Volunteer of the Month
Archives

November 2019
Linda Sowell

Photo of Linda Sowell

This month we’d like to shine the light on a new, yet not new volunteer. If you read last month’s newsletter, specifically the Activity Spotlite, you would have read a bit about Linda Sowell. Well this month we’d like to shine an even larger spotlight on her as our Volunteer of the Month. Linda is the new Gadabouts Trip Coordinator. She had been working in the Thrift Store and was asked to be a relief in the Trip office. When a vacancy occurred she was asked to take over, which she was more than happy to do. Since then she has been busy scheduling new trips, chaperoning trips on occasion, and generally managing our hustling and bustling trip office. Linda also serves on our Board of Directors. If needed she also helps out at our special events. Originally from Chicago, IL, she moved out to California with her husband who was in the Navy. Once out here she was not content to stay at home raising her two kids (who themselves provided her with five grandkids), but worked in numerous types of jobs. Her main career was in Food Service. She started out at McDonalds as a cashier, and worked her way up to manager. Then she transferred to the school system where she became the Director of Children’s Nutrition for the Bear Valley School District before retiring. Thanks Linda for helping to take our members on trips of a lifetime.

Featured Class

Brain Fitness
Date: October 2, 2019
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Length: 8 Weeks
Cost: $8 members
      $8 non-members
Instructor: Janette Miksik
Location: Sun Room
Description: Quite sure we could all use a little better Brain Fitness. Your brain may not be a muscle but you need to keep it active to keep it healthy. Some of our members take advantage of our university classes, but learning is only a part of exercising your brain. To help you out we offer this Brain Fitness class. The class promotes brain health through fitness, nutrition, cognitive exercises and activities to boost memory skills and stimulate the brain. Adults are living longer and longer, and we need to promote mental as well as physical health. The group does crosswords, puzzles, trivia, and encourages active discussion. Everything is designed to get those synapses firing. If you want to sharpen your skills and learn new things this group is for you . The group meets on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the game room and is always full, so make a mental note to show up at registration to ensure your spot. If you forget to register, you really need to get fit!

Featured Activity

Bridge Interest List
Time: Dailys
Cost: members
       non-members
Location:
Description: We are hoping to bring back an activity that has not been here for many years. One of our newest members is hoping to bring back Bridge to the center. Bridge is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships. According to Wikipedia, “the game consists of several deals, each progressing through four phases. The cards are dealt to the players, and then the players auction or bid to take the contract, specifying how many tricks the partnership receiving the contract (the declaring side) needs to take to receive points for the deal. During the auction, partners communicate information about their hand, including its overall strength and the length of its suits, although conventions for use during play also exist. The cards are then played, the declaring side trying to fulfill the contract, and the defenders trying to stop the declaring side from achieving its goal. The deal is scored based on the number of tricks taken, the contract, and various other factors which depend to some extent on the variation of the game being played.” If this scares or confuses you don’t let it. It is very popular worldwide, and the group would be willing to take in all levels of players, from beginners to intermediate. Advance players are welcome as well, as long as they are willing to help the more inexperienced players. So if this sounds like something you would be interested in please stop by the front desk or call us at (909)862-8104 and add your name and phone number to the interest list. If we have enough interest you will be called back with a time and date and start building bridges.
Annual 2015 Open House Christmas Party
By: Mike Sylva
It mustve been a sign. Just in time for our Christmas party it started snowing in the mountains giving us a nice Currier and Ives background. Down the hill it was nice and chilly, albeit a tad on the wet side, but it needs to rain down here for it to snow up there. Besides we desperately needed the rain so well take it as a Christmas gift.

The rain seemed to keep some away, but didnt dampen the enthusiasm of those who came to party. As the rain dissipated guests slowly wandered in giving us a crowded room. Guests were entertained by Ed Ford and Jack Meilke with a Christmas Carol sing-a-long, and Harriet Fourcher and her Kristal Bells before special guest, Ole Saint Nick himself showed up. When hes not making toys you might know him as board president John Rago.

However as popular at the Man with the bag is, the crowd went wild when Elvis (aka: Lil Joe-E) showed up belting out his hits and shaking hip hips. Thanks to those who braved the weather to show up, with special thanks to our sponsors, Don Davis with Aetna, and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians