food donations for the pantry at their recent shopping trip and luncheon gathering in New Tampa.  See details in a related story below.  

OLLI continues to support the Feed-a-Bull Pantry with several SIGs collecting food donations at their in-person meetings and events. The Feed-a-Bull pantry provides supplemental assistance and support to students experiencing food insecurity.

Click here for more information on the Feed-a-Bull pantry and details on how you can help.

--Photo, Grizelle Aldea

OLLI Outdoors SIG Heats Up!

The Outdoors SIG’s first community engagement activity was hot - literally!

Members participated in Hillsborough County's prescribed Fire Festival by having a table at the event. As lovers of nature and our environment, the SIG's members understand the importance of prescribed burns to keep our vital natural areas sustainable.

We were delighted to learn even more about prescribed burns, including hands-on and live demonstrations. We loved seeing kids with their parents and grandparents. The alligator clingy stickers and butterfly bookmarks that we passed out were very popular. Adults were offered information about OLLI and other activities that we're engaged in.

We are proud of our community engagement and opportunities to support our parks and spread the joy of the outdoors – and OLLI!

First They Shopped...

On Feb. 13, 14 members of the Food, Glorious Food! SIG took a shopping trip to Lotte Plaza Market, a new, 45,000-square-foot mega store specializing in Oriental and Indian groceries.

Lotte's also features a remarkable vegetable and fruit section with produce from all parts of Asia and fresh and frozen seafood and meat. A food court featuring a South Korean-owned French bakery is also part of the market.

...Then They Dined

All that shopping makes a person hungry. The trip to Lotte's was followed by lunch at Liang's Bistro Asian Cuisine, located just around the corner.

--Photos, Arlene Zimney

Lunch With A Thai Twist

Twenty happy diners from the Conviviality and Celebrations Group enjoyed wonderful food, service, and ambiance at Thai Ruby in Tampa at their February luncheon.  

The group of OLLI members and guests meets monthly to celebrate and recognize birthdays and other special occasions. 

The next luncheon is scheduled for Fri., Mar. 15, at 1 p.m., at Breakfast Station (it does have an extensive lunch menu), at Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive, in Land o’ Lakes. 

All OLLI members and guests are invited to join in the fun. Email Kat Hanscom for further information.

--Photos, Kat Hanscom

Celebrating the Lunar New Year

On Feb.17, OLLI China SIG members participated in a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration held at Tampa Waterworks Park.

2024 is the Year of the Dragon.

The event was sponsored by the Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans.

At our kiosk, OLLI’s Ann Liggett explained posters on the structure of Chinese written characters.

China SIG Co-Leader Kun Shi drew calligraphy symbols of lucky words such as long life and happiness for all attendees.

Pictured left is Kun Shi with his calligraphy symbol of dragon.

Everyone enjoyed the dancers, instrumentalists and singers on the main stage.

--Nancy Stuart

--Photos, Kun Shi

 What Else Is Happening in OLLI? 

We would like to help share the adventures that are occurring within OLLI. Please send a picture and short version of your outings to the editors of OLLILife so they can help spread the word about your group. Not only would everyone get to learn about your event but it might interest members to join in the fun.

The Membership Committee has an article each month introducing a new OLLI member. Congratulations and welcome to OLLI’s newest member. 

Introducing Greg Pennington

Greg was born in Orlando and worked at Disney World in high school and college on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. He also played clarinet in high school. He moved to Tampa in 1985 and currently resides in Temple Terrace.

He has a degree in advertising from the University of Florida and completed additional course work from the USF College of Education for his teaching certification in social studies. He worked at The Tampa Tribune as a marketing copywriter for 13 years. Then he taught US history for 17 years in both Pasco and Hillsborough Counties, where he found great joy interacting with his students. He is still serving as a substitute teacher.

Greg’s number one motivation for joining OLLI was to participate in the Outdoors SIG with its many opportunities to enjoy nature, stay active, and meet new people. He is taking a few classes this term, including Inventions that Influence Everyday Life, Politics of the 2024 Election, and Roots of Rock & Roll. He also enjoys taking part in the Saturday Social on Saturday mornings.

Greg spends his free time going to movies and concerts (jazz and classical music are his favorites), bowling, and watching Gator football and Rays baseball.

Greg has a proposal for a new Local Culture SIG. Look for it in an article below.

--Shirley Herring

Are You An Early Bird Or Night Owl?

We all operate in different ways. Some of us like to tackle tasks right away while others want to ponder the situation at hand and get them done at a later time. The same is true for how each of us desires to rise out of bed and start the day. We usually fall into one of the following categories: early birds (also known as morning larks) or night owls. Very few people can be a mixture of the two.

Here are the differences between the two:

--Pat Dodge

Meet The Advisory Committee Chair:

A Conversation With Linda Feeney

Linda Feeney started her working life as a high school English teacher and later as a school media specialist. But those jobs were just the beginning of Linda’s varied career.

Over the years, Linda has investigated employment discrimination complaints in the Boston area and worked in human resources and regulatory compliance for a New England power company. She later joined the mortgage banking industry just in time for the 2008 financial meltdown. And, for the last 17 years of her career, she was a senior manager with the Ford Foundation, a global, charitable organization aimed at advancing human welfare.

She has met powerful and interesting people. To her great honor, she once shook hands with Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black head of state.

Now she brings all she has learned from these experiences to her role as chair of OLLI’s Board of Advisors. And she would like some of you to join her in this group.

What Is The Board of Advisors?

“Many people don’t know much about the board and what it does,” Linda says. “It’s a group of volunteers who work in partnership with Director Veronica Maxwell to ensure that OLLI remains the wonderful organization it has been for over 25 years. This means a robust membership, active volunteers, enjoyable programs and financial wellbeing.”

As chair, Linda is part of a team that also includes the chairs of the standing committees, leaders of working groups, and the Shared Interest Group coordinator. The OLLI director is also a board member but has no vote.

OLLI-USF is one of 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes around the U.S., including eight in Florida. What they have in common is that they must provide educational, volunteer and social opportunities for its members. How each OLLI does that is up to the membership group that runs it.

“There’s a saying, ‘If you’ve seen one OLLI, you’ve seen one OLLI.’ Each one is different” Linda says.

What Does The Chair Do?

Many of you may know Linda from the 15 literature classes she’s taught over the years. She has also been active in several SIGs and OLLI committees. She became board chair in 2023 after serving as vice chair for two years.

Now as chair, she says, “I’m like a ringmaster. It’s my job to make sure everybody on the board is in synch, understands what everybody is doing, and is working together.”

What About The Committees?

“While the board sets priorities, the committees and work groups are the vehicles for getting the work done,” Linda says. “They are also our pipeline to the membership.”

The committees include Membership, chaired by Pam Tyler; Strategic and Organizational Planning, chaired by Joan Weaving; Development, chaired by Kevin Chittim; Finance, chaired by Bruce Gobioff; Volunteer Engagement, chaired by Diane White; and Travel Opportunities, chaired by Board Secretary George Hyde. In addition, Earl Richardson chairs the Faculty Support working group. And Nancy Baily-Williamson is SIG liaison.

“The committee chairs select their members and determine their own goals. Joining a committee is a wonderful way to develop long-lasting friendship,” says Linda, who urges you to consider volunteering by contacting the committee chairs.

What Else Is Needed?

Because organizations grow and change over time, so must the Advisory Board. In the coming months, the board will be looking for people who are interested in developing a new leadership program to identify future committee and board leaders.

Other areas on the board’s radar include increasing support for OLLI instructors, coordinating efforts to retain new members, evaluating the organization’s marketing efforts, and, as always, keeping an eye on our financial stability.

That’s Where You Come In

Linda is hoping to see more OLLI members get involved in the Advisory Board and to open up the board chair position to all board members. “A good candidate could be a committee member, an instructor, or other active committed OLLI members,” she says.

In addition, the board is now seeking a new chair for the Finance Committee, as described in an article above.

The Advisory Board meets once a month in the OLLI offices at USF. Linda invites you to contact her if you would like to attend a meeting or have other questions about the board. You can reach her by clicking here.

---Sandy Buckley

Congratulations and welcome to our newest volunteers who attended the virtual Volunteer Orientation and Information Session on Feb. 23.

Top row: Kathy Palmer and Diane Russell, both of the Volunteer Engagement Committee, and Kevin Chittim, of the Development Committee.

Middle row: Boyd Ballard, Dee Dee Poole, and John Hassell. Bottom row: Barbara Byars (not pictured).

New Local Culture SIG Forming

Are you interested in participating in a new Local Culture Shared Interest Group?

Join a group of your OLLI colleagues to explore the arts, music, theater and local museums such as the USF College of Arts, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Tampa Jazz Club performances, Tampa Bay History Center, The Dali, etc.  This could be a long list with plenty of opportunities to see what our local culture has to offer and to connect with other OLLI members.

If interested, please email Greg Pennington.

SIGnificant EVENTS FOR MARCH 2024

Nancy Baily-Williamson, SIG Liaison

PEOPLE NEWS

Carolyn Clark is our Goodwill Ambassador, sending notes of support, congratulations and comfort on our behalf. If you or another OLLI member have a significant personal event, please let Carolyn know.

Send Us Your News

OLLILife wants to share topics of interest that pertain to OLLI-USF and other OLLIs in the country.

Send your article to ollinewsusf@gmail.com to reach your editors Sandy Buckley, Pat Dodge, Veronica Maxwell, and Kathy Palmer by the 25th of the month previous to publication. If possible, please send a picture along with the article as pictures help tell the story.