What's New at the Senior Center: Father's Day Breakfast

Submitted by Sherry Jackson, Needham COA Associate Director

Come celebrate Father’s Day with a complete breakfast especially for the fellows on Wednesday, June 13, 10 a.m. at . Among good company, enjoy pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, biscuits and home fries.

This event is free, but sign-up is required. Sign-up is required; call 781-455-7555.

WALKING CLUB

If you walk two to four miles, a couple of days a week, then this walking club is for you. Our walks are designed to offer variety. You will have an opportunity to walk with other walking clubs. We will also explore trails outside the local area, offering transportation via our van. To sign up, call Sherry at the Needham Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

Upcoming walks include: Castle Island in South Boston on Friday, June 15; and Walden Pond in Concord on Friday, June 22.

THIS WEEK AND COMING UP

These programs are going on this week at the or require registration this week. To sign up, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

• Weekly Flicks—Watch “Iron Lady" (2012) on Friday, June 15 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. Other upcoming Friday Flicks include: Monday, June 18, "Vertigo” (1958) and Friday, June 23, "We Bought a Zoo” (2012). Friday Flicks are free, and there is no sign-up required. 
• Monday’s Lunch Bunch—Try someplace new, socialize and enjoy a good meal with Monday's Lunch Bunch. The group meets at the Senior Center at 11:30 a.m. to board a van to the lunch destination. Coming up: A trip to Pizzeria Uno in Dedham on Monday, June 18 and a trip to Charley’s Saloon in Chestnut Hill on Monday, June 25.A suggested donation of $5 will be collected on the van. Participants also pay the cost of their meals.
• Book Review with Gail Rice—Come discuss "Defending Jacob" by William Landay on Monday, June 25 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. This new best-selling novel centers around a Massachusetts district attorney whose 14-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. The story is a real domestic drama as well as a real legal thriller about a murder trial and the way it shatters a family. This novel is truly an unforgettable tale of an ordinary family in crisis as well as a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.There is no sign-up or fee for this event.

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

Celebrate diversity in honor of GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Pride Month with a presentation, film and luncheon on Wednesday, June 20 at 11 a.m. at the Senior Center.

Clif Holbrook, Council on Aging staff member, will give an introduction to the award-winning film, “For the Bible Tells Me So." After the film, Gordon Swan will lead a discussion. A special luncheon will follow.

The film, “For the Bible Tells Me So,” is a documentary and includes interviews with a number of conservative Christian families as well as V. Gene Robinson, who became the first officially ordained Anglican bishop; political activist and spiritual leader Bishop Desmond Tutu; and Chrissy Gephardt, the openly lesbian daughter of Congressman Dick Gephardt. The film was directed by Daniel Karslake, longtime producer of the PBS news and public affairs.

Our discussion facilitator, Rev. Swan, is celebarting 52 years of ordination. He began college in Canada to train as a medical doctor. During his studies he realized he was called to be a pastor, “a physician of the soul.” He retired in May 2003 from the , which appointed him Pastor Emeritus “in deep appreciation and gratitude for 17 years as our beloved pastor.” Swan and his wife Edith live in Needham and have been married for 54 years.

This program is free, but registration is required. Call 781-455-7555 ext. 205 to sign up.

GAME GROUPS

Would you like to learn how to play Mah Jong, Whist or Cribbage? Do you already know how to play games such as Mah Jong, Bridge, Whist, Cribbage, Scrabble, Backgammon or Poker and want to join a group? Call Sherry Jackson, associate director at the Needham Council on Aging, at 781-455-7555 ext. 205 for information.

TRIP NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS

The Friends of the Needham Elderly are planning their next trip on Thursday, July 19. Escape for the day and join the Friends aboard the Pilgrim Belle—a nostalgic Mississippi-style paddle wheeler—for a narrated cruise highlighting the story of the Pilgrims as they explore the waters of historic Plymouth Harbor and Cape Cod Bay. 

Lunch will be included at the Hearth & Kettle Restaurant and includes either broiled Cape scrod or roast turkey dinner. Explore the Scenic Plymouth Waterfront and enjoy local speciality shops and restaurants.  

The motor coach will leave Linden and Chambers, Linden St., Needham at 9.30 a.m. or 9.45 a.m. from the Senior Center and will return around 6/6:30 p.m. The cost of this trip is $64 (includes all tips).

Reserve a spot now by calling 781-455-7555 ext. 209. Full payment must be made upon reservation, along with luncheon choice and pick-up location.

Please make checks payable to “F.O.N.E” and mail to Needham Senior Center, 83 Pickering St., Needham, MA 02492, Attention: Trips. (No refunds if cancellation is received within 10 days prior to departure, unless a replacement can be found.)

Tour requires minimum of 30 passengers to operate, so tell your friends today.

The Friends' next trip will be on Wednesday, Aug. 22 to Lobster Fest in Holyoke, featuring a performance by "The Ponytails"—an all-girl tribute band that plays music from the 1960s. Cost is $74. 

TRY SOMETHING NEW

• Computer Lessons—The Council on Aging offers computer lessons on Thursday afternoons by appointment. Those who would like to learn about computers in a one-on-one session with an instructor are invited to these classes. Lessons are offered on Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. (by appointment). There is no fee for this class. To make a 45-minute appointment, call the COA at 781-455-7555.
• Creative Writing Group—The COA writing group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center. All are welcome, and sign-up is not required. This writing group is for all levels. The class is not about using proper grammar. It is about capturing memories or stories on paper and most of all having fun. The class is facilitated by a published writer.
• Singers wanted—If you can read music or can carry a tune, join this new group meeting on Tuesday afternoons from 12:45-1:45 p.m. at the Senior Center. Fred Shaw will lead the group in song and will provide the lyrics to songs old and new. Shaw said that his interest in music sprang from listening to barbershop and leaning to harmonize certain tunes. Shaw has performed for a wide variety of locations and audiences; however, he may be best known for his role as "Ring Master" of the mid-1960s television show “Bozo the Clown.” No audition required. Sign up is appreciated in order to have enough song sheets for all to participate. Call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555 to sign up.