Program Ideas

This page documents planned and possible future monthly programs.

After we've done them, these get recorded on the page Program History

2025

June: 22 : Heather Perkins of Toastmasters will speak on "Overcoming your fear of public speaking." Open to all Elderberries and friends. Hosted by Elderberries Speakers' Bureau.

In 2023, Eric Bickerdyke (or maybe Kevin Dadouse) suggested we invite the chair of South Shore Pride to join us and make a presentation about their plans for Pride, which was scheduled for early July. Steve Ellis came and spoke May 14. I seem to remember that as a result a van load from Halifax went down to the day of their March (or maybe that was last year). Might we be interested in having Steve or someone he could suggest for June 08? In fact, since his talk was only about 15 minutes, maybe we could have Truro at the same time. If they chose to send an elder, we could do some in-person networking.
Summer
Harbour Breezes Daylilies in Head of Jeddore (Contact: Allan Banks via Lynn.) His garden sales include two cultivars which he created himself : Gay Harmony and Pink Triangle. Gay Harmony was named by the Halifax Gay Men's Chorus, and all proceeds from the sale of this plant go to the Chorus.
July
21 4-6pm: Pride Elders Hangout, hosted by the Elderberries. Producer probably Dan.
September
28 : Andrea Currie. Producer for now: Lynn
October
12: Bruce Dow, forming healthy relationships, green flags, red flags, recognizing our and someone else’s patterns, problematic behaviours like gaslighting, etc., setting boundaries - recognizing your support system / creating a support system. Contact / producer: Kaitlin

Future

  1. Barend: I'm a word nerd. (Long story avoided here.) I want to develop an amateurish interactive activity based on "The Language of Persuasion." How language is used, misused or mishandled. I'd keep it brief or do it in chunks with activities in between to avoid mass hibernation. I'd present some concepts such as the use of tone/volume/body language, context, affirmation bias, confirmation bias, generalizations, purposeful ambiguity etc. Esoteric. Yes but I'd keep it practical by getting pairs/trios to discuss or solve a task. I'd ask groups to give/make IE a "sneaky" persuasive statement. I'd rather have too much prepared than not enough to fill the time. I don't care if this descends into a rambling chatterfest. At times I'd announce a change of topic/a break/ ask folks for their insights. Of course it will be messy and but I hope fun and thought provoking Maybe end with a rapid fire identify "what's happening here?" quiz IE. "7 out of 10 doctors recommend using aspartame to replace sugar." "Oh good! You're back again!" NEEDS; A whiteboard & good dry markers and/or slides and screen, photocopies of definitions, sheets of paper, pens and a gentle gong?
  2. Rachel Reid, NS author who writes gay hockey romances https://www.rachelreidwrites.com/
  3. maybe Marjorie Lynn, Family Service Counselor, JA Snow Funeral Home, marjorie.lynn@dignitymemorial.com
  4. “How to talk to your Doctor” (idea from Bruce Dow via Barend)
  5. Alzheimer Society of NS: Kirstie Creighton <kirstie.creighton@asns.ca> has offered to come in.
  6. Navigating Nova Scotia government services, prod Renée, Marie Claire Chartrand GreyWave Consulting, to help families navigate these transitions. Her wife, Nancy, is one of our social workers here at Northwood.
  7. Massage for the Elderly: producer Kaitlin: Jeremy Richard
  8. Board game outing at the Board Room Café
  9. an escape room adventure at Trapped 1313 Barrington or Captured Escape Rooms 1648 Barrington
  10. Bowling?
  11. Do they have tour guides giving group tours of the Art Gallery of NS?
  12. Gerald McCowan: talk about what it was like to create "the new" Rumours
  13. Barend’s Métis friend Muriel speak about being Métis.
  14. Board games (2 votes)
  15. Have Robert Wright back to speak more, he has a lot to share; we want to learn more. The question is: which topic(s) next time? Should we take a poll of the membership?
  16. During Pride, from a survey "Elders Ideas For Pride" in 2021: Halifax Youth Project / Elderberries: "What's it like to be a youth these days? (with food); Not So Secret March; Human Library; Elder Hop again; See if we can get that little golf cart train thing in the parade for anyone who doesn’t want to walk; Meet with a group of Northwood residents and ask about top issues for people living in long-term care, and then co-sponsor a workshop on that; Something outside! Go to an exhibition baseball game? Dressed as Cheerleaders?; A Tribute to Rainbow Refugees; "A HGMC & Women Next Door concert & dance"; Something for the LGBTQ2+ Community in the USA.; Lesbian Jell-O Wrestling; "How about a ""Mask-erade / Glove-In"", where there is an organized street cleanup (including the drifting PPE) which is also an excuse to dress any way the participant pleases? Naming it ""Mask-erade"" would likely invite some creative dress options. Yes! Also serves the purpose of community involvement - I recall some challenges a couple years ago with internal politics that question the week for a lot of people."
  17. Dr Bob: talk about life in Florida in the age of Desantis
  18. Barend: about the underbelly of my time in Japan
  19. Repair Café: bring your broken things and we'll have a team of people to asses and maybe fix them.
  20. Go to the Church of Our Lady of Lebanon with Lynette Richards to see her stained glass work.
  21. Dealing with assumptions that when you're older, you're incompetent.
  22. Paula: Overview of Legal Documents For Seniors
  23. Craft Show - bring your own crafts, talk about your craft hobby
  24. Talk about our careers
  25. Special event for newcomers (maybe do this once a year) introductions if you want, some history, how Elderberries works.
  26. Get a member to share their life story ... or an event where we share biographies of other people
  27. get a drag queen to show how she puts on her makeup
  28. Anita: The place in Inverness that has the equipment for the disabled
  29. Hospice Halifax would like to talk to us Linden Hardie <l.hardie@hospicehalifax.ca> Social Work Coordinator, Hospice Halifax p: 902-446-0929
  30. Matt Numer has offered to do a presentation about "New Technologies and Chemical Culture: Examining Deployment and Effects Among Men Having Sex with Men".
  31. Robert Wright: How can white folk be allies to the black & gay community in Halifax.
  32. Sexual Harassment and strategies to deal with it -- telling our stories. Ask Georgina if she would be the moderator - $50?
  33. Hal Walsh: tell us the story of your experience with Dr Tench, head of the Abby J Lane / Halifax Mental
  34. Cindy Kemp, Kemp, Cindy <Cindy.Kemp@Dignitymemorial.com> I am a Family Service Advisor with Dignity Memorial. I serve the communities for JA Snow, Mattatall and Cruikshanks Funeral homes in Halifax and Dartmouth. Funeral pre-planning. Discount offered to us.
  35. Pajama Party!!
  36. JJ And His Embroidery
  37. Tuma & Nick & their pictures and travels
  38. Tuma: Some element of two-spirit culture - or smudging, or something.
  39. Review 2017-02-12 Meeting and actually do something to invite the People of Colour Communities
  40. Vance: Plato lecture
  41. Vance: Introduction to Topology
  42. Homophobia in our families
  43. My favourite scents
  44. Pride - pick a topic
  45. Barend's friend Muriel: Métis, raconteur, musician, tell a story about being Métis.
  46. Survey results
  47. Building community
  48. Another photo / history discussion
  49. Content ideas: Gerard Veldhoven. WAYNE will contact him about maybe coming in again some time.
  50. Music: Ukelele Mike
  51. Positives of Aging
  52. Photos & Videos: our stories
  53. Workshop on preserving photos and other community or family material
  54. Animals in our lives
  55. Racism in our GBLTQ+ community. How can/do we oppose it?
  56. Indigenous Issues and Culture

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