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Omnilore 2015 July Newsletter:

Message from the President on Omnilore’s 25^th Anniversary Initiative:

"Omnilore: The CSUDH OLLI Years 2003-2015”

Mike Scordan and John Taber were the major sources of this condensed history of Omnilore’s first 25 years. Mike joined the group in 1990, Omnilore’s first year, and John joined in 1991, its second activity year. All Omnilore newsletters are now available online from 1992, when the first newsletter was issued, to the present.

During the period between affiliation with the University in 1992 and the Osher Foundation grant in 2003 for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSUDH, Omnilore grew, gradually increasing the number of participants, creating a more clearly defined organizational structure, and incrementally improving procedures and practices.

In 1994, when John Taber became the second president of Omnilore, he proposed and worked with the Board of Directors to develop procedures to “ensure a stable and purposeful organization.” He worked with Board members to define operations by compiling lists of responsibilities, tasks and timelines associated with the discharge of duties by each Board member. Over the course of the next few years, additions and changes were made to increase clarity, improve efficiency and cover as much of the organizational operations as needed.

That effort, along with the Bylaws developed in 1992, secured the future of Omnilore during a short period of turbulence in Omnilore politics. Fred Kiefer, fourth president of Omnilore, had strong ideas as to how to improve the organization, but allowed for limited input from Board members or others. In reaction to his attempt to impose his view by taking “liberties in choosing who should be on the ballot and how Omnilore should be run,” a small group prepared a slate of officers as an alternative to what Kiefer presented and then informed all members. Kiefer attempted to postpone the election but the group used Robert’s Rules of Order to thwart Kiefer and ensure the election was conducted as scheduled. The group recruited Burt Cutler, Omnilore’s founder, as the presidential candidate and the alternative slate was elected. During Cutler’s tenure, a number of reforms were instigated to secure elements for the future.

The study and discussion group was installed as the core activity, including the requirement of an individual presentation by each group member.

The Omnilore “Operating Manual” was revised, the quarterly Forum program was established, the Forum Committee was made a standing committee, and a third member-atlarge was added to the Board of Directors.

During that period CSUDHOmnilore tension developed over what programming was to be offered. Between the 1992 connection to CSUDH and 2003 inception of OLLI, Omnilore formally had made the study and discussion group format and individual presentation requirement its core activity. On the other hand, CSUDH offered an online learning component, along with lectures. During Burt Cutler’s terms as president in 1998 and 1999, he protected the study and discussion group as the vital component of Omnilore, along with the other reforms. CSUDH had proposed lecture series by University faculty as the central component for Omnilore but that idea was rejected by Cutler and his Board. Eventually, a compromise was reached when the CSUDH lecture series was accepted as one Omnilore class and the study and discussion groups with individual presentations were retained as the core of Omnilore programming.

Those changes helped to make Omnilore attractive to the Osher Foundation when it considered funding its Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) programming at CSUDH in 2003. The Osher Foundation studied CSUDH online and lecture offerings, but it required an interactive learning component for OLLI at CSUDH. At that point Omnilore’s peer-learning study and discussion groups were integrated into the Osher grant application. Osher considered the groups ideal because they required member interaction and active participation as part of the learning process. In addition, Omnilore members independently supported programming by paying an extra fee to pay for equipment, supplies and a part-time administrative support person. The Osher Foundation long-term goal was to have OLLI gain support independent of the Omnilore grant. The extra fee paid by Omnilore members was an indication of desired self-sustainability.

Affiliation with the University in 1992, led by Ethel Allen, Omnilore’s first president, and then the OLLI grant in 2003 engendered expectations and also generated tensions both within Omnilore and with the University. As an independent community organization, members had established practices which reflected only the members’ needs and preferences. Full participation and democratic practices were the norm. On the other hand, affiliation with the University brought the need to interface with University regulations, processes and procedures and inserted a new agent, the University, into Omnilore’s finances, planning and activities development. The University pushed to have Omnilore become a program within the University, while many in Omnilore preferred to retain autonomy. Eventually, the Omnilore-University relationship evolved so that Omnilore retained its internal autonomy while linked to the University. That autonomy is reflected in its continued Board of Directors governance and administration, marketing efforts through the Communications Committee, curriculum development by the Curriculum Committee, programs management, independent registration and enrollment processes, financial support from memberships and short- and long-term planning.

The innovative spirit embedded in Omnilore from its first days continued on through the years as Omnilore grew and changed.

Ethel Allen purchased a Mac computer for use in generating letters and other office work. Mike Scordan, first curriculum chair, established a curriculum development and enrollment process to which John Taber then applied his computer expertise. Over a tenyear span John worked on the computerized process. Today Hal and Ruth Hart, president in 2009 and 2010, work with it. Information technology took a large step forward when Bill Gargaro, president in 2011 and 2012, pushed for increased use of information technology in classroom and administrative activities. We now have laptops, WiFi support and other technology available in our classrooms due to the work done by the Computer Working Group and such technology support leaders as Rick Spillane, president in 2007 and 2008, Mary Golob, Hal Hart, Dennis Goodno, Sharon Bohner, Carol Johnson and Howard Korman, president in 2013 and 2014. The Website Working Group created our website, which now provides us access to a wide range of information and a central communication center. Our excellent “Computer Talks,” which help introduce new skills and reinforce computer use information, were organized and offered by the Computer Working Group. Skills gained in the talks help members with Omnilore activities and their own personal computer/ laptop use.

As our administrative structure improved and technology use took hold, programming innovation also took hold. Apart from the Forum speakers program and CSUDH faculty lectures, which augmented our study and discussion group content, Omnilore members introduced activities to enrich and broaden offerings. John Taber began the first Special Interest Group, the Hiking Group, along with Peggy Houghton, Lorraine Nagy and Sunny Golombek. Today, that group is led by Steve Miller and Dennis Eggert and we have the “Bestsellers” group, led by Patricia Edie, president in 2005, and Cindy Eggert. And members still have the option of proposing new special interest groups.

Travel was incorporated into study and discussion group (S/ DG) programming through the collaboration of John and Lynn Taber, Blanche Herring, president in 2002, and George Clark, president in 2003 and 2004. Members of the study and discussion groups with travel components conducted their presentations in a multitude of locales in Los Angeles, on the Lewis and Clark Trail, in the southern Atlantic coast states, western Canada, France, Shakespeare festivals in Utah and Oregon, the Washington D.C. area, the Hudson River Valley of New York and Virginia. Concern regarding liability risk eventually resulted in exclusion of further travel activities. But Omniloreans who travel still bring knowledge and experience gained into S/DG discussions. Omnilore: The CSUDH OLLI Years 2003-2015 (Continued from page 5) Ruth Hart President 2009-2010 Bill Gargaro, President 2011-2012 Ethel Allen First President 1992-1993 Patricia Edie President, 2005 Howard Korman President, 2012-2013 Continued on the next page. Rick Spillane President, 2007-2008 OMNILORE NEWS July 2015 7

The risk management concern which ended travel-linked study and discussion groups was a small indication of structural tension which has endured through Omnilore’s history and is part of Omnilore’s dynamic nature. Omnilore’s founders operated within an informal structure in 1990, operating completely on their own, struggling to develop membership and momentum. A dynamic tension was generated by the need to recruit enough members to provide diversity in group topics and inclusion of new members. A core of members kept the activity functioning as potential members joined, others left and the group remained small. In 1992 Omnilore leaders worked on affiliation with California State University, Dominguez Hills in an effort to establish functional stability and promote growth of membership and programming. When that was accomplished, membership grew, a stable meeting place was secured at the Knob Hill Center in Redondo Beach and the number of study and discussion groups greatly expanded.

Increased size generated the need for changes and innovation, while the relationship with the University included the need to adhere to new regulations, processes and procedures. The University wanted to incorporate Omnilore into its own program offerings, a goal perceived as a potential loss of Omnilore’s operational autonomy. Low level conflict resulted and was resolved by Omnilore offering University-sponsored activities while retaining its signature study and discussion groups, along with its special interest groups. Omnilore also retained a high level of autonomy through its Bylaws, operating rules and procedures, while adhering to University administrative requirements. Today there is still some of the pushpull tension between University needs and practices and Omnilore’s own aspirations and needs. And the collaboration continues to generate positive outcomes within the Ominlore- University relationship.

Throughout its history, Omnilore has depended on the dedication, creativity, diligence and full effort provided by its volunteer leaders and its members, who volunteer for tasks small and large in scope. That full intensity commitment by all has kept Omnilore strong through a quarter century of history and will be the primary determinant of Omnilore’s future.

For the immediate future, and in consideration of the long-term goals, the Board of Directors has instituted a revision of Bylaws, operating rules and procedures with some proposed innovations, much as Burt Cutler and the Board of Directors during his two terms worked to improve organizational stability and success. Consideration of an alternative activity site has resulted in a renewed search throughout the South Bay.

Other action being considered, planned or under way is intended to improve study and discussion group participation, individual presentation skills, coordinator training, technology used in classrooms, consideration of new activities, recruitment of future leaders and many other aspects of Omnilore functions.

Ultimately, every member of Omnilore is a volunteer and potential leader. We look forward to another long span of years for Omnilore and a consistently enriching, dynamic experience for our members.

Arturo (Art) Irizarry