Contact us
Learning in Retirement, Inc.
P.O. Box 49182
Athens GA 30604-9182
Phone:
706-549-7350 to leave a message
Email:
lir_ga@yahoo.com
Website:
www.athenslir.org
An Affiliate of
ElderHostel, Inc.
LIR ACTIVITIES |
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In addition to the course component, LIR offers many other activities for members. The Travel/Study Committee plans and organizes educational trips in the Athens area. The Social Committee plans activities for members to interact and share ideas and experiences with one another in a setting that is less structured than a formal classroom, and the Summer Events Committee continues in this vein, adapting its themes to summer fun. Finally, a number of Special Interest Groups meet on a continuing basis for members to share mutual interests through activities or hobbies.
Travel/Study Program
Most LIR trips are day trips made by commercial charter bus, but if the destination is close to Athens, members may drive themselves or carpool. Some of these trips provide a special instructional component; others provide opportunities for members to share ideas and experiences stimulated by the event. They are always well planned and interesting.
Trips are offered at cost. Past Travel/Study events have included:
- The High Museum in Atlanta with Lunch at Mary Mac's Tea Room
- North Carolina Steam Train Excursion
- North Georgia Creative Arts Trip
- Historic Andersonville Prison Tour
- Abbeville, S.C., Theater Weekend Trip
- Dawsonville Kangaroo Conservation Center tour
- Atlanta and Georgia Aquarium day trip
Social Events
The Social Committee plans several events each semester. Some are casual –
going out for dinner to a local restaurant; some are more formal, such as
the holiday dinner in early December. These events are always a good time
to connect with other members you've seen in class but haven't had a chance
to really talk to.
Some recent social activities included:
- Dinner al fresco at the Hilltop Grille
- Spring Fling
- Lunch at the Savannah Room
- Coffee at Aromas in Five Points
- Holiday dinner at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education
- Afternoon matinee at the Town and Gown Theater
Summer Events
In the summertime, LIR tries to do something quite different from the
regular program. Summer Events give members an opportunity to continue
their association with LIR all year long, when courses typically are not
scheduled. The Athens area offers many summer event opportunities. The
Georgia Art Museum may have a special exhibit led by a docent guide.
Eating lunch or dinner at local or nearby restaurants - someplace a little
unusual - is popular. For example, one year a group went to the Atlanta Braves AAA Greenville (S.C.) Braves ballpark for a game. A bus trip to the FoxTheatre in Atlanta to take in a Tony award-winning musical has been a sell-out the past several years. Many LIR folks turn out for the morning coffee breaks at different Athens coffee shops.
Sample summer events are:
- Ice cream parlor and local coffee shop get-togethers
- Lunch at the State Botanical Garden
- Dinner at Five and Ten
- Town & Gown matinee to see Morton Foote's Trip to Bountiful
- Afternoon coffee and cheesecake break at Barnes & Noble
Special Interest Groups
The Special Interest Groups typically meet throughout the year in members' homes or in a central location. Times and dates of meetings are determined by members of the group. You must be a current member of LIR to belong to a group. If you are interested in joining a group, contact the respective coordinators listed below. Their telephone numbers and/or email addresses will be in the Membership Directory.
- Bicycling Group: The group rides together locally almost weekly and has done occasional organized rides on bike paths in Atlanta. Newcomers are advised about bike options, getting old bikes up and running, and developing their cycling growth to whatever level they want. Email notices are sent to announce events. Group coordinator is John Songster.
- Bonsai: For folks interested in learning more about and sharing their experience in this ancient botanical practice. The group meets at 2:00 at the Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA), 135 Hoyt Street, on the third Thursday of each month. Coordinator is Greg Crane.
- Book Discussion: Informal discussion of books chosen by the group members. Members meet at 3:00 at ACCA, 135 Hoyt Street, on the second Thursday of each month. Coordinator is Diana Cerwonka.
- Bridge: This group is designed for those with a serious interest in contract bridge. Group meets from 1:00 to 4:00 at ACCA, 135 Hoyt Street, on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Coordinator is Lucille Hoyt.
- Lady Dogs Basketball: This group is for dedicated Lady Dog fans who want to sit together as a group at the home games. Coordinator is Frances Lang.
- Memoir Writing Group: Members of this group are working on their life stories. They bring and share what they have written during the month, to receive comments and suggestions from their fellow writers. The group meets on the fourth Monday of each month from 9:30 until noon at ACCA. Coordinator is Marilyn Schroeder.
- Opera: If you are interested in opera, would like to learn more about opera, have knowledge to share about it, or would simply enjoy the social event, come join the group. Classes about opera are still in the planning stages, but the opera interest group would hold social informational events for each of these broadcasts and for live opera that by the local opera performance group and the UGA music department. Nancy Songster is the coordinator.
- Quilting: For those interested in getting together to hand quilt, exchange ideas, and keep abreast of new techniques. Participants meet at the homes of members on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Coordinator is Sandy Jordan.
- Stitch and Chat: This group is made up of folks who enjoy needlework and sharing their projects and ideas while also socializing. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at members' homes or occasionally at other announced locations. Coordinator is Kay Hymo.
CURRENT LIR INFO Current Newsletter |
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