Senior Center News – November 25, 2020

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina nor softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We can’t help everyone,
but everyone can help someone.”
~ Ronald Reagan

Treating everyone with kindness is a form of thanksgiving. And it can be great fun to perform random acts of kindness—anonymously. Give it a try!

Have you been looking in vain for the Winter Schedule insert that was supposed to be in this issue of the paper? An unexpected deadline change has moved its debut to the next issue. Fortunately, there will still be plenty of time to sign up for new courses—most of which start later in the month. You can also find the schedule posted on the Center’s website.

Courses starting soon
And there is good news: The Better Balance course, generously offered by Dee Physical Therapy as a community service this fall, is continuing through the winter months. The 11:00 a.m. time has remained the same, but days have changed to Tuesdays and Thursdays. The two sessions, with 12 classes each, will now have a modest fee of $45 for each series to be paid to the Senior Center. (Please see the accompanying box about how to register and pay.) If these fees present a hardship, please request an adjustment by sending an email. We want everyone to be able to keep themselves healthy and engaged, especially during this challenging time.

12/1. Better Balance: Comprehensive Exercise. Tuesday & Thursday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Session A: Dates: 12/1–1/14. (No class on 12/24 or 12/31). Session B: Dates: 1/19–2/26. Physical therapists from Dee Physical Therapy will lead two six-week courses designed to improve your balance and reduce fall risk. There is progressive advancement towards more complex balance exercises. Appropriate for individuals of varied balance abilities; recommendations will be made to adjust exercise difficulty. Newcomers welcome. Fee: Each session $45 for 12 classes. Registration required.

Two other popular courses are returning for December and January, and they also welcome newcomers.

12/10. Screen Writing for Fun, Part II with Mark Williams. Thursday evenings, 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Dates: 12/10, 12/17, 1/7 & 1/14. Each participant will be creating the beats or turning points in their movie’s story that propels the main character into action. Everyone’s movie is discussed supportively in class each week, and this helps to build the creative energy. Please register by 12/8. Fee: $58 for the six-week series of 75-minute classes.

12/1. Writing Your Life Story with Laurie McMillan. Friday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dates: 12/11, 12/18, 1/8 & 1/15. You’ve got your story to tell, but what to include and what to leave out? Explore storytelling techniques and utilize in-class exercises to help launch your own meaningful and important stories. Newcomers welcome. Please register by 12/9. Fee: $48 for the four-part series of 90-minute classes.

A brand-new course starting in mid-December will meet twice a month and aims to be supportive and informal. It is not necessary to commit to every meeting.

12/16. Coping with Covid with Karen Chatfield. Wednesday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Dates: 12/16, 12/30, 1/13, 1/27, 2/10 & 2/24. Join your peers to discuss coping strategies and share methods you have used to deal with life during the pandemic. This group is designed to provide connections and support as we navigate “the new normal” together. Please note that this group is not intended to be a substitute for therapy or professional mental health treatment. Karen Chatfield, M.A., is a trained spiritual director and energy healer with extensive experience facilitating meetings and providing training in the non-profit sector. Registration is required. No fee.

How to Register for a Course
All courses are online—and all require registration in order to receive the invitation/link. To register, send an email with your name, mailing address and phone number. Be sure to note the title of the course in the subject line of the email. You will receive confirmation that you are registered.

Payment
If there is a fee, kindly pay by check (made out to CSC) and send to: P.O. Box 207, Charlotte, VT 05445. Be sure to note the title of the course in the memo line.

• For ongoing exercise courses, please pay at the end of each month for the classes attended. Unless otherwise stated, tally your attendance and figure $5/class.
• For courses with limited dates, kindly pay prior to the start of the course. Please check the course description for the fee.

If fees present a hardship, don’t hesitate to request an adjustment by sending an email. We want everyone to be able to keep themselves healthy and engaged, especially during this challenging time.

Talks on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m.
These free events are via Zoom. Please note that they do not require registration. You will find the Zoom invitation/link to the talks posted on the website the day before.

Have to miss a talk? Visit the website to find a recording of the event. It usually stays up about two weeks, so if there is something that you would like to watch, don’t waste any time or it will soon be gone.

12/09. Wrapping Up a Good Read with Library Director Margaret Woodruff. Join us for an online, interactive show-and-tell session all about books—and just in time for the holidays. Staff from the Charlotte Library share their favorite selections for all ages. Books are available to purchase at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne.

12/16. Curbing Across America with Norm Riggs. Come hear about Norm’s adventures in the summer of ‘64 when he was painting house numbers on curbs across the USA. “Seeing new places, meeting new people, fascinating the neighborhood kids, earning spending money for the fall. Perfect. No competition. Americans were friendly, trusting, and generous (weren’t they?). What could go wrong?”

Art Exhibits
Sadly, the Senior Center’s monthly art exhibits are suspended until February. The original December & January Art Exhibit —Visual Dancing by Jonathan Silverman will be rescheduled for a later date. Silverman’s exhibit will include his two- and three-dimensional artwork that ranges from landscape and abstract watercolors and pastels, to whimsical driftwood character sculptures, to functional and non-functional pottery inspired by Japanese aesthetics.

When things do open up again, remember that the Great Room, where the artwork is displayed, has plenty of room for social distancing. State guidance on gatherings is likely to change from time to time, so calling for a viewing appointment will avoid any problems.

Be careful. Keep your spirits up. We are all in this together.

The Senior Center’s mission is to serve those 50 and up; if a course is not full, pre-seniors may also enroll. Feel free to leave a message anytime at (802) 425-6345; voicemail is checked frequently.

“Kindness can become its own motive.
We are made kind by being kind.”
~ Eric Hoffer

Charlotte Senior Center
(802) 425-6345