2015 Luncheon Reports




November 24

posted Nov 30, 2015, 9:25 PM by Amherst Club

November 24, 2015


Vice President Allen Hanson welcomed everyone to today’s lunch. 
 
Miriam Dayton was again accompanied by her daughter-in-law.
 
Tina Berins will be traveling to Mexico at the end of January and will be collecting reading glasses…….old and new……..to take with her.
 
Al Hanson asked that we take our nametags with us as he will not be carrying the box back and forth after the next couple of lunches.  There is no place to store the box near our lunch area.
 
Our speaker, Sara Scoco, is the Director of Women’s Program at SOLDIER ON.  She described the program as a non-profit whose mission is to end women veteran homelessness.  They have now 12 female vets in transitional housing. They provide full case management services including transitional housing, medical, mental and career help.  They offer complete gender specific care.
Women veterans in the program have lost everything….home, family, community, health.  95% have experienced trauma prior to going into the military.  80% have experienced military sexual trauma.  The women in this peer-led program need only have had 1 day of active duty to qualify and will stay 1 to 2 years.
 
Lou Ann Hazlewood (60) has been in the program since Feb 2012.  She shared her very moving story of a lifetime of abuse, bullying, homelessness, hunger, hurt.  She joined the Army in the late 70’s and gave 6 years of service where she suffered further hurt, fear, abuse.  SOLDIER ON has helped her find her voice as she recovers and bravely tells her story. Thru the program she is reconnecting with family, and building relationships with friends and community.
 
Joan Hanson (scribe for the day) won the wine.
Tina Berins won the money.

November 10

posted Nov 30, 2015, 9:24 PM by Amherst Club

President Andrea Battle called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, November 10th, 2015, and welcomed us all.

Andrea reminded the members that the club is collecting non-perishable food for the Amherst Survival Center this month – November being Giving Month. Please bring in food, money or supermarket gift cards next week. Andrea will collect them all and bring them to the Center.

Announcements:

November 11th – Veterans Day – and every Wednesday, Ruth Miller recommends wonderful music at the Black Sheep, 6-8 p.m. Eric Lee, a talented young violinist, leads a band of 6-12 musicians in a blue grass concert. Free, donation requested. 

*November 12 Classical Legacy Lecture 4 pm Leah Whittington of Harvard University will be presenting the UMass Renaissance Center’s annual Classical Legacy Lecture. No reservations. Free and open to the public. Refreshments co-sponsored by The Amherst Woman’s Club.

*November 13 Renaissance Games Night 7 pm - 9 pm A family friendly event with Renaissance board games, door prizes, and light snacks courtesy of the UMass Renaissance Center Reading Group. Reading Room.

Saturday, November 14th, Jones library Book Fair, 9 am- 3 pm. Come early for great bargains in books, CDs and DVDs.

Eric Carle Museum Picture Book Theatre 2015 – Sats. Nov. 14, 21 at 2 pm; Friday-Saturday Nov. 27-28 at 2 pm and 3 pm.  45-minute family program of dance and puppets, directed by Therese Brady Donohue.  Tickets (show only) $6, members $5. Save $3 off Museum Admission by purchasing a combination ticket. Call 413-658-1126 for tickets.

Sunday, November 15 at 2PM, Ms Halls School, Pittsfield, MA - Delores Jones-Brown - The American Cop Out: Policing as the (Re) New(ed) form of Social Inequality.  Dr Jones-Brown is a Prof. in the Dept. of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice at the City Univ of NY, and founding director of the John Jay College Center on Race, Crime and Justice.  From slave patrols to suppressors of the civil rights movement, American police forces have been used as the mechanism to insure that Blacks and other people of color are prevented from enjoying the "blessings of liberty" guaranteed by the Nation's founders. Today, overt police oppression is hidden behind language about public safety and maintaining order. Funds that should go to education and public welfare are spent on expanding police budgets and the scope of police power. Using police data from NY City as an example, this discussion will demonstrate how public safety discourse has masked the continued social oppression of racial and ethnic political minorities in the United States.  

Monday, Nov. 16, Documentary film, “James Baldwin:  The Price of the Ticket”, followed by discussion with the director and Trevor Baldwin, nephew of James Baldwin. Amherst High School Auditorium. 6 pm with refreshments. Free and open to the public. Karen Thorsen, Producer / Director. dkdfilm@aol.com    www.jamesbaldwinproject.org

Raffle:  Elsie Fetterman won the wine, and Bonnie Isman won the $10.

Speaker:

    Bonnie Isman introduced our speaker, Robert S. Cox from the UMass Library Archives on his new book “American Pie", on traditional pie baking in New England from the colonists onward. Robert explained that in the 17th century, pie crust was a tough container made of flour and water, without shortening. Its only purpose was to contain the filling, and well-to-do people did not even eat the crust, only the filling.  Along with other comforts arriving to colonial households in the 18th century, shortening was added to the crust, especially lard, and people began to eat the crust and value it for its flavor and texture.  Early pies could be sweet or  savory: Mincemeat Pie, which blends meat and fruit, is a classic example of an early pie. Early pies were valued because they preserved their contents in edible condition for several weeks, useful for mariners and hunters or explorers.  As well as classic pies, Robert also discussed “False” pies, such as Boston Cream Pie or Shepherd’s Pie – dishes which were not pies at all but were called pie. There were also “Mock” Pies – pies in which the filling mimicked some other food. A famous example is the Ritz cracker filling that mimics apple pie.     


Your scribe,                                                                                                                                                   
Linda Honan

November 3

posted Nov 30, 2015, 9:22 PM by Amherst Club

President Andrea Battle called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015, and welcomed us all.

Andrea reminded the Board that there would be a meeting today after lunch.

Andrea congratulated the Club’s Amherst Trivia Bee team, who once again won the prize for Best Costume, thanks to Ruth Miller’s fertile imagination and nimble fingers. This year their theme was “Lord of the Things”, with members representing the Lord of the Stings (Bees!), Lord of the Strings, and other rhyming lordships.  Our team was acknowledged during the Bee as being one of the groups who have participated in the Bee each year it has been held. The team also came very close to the winning score – and has hopes of actually taking the major prize next year, with help from the younger generation – Philippe Galaski’s daughter!

New Members:

Andrea welcomed two new members, Nancy Beswick and Ruth Hazard. Nancy Brose introduced Nancy Beswick, an extremely active volunteer in several areas in and around Amherst.  Claude Tellier introduced his wife, Ruth Hazard, who is newly retired from UMass Extension and looking forward to the next phase of her life.

 Guest:

A couple of weeks ago, the Club welcomed Elsie Fetterman’s son as a guest. He is Dr. David Fetterman , Professor Emeritus, Stanford University.

 

Announcements:

November 7 French Renaissance Harvest Banquet 6 pm - 9 pm Tickets are $75 per person, $125 per couple, *Student Discount* $35 per person. This banquet takes place at the Marriott Center, 11th Floor of the Campus Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Come for a festive evening of juggling, music by Nota Bene, Second Wind Renaissance Ensemble, and The Harper and The Minstrel, authentic French Renaissance food featuring ingredients grown in the Renaissance Center's kitchen garden, theater performances by the Young Shakespeare Players' East, door prizes, and more! Call Sonia at 413-577-3603 for ticket information.

The Roger Wallace Excellence in Teaching Award dinner will be held on Sunday, Nov. 8th at Amherst College’s Valentine Hall from 5-7 p.m. Ms. Jasmine Robinson from Crocker Farm School will be honored. Tickets are $30 and may be had from Andrea Battle.

*November 11 Five College Renaissance Seminar 4:30 pm Martin Mueller, Professor Emeritus of Northwestern University, will present on Digital Humanities and Shakespeare. Free and open to the public. No reservations required. This event takes place at 202 Johnson Chapel on the Amherst College campus.

*November 12 Classical Legacy Lecture 4 pm Leah Whittington of Harvard University will be presenting the Renaissance Center’s annual Classical Legacy Lecture. No reservations. Free and open to the public. Refreshments co-sponsored by The Amherst Woman’s Club.

*November 13 Renaissance Games Night 7 pm - 9 pm A family friendly event with Renaissance board games, door prizes, and light snacks courtesy of the Renaissance Center Reading Group. Reading Room.

Sunday, November 15 at 2PM - Delores Jones-Brown - The American Cop Out: Policing as the (Re) New(ed) form of Social Inequality.  Dr Jones-Brown is a Prof. in the Dept. of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice at the City Univ of NY, and founding director of the John Jay College Center on Race, Crime and Justice.  From slave patrols to suppressors of the civil rights movement, American police forces have been used as the mechanism to insure that Blacks and other people of color are prevented from enjoying the "blessings of liberty" guaranteed by the Nation's founders. Today, overt police oppression is hidden behind language about public safety and maintaining order. Funds that should go to education and public welfare are spent on expanding police budgets and the scope of police power. Using police data from NY City as an example, this discussion will demonstrate how public safety discourse has masked the continued social oppression of racial and ethnic political minorities in the United States.  Ms Halls School, Pittsfield, MA

 

Raffle:  Claude Tellier won the wine, and Ellen Kosmer won the $10.

Speaker:

Claude Tellier introduced our speaker, Chris Appy of the UMass History Department, speaking on his major research topic and the subject of his latest book, American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity. Ken Burns said of this, “Few people understand the centrality of the Vietnam War to our situation as much as Christian Appy." The critically acclaimed author of Patriots, Professor Appy offered insights into Vietnam’s place in America’s self-image. How did the Vietnam War change the way we think of ourselves as a people and a nation? Chris described how our national perceptions of our place in the world and in history have changed profoundly because of the Vietnam War, and during our lifetimes.

 

Your scribe,                 
Linda Honan

August 11

posted Aug 12, 2015, 3:27 PM by Amherst Club

President Andrea Battle called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, August 11th, 2015, and welcomed us all.

Andrea noted that there will be a board meeting today immediately after lunch.

Because this is August, when we meet only twice, there will be no meeting next week. The next meeting is on August 25th.

We welcomed our high-school community service award winner, Gabriel Fontes, to lunch today along with his Amherst Boys Club sponsor. Gabriel thanked us for his $700 award, and spoke with impressive maturity about his wide-ranging social activities, including working for women’s rights and for schools in Africa.  He is heading off to Brandeis University this fall, and thanks the Amherst Schools for his success.  He is donating the $50 we gave him for charity to the Literacy Club, where his grandmother is a student.

Announcements:

Isaac Ben Ezra is back in rehab at Elaine Manor on North Maple Street in Hadley.  He will welcome good wishes and visits.

August Activity - What: Tour of the Amherst History Museum

 Where:  Strong House, Amity Street (next to the Jones Library; limited parking is available). When:  Friday, August 14    Time:     2:00 PM

 Our host will be Marianne Curling, curator of the museum.

 Here is a great opportunity to get re-acquainted with Amherst's past with a personal guide.  Three Amherst Club members are associated with the museum.  Jim Wald is president of the Board of Trustees, Gigi Barnhill is a member of the Board., and Arthur Kinney is President Emeritus.

 Please let me know if you would like to attend.

 Larry Siddall,  For the Activities Committee

 

Ruth Miller reminds us to bring out a lawn chair to an open space on Wed. 12th night to enjoy the amazing Perseid meteor shower. There will be up to 100    meteors per hour after midnight.

Speaker:

Philippe Galaski introduced our speaker, Zvi Jankelowitz, director of institutional advancement at the Yiddish Book Center.  The title of his talk was Yiddish: Past, Present and Future; Tales from the Yiddish Book Center. Zvi is a native of South Africa, whose Yiddish-speaking family immigrated there from Lithuania. The Center now houses hundreds of thousands of books in Yiddish, as well as artifacts from the Yiddish culture and world. Because so many of the books were printed on cheap paper which is not holding up well, the Center is now working with the National Library of Israel to digitize all the 40-50 thousand individual Yiddish titles that remain. They distribute Yiddish books to other libraries, and to individuals who may purchase them.  As well as their work preserving books, the Center presents exhibitions, concerts and plays, and offers Yiddish language classes for which college credit may be earned through UMass Continuing & Professional Education.  The Center is open Sunday-Friday except on Jewish or state holidays.

Raffle:  Larry Siddall won the wine. Elsie Fetterman won the $10.

 

Your scribe,  Linda Honan

July 28

posted Aug 12, 2015, 3:25 PM by Amherst Club

Vice-President Allen Hanson called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, July 28th, 2015, and welcomed us all.

Note that the high-school student who received our community service award and could not attend previously, will be present with his parents at our August 11th meeting to receive our congratulations.

Note: in August, the club meets twice. This year, we will meet on August 11th and 25th. Therefore, we will NOT meet next week, on August 4th.

 
There is no speaker today, and instead, members are recommending summer reading they are enjoying. See the list below.

2016 Fundraiser: Barbara Freed told us she has volunteered to direct the fundraiser again next year as long as there are no changes to the format and procedures from last year.  Our date is set – March 19th- we have reserved the same venue and the same caterer, Seth Myers.  We have also contracted with the same musician, Paul Aslanian and his group.

Vivienne made a detailed schedule of the work flow last year, which is available to us and is very useful. Areas that still need volunteers to step up are Decorations and P. R.  Last year’s attendees were almost all from our own circle, very few from the outside.  

Announcements:

Celebrate Medicare’s 50th Birthday on Thursday, July 30th!  Short festive gatherings will be held with music at  Springfield City Hall, 36 Court Square, 9 am; Holyoke City Hall, High and Dwight Streets, 11 am; Pittsfield Federal Building, 79 Center Street, 12 noon; Northampton City Hall, 210 Main Street, 1:30 pm; Greenfield Town Common, Main and Federal Streets, 3:30 pm. For more information, contact Jackie Wolf, lwvahealthcare@yahooo.com.

Amherst International Folk Dancing every Friday at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House . On August 7th, Barbara Freed’s band “Panharmonium”, will play.  In the fall, the group returns to the Bangs Center.

Raffle:  Jacquie Price won the wine. Ellen Kosmer won the $10. There was a third prize today, a decorative plant donated by Nancy Brose, and this was won by Joan Hanson.

 

Your scribe, Linda Honan


SUMMER READING 2015

AUTHOR

 

TITLE

 

RECOMMENDED BY

NOTES

Druon, Maurice

The Accursed Kings

Philippe Galaski

4 parts of this 6-part book have been translated into English

Hatch, Peter J.

“A Rich Spot of Earth”: Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello

Ellen Kosmer

Detailed look at Jefferson’s introduction and use of culinary plants; introduction by Alice Waters. Beautiful photos.

Merullo, Roland

Breakfast with Buddha

Bonnie Isman

This was followed by Lunch with Buddha and Dinner with Buddha.

Nichols, Beverley

Garden Open Today

Linda Honan

One of a series of funny English village garden books from the mid-century. See also Merry Hall and Sunlight on the Lawn.

Smiley, Jane

Some Luck

Gigi Barnhill

This novel  is the first volume of an epic trilogy, with each chapter covering one year.  Award winner.

Urrea, Luis Alberto

Devil’s Highway

Honore David

Follows 26 men who tried to cross the border in the Arizona desert.  A stunning revelation of the trials of desperate people.

White, E.B., edited by Martha White

E.B. White on Dogs

Rachel Hare Mustin

The lighter side of the co-author of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



July 21

posted Jul 22, 2015, 8:55 PM by Amherst Club

President Andrea Battle called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, July 21th, 2015, and welcomed us all.

She announced an important date has been set: our 2016 fundraiser will be on March 19th!  Spread the word!

Note: in August, the club meets twice. This year, we will meet on August 11th and 25th. Therefore, we will NOT meet on August 4th.

Amherst Boys and Girls Club Awards

 

Andrea welcomed our guests from the Amherst Boys and Girls Club, who were  invited to join us to celebrate the presentation of awards to two of their young members, Gabriel Fontes who has just graduated from Amherst High School, and Zack Poulin, who is going into 7th grade at Amherst Middle School.  These two young men won the first Amherst Club awards for community action and volunteer contributions by a teenager.  

 

Gabriel was not able to be present, but his mentor at the club spoke movingly about his impressive record of achievement, both socially and academically. Gabriel felt privileged to attend Amherst High School for four years. His volunteer work focused on several organizations including Black Lives Matter and Schools for Africa, an organization he helped to found and of which he is president. The organization’s goal is to build schools in needy parts of Africa, and for this, they managed to raise $20,000.   Gabriel was awarded $700, plus $50 to donate to a charity of his choice. Gabriel chose to donate to the Literacy Project, where his grandmother is learning English.  

 

Zack Poulin thanked us for his award, and told us of his commitment to public service, based on principles he learned at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House.  His focus is the organization Not By Bread Alone, where he works most Saturdays helping with their meal service. He concluded his talk by urging us all to “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.  His award was $200, plus $50 to  donate to a charity of his choice.

 

Announcements:

View Lois Barber’s watercolors, “Birds of a Feather”, at the Village on Main at Aveda Salon, 213 Main Street, Northampton, till Sat. July 25th.  

Celebrate Medicare’s 50th Birthday on Thursday, July 30th!  Short festive gatherings will be held with music at  Springfield City Hall, 36 Court Square, 9 am; Holyoke City Hall, High and Dwight Streets, 11 am; Pittsfield Federal Building, 79 Center Street, 12 noon; Northampton City Hall, 210 Main Street, 1:30 pm; Greenfield Town Common, Main and Federal Streets, 3:30 pm. For more information, contact Jackie Wolf, lwvahealthcare@yahooo.com.

Amherst International Folk Dancing every Friday at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House . On August 7th, Barbara Freed’s band “Panharmonium”, will play.  In the fall, the group returns to the Bangs Center.  

Raffle:  Joan Hanson won the wine. Andrea Battle won the $10.

Speaker:

Philippe Galaski introduced our speaker:  Mark I. Nickerson, co-author of The Wounds Within: A Veteran, A PTSD Therapist, and a Nation Unprepared, is a local psychotherapist and internationally recognized expert on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).   Mark told us of his experiences with local veterans – and non-veterans, as it is recognized now that people in non-military violent situations may also suffer from PTSD. He told of one case from Belchertown, a young soldier in the Marine Reserves who sadly ended up as a suicide. Errors and failures in his case by the VA and others lead to improvements in the treatment now offered to others suffering like him from unresolved memories and suppressed emotions.  See  www.woundswithin.com .

 
Your scribe,                                                                                                                                                     
Linda Honan

July 14

posted Jul 18, 2015, 10:22 PM by Amherst Club

President Andrea Battle called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, July 14th, 2015, and welcomed us all.

Andrea discussed the idea of moving to the Monkey Bar to try it out for our lunch meetings. Because of the season, only a small number of members are attending meetings this month. Some of the members present objected to the Monkey Bar as a venue on the grounds of the difficulty in parking and walking to it.  Therefore, Andrea announced that we will postpone trying out a new venue until September.  This coming week we will meet at the ABC as usual.

 

Announcements:

Arthur Kinney reminds us that the Hampshire Shakespeare company presents The Merry Wives of Windsor outdoors at the UMass Renaissance Center, July 15-19, at 7:30pm. Please arrive early in order to purchase your ticket and take your seat.

The Youth Action Coalition is having a “fun” fundraising party on Friday, July 17th at the Red Barn in Amherst.  $25 with ticket, or $30 at the door. For tickets, call Andrea at 516-749-5056 or email andreabattle08@gmail.com.

Celebrate Medicare’s 50th Birthday on Thursday, July 30th!  Short festive gatherings will be held with music at  Springfield City Hall, 36 Court Square, 9 am; Holyoke City Hall, High and Dwight Streets, 11 am; Pittsfield Federal Building, 79 Center Street, 12 noon; Northampton City Hall, 210 Main Street, 1:30 pm; Greenfield Town Common, Main and Federal Streets, 3:30 pm. For more information, contact Jackie Wolf, lwvahealthcare@yahooo.com.

Raffle:  Elsie Fetterman won the wine. Andrea Battle won the $10.

Speaker:

Philippe Galaski introduced our speaker, Professor Scott Jackson, Extension Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Scott is working with colleagues on a report on the proposed Kinder Morgen gas pipeline’s impact on the western Massachusetts environment. In western Mass., it will mainly pass through Franklin County, which has areas of considerable environmental importance. In fact, the proposed pipeline route cuts through some of the most important terrain in Mass. UMass cannot take a position for or against the pipeline, but is merely reporting what its research finds are the probable outcomes of its installation. The pipeline’s existence and proposed route are governed by federal, not state, law. Whether the pipeline is needed is not considered by the UMass report.  When completed, the pipeline route will be 100 feet wide, allowing room for a tractor to mow along it on either side. It may be planted with grass, or with shrubs, or allowed to support wild plants.  

 
Your scribe,                                                                                                                                                     
 Linda Honan

July 7

posted Jul 13, 2015, 10:27 PM by Amherst Club

President Andrea Battle called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, July 7th, 2015, and welcomed us all as president.

Andrea announced there will be a board meeting today after lunch.

Announcement:

Saturday, July 11th,  Crafts on the Amherst common, free, to benefit Amherst Big Brother/Big Sister.

Raffle:  Kathy Masalski won the wine. Miriam Dayton won the $10.
Speaker:

Philippe Galaski introduced our speaker, Professor Rowland Abiodun, Professor of the History of Art and Black Studies at Amherst College, speaking about his latest book, Yoruba Art and Language:Seeking the African in African Art, published by Cambridge University Press. Professor Abioduun reminded us of the huge size of Africa, and the number of languages and cultures existing there. The Yorùbá was one of the most important civilizations of sub-Saharan Africa. While the high quality and range of its artistic and material production have long been recognized, the art of the Yorùbá has been judged primarily according to the standards and principles of Western aesthetics. Abíọ́dún offers new insights into Yorùbá art and material culture by examining them within the context of the civilization's cultural norms and values and, above all, the Yorùbá language. He begins by establishing the importance of the concepts of oríkì, the verbal and visual performances that animate ritual and domestic objects, such as cloth, sculpture, and dance; and àṣẹ, the energy that structures existence and that transforms and controls the physical world.

 

 
Your scribe,                                                                                                                                                      
Linda Honan

June 23

posted Jun 27, 2015, 11:52 PM by Amherst Club

President Roger Webb called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015, and welcomed us all for the last time as president..  Roger also ceremoniously handed over the mailbox key to incoming president Andrea Battle. Roger’s last official act was to lead the group in singing Happy Birthday to a mysterious unnamed birthday celebrant about whom he would only say “She’s 39 today!”  Thank you for a great year’s work, Roger!

Poem:

Jacquie Price read us a poem, “Thirsty,” from Mary Oliver’s book, The Place I Want to Get Back To.

Activities:

Vivienne Carey thanked Larry Siddall for leading the recent excellent activity, a visit to Mount Holyoke College’s Skinner Museum.

Announcements:

Arthur Kinney reminds us that the Hampshire Shakespeare company presents Romeo and Juliet outdoors at the UMass Renaissance Center, June 24-28, at 7:30pm and  The Merry Wives of Windsor, July 8-12, July 15-19, at 7:30pm. Please arrive early in order to purchase your ticket and take your seat.

Ellen Kosmer reminded us that the Amherst Garden Club Garden Tour takes place this Saturday, June 27th, from 10 am to 4 pm. The tour benefits the Strong History Museum. This year’s tour features eight members’ gardens, including Amherst Club members Susie Lowenstein and Ellen Kosmer. Tickets may be bought at Hastings, Amherst Books, and Hadley Garden Center for $20 in advance or $25 on the day.

Because this year is the centennial anniversary of the Amherst Garden Club, they are featuring a public lecture on Sunday, June 28th at 2 pm by Roger Swain, well-known former TV Victory Garden host, on “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Gardening.”  The lecture admission is $5 at the door of the Yiddish Book Center, with a reception to follow.

Barbara Freed reminds us that the Valley Light Opera and Amherst Ballet present their first-ever collaboration, Pineapple Poll, a ballet, and The Zoo, a comic opera set to Gilbert and Sullivan’s music. Friday June 26th at 7:30pm, Saturday June 27th at 7:30pm, and Sunday June 28th at 2pm at the Academy of Music,  Telephone: 413-584-9032, ext. 105

Raffle:  Andrea Battle won the wine. Ann Levinger won the $10.

Speaker:

Vice-President Elect Allen Hanson introduced our speaker, Professor Donna  Zucker from the UMass Amherst School of Nursing. Prof. Zucker explained that she has been working on the healing power of meditation, which is a subject that has been highly developed by the UMass School of Medicine in Worcester.  Researchers there have established a proven link between core brain functions and the practice of meditation. Prof. Zucker works with local communities including the homeless and inmates in the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction , two populations living high-stress lives – although, she noted, everyone’s life has considerable stress. One ancient form of meditation is to walk a labyrinth, an endless circle curving in on itself. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no dead ends: you keep walking to the center, and continue on until you return to where you started.  Labyrinths were known in the ancient world, and were incorporated in some medieval churches. Professor Zucker recently visited the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral near Paris, in France, and walked it while exploring the whole cathedral.  She found it extremely calming, and brought back the idea to the Hampshire Jail, where there are rehabilitative programs in sustainable gardening and crafts. The jail now has a labyrinth which some of the inmates walk as part of a 6-week program in calming meditation aimed at leading to better decision-making. The inmates report it as very strengthening: one said “As I walk in the labyrinth, I forgive myself.”

 
Your scribe,                                                                                                                                                   
 Linda Honan

June 16

posted Jun 27, 2015, 11:50 PM by Amherst Club

President Roger Webb called the meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, June 16th, 2015, and welcomed us all.

Roger noted that an experimental new menu was being tried out today by the ABC.  On Monday, we all had to indicate via Google our choice of either soup or salad, and an entrée.  Anyone who failed to order ahead would have to take whatever was available when they arrived.  People generally thought the food was acceptable, and are willing to try this system for a time.

The major substance of this meeting was a discussion as to whether or not the Club will hold a fundraiser in 2016, and if so, what form it will take. There is a desire to hold a fundraiser again, in the form of an annual event. Despite the reluctance of members to commit to large efforts for the fundraiser, there seemed to be general agreement that if the Spring to Life Cabaret is maintained in the same form as last year, with only very minor tweaking, and if committee chairs from last year are willing to take on their tasks again, then Barbara Freed would take on the task of overseeing the entire production again. Barbara wants to hear from all of last years’ chairs before she makes up her mind on this, so please contact her if you were a chair in 2015.

During the discussion, possible changes to the club’s proceedings were discussed,  including meeting at a time other than lunch (Zina) and including the Associate Members to a greater degree (Jacquie).

Announcements:

Thursday-Saturday June 17th-19th, evenings, Amherst Common – A Taste of Amherst! Yummy bites, no need to cook, come and enjoy! (Thanks, Phyllis!)

Friday, June 19th, 5:30-sunset, Kendrick Park.  Andrea Battle invites us all to join her and the Amherst Youth Action League for a celebration of the African-American festival Juneteenth. All kinds of fun! Potluck supper – bring a dish if you choose.

Every Friday evening  (except major holidays) join Barbara Freed at AMHERST INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCING, Bangs Community Center,  7:30 to 10:00 pm. Special event – on Friday June 19th the dance will be held at the Unitarian-Universalist Meeting House in Amherst.  Dancers at all levels welcome. You do not need to bring a partner.

Activities:

Friday, June 19th, 2015 Skinner Museum,  33 Woodbridge St.,  South Hadley2:00  PM. Tour by the museum's curator, Aaron Miller. He is on the staff  of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, which oversees the Skinner Museum. The Skinner is a fascinating place, full of a wide range of artifacts that Joseph Skinner collected on his travels. For more information, please Google the Skinner Museum.. The building itself is a former 19th century Congregational Church rescued from the Quabbin.  Please let me know if you would like to come along. It should be an enjoyable outing. (Unfortunately, the museum does not have a wheelchair ramp.) Larry Siddall for the Activities Committee, lsiddall@crocker.com .

 
Raffle:  Elsie Fetterman  won the wine – and was celebrated on her 88th birthday!  Vivienne Carey won the $10.

Speaker:

No speaker today,  to allow time for the lunch discussion.

 

Your scribe,                                                                                                                                                   
Linda Honan

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