Central Oregon Governing Council Meeting Minutes
Nov. 17, 2025
Affinity Bend
INTRODUCTION
Present: CO - Susan Goracke, Faith Hall, Michael Graham, Jim McDonald, Mark Goracke.
UO-Brenda McDonald
MINUTES OF 10/27/25 MEETING
Approved
COUNCIL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Shere Coleman is pausing her membership and involvement. We discussed recruiting an official council member to replace Shere. The President can appoint a new Council member with the consent of GC. Jim suggested Tom Petullo.
It would be helpful to have a Program Committee member attend GC meetings since Helen Pruitt is no longer attending. Susan will ask Helen to send Program Committee minutes to GC.
Roles and responsibilities for Program, Membership and Hospitality Committees are outlined in the handbook. Wendy Chase has volunteered to help with Hospitality for the Holiday Party, the Annual Meeting and Experience OLLI.
Membership Committee’s GC liaison is Mark; Melissa Elliott is liaison for Outreach and Fundraising.
Membership and Fundraising efforts are essential as our need is great right now.
Susan asked GC members to ask around for members to help with committees. We can read in the handbook what is required for these committees.
We need more people overall; specifically on committees and the GC. How can we help them feel more committed?
We had a discussion of members’ interests as well as what will be good for committees. Susan and Mark have called people to get a feel for their reasons for becoming members, or why people may have left or lapsed. How can we help them feel more committed? Susan is going to go through her list of members to determine personal interests.
Also, marketing is part of outreach.
Action-Each GC member is encouraged/urged to make one-on-one connections with members to find one member to help out somehow, whether on a committee or on the GC.
We discussed Sandra Gladney’s previous comment regarding it not being viable to try to get back to our past membership numbers. We had 290 members pre-covid. We have 138 members served as of November. Basically, times have changed. People can more easily access learning privately through streaming devices. Another issue is not having a fixed space as we did previously.
Re: the idea of finding a fixed space - OSU Cascades was $65 per hour. Now?
Larkspur $30-$45 per hour. Affinity is free to us.
There are no UO facilities in Bend now.
Also, UO is not willing to share their CO alumni lists with us.
The new UO Associate Vice Provost wants to meet with us. We discussed OLLI’s relationship with UO. Sandra is working to build a stronger relationship between OLLI and UO.
Pine Mt. Observatory is a function of UO. Maybe we could do a program/field trip there.
Tom and Sandra’s report from the OLLI convention was quite informative in showing the big picture nationally. The video of their report is available until Nov 23. Brenda will send out the link.
Linda Charney has suggested that members do one-off talks about their careers.
Note: We don’t need to sign out of Great Courses every time we have logged on, contrary to popular opinion.
Michael asked what the Finance Officer is expected to do. Susan read the description from the handbook. The Finance Officer is a liaison between Sandra and OLLI CO.
BRENDA’S REPORT
She decided to forgo discussion of facilities, membership numbers and annual meeting recap since Experience OLLI is looming.
- Holiday Party - Dec 10, 2:00—3:00 at the Elks Lodge. Wendy will send out the information.
EXPERIENCE OLLI. Jan 8, 1:00-2:30. Larkspur
We arrive at 12:00 to set up etc.
[Note: Brenda has since said that 12:30 is early enough.]
Attendees will need to register beforehand. There will be a table for attendees to check in and a name tag offered. We will enlist members who are good greeters. e.g. Maggi Machala and Gay Sommer.
We decided to stick with 2 presentations of 45 minutes each, as was done last year. Brenda will speak. It was suggested that 2-4 OLLI members, man and woman, give a brief testimonial - why they joined and why OLLI continues to have value for them, and how they participate.
Attendees then walk around to tables representing various activities and committees.
GC members will circulate and befriend attendees.
Helen will make the print information for the tables.
We decided to stick with two sessions primarily for numbers relating to the room’s capacity.
Brenda will do marketing. Facebook. The Source. TV community calendars.
Jim shared his concern that the OLLI sign we use outside the door of events may turn off non-UO people, being so recognizable as the green of UO Ducks. Brenda pointed out that we are required to use O for Osher.
ADJURN
- Next meeting is Mon, Jan 26, 8:30-9:55 at Affinity in the Family Dining Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Faith Hall, Secretary
