Technology User Group (TUG) Discussions for all users at all levels via hybrid meetings (in-person and Zoom) after the regular meeting, at about 11:45 a.m. (first and fourth Tuesdays of the month).
- May 6 – All kinds of Scamming have been increasing recently. George Kull will lead us in a "Scam Alert" discussion using some recent YouTube videos
Timely Topics Discussion in-person and via Zoom, with participation encouraged from all in attendance. Around 11:45 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month.
- May 13 – The topic will be -- “How have you overcome unconscious biases in dealing with people?” Our brains are hard-wired to classify people we meet into various groups based on our past experiences or things we’ve heard. How have you learned to overcome that tendency, both with people who seem like you or different from you?
Trips Scheduled (For Old Guard members and their guests)
This group needs a chair. Any volunteers?
Walkers Group walks or hikes are once again feasible – but this group also needs a chair or coordinator. Volunteers welcome.
May Program Chair - Tom Mulligan
- May 6 – History and Stories About the Football Giants, Jets, and Patriots – Come and relive the championship history and some of the weird and funny stories of the football New York Giants, New York Jets, and New England Patriots. Vin Femia is the noted author of three books about pro football and baseball. His entertaining presentation will describe the sometimes successful and sometimes turbulent history of these teams, which are some of the most popular and fascinating teams in all of sports. Vin will enliven his presentation with a visual slide show. He will also talk about his experiences with interviewing former NFL players and coaches. [video]
- May 13 – How to Live Better and Longer – Our speaker Jessica Brodkin is a former member of the CIA who has moved into the area of alternative healing. Jessica will speak to us about several methods of healing ranging from early East Asian techniques to modern alternative methods. Her focus is on longevity training that is particularly helpful to seniors, including acupuncture and Reike. Reike is a Japanese healing technique that aims to promote relaxation, reduce stress and encourage healing, and improve sleep. And who among us doesn’t want better sleep? Jessica is a multi-talented woman who has also performed a one-woman show entitled, A Spy’s Awakening. Jessica is the daughter of Old Guard member Phil Brodkin. [video to appear]
- May 20 – Revisiting World War II: A Modern Gathering –The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s World War II Weekend is a gathering of warbirds and much more. It has become the premier event of its kind commemorating events of WW II and the people and machines that led to allied victory. For three decades, the museum has honored our history through D-Day remembrance, vehicle & aircraft displays and shows, war veterans & speakers, battles & flights education, re-enactors at war and at home, and big bands & swing dancing. Ron Weinger, a member of Old Guard, attended the recent event and will give us a first-hand look at the weekend activities, illustrated with photos and video. [in-person and on Zoom – for access: [email protected]]
- May 27 – How Prescription Drugs Come to Market: An Insider’s View – Our speaker Kathleen Waldron is vice president of regulatory affairs at AbbVie which is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company focused on immunology, oncology, aesthetics, neuroscience, and eye care, with a mission to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that enhance people’s lives. Kathleen has a degree in psychology/pre-med from The College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Kathleen has a long career in the pharmaceutical industry beginning in 2002 with a start-up company, Eyetech, that developed the first treatment for macular degeneration. Kathleen will trace the drug development process for us from R&D, through clinical trials to FDA approval and ultimately product launch, and she will reflect on how today’s technology impacts the process. Kathleen is the daughter of Old Guard member and May MPC Tom Mulligan. [in-person and on Zoom]
June Birthdays emcee - Pat Moschetti
June Program Chair - Bob Ferguson
- June 3 – Get the Lead Out – Our speaker Mitch Ericson is retired from the Department of Homeland Security where he served as executive scientist. He is a fellow SOG member. He will speak to the use of lead and the polluting of our environment for thousands of years. Mitch will talk about lead mining, use, and exposure. He will review the efforts to remove lead from our environment over the past half-century, notably leaded gasoline, paint, and lead piping. We have improved all human’s lives and IQs, but there are still challenges ahead. [in-person and on Zoom]
- June 10 – Saving Radio City Music Hall – Guest presenter Rosie Novellino-Mearns is a retired Radio City ballet dance captain and formerly president of the Showpeople’s Committee to Save Radio City Music Hall. She is also an author and lyricist. Rosie will tell the story of how she organized the gargantuan effort in the spring of 1978 to save Radio City. We will be shocked by the “no good deed goes unpunished” climax of the story in which she reveals her reward for spearheading the movement to save “The Showplace of the Nation.” [in-person and on Zoom]
- June 17 – World Oil and Gas Trading – Speaker Steve Villas graduated from Lehigh University with a BS degree in engineering and obtained his MBA in finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He worked his entire 45-year career in the petroleum industry, holding positions with Exxon, Standard Oil of Ohio, British Petroleum, and Hess Corp. He has experience in and will speak on chemical plant design, advertising and promotion, supply and logistics, government affairs, oil and gas trading, financial hedging, oil and gas marketing, and more current topics of interest in the world oil markets. [in-person and on Zoom]
- June 24 – Current Challenges in Secondary Education – Our guest speaker Mike McTernan is currently teaching history at Ridge High School and is also serving as president of the Summit Common Council. He previously spent almost 30 years working in corporate finance / banking. Mike will address current issues facing secondary education, including his subjects of Global History and Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, and the challenges of second midcareer transitioning, which required him to attain his EdD from Seton Hall University. He is happy to entertain questions about these challenges as well as those concerning local government issues. Mike lives in Summit with his wife and four children. [in-person and on Zoom]
July Birthdays emcee - Rich Lander
