GVRNow!

The Revitalization of GVR’s Leisure Education Program

The GVR Fall 2023 Recreation Catalog, covering activities from October through December, will be available in centers and online the first week of September. Course registration begins Monday, September 11, so we encourage you to look at the catalog sooner rather than later. Take your place in whichever classes appeal to you! We know you’ll find at least one class, likely several, and you’ll want to register as soon as you can.

This fall’s Leisure Education program includes 195 class and lecture titles with 355 individual sessions. That’s a 23% increase over last fall’s class and lecture count and, perhaps more important, is comparable to 2019’s counts of 197 class and lecture titles with 316 individual sessions. In other words, our leisure education offerings are at long last back to pre-pandemic levels. It’s a milestone we take great delight in, but that’s not a stopping point.

This growth in classes, compared to 2022, involves virtually all leisure education categories. Fresh classes in beginning level Lapidary & Silversmith, painting and drawing, dance, nutrition, fitness, pickleball, pilates & yoga, martial arts,

language, plants, and special interest topics are all available. Space doesn’t allow us to detail all these new classes, and we hate to play favorites, so we’ll point you to the catalog itself in the expectation that you’ll find something which suits your fancy.

Interested in Kumihimo, acrylic painting, gelli plate, or various aspects of glass arts? Ever wonder what ‘aqua zumba’ is about? Thinking about practicing Tai Chi? Looking to move to a higher level of pickleball? Hoping to find a new way to get in tune with your inner self? Thinking about a rain garden? Want to learn about the working movie studio halfway between Tucson and Benson? Are you one of us who has a soundtrack for your life, a song playing in your head which might be from the 1930’s or the 1990’s or someplace in between? If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of these questions, or a hundred other questions we could ask, there’s something for you in our fall class schedule.

Our lecture program also features multiple new participants. The Green Valley Fire District will make their first presentation on September 11. As the fall term continues,

CONTACT US 520.625.3440

Operational matters email: hotline@gvrec.org

Board policy matters email: board@gvrec.org

Canoa Hills Customer Service

520-625-6200 (Lunch 11:30am–12:30pm)

East Center Customer Service 520-625-4641 (Lunch 12:30–1:30pm)

GVR INFO

Open daily 5:30am–9pm

Canoa Hills

Canoa Ranch

Desert Hills

East Center

Las Campanas

Santa Rita Springs

West Center

520-631-7151

520-631-0761

520-631-8060

520-631-8072

520-631-7068

520-631-8092

520-631-7909

Center Operations Assistants (Yellow Shirts) 520-343-2440

SEPTEMBER BOARD & COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Audit Committee: TBA

Board of Directors Work Session:

Wednesday, September 13, 2–4pm, WC Auditorium/Zoom

Board of Directors Regular Meeting:

Wednesday, September 27, 2–4pm, WC Auditorium/Zoom

Board Affairs Committee:

Tuesday, September 12, 1:30–3pm, WC Room 2/Zoom

Fiscal Affairs Committee:

Tuesday, September 19, 1:30–3pm, WC Room 2/Zoom

Investments Committee: No meeting scheduled

Nominations & Elections Committee:

Thursday, September 14, 10–11:30am, WC Room 2/Zoom

Planning & Evaluation Committee:

Thursday, September 14, 1:30–3pm, WC Room 2/Zoom

Any change in meeting status will be announced on the GVR website calendar.

BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

In a regular meeting on Wednesday, August 23, the Board of Directors took the following actions:

• Updated Committee responsibilities were approved.

• The Board Affairs Committee recommend Board approval for an amendment to the Membership Change Fee. Part 1 Membership and Facilities, Section 1.1.6.B was approved. For details, please refer to the GVR Corporate Policy Manual as of October 1, 2023.

• Security Camera contract approved: To award Preventronics with the contract, direct GVR staff to determine locations of up to 30 and 40 cameras in the facilities, not to exceed $50,000, and not to exceed $5,000 for a yearly maintenance fee.

• Joe Magliola was elected to the position of Board Officer, Assistant Treasurer.

Scan this QR code to get to the GVR website!

SATELLITE CENTERS

All Satellite Centers 520-549-9733

Open daily 5:30am–9pm

Abrego North

Abrego South

Casa Paloma I

Casa Paloma II

Continental Vistas

Madera Vista

Pickleball Center

GVR BOARD

1601 N Abrego Dr

1655 S Abrego Dr

400 W Circulo del Paladin

330 N Calle de las Banderolas

906 W Camino Guarina

440 S Camino del Portillo

2612 S Camino de la Canoa

GVR BOARD MEMBERS

President: Marge Garneau

Vice President: Carol Crothers

Secretary: Bart Hillyer

Treasurer: Jim Carden

Assistant Secretary: Barbara Blake

Assistant Treasurer: Joe Magliola

DIRECTORS

Nancy Austin

Kathi Bachelor

Beth Dingman

Steve Gilbert

Bev Lawless

Richard Sutherland

GVR BOARD COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Audit Committee: Nancy Austin

Board Affairs Committee: Carol Crothers

Financial Affairs Committee: Jim Carden

Investments Committee: Bev Lawless

Nominations & Elections Committee: Beth Dingman

Planning & Evaluation Committee: Kathi Bachelor

Email: board@gvrec.org

Did You Know?

Creativity can improve your quality of life.

We know that healthy eating, regular physical activity, and keeping our minds active are ways to improve our well-being. But have you been creative lately?

From flexing your mind muscles to expressing your feelings through color, song, or dance, finding a creative outlet can bring happiness, purpose, and social interaction into your day-today living. These are all things that can add to your wellness and joie de vivre.

GVR offers multiple ways to grow your joy factor while activating your mind, hands, feet, and voice.

Whether you are experienced in the arts or want to test something new, you’ll find classes, clubs, and drop-in activities every season here at GVR. The fall catalog still has offerings through September, and the winter catalog will be in centers by Monday, September 4 for fun October through December offerings.

And make it even more enjoyable by finding a creative partner to join you. Help each other by sharing ideas, testing out new materials, being accountable, and growing a relationship full of inspiration and memories.

Expand your creative possibilities and see what happens!

Children’s Pool Hours

West Center Weekdays: Noon–9pm

Weekends & holidays: ALL day

Abrego South

Daily: 4–6pm

All other pools

Daily: 11am–1pm AND 4–6pm

No guest pass required for kids! Children 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Children six and younger must have an adult in the pool with them at all times.

Watch your mailboxes for the new GVR Clubs Catalog in this month’s Home, Health and Life.

Letter from the President

We welcomed two new board members last month. Dick Sutherland has replaced Ted Boyett and Joe Magliola has replaced Laurel Dean. Since Laurel was the Assistant Treasurer, the Board elected Joe to fill the position.

The Board is working on getting GVR Committee descriptions and responsibilities cleaned up. Over the years, things have been added or left in these policies that staff do. Each committee has submitted their corrections and the Board voted to approve these with the exception of Fiscal Affairs, who requested another month to review details.

The Board Affairs Committee examined the Membership Change Fee that is charged upon purchase of a GVR property, and presented a proposed change to this policy at the August Board meeting. The existing policy states that if a member sells their primary property and purchases another GVR property in which to live, they are eligible for a refund of the Membership Change Fee (currently $2900). Members who own more than one GVR property are not currently eligible for this refund. At the August meeting, the Board voted in favor of amending the policy so that refunds apply to all primary property owners. Regardless of the number of GVR properties owned, when a member sells their primary GVR residence and buys another GVR primary residence, they will be eligible for a refund of the Membership Change Fee, starting October 1st. The refund is subject to stipulations outlined in the Corporate Policy Manual.

The survey results have been provided to the Board and the Board voted to make available $50,000 to start putting cameras around GVR. Thank you for completing the survey and letting us know how you felt about cameras at GVR.

We appreciate the members who attend our meetings and give us their opinions both in person and via zoom.

—Marge Garneau, Board President

It’s September!

Although September is technically still considered summer, it’s time to get back into the classroom. Even if that classroom is a fitness studio, an art table, or a lecture room.

Our leisure education program offers 40 different classes in September. Below is a small sampling of what’s available to you. Register for classes using your ActiveNet account, visit a CSR office, or call 520-625-3440.

The popular 20/20/20 class, an hour’s combination of aerobics, strength, and core/stretching activity, returns from summer break for classes on Friday and Saturday. Bring your hand weights, resistance tubing, a mat, a towel, and water. Fun for all and a no judgement zone.

Collage: Cut, Paste, and Create gives you the opportunity to get creative using papers, pictures, and other materials to make unique works of art. It’s great for card making, too. No experience necessary.

Our summer Nature series concludes with ‘The Sky Island Mountains’, an exploration of what these ‘islands’ are, the various biomes they harbor, the organisms they call them home, and why these scenic mountains are so popular with professional and amateur naturalists.

As well, five lectures, free to members and guests, complete the Summer ’23 leisure education offerings. Lectures from the Parkinson’s Support Group of Green Valley (September 8), the Green Valley Fire District (September 11), Northwest Medical Center (September 12), Sarver Heart (September 14) and Soulistic Hospice (September 19) kick off what’s sure to be a busy lecture season. For lecture details, please check the GVR calendar on our website, the GVR Now, or flyers available at customer service desks. No registration necessary.

SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER ART EXHIBITS

Desert Hills – Santa Rita Art League

East Center – Heidrun Kessler Exhibitor

Las Campanas – GVR Photography Club

West Center – Diane West Exhibitor

Centers open as usual; offices and customer service desks closed

Photo by Diane Marr

Fall event tickets and class registration begin Monday, September 11.

Photo by Linda Gregory

the Green Valley Animal League, Sheriff’s Auxiliary, Arizona Historical Society and Green Valley Council will join the list of organizations presenting informational, entertaining talks on subjects which relate directly to our lives in Southern Arizona. Lecture are free to members and their guests, and schedules will be posted in centers and on the GVR website. You needn’t come early to grab a good seat as each of the lecture venues is perfectly equipped for a comfortable experience wherever you find yourself located.

As we said earlier, we take great delight in returning to a pre-pandemic class schedule. Without giving away the details, we can report that we’re already working on winter’s class and lecture schedule, and are convinced that the revitalization of the leisure education program we’re experiencing this fall term will continue, perhaps even ramp up, come January. Here’s a teaser: have you ever wondered about that little white building at the top of Mt. Hopkins?

We’d love to pat ourselves on the back and give ourselves a shout out, boasting about how this growth in class and lecture options is strictly the result of our own hard work. Yes, we did reach out directly to several individuals who

New! Boxing Skills Training

will be teaching and lecturing. Truth be told, the great majority of new classes are the result of members of the community stepping up, proposing a course, going through a vetting process, and becoming part of a group of talented, dedicated individuals who share their talents and knowledge with GVR’s members and make a little money doing so.

Guess what? You can be part of this! If you’re so inclined, take some time to think about subject matter where you might lead a class. Look at the catalog to see where they may be a gap in the areas our classes cover: a gap you can fill. Did you know that one of the fastest growing groups of video game enthusiasts is in the senior community? Are you an expert gamer who’d like to share this passion with others? Do you have a certification in nutrition and wish to help others stay in fine fettle? Do you know the difference between a categorical imperative and a situational ethic, and could you explain how these concepts might actually work in tandem? If so, please take a look at the Instructor Corner under the Recreation tab at GVRec.org. There’s still time to send in a proposal for a winter-term course, and we’d love to hear from you!

A new fitness/recreation opportunity is now available at the Desert Hills fitness center: Boxing skills training! Boxers will work with the heavy bag and other equipment—not live opponents. Prepare for sweat and laughter! This is a terrific workout and trainer Lizetta likes to keep it fun.

• One-on-one training $35/half hour

• Buddy training (two students) $60/half hour ($30 per person) Training gloves and wrist wraps required. Bring your own or consult trainer for suggestions.

Benefits of a Boxing Workout

1. Improves heart health

2. Aids weight loss

3. Boosts whole-body strength

Boxing training will build fitness, strength, and coordination. This is great cardio workout with some strength exercises built into each session.

Email Fitness Coordinator Lee (LeeS@gvrec.org) to arrange a session with GVR’s newest fitness trainer, Lizetta Smith. Lizetta has 15 years of experience as a group fitness instructor for Cardio-Kick Boxing, Boxing, and MMA/TRX.

Club Spotlight

Join the GVR Aquabelles for Synchronized Swimming

As long as you can swim and float you can be an Aquabelle! The club is not competitive and focuses on camaraderie, having fun and being healthy. Aquabeaus are also welcome.

For a fun time, come to the club’s demonstration/performance on Thursday, September 14, 4pm at East Center pool. Bring your bathing suit and go for a swim after the presentation.

For more information or to join a practice: GVRAquabelles@outlook.com

Try out the Pacific Northwest Club

The GVR Pacific Northwest Club is a social club for those from the Northwest including Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The spirit of the Northwest is the basis for the Club’s fellowship and camaraderie, and is perfect for those who are proud to be from the Northwest and love to reminisce about their time there. This social club meets during the season for potluck or “night out” dinners. It is dedicated to providing opportunities to make new friendships and strengthen existing friendships.

GVR members interested in the PNW may attend one event before joining the club.

Questions? gvrpacificnorthwestclub@gmail.com

New or experienced players are welcome at the GVR Cribbage Club

Playing crib is said to be good for brain health, and playing regularly might even lower your risk of dementia and depression. It’s a great game because it involves math, strategy, socializing, and problem solving. Let’s face it though, it’s more fun when you win, and playing with strategies will help you win. The thrill is in the skill to know which moves to make and when.

New or experienced players are welcome, but some knowledge of cribbage is required to join the club.

Want to see what the club is all about?

gvrcribbageclub@gmail.com

Poolside Dance with the Jukebox Junquies

Saturday, September 23 · 6–9pm · Las Campanas Pool

The monsoon is over and the heat has returned: cool off with a poolside party! Dance on the deck or bring your floaty and bob in the pool. Tickets include three beverages and a taco bar by Frausto’s Street Tacos. Poolside parties are reserved for GVR members and their card-carrying guests.

Member/Guest $20

Sorry, no general public admission

Last day to buy tickets is Friday, September 15

Halloween Costume Dance Party

Tuesday, October 31 · 7pm · West Center Auditorium

Frightful fun with a costume contest, trick-or-treats, and awesome dance tunes provided by Satyr Entertainment’s DJ. Come for the spook factor, stay for the party. BYOB. Mixers and snacks provided.

Member/Guest $14

General Public $18 (available two weeks before dance) Reserve full tables by calling 520-838-0156