Since there was no Board meeting this month and I am going to miss the Holiday Potluck with all its gossip, I decided to offer several December-related quotes instead. I recognized only one of the authors,  William Blake. In High School we were introduced to his The Tiger and my group of friends took the first stanza as group “motto”.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home."  Edith Sitwell

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."  William Blake

“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing.” Oliver Herford

Upcoming Events

While there was no Board meeting and I would generally not publish an E-News, I wanted to pass along the following offer by the Emeritus College.

The Emeritus College is offering a ten week Watercolor workshop (January 15 – March 19). The workshop is open to beginner/intermediate watercolor painters who want to learn basic techniques along with the mindset of controlling water and paint. ASURA members and their partners are welcome to register. It looks really nice.

Note: Be sure to check our homepage to quickly get an overview of what is going on. There is an  interesting international trip to Mexico on the docket.

Help Us Find New Board Members

If you have not already done so, we are still interested in your suggestions for New Board Members. Each year ASURA holds a spring election for five new Board members. The Board manages the affairs of the Association and establishes policies to carry out its mission. Board members are elected for a term of three years, in this case 2026-2029. The Board meets monthly during the academic year.

We encourage you to offer the names of current ASURA members or yourself as a potential Board member by notifying the Nominating Committee chair, Maria Hesse. Send an email to Maria stating your interest or suggesting someone else for consideration (hopefully after checking to make sure they are interested).

Or to be certain that your nominee’s name gets on the ballot, you can (as described in the ASURA Bylaws, Article IV.E.2) submit a Petition of Nomination bearing the signatures of at least ten current ASURA members. There is no specific format for a nominating petition. You may simply send a letter stating that you are nominating a named member, with the letter signed by 10 current ASURA members. Make sure the member names are printed legibly in addition to providing signatures. All nominating petitions must be received by mid-January.

Send your suggestions, self-nomination, or petitions to Maria Hesse at [email protected].

We appreciate your help in identifying new board members as bringing in new leadership is important to the vitality of the organization!

I hope you all enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.

Barry McNeill
E-News Editor