Getting started: New UMRA interest groups
UMRA members are energetic and resourceful people. They have founded interest groups including the UMRA Book Club, Photo Club, Financial & Legal Issues Group, and Armchair Traveler. Even now (or perhaps especially now), they’re finding ways to connect with others.
Lynn C. Anderson and Craig Swan discovered a shared interest in researching family history. Wondering how many others might be interested, they hosted a session on Zoom in October and invited UMRA members to join them. So many participated and with such great interest, Craig and Lynn gave a second presentation in December, and are planning to offer more.
Virgil Larson invited UMRA members to a Zoom interest group, and within a few days had 45+ people of all experience levels ready to join him. Dorothy Marden and Maggie Catambay organized a second book club after learning that the original, long-standing UMRA Book Club is fully subscribed.
In response to all this activity, the UMRA Board asked me to draft a policy for recognizing new, member-initiated interest groups.
New Policy
Under the new policy, approved by the Board in November, the organizer(s) of a new group are asked to submit an application with the following information to the chair of the UMRA Program Committee:
- name and nature of the activity or group
- contact information for the proposers
- expected duration of the activity or group, and meeting times if known
- potential conflicts of interest for the proposers
- need for promotion through UMRA’s communication channels, if any
- need for financial support from UMRA, if any
The chair of the Program Committee will share the proposal with other UMRA committee and interest group leaders for comment, and then forward it to the UMRA Executive Committee for approval—unless the proposed activity requires a financial commitment or presents potential significant liability for UMRA, in which case the proposal will be considered by the full Board.
The new policy doesn’t apply to the activities of UMRA’s standing committees or to ad hoc gatherings of members that don’t require promotion in UMRA communications.
Is there an interest group you’re thinking of organizing with other UMRA members? I would be happy to hear from you. Please get in touch with me at [email protected].
—Jan Morlock, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
News
Make your own discoveries in Portugal in 2025 on this journey to medieval monasteries, fertile vineyards and cities that are equal parts history and modern energy. Deadline to express an interest is Friday June 7, 2024.
Spend eight nights in Madrid and Barcelona in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace the colorful history of the Canadian Maritime provinces for 11 nights in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend four nights in Québec City in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend 9 nights on the Douro River in Portugal in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace and explore Mexico City as it showcases all facets of Mexico’s national character in 2025. Deadline to express an interest is Friday, June 7, 2024.
Bright and bold living history awaits you in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: