The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
October program recap: Members discuss UMRA’s future
Membership in UMRA is growing, a reality that prompted the UMRA Board to convene a Town Meeting-style discussion at the October luncheon to identify future activities and governance issues of importance to our members. Led by President Chip Peterson and facilitated by board member Jeanne Markell, the luncheon attendees were asked to discuss three questions at their tables. Following the discussion period for each question, table reporters were called upon to share selected ideas from their respective groups with the entire assembly. These and all other ideas will be written up in a report for use by the board.
Q. What are some ways UMRA members’ expertise and wisdom could be helpful to the U?
A. Some ideas presented: Find ways to be mentors to students and/or younger faculty and staff. Foster more intergenerational contacts. Legislative advocacy and networking. Fundraising. Outreach through connections beyond the U. Establish a scholarship program or study abroad fund.
Q. What additional opportunities for social and intellectual engagement might UMRA develop for its members?
A. Organize groups for campus tours and to attend local events such as Minnesota Orchestra and theater performances. Organize travel tours, both national and international. Connect UMRA with the University Retiree Volunteer Center for volunteer opportunities.
Q. What more could the U do to support UMRA?
A. Allow UMRA to communicate with retirees at retirement. Push for an UMRA Center; investigate the model of the Institute for Advanced Study at Northrop. Provide access to larger University space for free or at least for University rates. Continue the funding of research grants for retirees. Establish a speaker series on aging, open to the wider community.
An informal vote showed that most members present were in favor of aggressively growing UMRA membership. And when asked to choose from a list of items of what they value most about UMRA, most attendees picked luncheon programs with stimulating speakers, seeing old friends and colleagues, and belonging to special interest subgroups such as the photo and book clubs.
Chip Peterson concluded by thanking everyone and noting that he will use the president’s column in the UMRA Newsletter to keep members informed of progress in the board’s work on the future of our organization.
—Jean Kinsey
October Luncheon Meeting
Tue, October 24 2017, 11:30am
UMRA Board and Members
Town hall meeting:
Discussing the future of UMRA
Conference Room ABC,
Campus Club, Fourth Floor,
Coffman Memorial Union
At our October 24 luncheon, the UMRA Board will host a town hall meeting about your organization. We hope to engage everyone in a discussion of the purpose of the organization, current programming, and the future of UMRA in light of the growing number of retirees. President Chip Peterson will provide some global background information about UMRA (number of members, current programming, and current organizational structure), and Board Member Jeanne Markell will facilitate an open discussion focusing on what we can do to improve and expand your experience. While we think we have a solid foundation and structure, we want to make sure that UMRA addresses things that matter to you. In preparation for the luncheon, please be thinking about the following questions:
* What do you value or gain most from your UMRA experiences? Or, if you are a new member, what do you hope most to gain from your participation in UMRA?
* What could UMRA members and other retirees be doing for the University? Do we appropriately encourage support for and advocacy of University proposals, legislative priorities, and campus policies? How can the University better take advantage of retiree knowledge, expertise, and wisdom?
*What more would you like to see the University do for UMRA and its retirees?
* What additional opportunities for social or intellectual engagement might UMRA develop? Should UMRA more aggressively promote programs and events sponsored by other organizations (e.g., alumni association events, Campus Club, OLLI activities)? UMRA members have initiated groups focusing on special interests, e.g., photography, book club. What other areas would be of interest to you (cycling, hiking, travel)? Should activities/programs be spread more broadly across the Twin Cities?
* With the aging of baby boomers, the number of retirees from the University is likely going to increase. What would be the pluses, minuses, and implications of significant UMRA growth?
-- Jerry Rinehart, Program Committee Chair
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.