Interest Groups

All Interest Groups articles are collected here.

Fourth Friday Book Club October meeting

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The 19th-century novel Notes from the Underground is the selection for the meeting of UMRA's Fourth Friday Book Club on October 28.

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Notes from the Underground, book cover

Korea and Japan: September 2022 Armchair Traveler

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At this presentation, we traveled to South Korea with Marilyn DeLong and to Japan with Kathy Jensen and Gary Engstrand.

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Photo Club to meet March 12

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The March meeting of UMRA’s Photo Club will begin with a presentation on photo composition by photojournalist David Hansen. 

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Book Notes | The Personal Librarian

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This historical novel tells a compelling story about the archivist and librarian who developed the Pierpont Morgan Library into a world-class collection in the early 20th century and kept secret her African American heritage her whole professional life.

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The Personal Librarian

Tax Efficient Distributions to Family and Charities

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Todd J. Koch, CPA, MBT, CFP /JAK Partner, has again invited UMRA members to attend the year-end tax planning presentation for JAK clients.

You may review the fall 2021 presentation recording and slides
Please start at 00:01:51 due to technical issues.

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'Perspective' is the theme for October Photo Club meeting

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The UMRA Photo Club welcomes all UMRA members with an interest in photography. "Perspective" is the theme for October 11.

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Fourth Friday Book Club September meeting

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The Russian classic Fathers and Sons is the selection for the Fourth Friday Book Club meeting in September.

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Fathers and Sons, book cover

Photo Club to meet in person

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“Clouds” will be the theme when the UMRA Photo Club meets in September. Cue the Joni Mitchell music!

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Horizon was the theme of the July 2022 meeting of the UMRA Photo Club. Photo: Dave Holets

UMRA interest groups offer joy in belonging

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Our September workshop will feature UMRA members who have started and convened some of our interest groups, including the UMRA Hiking Club. They’ll give us a taste of what happens in their group and what they get out of exploring this interest with others.

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Our September workshop will feature UMRA members who have started and convened some of our interest groups, including the UMRA Hiking Club.

Book Notes | 'Hamnet'

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Most members of the UMRA Book Club liked this historical novel. Set in both the 1500s and the present, it tells the story of William and Agnes Shakespeare and their grief at losing a child.

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Hamnet

October 17 hike

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Join us to hike Nine Mile Creek.  It is a 5+ mile flat hike, with mostly paved roads, along a pretty winding creek. Slow to medium pace. It is not a loop, so you can turn back early if desired

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October 3 hike

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Join us at 9:30 a.m. for a 4 mile moderately paced hike around lakes and woods in the private conservation area of North Oaks.  We will see eagle and osprey nests and hopefully a variety of wildlife. 

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Book notes | Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

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Members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club enjoyed a lively discussion of author Gail Honeyman’s prize-winning debut novel and what it reveals about the importance of friendship and care to the development of the quirky main character.

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The life of an outsider is vividly captured in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, a debut novel that was discovered through a writing competition and quickly became a worldwide best seller.

Book notes | Circling the Sun

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This historical novel depicts the life of aviation pioneer Beryl Markham and the early decades of her extraordinary life growing up in Kenya.

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Circling the Sun

Fourth Friday Book Club to meet August 26

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Where the Crawdads Sing is the selection for the Fourth Friday Book Club meeting on August 26 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT via Zoom.

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Where the Crawdads Sing