Casting Call for Broadway Musical Revue

Join Us On Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 4:00pm at the Centre

So you want to be a star? Prefer to sing in the chorus or work on sets and costumes?

Join us to help Reid Campbell start to create a production of favourite Broadway tunes, woven together with local stories. We will outline the process, seek your input for ideas and songs, sing a tune or two, and set up a schedule leading to performances mid-to-late fall 2010.

The positive response we received to soundings last spring led us to apply for a grant from the federal New Horizons for Seniors Fund to provide the financial resources for the project, and we have just received $21,300 to make it happen.

The idea is to get as much participation of seniors (and others) as possible to select favourite Broadway tunes, with a significant portion of them Broadway choruses, to practice over a period of several months, and to perform in Mahone Bay and perhaps surrounding towns. We will also be involving student musicians from Bayview School and the Mahone Bay Legion Swing Band.

We are engaging Reid Campbell, a well-known local writer and musician, as writer/musical director to pull the production together. We will make every effort or organize activities so as to minimize scheduling conflicts with other choir practices and performances.

Please come with your ideas, love of this particular kind of music, willingness to work hard with others, and readiness to have an enriching and fun-filled experience. Bring others you think might be interested. Let us know as well if you are interested but are unable to make it on the 19th – we will keep you informed of plans.

If you have any questions please call Reid Campbell at 624-8269 or e-mail reid.campbell@eastlink.ca or Ted Hobson at 624-0914 or e-mail tedhobson@yahoo.com

News for the New Year

Happy New Year!

The Seniors Project is announcing a new program of Lifelong Learning at the Centre

One of the aims of the Seniors Project is to provide programs that enrich the lives of seniors through a range of social, recreational, cultural, and intellectual activities.

“Conversations with…”, a monthly series of interesting talks, has proven very popular. In addition, we are now launching a broader program of  “Lifelong Learning at the Centre”. In January we are starting a series of seminars with more emphasis on the learning experience: learning about subjects like literature, history, art, the environment, etc, and learning how, taking up new skills and hobbies – rug-hooking, quilting, dancing, writing, and so on.

Further seminars are being planned for April through June, and beyond.

Below we list the first couple of months. You can pick up a brochure at the Centre office with the full program. The cost of each seminar is $5. Contact Ted Hobson at 624-0914 or tedhobson@yahoo.com to register and for more information.

Winter 2010 Seminar Series

Wednesday, January 27, 2:00 pm
Peter Eaton: “Environmental Issues in Our Own Backyard”
Peter will discuss issues common to Nova Scotia, and lead the group in exploring possible actions and lifestyle changes to help mitigate their environmental problems. Dr. Eaton is a retired biologist who has a Ph.D. in Marine Environmental Science and Physiology from Dalhousie University.

Wednesday, February 10, 2:00 pm
Rosalie Osmond: “The Pastoral in Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’
“Where do our ideas of town and country come from? Rosalie will discuss our ideas about the pastoral, and show how Shakespeare plays with them in “As You Like It”. Dr Osmond has a Ph.D. from Cambridge, has published three books on the history of ideas, and has taught literature courses in universities in Canada and the UK.

Wednesday, February 24, 2:00 pm
Polly Greene and Laurie Swim:  “Quilting A to Z”
Two recognized quilting experts will share their expertise and diverse talents and expertise. Polly will begin with development of patterns and textiles in early quilting. Laurie’s art quilts will illustrate unique treatments for creating imagery in textiles with fabric and thread.

Conversations with…

Thursday, January 21, 2:00 pm.
Merrillynn Swinemar-Wilson, Chinese New Year – early.
Merrillynn will tell about Chinese customs, holidays, and traditions from her experience of living in China 1994-99.

Thursday, February 18, 2:00 pm.
Mike Wearing, talk & slide show
Mike and Beth Wearing walked the ancient pilgrimage Camino de Santiago, the way of St. James across northern Spain, from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela. Mike will tell about it, with slides.

Contact Ted Hobson at 624-0914 or tedhobson@yahoo.com for more information.

A lively send off

Mahone Bay Centre board members, staff and many volunteers gathered in the Centre’s kitchen on Friday, November 13 to wish all the best to Vicky Hirtle in her upcoming job at the Bank of Montreal.  Even though she will be just down the street and around the corner at the bank, her talents, hardworking efforts and good cheer will be sorely missed at the Centre.

Thank you, Vicky!

A Note From The Coordinator

For the past year and a half, I have had the privilege of working for the Mahone Bay Centre as coordinator of the Mahone Bay Area Seniors Project, a group of volunteers dedicated to enriching the lives of local seniors by offering social, recreational and educational programs for 50+ members of the community, as well as making compelling attempts at a seniors helping seniors program, designed to utilize the skills possessed by senior members of the Mahone Bay Area to aid in the betterment of the community at large.

Though there have certainly been stumbling blocks, I cannot fully emphasize the successes this program has accomplished. Under the supervision of the ever dedicated Ted Hobson, and with the help of a mass of committed volunteers, we have hosted health information sessions, pot lucks, and dances, we have organized a softball team, a walking club and a badminton group, we have painted washrooms, built walkways and offered computer assistance to people in our community; the list of achievements is long, and I am proud to have been a part of their fruition and execution.

However, my part in this Project – in an official capacity – is coming to an end.

Since June of 2008, the Project has been supported in greater part by both provincial and federal government grants. As much as these funds were well budgeted and wisely invested in programs, necessary equipment and salary, it is a reserve that cannot last, with a cap of employment set for December 31, 2009. As much as I believe the Project has noble goals and has only the best of intentions for the community, an opportunity for employment has been offered to me that I feel compelled to accept. Therefore, as of Friday, November 13, 2009, I will be leaving the Seniors Project. Contact information for the Project – the telephone number and the e-mail address – will remain active; current programs will also remain active unless otherwise announced.

I strongly encourage anyone interested in aiding the Project in their endeavours to make contact and offer their services. All are welcome to participate and aid in the programs and events; the more are always the merrier.

I would like to thank the Mahone Bay Centre for the opportunities they have given me during their employ; I would like to thank our many volunteers for their vast efforts with our programs and events; more than anything, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ted Hobson – his heart, mind and soul (as well as a great deal of physical labour!) go into this Project. He is an incredible inspiration, and deserves more thanks, more kind words, and more admiration than I alone am able to give.

I wish you all the best in the days and years to come.

Sincerely Yours,

Victoria Lynn Hirtle

Winter Walking Group – 2009

Our Winter Walking Group started up again bright and early this morning. This was an incredibly difficult task, as it seems we picked the nicest day in November to start walking indoors! What a beautiful day!

That being said, winter is certainly on its way, and we welcome you to come walking with us: 9:30-10:30am Mondays and Thursdays in the Mahone Bay Centre gym. Donations are welcomed and appreciated.

With my departure at the end of the week, Jean – a walker and volunteer – has offered to look after the Walking Group and assure they’re able to get into the gym every week. Thanks Jean!

Greetings!

Welcome to the Seniors Project Blog where we hope to keep you up to date on the evolution of the project, as well as the activities and events for seniors in the community.