Interest groups bring learning and joy of belonging
UMRA members who have started and convened some of our interest groups gave us a taste of what happens in their group and what they get out of exploring this interest with others.
UMRA interest groups offer joy in belonging
Tue, September 20, 2022, at 11am
Members of UMRA interest groups, including the Hiking Club, will speak.
Event to be held via Zoom.
If you’re new to an organization like UMRA, have been a member for a while but haven’t been involved much lately, or have recently lost a spouse or partner, attending a large event can feel overwhelming. You may think, “What if I don’t know anyone?” “Who will I sit with for have lunch?” “What if I don’t have anything in common with the people I meet?” If that rings a bell for you, UMRA’s interest groups, social activities, and University Retirees Volunteer Center offer a range of opportunities for trying something new, continuing to learn, and meeting others who share your interests.
Our September 20 Living Well Workshop via Zoom will feature UMRA members who have started and convened some of our interest groups. They’ll give us a taste of what happens in their group and what they get out of exploring this interest with others.
Shared interests
UMRA members have found ways to get together around many shared interests: reading and reflecting on books together, hiking, taking photographs, armchair travel, researching family history, becoming better informed and more skilled at managing personal finance, volunteering in the community, traveling abroad with other U of M retirees, visiting local and regional points of interest.
These interest groups, social activities, and volunteer opportunities are open to all UMRA members and are free in the best sense of the word. You can participate in as few or as many as you like, with no long-term obligation. It’s a great, low-key way to get acquainted with others and share the joy of new experiences.
Might you have an idea for an interest group you’d like to propose or organize? The workshop will also be an opportunity to learn how to start a new UMRA interest group and get tips from the leaders who’ve done it. The ideas are limited only by the enormous diversity of interests of UMRA’s members.
Please register for this Zoom webinar and join us from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20.
—Jan Morlock, UMRA past president
Upcoming Events
Many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.
John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21.
Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33.
Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, the presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion about what we can learn from our pets about facing end-of-life challenges and decisions.
The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Join members of the UMRA Hiking Club for a hike on March 3 at the Holland Lake Trailhead in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. It is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Our route will take us on an unpaved trail with some roots, rocks, and easy hills. It will be about 5 miles for 2 to 2.5 hours. We will meet for an optional lunch afterwards somewhere nearby (TBD).
You are invited to the March 5 meeting via Zoom of the Family History Interest Group (FHIG) for presentations by Will Craig and Laura Erickson on researching family history using local and virtual resources.
The THEME is Insects
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits. The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views.
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
Theme to be announced.
The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will interpret the holdings and bring out a sampling of what it holds. We will also get a tour of the caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K.
You are cordially invited to see Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, who will discuss UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.
Do you have a box or several albums of old family pictures that you are not quite sure what to do with? Or perhaps you just want to find out more about your ancestors and are not sure where or how to begin. This meeting of the Family history group will be an open discussion.