Calendar

 Beginning in March 2023, general meetings of the OURA are being held in the second-floor conference room of the First Baptist Church's Family Life Center, 300 W. Comanche St. in Norman. Any change of venue will be announced both on this web page and on page 1 of The Banner issue that precedes the meeting affected. Recent and upcoming meeting dates are:

• Thursday, September 12,2024, 1:30 P.M.
• Thursday, December 12, 2024, 1:30 P.M.
• Thursday, March 13, 2025, 1:30 P.M.             
  

OURA DAY TREKKERS:  [November 2024]    December is a very busy time for most of us, and the weather is often unpredictable. So, I am inviting all OU retirees to enjoy the holidays as you like! That said, if you enjoy holiday music and lots of colorful holiday lights, I suggest you take an evening drive out to the annual Downs Family Christmas Light Show, located at 2900 72nd Avenue S.E. in Norman. The Downs family started the show in 2007 and have continued it every year since. In 2013 their show was chosen by ABC as one of the top 20 private home displays to be featured on the network's reality TV special, "The Great Christmas Light Fight." Whether you have already seen the show in previous years or have never visited, you will surely have an enjoyable time, as the music changes from year to year. Not only can you reminisce about the nostalgic drive-in theaters of our youth, but you can also park in the field facing the Downs home, tune your car radio to 99.9 FM, and watch a spectacular light show that "dances" to the beat of the holiday music. This year the show is available 6:00 p.m to midnight from November 28th through January 1st.. (All visitors are invited to bring canned goods or give a donation for the needy upon leaving, but this is not required.)   Grettie Bondy, gbondy@ou.edu, 405-447-8818 (h), 405-537-2642 (c).

OURA BOOK CLUB:  [November 2024]  Until Norman's Central Library reopens, the OURA Book Club is holding its monthly meetings at The Well in central Norman. - The club's November 19th discussion centers on Katherine Heiny's 2021 publication Early Morning Riser, "alternately bittersweet and laugh-out-loud funny, a wise, bighearted novel of love, disaster, and unconventional family, from the acclaimed author of Standard Deviation, who has been called the literary descendant of Jane Austen, sharing Austen's essentially comic world view." On December 17th the club will focus its attention on Jonathon Evison's 2022 novel Small World, "a sweeping epic set over 170 years of U.S. history...underscoring the image of the 'small world' that is the United States, with its heartwarming dreams achieved, its still-deferred hopes, and its diverse protagonists." On January 21st club members will examine William Kent Krueger's 2020 novel This Tender Land, the unforgettable story of four orphans who travel the Mississippi River on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression." On February 18th discussion will focus on Brendan Slocum's 2022 work The Violin Conspiracy, "the wonderful story of a poor boy's dream of becoming a famous musician, despite all the hardships thrown at him, including the theft of his precious violin." And on March 18th the group will tackle Lynda Rutledge's 2021 reality-based account West with Giraffes, "an emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America."  - Unless otherwise announced, all club meetings begin at 1:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, and of course all meetings are open to OURA members and nonmembers alike. For further information about the club, about obtaining the selected books, and about future meeting dates, times, and locales, contact club founder Peter Vail at  pvail@ou.edu. or club co-chair Debbie Blasiar at dblasiar@ou.edu.

•  December 2024,  OU junior musical theatre major Trace Burchart, "Vocal Selections Including Seasonal Songs and Musical Theatre Numbers"
  
•  September 2024,  NPD Det. Dustin Underhill,  "Personal and Online Security for Seniors"
  
•  June 2024,  Courtney DeKalb-Myers, Cleveland County Horticulture Educator, "Native Plants in Small Spaces"
  
• March 2024,  Katherine Leidy of Healthy Norman Living, Presentation and Guided Tour of Norman's new Adult Wellness & Education Center
  
• December 2023,  Doctor of Fine Arts student Audrey Oden, Seasonal Music for Guitar
  
• September 2023,  Phil Joy, "Tai Chi and Chi Kung for Seniors"
  
• June 2023,  Inger Giuffrida, "WildCare's Year-Round Rescue, Rehab, and Release Program"
  
• March 2023, Shelly Ramirez & Anita Roten, "Tour and Travel Opportunities for Seniors"
  
• December 2022, OU harpist Caroline Robinson, "Seasonal and Classical Music"
  
• September 2022, Michael Dean, Introduction to Sooner Station, Norman's newest senior living and memory care facility.
  
• June 2022, Introduction to The Well, Norman's new wellness center, and a Silent Auction benefitting the OURA Endowed Scholarship.
  
• March 2022, Retiree benefits report and discussion, featuring OU's new Vice President for Human Resources Dorothy Anderson and OUHR Director of Benefits & Retirement Lee Camargo-Quinn.
  
• December 2021, Social gathering for current members, special guests, and prospective new members, with fun quizzes, door prizes, gift packets, and Bingo competition.
  
• September 2021, Dean of Fine Arts Mary Margaret Holt and Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art audience-development director Lesha Maag, "2021-22 Theatre/Music/Dance Events and Art Exhibits at OU."
  
• June 2021, Claire Dowers-Nichols, Executive Director of Healthy Living & Fitness Inc., "Norman's New Senior Wellness Center."
  
• March 2021, Meeting canceled due to health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
• December 2020, Meeting  canceled due to health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
• September 2020, Meeting canceled due to health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
• June 2020, Meeting canceled due to health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic
  
• March 2020, Kevin Kloesel, Oklahoma Climatological Survey Director, "Weather-Emergency Preparedness"
  
• December 2019, Nicole Van Every, Soprano, "Festive Seasonal & Holiday Music"
  
• September 2019, Cody Plunk, Director of Therapy in Motion's Purcell clinic, "Living a Healthy Life,"
  
• June 2019, Caroline Dulworth, Associate Director of the Pioneer Library System, "The New Norman Public Library Central"
  
• March 2019, Polly Christian, President of the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association, "Advocating for TRS Cost-of-Living Adjustments and Other Retiree Benefits"
  
• December 2018, OU's Xenon Quartet [saxophone ensemble], "Festive Holiday Music"
  
• September 2018, Jim Miller, "Savvy Senior: Gadgets & Gizmos for Easier Aging"
  
• June 2018, KGOU General Manager Dick Pryor, "KGOU Radio and Public Service Media"
  
• March 2018, Ken Johnson, "River Cruises in the U.S. and Canada"
  
• Dec 2017, OU Soprano Skye Singleton, "Festive Holiday Music"
  
• Sept 2017, "Volunteer Opportunities for Norman Seniors and Retirees"
  
• June 2017,  April Heiple, "Norman's 'Food & Shelter' Program for the Homeless"
  
• March 2017, Terry Floyd and Jud Foster, "The 'Norman Forward' Projects"
  
• Dec 2016, OU Student Brass Quintet, "Seasonal Holiday Music"
  
• Sept 2016, Charles Kimball, "Islam in the 21st Century: What in the World Is Going On . . . and Why?"
  
• June 2016, Angelo Lombardo, "Traffic Planning in Norman: Past, Present, Future"
  
• Mar 2016, Climatological Survey Director Kevin Kloesel, "Severe Weather Emergency Preparedness"
  
• Dec 2015, OU Student Woodwind Quartet, "Seasonal Holiday Music"
  
• Sept 2015, Debra Bemben, "Osteoporosis and Exercise"
• June 2015, Jay Wilkinson, "Dear Jay, Love Dad," Letters from Bud Wilkinson
  
• Mar 2015, KGOU General Manager Karen Holp, "KGOU Radio & Jazz in June"
  
• Dec 2014, Jerry Hargis and Allan Ross, Holiday music program "Through the Years to Christmas"
  
• Sep 2014, John Lovett, Curator of OU Libraries' Western History Collections, "Photography in Oklahoma: 1870-1940"
  
• June 2014, OU Office of Human Resources and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
• Mar 2014, Bill Crynes, OU College of Engineering, "Outhouses: A Passing Americana"
• Dec 2013 Jennifer Baker and Jerry Hargis and Allan Ross performing holiday music
• Sep 2013 Bob Goins, OU Regional & City Planning, "Norman’s Early and Wartime Formative Years"
• June 2013 Keith Gaddie, OU Political Science, "Oklahoma’s Forrest Gump Politics"
• Mar 2013 David Boeck, OU Prof. of Architecture, "Age-Friendly Design"
• Dec 2012 Lauren Sonder (Sonder Music & Arts) and students with holiday music
• Sep 2012 David Levy, OU History Prof., "Mark Twain's Life and Work"
• June 2012 Kate Richey, Oklahoma Policy Institute analyst, "The Affordable Care Act"
• Mar 2012 Cindy Rosenthal, "Personnel Issues Facing Today's Public Employees"
• Dec 2011 Prof. Irvin Wagner and OU trombone students performing holiday music
• Sep 2011 Norman Cooper, Okla. Retired Educators Ass'n Director, "Today's State Politics"
• June 2011 Julius Hilburn and Nick Kelly, "OU Retiree Health Insurance"
• Mar 2011 Judith Evans, "Life on Purpose and Coaching Kids and similar life-skill programs"
• Dec 2010 Allan Ross and Debbie Zizzo performing holiday music
• Sep 2010 David Fields, OUHSC Prof. of Pediatrics, "Diet/Fitness/Weight/Health in Seniors"
• June 2010 Alvin Turner, "Changing Images of Oklahoma from 1890 to Today"
  
• Mar 2010 Tom Huston Orr, OU Drama Prof., "Combat Choreography and Staging"
  
• Dec 2009 OU Student String Quartet performing Yuletide favorites
  
• Sep 2009 Steve Lewis, Norman City Manager, "An Update on the Status of the City and Projects Under Consideration for the Upcoming Year"
  
• June 2009 Jackie Farley, co-founder and director of WISE Women Inc. and an OU retiree and OURA member, "Lifestyle Management for All and Everyday Assistance for Busy Individuals"
  
• Mar 2009 Dr. Robert Dauffenbach, director of the Center for Economic and Management Research in OU’s Price College of Business, "The Oklahoma and U.S. Economies: Present Conditions and Future Prospects"
  
• Dec 2008 Dan Davis and Jerry Hargis and the Moss Brothers, "A Western Christmas Music Program"
  
• Sep 2008 Jackie Farley, Wise Women Inc., "Travel Hints for Seniors"
  
• June 2008 Robert Ferrier and Mary Menges Myers, "Poetry from Oklahoma"
  
• Mar 2008 Gordon Greene, "Ethics on Horseback: What I Learned from Hoppy, Gene and Roy"
  
• Dec 2007 Dan Davis and Jerry Hargis, Christmas Program CANCELLED DUE TO ICE STORM
  
• Sep 2007 David M. Levy, "The Rise and Fall and Rise and fall of Edwin (‘Daddy’) DeBarr"
  
• June 2007 John Burns CFP, Burns Advisory Group, "Investments, Trusts, Probate"
  
• Mar 2007 T.H. Milby, "Discovering Oklahoma: Four Centuries of Exploration"
  
• Dec 2006 Jennifer Heavner Baker and Dan Davis and Jerry Hargis, holiday music program
  
• Sep 2006 Julie A. Bayes, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, "Identity Theft and Consumer and Internet Fraud"
  
• June 2006, Shari Carney portraying Sacagawea and telling the story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
  
• Mar 2006, Dr. Bruce Roe, “Human Genomes”
  
• Dec 2005, The Sweet Adelines performing a program of holiday songs
  
• Sep 2005, Dr. Rufus Fears, “The Art and Leadership of Winston Churchill”
  
• June 2005, Ron Stahl, “Discover Oklahoma!”
  
• Mar 2005, Jack Hobson, “OU Campus History and Lore”
  
• Dec 2004, OU Faculty Brass Quintet performing holiday music
  
• Sep 2004, Jim Miller, “The Savvy Senior”
  
• June 2004, Gordon Greene, “Elderhostel: Ways to Spend Your Retirement in Exotic Places at Budget Prices Retirees Can Afford”
  
• Mar 2004, Grant Farimond, Information about ongoing programs at Norman Regional from senior aerobics to yoga classes
  
• Dec 2003, Dan Davis and Jerry Hargis performing a program of holiday music
  
• Sep 2003, Bonnie Dunn and Todd Balcom of Transition House, “Music Therapy with Drums”
  
• June 2003, Cleveland County Deputy Sheriff Kim Lucas, “Scams on Seniors” plus free stroke screening
  
• Mar 2003, Loretta Hamilton-Geary, telling about her brother, Lt. Hershel Wilson, a B-17 pilot missing in action during WWII and later found to be buried in Belgium