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, 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
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has attracted substantial debate recently because it can be used in many contexts, including educational settings to do things such as answer exam questions and write papers. But what is generative AI? And how can we know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing? Law School Professor Daniel Schwarcz will enlighten us during UMRA’s Luncheon Forum on April 23.
UMRA’s spring Armchair Traveler Program from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, will take us to South Korea with Marilyn DeLong and to Germany with Lynn C. Anderson. Please mark your calendars and save the date.
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have Peter Moe, UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director, 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.