Forums Archive
Events Archive
PHOTO CLUB
Photo Club May Photo ShootEvent Date:The UMRA Photo Club is planning a photo shoot at the Franconia Sculpture Park. Lunch before at the Taylor's Falls Drive-In, if you are interested. More... |
HIKING
Hike Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. PaulEvent Date:Join the UMRA Hiking Club for a scenic hike along the Mississippi River through Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul on Monday, May 15. More... |
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP
When will the Medicare Advantage bubble burst?Event Date:The overpayment by billions to health plans is well documented, and the fraudulent and surprising denials of claims has left some MA enrollees with large unexpected medical debt. This zoom session spreads awareness to rein in this privatized system and protect traditional Medicare funding. More... |
HIKING
Hike Moir Park in BloomingtonEvent Date:On Monday, May 1, the UMRA Hiking Club will meet at Moir Park in Bloomington for a 4.5-mile hike along Nine Mile Creek on grass, wood chips, and paved trails. More... |
BOOK CLUB II
'Empire Falls' is Fourth Friday Book Club selection for AprilEvent Date:UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will meet April 28 to discuss Empire Falls by Richard Russo, winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is a familiar story of shuttered factories, failed businesses, and a diminished civic and cultural community. More... |
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Experience the beauty and history of Pavia and Verona, ItalyEvent Date:UMRA members Pieranna Garavaso and her husband, Lory Lemke, will share images of their recent sojourn to northern Italy. Pieranna was born and raised in Verona and the pictures and information they will share come from their many trips there over the years, in particular its Roman monuments, museums, and churches. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
April Book Club IEvent Date:Joni Mitchell will lead the discussion of Elephant Company by Vicki Croke when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 21. More... |
HIKING
Minnehaha Falls hikeEvent Date:Our April 17 hike will be in St. Paul, walking to Minnehaha Falls and back for an energizing 5.5-mile hike. We did this hike in November 2021, and hikers loved it. More... |
FAMILY HISTORY
Telling the stories of the livingEvent Date:UMRA members Vicki Gaylord and Larry Rudnick will share what they have learned about gathering, preserving, and sharing the life stories of family members living today while there are still opportunities to do so. More... |
PHOTO CLUB
April Photo ClubEvent Date:“Domesticated animals” is the theme for the in-person gathering of the UMRA Photo Club in April. For those interested in having lunch together first, meet at the Great Dragon Buffet, across the St. Anthony Shopping Center parking lot, at 11:30 a.m. Newcomers are welcome! More... |
EVENTS
Mini Medical School: Aging and HealthEvent Date: -Last fall, the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs asked their Mini Medical School learners what they most wanted to hear from University experts, and the overwhelming majority said aging. In April, you can attend a Mini Medical School series of three lectures on aging. The series is free. More... |
HIKING
Take a hike—or two!Event Date:Welcome to spring, UMRA hikers. April is when the UMRA Hiking Club returns to two hikes a month, on the first and third Mondays of the month. We may still have snow on the ground in April, making urban paved and plowed trails a better option. More... |
BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club to discuss Louise Erdrich’s debut novelEvent Date:Members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will discuss Minnesota-born author Louise Erdrich’s 1984 debut novel Love Medicine when they meet via Zoom in March. It is a story of love and survival, of the comic and the tragic. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I to discuss 'A House Among Trees'Event Date:Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass when the UMRA Book Club meets on Friday, March 17. More... |
PHOTO CLUB
‘Staircases’ is the theme for March Photo Club meetingEvent Date:“Staircases” is the theme for the in-person gathering of the UMRA Photo Club to be held in person on Tuesday, March 14. Newcomers are welcome! More... |
EVENT SUMMARY
Cabinets of Curiosity: Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and MedicineEvent Date:UMRA has arranged an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine, including a meeting with long-time curator and collector Lois Hendrickson. This will be the second in UMRA’s new “Cabinets of Curiosity” series of visits to obscure and fascinating collections on the U of M Twin Cities campus. More... |
HIKING
Hike around the Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka SkaEvent Date:Let’s walk around Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska. Will meet at Lake of the Isles Parkway and 28th Street, on the east side of Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. The walk will be about 5 1/2 miles. More... |
BOOK CLUB II
Dystopian novel is FF Book Club selection for FebruaryEvent Date:Winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Orphan Master's Son is a dystopian novel set in North Korea that follows the misadventures of Jun Do, a North Korean everyman. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I to meet February 17Event Date:Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century when the UMRA Book Club meets on Friday, February 17. More... |
FAMILY HISTORY
Ways to engage family members in family historyEvent Date:UMRA's Family History Interest Group will meet via Zoom on February 15 for two distinct presentations, by Donna Weispfenning and by Jan Morlock and her brother Jerry Morlock, on ways to engage family members in family history. More... |
NEWS
Election of UMRA’s 2023–24 leadership to be held onlineThis year’s election of UMRA officers and new board members will be conducted via an online poll from May 15 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 23. Also on the ballot will be a vote to amend the UMRA bylaws. More...Published: |
VOLUNTEER CENTER
Silver Gophers volunteer to help children experiencing food insecurityNearly 20 members of UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps met as a team in mid-April to pack food for school children facing food insecurity at home in Minnesota. The food-packing event, held at the Every Meal Volunteer Center in Roseville, was superbly organized. It felt “good to be involved in a worthy cause,” said Clif Ware, one of the volunteers. More...Published: |
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Pieranna Garavaso and Lory Lemke's visit to Pavia and Verona, ItalyEvent Date:Pieranna Garavaso and Lory Lemke, retired professors of philosophy at UMM, took us on an incredible visit to Pavia and Verona, Italy. More... |
NEWS
Cyber tips & tricks—UMRA member portalThe UMRA Member Portal, also called our member database, is where you will make reservations for upcoming events, and renew your membership. Beyond those functions, the portal has additional resources that you may find helpful. More...Published: |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘Elephant Company’Event Date:Set in Burma after World War I, this “spellbinding” true story about James Howard Williams and his love for elephants provides lessons in courage, trust, and gratitude. More... |
GRANTS FOR RETIREES
Still driven to discover?Applications for UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees will be posted on the UMRA website this summer. It is an annual competition open to all U of M retirees, with applications accepted from October 1 to December 31. More...Published: |
VOLUNTEER CENTER
Silver Gopher Service Corps steps up to help fill the Class of 2027An enthusiastic group of stalwart retirees trudged through snow, ice, and wind to greet future students and their families on the University’s first-ever Newly Admitted Students Welcome Day, hosted by the Office of Admissions. More...Published: |
PLACE ON HOME
Time to renew your membershipSoon you will be receiving an invitation to renew your UMRA membership for the 2023–24 year. UMRA is an all-volunteer organization that depends on membership dues to provide a wide range of opportunities and other benefits to its members. We hope you’ll renew before you get busy with your summer activities. More...Published: |
FAMILY HISTORY
Telling the stories of the livingEvent Date:Larry Rudnick and Vicki Gaylord shared how they have worked with living family members to gain more information and insight into their family trees. Gaylord and Rudnick explained the processes they used and gave great examples. More... |
NEWS
HELLO, my name is Cathrine WambachMeet UMRA member Cathine Wambach, a recipient of the Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award. Her first paid job was as the organist and de facto choir director for her church—when she was in high school. More...Published: |
JOIE
You’re invited to share your stories of retirementThe open-access Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays, sponsored by UMRA, invites you to share some of your retirement experiences for an anthology to be published later this year. More...Published: |
NEWS
Member discounts for improving health and wellbeingSpring is a great time to take advantage of discounts offered to UMRA members by the Arboretum and the Center for Spirituality & Healing. More...Published: |
VOLUNTEER CENTER
Join the Silver Gopher Service CorpsService to the University and community is a key element in UMRA’s mission, and our members have frequently asked about opportunities to team up with colleagues on activities. In response to these queries, UMRA’s new “Silver Gopher Service Corps” is making its debut in April. More...Published: |
PLACE ON HOME
Professor, author, civil rights activist Josie Johnson honored with U of M Regents AwardGranddaughter Rosa Duffy and Professor Emeritus John Wright were among the many illustrious people who gathered on March 13 to celebrate Josie Johnson when she received the University of Minnesota Regents Award for “exceptionally valuable and meritorious service.” More...Published: |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘A House Among the Trees’Event Date:The fictional story and characters portrayed in 'A House Among the Trees' are based on the last will of Maurice Sendak, the renowned author and illustrator of children’s books who died in 2012 and left his entire estate to his longtime personal assistant. More... |