Center Connection

The Center Connection

December 2018

With all the excitement of the Holidays coming, we want to piggy back off of the wonderful atmosphere. First, we would like to welcome our new maintenance person ? Eugene Fernandez. Eugene will be helping with all the light maintenance of the building, keeping the grounds looking amazing, and helping out whenever he is needed. His infectious smile and cheerful disposition will help uplift anyone! You will get to know him more in the next newsletter when Lori will be interviewing him.

As for the rest of the Senior Center, I have been meeting with Lee County Parks and Recreation Volunteer Coordinator, Kathy Cahill. Kathy and I have been working together to get the volunteer program up and running! I am excited to announce that we are almost there ? we are now in the process of getting the word out that if you are volunteering in any compacity for the Lehigh Senior Center then please go to and un-

der the left hand tab "volunteer and get involved", you will find the volunteer form along with the background check. This will get you on your way to becoming a volunteer for Lee County Parks and Recreation! The Lehigh Acres Senior Center Photo Club will be taking photos for your name badges on December 27 about 12:00. Kathy Cahill, the coordinator of Lee County Parks and Recreation will be at the Senior Center January 24 for an orientation of ALL volunteers. She will go over the benefits and perks of being a Lee County Parks and Recreation.

In other updates, with the help of Parks and Recreation employees and Linda Dillon, the outside of the Senior Center had a huge clean up day! Employees from Veteran's Parks and Buckingham Community Center all took time from their own parks and responsibilities to come help with our Center. They spent the morning cutting tree limbs, racking leaves, cleaning the back courtyard, bocce courts, and shuffle board courts.

We are grateful to all the employees, supervisors and managers who helped us improve the Senior Center. We also received a new coat of paint to help spruce up the building. It will not stop with the outside. Just this last week, Eugene started to clean the porch ? we finished scrubbing it! Again, we received help from Parks and Recreation staff. It is wonderful to know that we have wonderful people willing to help us update and improve our Senior Center.

We have few new classes and programs that I want to tell you about. First, is the Friendship Club which will start up in January. This is to help singles find people with like interests. Also if a participant would like to participate in a call list where someone can call to check up on them.

The next one is the quilting classes ? we have one on Tuesday which you will be able to learn and make your own quilts. We also have one on Friday which this one is to work together to make a quilt for different community organizations.

Another class is our dancercise class ? this one will be taking the place of Zumba on Monday mornings at 9:15. It will be taught by Wendy who has been teaching of 10 years. Another class which we are hoping to start in the next few weeks is Filipino martial arts. If you are interested in this class, please come see me. We will also be starting

Bocce ball on December 11. We will posting more information about these classes. If you have any questions, please come visit with me! -- Melissa Barry, Director

"We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time." -- Laura Ingalls Wilder

"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph."

-- Shirley Temple

Several senior center members inquired as to why there was no notice of upcoming elections. As you may recall, the election for board members is to be held the second Friday in January each year. Following the elections there is to be a board meeting open to all members to announce the people who were elected to the board and also the new executive board members.

In response to these inquiries, it was decided to hold a board meeting open to all members on Monday, November 26th at 11:30 a.m. This meeting was held in the auditorium.

Board members present for the meeting were Marsha Shaver, President; Rose Ann Marr, Treasurer; Ellie Kalecius, Secretary; Linda Dillon, Darrell Fratzke, Terry Holman, Connie Del Re-Holck and Chet Olson.

coming year (term for board members is three years) would be the board charged with the formation of the new nonprofit organization. These board members will be writing new bylaws for the new organization. The board stated that they would be consulting an attorney who has specific knowledge in forming a nonprofit group or a "Friends" group to assist with formation, writing of bylaws as well as following the laws of the state of Florida to get this organization functional.

It was the feeling of many of the members who attended the meeting that transparency was needed with the membership of the senior center during the formation of this new support group. It was requested that either an article be included in the newsletter as to what the board is accomplishing toward this goal or the posting of the meeting minutes in the newsletter.

Rose Ann Marr was asked to talk about the agreement with Lee County as she had been a part of the negotiations. Rose Ann stated that as the center was an entity of the county now, the board was now a function of a nonprofit organization. To keep bingo, the Golden Shell, the kitchen and, presumably, the Travel Desk are to be combined in a nonprofit organization. This organization would be formed so that the proceeds of these elements would be used to help support activities of the senior center such has dinners, dances and other activities.

I hope this has answered at least some of your questions regarding the issue of elections for the coming year. I look forward to keeping all members up to date on this and other subjects regarding the new nonprofit entity through the newsletter as well as on the website:



If you have any questions regarding this process or questions of the board, please contact a board member or e-mail me at roguelady6408@. I will forward any questions to the board.

However, this organization needs to be established. As of right now, this organization has no members. Hence, the board decided there were no members to vote and no members to run for election of the board. Therefore, the board decided to dispense with elections for this coming year.

Lori Hoch -- Center Connection Editor

"It is not what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas that counts. It's what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving."

--my Grandmother

The board for the new nonprofit organization has been set at seven members. The previous board was 13 members, and it was determined this was too many board members as the new organization will be of smaller scope than the previous board. It was also determined that the board members whose terms did not expire this

VOLUNTEERS: If you are or you would like to become a volunteer at the Lehigh Acres Senior Center, please complete the following steps:

1. Go to parks

2. Click the tab on the left side "volunteer/get involved" tab.

down your password. At the bottom check "I agree" and press continue.

5. Go back to the Volunteer Services page and click "Background Screening." Fill out that form.

3. Under information for volunteer services -- click the volunteer application (on line).

4.Fill out the online application. Where it says "Where do you want to help?" Enter "Lehigh Acres Senior Center." -- fill out as much as you can including emergency contact information. Under "Set up your password" be sure to enter a password between 6 and 30 characters. Be sure you write

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa or go to the computer room. Tim is available to assist you on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 3:30 and Thursdays from 12:30 to 3:30.

Upcoming Events

On Tuesday, December 4th at 11:00 a.m. we will be decorating the senior center.

Decorating the Gingerbread House: We will be decorating a gingerbread house on Thursday, December 6th from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission will be $4.00.

Ugly Christmas Sweater is the theme for the upcoming night dance to be held on Thursday, December 6th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Admission is $5.00 at the door. Tina and Barry will be providing the music for the dance.

New Year's Eve Party: On Thursday, December 27th we will have a New Year's Eve party and dance beginning at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $8.00.

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday." -- Charles Lamb

Holiday Dinner: There will be a holiday dinner on Thursday, December 13th at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $10.50 per person. Please sign up by Thursday, December 6th. The Let's Entertain Group will provide entertainment.

Lehigh Acres Senior Center ? SOCIAL CLUB ? All are WELCOME!!!!! November 26, 2018

Upcoming Events - IF YOU SEE A * THERE IS A SIGN UP SHEET ? PLEASE CALL LAURA O. AT (239) 200-1693.

PLEASE JOIN US ON MONDAY MORNINGS AT 10:30AM FOR OUR BRAIN STORMING MEETINGS IN THE LARGE CARD ROOM? BRING YOUR IDEAS WITH INFO AND HELP US MAKE OUR WEEKENDS FUN. * Scrooge ? December 8th ? 2:00pm FREE ? Faith Assembly Church, 7101 Bayshore Rd, N. Ft Myers ? leaving LASCC main lot 1pm. * Christmas Potluck with card club ? Tuesday December 11th 11:30am ? main card room. *Christmas Carol Sing ? First Presbyterian Church ? 2438 2nd St. ? downtown Ft Myers ? 4pm ? leave LASCC main lot 3pm. Bring 2 canned goods, Dec, 11th *Christmas Cookie Exchange with card club ? Monday December 17th 11:30am *Christmas Dinner at St Raphael's noon. *Raisin' Cane Agricultural Tour ? FREE ? lunch and bus tour ? postponed till January. *Brewery Bounce ? 7 local breweries ? Saturday January 19th, starting at 12noon ? we will need designated drivers.

New Activities

There are several new activities beginning at the senior center.

the Tuesday quilting group if you would like to learn how to quilt.

Bocce ball will begin Tuesday, December 11 at 10:00 a.m. Beginners are welcome. If you would like to learn how to play bocce ball, please come and join us.

Friendship Group will begin in January. This is a group where people can meet and make new friends who share their interests. Please contact Melissa for further information.

Don't forget the new quilting class on Fridays to help construct a quilt to donate to a community organization for fundraising. You can also join

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