Club Ed!: 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sayings I never understood

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & the Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly, Dec 30, 2009

We grew up hearing “sayings” gleaned from literature and history that are meant to impart great truths in few words. Phrases like “Man does not live by bread alone” and “I am my brother’s keeper.”

When you reexamine the source, you find many have morphed into meaning the opposite of the way they are used. Herewith are some examples:

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too

I never understood this one - it makes no sense. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it. In fact, that the only way to eat your cake is to “have” it first!

It makes sense only when it is stated accurately. The original phrasing is “You can’t EAT your cake and have it too.” Suddenly it makes sense. After you eat anything, you no longer have it to eat.

Man does not live on bread alone

I have heard this line quoted by sybarites to justify living the high life; that is, one need not subsist on mere bread and water. The Bible phrase actually means just the opposite - man is not meant to subsist entirely on material things of this world, but to seek spiritual nourishment, the opposite of living it up.

I am my brother’s keeper

Used by politicians to make us pay more taxes for welfare programs. The Biblical phrase has Jesus asking “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Again, this imparts the exact opposite meaning used today - I cannot control how my brother uses his time and gifts.

Money is the root of all evil

No no no, that is not what this other Bible phrase said. It is the love of money that is the root of evil. Big difference.

Steal from the rich; give to the poor (the Robin Hood argument)

The parable of Robin Hood actually makes the exact opposite argument than the one proposed by those who evoke it. It is used by usually by those who see Robin as a hero who takes money from the wealthy merchants and distributes to the poor common folk - redistributing wealth.

In reality, Robin is taking back the taxes and tariffs unfairly imposed upon the working man by the government. Who chases Robin? The Sheriff, on behalf of the government. So Robin Hood should be the hero of those who opposes oppressive taxes and government interference.

I laughed all the way to the bank.

Actually, Liberace, the flamboyant pianist, when asked how he felt after bad reviews by critics, said, “I cried all the way to the bank.”

My favorite might ring a bell for member s of the older generation. My mother often used the phrase, “Didn’t know s*** from Shinola,” and occasionally when talking about me as I recall. It was an alliterative and colorful phrase, but I never really got the reference. Only when I was an adult did I discovered that Shinola was a brand of boot polish, one whose consistency and color apparently bore a resemblance to the another substance beginning with the letter “s.” Suddenly all became clear.

Proving an Amish proverb that - more than ever - rings true, “We grow too soon old, and too late smart.”

XXX

Club Ed is the community education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Every session, Club Ed offers hundreds of classes for everyone in the Texas Hill Country. The Spring catalog is now in the mail. More information online at www.clubed.net.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A class in every town

by Phil Houseal, as seen in Community Journal (Kerrville TX) & Hill Country Weekly (Boerne TX) Dec 23, 2009

You’ve heard of a chicken in every pot; my Christmas wish is to put a community education program in every town.

Kerrville, you are fortunate having a program like Club Ed. That is not bravado; it is fact. For a town this size, there is probably not another program like it in the state or the country. Two times a year, you receive a catalog of hundreds of interesting and stimulating lifelong learning opportunities, from dance to computers to cooking to karate. This is not magic; the success is because your school district offers it and you support it by signing up for classes and by stepping up to teach.

But you may be surprised to learn there are fewer than 100 such community education programs in Texas. That is less than 10% of the more than 1100 or so school districts in the state that open up their facilities to the tax-paying citizens.

A little history. The concept of community education began in 1935 as a dream of Frank Manley, a physical education teacher in Flint, Michigan. He passionately believed in John Dewey’s philosophy that “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

With funding from the Mott Foundation, Manley led the way for schools to open their doors to the community. What better community center than the schools, which had quality facilities, central locations, and connected all parts of a community?

The concept spread across the country, and became established in Texas in 1971 through the Center of Community Education at Texas A&M. The initiative to place community education programs in towns was at first funded by the legislature, but that funding went away in the late 1980s. Since that time, community education programs are largely self-supporting, using a combination of user fees, grants, and local support.

In the 1990s, the Texas Community Education Association made repeated attempts to acquire funding to start new projects with funding from the legislature and the Texas Education Agency, but appropriations bills failed to get out of conference committee.

So that brings us to the current state of affairs. Community Education programs exist and thrive around the state. San Antonio is a center for the largest programs in the state, at North East and Northside ISDs. Several strong programs exist in the Metroplex, with the remainder based in small and medium sized communities such as Frederickbsurg, New Braunfels, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs, College Station, and Kerrville.

It is also important to note the community education is not just people doing line dances or taking basket weaving (although we have both in Club Ed). Community Education looks different in every community, which is a strength. Some programs focus on offering classes for senior citizens. Others offer more K-12 based programs, including after-school enrichment and extensive summer camps. Others focus on adult literacy and GED classes. That diversity is a strength, because the community education program should reflect the community.

Back to the dream. If you live in a town that does not yet offer community education, please consider taking steps to start one. It does not have to be large, or even based in the school district. One town offered computer classes in a bank’s basement; other towns used local libraries.

Our Club Ed program has taken a small step in this direction by offering “remote” classes in surrounding communities over the years, including in Junction, Bandera, Center Point, and Comfort. Currently we have branches in Boerne and Ingram.

But it is important that every town has a place for a lifelong learning program of its own, to accommodate the community’s needs and reflect the population’s personality.

Because one fact remains the same in every town - learning should never end.

xxx

For more information about starting a community education program, visit www.tcea.com or email info@tcea.com. Technical support and small grants are available.

New spring classes are online now. The catalog will be mailed to all hill country homes after Christmas. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Elena

by Phil Houseal, as published in the Community Journal (Kerrville TX) and Hill Country Weekly (Boerne TX) Dec 16, 2009

When I walked into the HEB Floral Shop to buy flowers for my wife for her birthday, I never expected to find an epiphany.

I was window shopping in the flower cooler, bewildered by the array of arrangements, when a young smiling clerk approached and asked what I needed.

She had a slight accent that was unusual for central Texas. When I explained the occasion of my wife’s birthday, she smiled bigger and said, “Then you don’t want these, you want these!”

She placed her hand on my arm, and gently but firmly “guided” me to the next cooler, holding the more elaborate vases. I stopped looking at flowers and instead turned my attention to this obviously confident salesperson.

I had to ask: “I notice by your accent you are not from around here.”

“No,” she admitted. “I am from Russia, and was adopted by a local family.”

A light snapped on. “Do you live in Stonewall?” I asked cautiously.

Now it was her turn to be surprised. She nodded yes.

“And you came here about 10 years ago?” Again she nodded. “I know you,” I said.

It was around 2001 that Galina Hopkins taught a Russian language class for Club Ed. I was surprised at the interest in learning the language here in the hills of Texas, so far from the steppes of Russia.

I particularly remember one lady from Stonewall who signed up. She and her husband were in the process of adopting a child from Russia, and were anxious to learn the language. There was no better place than in Galina’s class. The Ukraine native not only taught conjugation and tense, she taught her native culture. During class, that room filled with music, dance, and the smells of food from Russia. We were regularly called in to sample borscht, sweets, and songs.

That family completed the lessons and the adoption. I remember the day they brought in their beautiful daughter, who was around age 11. Though she could not yet speak English, she communicated her joy and curiosity with bright eyes and beaming smiles.

It was those smiles that I recognized 10 years later in HEB. Elena is now a young woman who had obviously learned not only the language, but had turned the tables and used her marketing skills on me.

Of course I chose the better flower arrangement. As Elena pulled the item from the cooler, her selling was not finished. “Naturally, you want a balloon to go with this.” It was not a question. It was a statement. “You will find the birthday balloons in this section,” she said, gesturing to a rack beside her. By the time we finished the transaction, she had also sold me a card and gift wrapping.

I never so enjoyed being “sold.”

I also enjoyed seeing yet another way that lifelong learning weaves its way through our lives. One never knows how a bit of knowledge picked up can have repercussions decades later. Club Ed literally touches and changes lives, in ways we can never know.

But on this day in the floral department of HEB, I was glad to see another unexpected wave started from a ripple in Club Ed.

XXX

The new spring Club Ed classes are now online at www.clubed.net! Catalog mailed after Christmas. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Don't be a Maxine

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly 12/9/2009

“Exactly when was it, Mom, that you become so afraid to try new things?”

That was the blunt but loving query I asked my 80-something mother, Maxine, during a recent, infrequent, phone conversation. I was chiding her for not getting on her computer and learning how to use a basic email or a Facebook account.

You see, my mom used to be an intrepid explorer. As a young girl, she was the oldest of five sisters living on a farm in Iowa. She left the farm in her teens to study business in the state capital, married a sailor, and raised nine kids. She chased down wild horses, cooked and canned, and tended a huge truck garden.

Her reply? “If I do get on email, will you talk to me more often?”

“Every day,” I said honestly. I am still waiting for her to do it.

But other seniors are not waiting. They quickly discover that computers are easy to use, and once on, they can not only correspond with their children, but they can see pictures and videos of their grandchildren, look up old classmates and war buddies, and make new friends who share their interests and hobbies around the world.

It is understandable that computers intimidate some from a generation that was born before airplanes, television, and indoor plumbing existed. If you are one of those who just don’t feel comfortable trying a computer, don’t worry. We have courses and instructors designed just for you. For 20 years we have offered Computers for Beginners, and trained hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds how to join the computer revolution. That course literally starts with learning how to turn on the machine and how to move the mouse. By the end of the course, students are playing games, writing letters, and emailing friends.

From there, the options are up to each student. Many go on to learn more about email, how to fix old photographs, how to use digital cameras, how to make greeting cards and signs, and how to use word processors and spreadsheets.

How about shopping online? It sure beats getting out in the crowds and traffic, and is completely safe. And shopping online doesn’t mean you bypass the local economy. There is probably not any local store that doesn’t have a web site you can use.

I like to listen to classic radio programs, with my favorite the George Burns & Gracie Allen Show. In the 1940s, advertisers mounted a mock campaign to increase safety in the home. They titled it “Don’t be a Gracie,” referring to Gracie being prone to accidents.

With all apologies to my mother, I plead with you non-computer users “Don’t be a Maxine.” If you are hesitant to use new technology, come in and sign up for a class. We promise to be gentle. And if you have someone in your life who shares my mother’s distrust of computers, urge them to try something new by getting them a gift certificate for a Club Ed class.

Who knows? The first person they email, might be you.

xxx

For a last minute gift, how about a gift certificate for a class in Club Ed? One lady gave her 70-year-old mother a certificate for sky diving! For information, call 830-895-4386 before Dec 18.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Stress and class

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly Dec 2, 2009

Are you stressed? I might have a cure.

I recently attended a seminar on recognizing and dealing with stress.

It was valuable because the insidious thing about stress is that you don’t realize you have it. It’s that twitch in the eye, the shallow breathing, the waking up at 2 in the morning - little tics that have become patterns that you cannot remember not having.

This group ended the session by going around the room and offering examples of ways we each deal with stress - sharing activities that reduce the level of anxiety.

We covered all the Reader’s Digest points - better nutrition, reduced sugar and caffeine, exercise, finding your happy place, and so on.

The session was nearly over when suddenly I had a flash of insight.

“Take a class!” I blurted.

Everyone turned to me to see what I was going to say next. I wondered, too.

Then it just came spilling out. I realized the times in my life I feel least stressed are when I am learning something new. Right now, that includes learning how to play violin and how to tap dance (no, not at the same time).

When I am in that lesson, for one hour, I don’t worry about work, kids, job, cars, or money. My mind goes to a state of focus and concentration, where the sole purpose is to hit that G# or nail that shuffle ball change. As a bonus, I’m getting a physical workout and learning a new skill or hobby - another stress reducer.

It occurred to me that every day I get to see people come through our doors who want to learn something new, and they are the happiest, most well-adjusted people I know, regardless of their age. This fall I interviewed a gentleman who is learning to weld. He is 87. And he didn’t appear to be too stressed. We have had a 70-year-old lady jump out of an airplane. I imagine she had a little adrenaline pumping through her veins, but she landed and survived to jump another day. Stress didn’t kill her.

We all know you should eat better, exercise more, sleep eight hours, and take time for yourself. The biggest reason people gave for not doing these things is “not enough time.”

Taking a class makes you take time. It forces you to attend a specific place at a specific time. It is in your organizer. When you show up, you are immersed in a whole new group of supportive people who become your friends and allies as you push back the frontiers of ignorance and uncertainty.

It is a fact that learning something new - at any age - forges new neuron paths in the brain. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

Oh. They say that change is another stressor. Well... take a tap class, and you can embrace change - shuffle ball change.

XXX

For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Friday, November 20, 2009

No retiring from learning

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal and Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly - Nov 25, 2009

What does a retired teacher do when she no longer teaches?

Learn, says Carol McMahon.

I always love to ask people why they sign up for any lifelong learning classes. Everyone is so busy, I wonder what motivates them to choose a class, register and pay for it, then carve out time to show up for each meeting. I’ve asked people from all backgrounds and of all ages, including a few folks in their 90s. The answers are always revealing.

In McMahon’s case, she retired to the hill country three years ago, after teaching public school for 25 years. She immediately got involved in tutoring college students and, in her spare time, taking Club Ed classes.

“These classes are wonderful - a godsend for people who want to get back up to speed on computer, or learn art or dance,” she said. “It is fantastic you have this program here.”

In a short time, McMahon has enrolled in a smorgasbord of courses. They include Cultures of the Hill Country, dance lessons, art lessons, watercolor, and several trips. She couldn’t name her favorite.

“They were all really, really good,” she said. She especially enjoyed the local history class, and started doing her own research into the area. “There are a lot of small towns, and people don’t know about them. It’s nice to know about where you are.”

McMahon is already planning her next session of classes. She has her eye on geology, Google Docs, and Yoga. How, I wondered, does she decide which ones to take?

“Everything I am interested in,” she replied. “I never had time during my working life to get into things I wanted to do. So it is a real pleasure for me to have time to do this.”

McMahon is especially enjoying her art classes. She finally has time to study this love, and often travels to her place in Port Aransas just to paint.

Her next frontier lies in taking more computer classes.

“I work on the computer all the time. You have to update your skills as software is always changing. I especially need work on digital photography. You have to use it or lose it!”

Losing it does not see to be an option for this lifelong learner. She tells all her friends - even the out-of-town ones - about Club Ed and encourages everyone to take a class.

“I do believe in education. These classes are wonderful, especially for seniors. Anyone can afford $20 for a yoga class. What a great addition it is to the community.”

xxx

For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Telling stories

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly
Nov 18, 2009

Everyone thinks they can tell a story. But it takes a special talent and drive to be a “storyteller.”

Vanessa Potter did not know she was a storyteller until she started working on an assignment in seminary school.

“Our professor asked everyone to tell an Old Testament story,” she said. After she finished her tale, the professor stood up and applauded. “He said, ‘You are a storyteller - you ought to be a professional.”

Inspired, Potter started taking workshops, honing her techniques and learning more about the history of the art form.

As long as man has been able to vocalize, he has told stories. It was the first way to convey events, preserve culture, as well as to educate and entertain. These days, storytelling is more popular for its entertainment value.

“My style is for performances as well as education,” said Potter, whose dream is to have her own theater where she can do concerts and teach year round. “I want people to get excited about storytelling again.”

The ordained minister and Christian educator believes in the benefits of storytelling that go beyond just being entertained.

“Storytelling raises consciousness,” she explained. “When people hear stories, it is a right brain action. It can impact lives in the way that listeners become changed; they then go out and change other lives. It is transformational.”

Potter teaches Discover the Artist in You Through Storytelling for Club Ed. A lot of that class covers the nuts and bolts of better ways to prepare for and perform your stories.

“For so long we learned through stories,” she said. “But stories reach deeper into the soul of the world. We can tell many styles - traditional, personal, Native American or other ethnicity. Sometimes we mix in music. But always, basically, it is one person performing stories.”

Potter will present a storytelling “concert” at the Fredericksburg Theater Company in Fredericksburg on November 28. “Storytelling in Texas” will feature three internationally recognized guest storytellers, along with Potter.

Her dream is to build a theater and offer concerts five days a week year round.

“Storytelling creates communities, builds relationships, heals, restores, and redeems,” she said. “I want to do that.”

xxx

Vanessa Potter teaches Discover the Artist in You Through Storytelling for Club Ed. Potter also will present a storytelling “concert” at the Fredericksburg Theater Company in Fredericksburg on November 28. For tickets and details visit www.fredericksburgtheater.org.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Ride with the wind

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly

Nov 11, 2009

Karen Dampeer wants everyone to feel what she felt the first time she straddled her Yamaha Stratoliner 1900cc motorcycle.

“I got hooked,” said the Boerne resident. “Since I started riding, I dress the way I want, and I’m always ready to ride when I want.”

Dampeer, who works as a financial planner by day, racked up 12,000 miles the first year she had her bike. One of her trips was a solo journey to Colorado Spring. She made many impressions along the way. “Women came out of diners, amazed that I was traveling this way. It meant different things to different people, but to most it was liberating to see someone doing something like that.”

Dampeer and Robert Allen are the Rider Coaches, teaching the new Course for Motorcycle Riders being offered every weekend through Club Ed in Kerrville. The course is sanctioned by the Department of Public Safety, and qualifies new riders for the Class M endorsement, along with reducing insurance premiums.

Bob Kee, owner of Destination:Cyclesports, provided six Suzuki 250 bikes when saw the need for safety training in the Hill Country.

“We see guys returning to this sport thinking that riding a motorcycle is like riding a bicycle - you never forget. But 25 years off the machine, plus the change in physical conditioning, results in overconfidence. Offering this course in the Hill Country means a better chance of preventing future accidents.”

In the basic course, students learn how to operate a motorcycle, the best protective clothing to wear, how to avoid and react to dangerous situations. By the end of the course, riders will have skills at the two-year rider level.

“The course is user friendly and a safe place to ride and learn,” Dampeer said. “We go step by step, and don’t ask you to do anything we haven’t prepared you for. There is a gradually building up of experience. Anyone can pass the course and build their confidence.”

At the same time, the course is not easy. In fact, Dampeer calls it “strenuous.”

“It is not hard, it just takes different muscles than you are used to using.”

Still, they have trained riders from as young as 15 on up to 79 years old. In the past few years they are seeing more and more women taking their seats at the front of the saddle.

What is the appeal? Romance? Rebellion? Freedom? Thrills?

“It is all of those,” Dampeer said. “I like the sense of being outside and being part of the outdoors. All day, I work in an office, with tons of responsibility, and I’m a good citizen. But sometimes, I like putting aside my normal personality, taking off the mask, and being myself.”

Ride, Karen, ride.

xxx

Club Ed now offers the Basic Rider Course for Motorcycle Riders in Kerrville, at Peterson Middle School on Sidney Baker Street next to IHOP. A new class starts every weekend, between 8 a.m. and 5: 30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Riders must register in advance by calling 830-895-4386, or by stopping by the Auld Center, 1121 Second Street, Kerrville TX 78028.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Keepsake Christmas Trees

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly Nov 4, 2009

Remember how as a kid you wanted the largest Christmas tree in town? It wasn’t right unless the top scraped the ceiling, and the branches grabbed everyone who ventured near.

Joan Sullivan has captured that spirit of Christmas by going in the opposite direction - creating miniature heirloom trees that are only 18 inches tall, yet are packed with charm and filled with holiday spirit.

The concept of decorating small artificial trees as a theme was her original idea. “I had done themes for family members, people in the military, and folks in retirement homes," she said. “I made the trees 18 inches because many people don't have room for big trees, and you can drop them in a grocery bag to carry.” They make good gifts, especially for out-of-town friends. The trees are lightweight, so they can be shipped easily. “What better to have over in Afghanistan than to have mementos of your family on a Christmas tree?”

Sullivan visualizes her trees as “a three-dimensional scrapbook.” Starting with a raw tree - available in craft stores - she comes up with a theme that reflects the person’s interests or history. She has used sports, fishing, or color as the unifying element. One “piano” tree she created was for a 90-year-old man who insisted on going to nursing homes every week to play piano. For a Texas flavor, she took a plastic cactus and draped it in lights. Another tree featured a nativity theme. “Whatever you can think of can make a tree.”

Next she adds the decoration. She uses photos, ornaments, small toys, jewelry, and personal mementos. She often goes to the doll department looking for miniature furniture. Sullivan once paid $7.50 for miniature handmade leather boots. “I just fell in love with them,” she said. “Anything you put in a scrapbook you can put on a tree. It depends on what I find.”

In her experience, Sullivan knows people can make them for as little as $20 on up to $150.

Her heirloom trees have brought smiles and memories to youngsters as well. Kids can decorate the small ones, and keep them from year to year, adding items as they grow. The trees hold up well and are easy to store.

You may not even need to store them. Sullivan noted the trees make great nightlights and year round decor when placed on a counter or in a guest room.

Of course these miniature heirloom trees are not meant to replace the statuesque Christmas tree.

“They are more like a wreath on door,” Sullivan said. “And every tree is different.”

XXX

Joan Sullivan will teach Mini Heirloom Trees on Nov 11 and Nov 18. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Yoga

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly
Oct 28, 2009

When Corinne Baerwald began practicing yoga, she couldn't even call it yoga.

"Thirty years ago people were suspicious of it," she said. "When I first started teaching, I called it 'Stretch for Health.' At about the third class, one student asked me in a whisper, 'Are we doing yoga?'"

Today Baerwald proudly calls it Yoga, Yoga for Shoulders, Yoga for Golf, and more. She has taught a variety of yoga classes for Club Ed since 1992.

During that time, attitudes have changed, and the culture of yoga has changed. When it originated in India, yoga was mainly practiced by men. Today, women outnumber men in the classes Baerwald holds at The Yoga Space, the center she and Gwynn Groggle opened six years ago in Kerrville, as "a service to the community."

But the benefits of yoga work equally well for both sexes.

"Yoga offers flexibility, stress release, breath release, more even temper, and more control of the body, which people are wanting right now."

Yoga also increases strength. That is one of the misconceptions that men have - that doing yoga is easy, or that it's women's exercise.

"Some of the poses we do are challenging - it depends on the level of the class," Baerwald said. "Some work on flexibility and lengthening the muscles; some work on strength and stability. All poses have to do with flexibility and balance."

For Club Ed, Baerwald has put together yoga classes targeting specific areas, such as the Yoga for Golf and Yoga for Neck and Shoulders, both very popular. The Yoga Space is a Hatha Yoga oriented studio, and they also offer t'ai chi, kundalini yoga, and bhakti yoga, a more spiritual approach. Each Saturday, a different teacher holds class so students can experience different styles of instruction.

(For information on their offerings and schedule, visit www.yogaspace-tx.com.)

Baerwald does have gratification from those early days teaching Stretch for Health. Many of her students have gone on to become instructors themselves. All remain friends.

"I feel a compassion and caring and love for these people - they become your family," she said, noting one student has been with her for 10 years. "You form bonds with your students and they with each other. The energy is shared and you just like them! When they are not there, you miss that energy."

xxx

Club Ed will offer Yoga for Golf on November 8. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Take a trip; Make a memory

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly
Oct 21, 2009

When you travel with Ardie Dixon, you not only are going to have a great time, you might learn something and come away with a new friend.

Dixon has owned Hill Country Coordinators since 1995 and serves as host on many Club Ed excursions. She will guide two upcoming trips - A Night Out in Fredericksburg (which includes a trip to the Rockbox Theater) and our popular San Antonio Holiday River Parade and dinner.

For Dixon, the actual trip is just one part of the travel experience.

"For me, it is all about creating a happy memory - that's what it is about."

She prides herself on customizing her tours and events, and anticipating every contingency that might put a kink in the escapade. She can provide any kind of group service, whether a trip, wedding, reunion, or corporate event.

"I like to provide the service that guarantees everything goes well, and that the sponsors look good when it is all over with."

Dixon draws on years of experience doing catering and convention work in the hotel industry, from La Mansion del Rio in San Antonio to the Inn of the Hills in Kerrville. She also worked with travel planners.

Even for someone of Dixon's skill, she is first to admit not every detail can be controlled.

"There are always little things that come up," she said, recalling the couple from Houston who held their wedding down by the riverside. "They asked seriously to have two white swans swim by while they were exchanging vows. Needless to say, we did not get that done!"

But she can usually find a resource for every request. And when that rare contretemps occurs, she is philosophical. "I always tell brides when something happens, not to get excited - that's what you are going to laugh about years later."

So how is a tour with Ardie Dixon going to be different from any other tour?

"I am going to be a little more informed about Texas Hill Country heritage," she said. "We'll have some good chuckles and laughs, and probably eat some good, unhealthy food. People will feel like they met a new best friend - it could be me or other people on the tour."

Ultimately it is all about the people.

"God puts people in my path, and I know he does," she said. "I know I need to do my best to help some people have a good time or to put at ease. That's one of my missions I am supposed to do."

xxx

Club Ed travels to the San Antonio River Lighting Parade on Nov 27, and takes a Holiday Night Out in Fredericksburg on Dec 12. Signup deadlines are approaching. For information, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Shooting for fun

by Phil Houseal
Oct 14, 2009
As published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly

When it comes to recreation, Americans spend the most money on exercise equipment. Do you know which sport comes in second?

Shooting.

"In 2006 spending on firearms and shooting gear overtook golf for second on the list," said Larry Arnold, one of two instructors teaching the Texas Concealed Handgun License Course in Kerrville and Boerne for Club Ed (details at end of article).

At clubs like the Buck & Bull Club, hunters can practice target shooting, skeet, trap, sporting clays. They have a hunting game where they shoot steel silhouettes of game in a realistic setting.

Larry Arnold started his own infatuation with shooting at age 11.

"I was kind of a nerd, and it was something I could do rather than play football," he recalled. "Besides, it was fun."

It was also a lot safer.

"The shooting sports rank below ping pong in injuries sustained as a sport."

Arnold - who recently won a national award for his course curriculum - has been a National Rifle Association instructor since 1982, and has taught hunter safety education since 1984. Arnold was involved in the long effort to have Texas adopt the concealed carry laws, working with six legislatures over 12 years.

Arnold actually taught his first concealed carry course on the very first day it was legally allowed to be taught in Texas, back in September 1995.

In the years since he has seen a parade of people from all professions who have their own reasons for taking this gun safety course. In the early days of the new law, he trained lots of professionals who traveled in their jobs, such as real estate salespeople. Students have been both young and old, and quite often whole families have taken the class together.

Regardless of background, their reasons are the same.

"A lot of it is just to be able to protect yourself," he said. He also gets students who want help navigating the national background check system. While protection is the reason many take the class, for Arnold, guns are just fun.

"It is a lifetime sport. We have people in their 80s who have won trophies. Shooting is one of the few sports that are completely coed. It's where soccer moms can take their kids and watch."

XXX

Club Ed offers monthly courses in the Texas Concealed Handgun Course in Boerne and Kerrville. Constable Don White is instructor in the Boerne course. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

First Impressions

by Phil Houseal
October 7, 2009
As published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly

Ever wonder why your painfully written article about your organization's event didn't make it into the newspaper? You can find out why, and how to get it into print, at the new Club Ed class "Impressions."

Bonnie and Larry Arnold have worked for many newspapers in the Hill Country for three decades, and they have plenty of advice for people when it comes to submitting material for their clubs, businesses and organizations.

"This may be a new class for here, but it's not a new concept," said Larry Arnold, noting they have taught it several times in the past 25 years. "But when Bonnie notices the quality of press releases she receives at her newspaper job starts to slip, she knows it is time to teach the class again."

The Arnolds plan to hit the basics of what it takes to get your news in front of readers. Points covered will include:

- how to submit news

- how to work with the press

- electronic submissions

- what needs to go in to a press release

- what to leave out

- the importance of deadlines

- how to get better publicity

- ways to avoid the "grip and grin" photo

The Arnolds will point out the differences between writing for dailies, weeklies, radio, and television. They also will have advice on how to handle bad publicity - or, as Larry puts it, "What to do when your secretary goes to Acapulco with the funds."

They promise lots of practice, and all students will write a press release as part of the class.

Everyone is aware how news distribution has changed over the last 25 years, or even the past five years. Even though news now goes out through the web, blogs, and "tweeting," the rules of the road are timeless.

"All media still use the 5 Ws, you still need to put a date on your submission, and always include your contact info."

On the other hand, the most common errors editors encounter are also timeless:

- submitting too late

- failure to plan ahead

- sending the wrong stuff to wrong media

The very best thing you can do is to "make contact" with your local media. According to the Arnolds, that works both ways.

"You know who to take stuff to, and if you are the expert on widgets, every time that reporter thinks about widgets, he ought to think about you."

Bonnie sees this class as essential for the volunteer in a nonprofit organization who ends up being named the public relations person.

"PR is a specific job, it's not something you just know how to do."

But this class will teach you how to make a better "Impression."

XXX

"Impressions" meets Saturday, Oct 10. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Flintknapping: Beautiful, deadly

Phil Houseal
9/30/2009

Woody Blackwell flakes gossamer-edged, wafer-thin spear points and arrowheads from flint. Beautiful enough to hang on the wall as art; deadly enough to stop a black bear.

"I've brought down wild hogs, and other guys around the country have taken I don't know how many bear, elk, whitetail, and mountain lions," said Blackwell, who will be in Kerrville October 3 and 4 to teach Club Ed courses in Beginning and Intermediate Flintknapping.

"I sent some to a guy in Australia who is going to test them on Asian water buffalo," Blackwell said. "Before he goes hunting, he takes a fresh-killed buffalo and sees how the point penetrates their wide, thick ribs."

Blackwell is a nationally recognized leader in the craft - and art - of fashioning points from flint, obsidian, and glass. His work has been featured in the New Yorker magazine for its beauty and color. That may be the main difference between flintknapping today and flintknapping 100,000 years ago.

"We are currently making things for art," he said. "We have the luxury of just making points thinner, prettier, and less durable than the old guys did. They needed tools to go out and make meat or slice and dice a bear or buffalo. We make pretty stuff to put in a frame."

Blackwell noted that it is rare for modern knappers to reach the level of the ancients in quality, but a few have reached and even surpassed their skill. The fact that people still try might be wired into our genes.

"It's something our species has been doing for 2.5 million years. For a lot of guys - me included - when we find our first arrowhead lying in the dirt, it's like a switch that gets flipped. After that, it's a passion. We have to find more, then we have to figure out how they are made."

That's what Blackwell will be teaching in the weekend classes. Beginners will learn what kind of material works best, how to get flakes removed, and how to do it safely ("if you flintknap, you are going to bleed").

More experienced students will get a good grounding in advanced techniques.

Another top national knapper, John Kiernan, will also teach. Blackwell specializes in knapping very thin points, while Kiernan is known for making delicate, intricately edged points that are considered art.

At the end of the day, everyone will go home with a finished point. Blackwell cautions that yours probably won't bring down a buffalo.

"It may not look pretty, but you will know the basics of knapping."

xxx

The Flintknapping workshops will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Welding the world

Phil Houseal
Sept 23, 2009

You've moved to the Hill Country. You've bought your 5 to 10 acres, built your dream home, planted your pecan tree, and ordered a dozen laying hens. What is the next thing that newcomers want to do?

According to Rick Boles, it is to learn how to weld.

"In a retirement area like this there are so many people buying small acreages that they want to fix up," the former ag teacher said. "Many don't have funds to hire help to build fence, so they want to learn how to weld in order to do that themselves."

Boles has taught adult welding courses for Club Ed since 1990. He recently retired from Ingram ISD, where he taught agriculture for 21 years. He now works at Back 40 three days a week, and teaches a Basic Welding course each fall and spring.

It is hard work learning to weld properly, and takes a commitment and effort that barely fits into the 36-hour course.

"The industry training standard for welding is five months. In high school the course lasts the entire school year. We have distilled this down to six Saturdays."

Within that time, students learn oxy-acetylene cutting and basic arc - or stick - welding. Boles spends a lot of time up front on safety and familiarizing students with the equipment. Then, it's practice, practice, practice.

"The myth is that you pick it up quickly," Boles said of welding technique. "It's a skill, and like any skill, it requires practice. Even with all the computerized technology, where there are machines that can almost feel how the person works, it still requires practice. After the first 6 hours, it's 30 hours of hands-on. "

In recent years, Boles is seeing more women signing up for the class. He considers them to be very well suited for welding.

"Women seem to have a much steadier hand than men," he observed. "Being hands-on type people, they often far surpass the skills that men have."

Despite the hot working conditions and hard work involved, welding remains consistently the most popular course year in and year out at Club Ed. Every class is filled, and we could fill three times the number of classes if we had the instructors and space available. Teachers like Rick Boles are a big reason for this appeal.

"When they leave my class, they are ready to go home and weld," he said. "The students all have the confidence to tackle the projects they want to tackle."

XXX

For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Club Ed offers new online defensive driving course

Hill Country drivers seeking ticket dismissal or insurance discount can now attend a new online driving course offered exclusively through Club Ed.

Gently's Driving is a new program being offered in Texas for the first time, according to Jerry Caywood, who helped develop the program.

Gently's Driving is approved and regulated by the Texas Education Agency for Ticket Dismissal in the state of Texas, in all Texas Courts. Many insurance companies offer a discount on automobile insurance for successfully completing an approved Defensive Driving Course. According to Caywood, the typical discount is 10% on liability coverage for a 3-year period (it is always recommended to check with local court or insurance agent prior to taking the course).

Anyone can sign up for the online course though Club Ed. Go to the web site www.clubed.net, click on Courses, then follow the link to the driving school.

The cost for ticket dismissal is $25; the cost for insurance discount is $20. A certificate is provided upon successful completion.

Club Ed is the community education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each session they offer more than 160 local classes, and hundreds more online. More information is available by calling Club Ed at 830-257-2218.

XXX

What you can learn in the middle of the night

by Phil Houseal

Community Journal (Kerrville TX) Sept 16, 2009

"Sally" needed some help. After three decades raising kids and working in a family business, the Kerrville resident found herself on her own, with a child still to raise and needing new skills to get back in the workforce.

So she came to Club Ed.

"Having to reenter the job market, I figured computer skills would definitely help," she said. She needed training, but needed it on her schedule.

The answer was Club Ed's online courses.

Club Ed offers more than 400 online classes. New classes start each month. There is an emphasis on computer skill training, as well as business, personal improvement, and test preparation. Sally is now enrolled in her second online computer course, and she loves it.

"I thought it was very easy to follow the lesson," Sally said. "My instructor used a lot of pictures so I could see what the screen looked like. That made it easier for me to follow."

She could interact with the teacher through a Question & Answer box.

"The teacher is good at getting back to you," she said. "We felt we had access to someone to answer questions. This made it very easy to follow for someone who had not had much computer experience. I was very pleased."

Each week, students download two lessons. This continues for 6 weeks, for a total of 12 lessons. The study course includes regular quizzes, instructor feedback, and a certificate of completion. Six weeks not enough time? Students can extend their course for weeks longer.

Sally admits the thought of taking an online course unassisted was intimidating at first.

"Anytime you enter a different field, there is a different language to learn. You have to have time to learn the language in order to follow instructions. I felt they handled it very well."

Online training may not be for everyone, but it suits Sally's personality.

"I'm a finisher," she said, noting how she once shortened an out-of-town trip just so she could get home and turn in an exam. She is also highly motivated - she did each lesson three times to make sure she understood everything.

Sally is already planning her next online course, and may add the Alamo College classes offered in Kerrville. Whatever path she chooses, it needs to fit her current life demands.

"I still need to be available to my child. But this is perfect for that. You can take it at your convenience - I have ended up working online at 11 o'clock at night. Where else can you get access to a teacher in the middle of the night?"

"This has been very good for me."

XXX

To learn more about Club Ed's online courses, visit www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Everyone in the act

On Thursday Aug 6, 2009 I was a guest on The Ranch FM 92 in Kerrville TX. Calamity Jane could not resist putting on her Elvis and posing. Too bad it wasn't TV so fans could see the mugging. CJ and DJ had a hoot with the new Club Ed classes and catalog, and we hope to see them (and you) in class this fall!

Thankyewverymuch.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Kerrville ISD delivers Fall Club Ed catalogs

Online signup underway

PHIL HOUSEAL, DIRECTOR, KERRVILLE ISD, 830-257-2218

phil.houseal@kerrvilleisd.net

Lifelong learners can soon begin signing up for their favorite Club Ed classes, as 70,000 64-page catalogs arrive in mailboxes throughout the Texas Hill Country this week (Aug 3-14).

Club Ed, the Kerrville Independent School District's Community Education program - offers hundreds of courses held in local communities and offered online from the convenience of home. Areas cover computers, travel, recreation, cooking, art, self-improvement, business, training and much more.

Among the new offerings this fall are Canning, Cooking Italian, Candle Making, Teaching art to a child, Horsemanship, Social Networking, Kindle, Hypnosis, Wine Appreciation, and Storytelling.

Local flintknapper Jim Morris is bringing in Woody Blackwell, the best-known flintknapper in the U.S. to teach a one-day workshop. Kurt Shirer will teach how to build and play a washtub bass.

Travel guide Ardie Dixon is hosting trips to a Holiday Night Out in Fredericksburg, and to the San Antonio Holiday River Lighting Parade. Travelers can also sign up for trips to the South Pacific, Bavaria, New England, or the Canadian Rockies.

Popular returning courses include Welding, Web Design, Coaching, Spanish, Writing, Dog Obedience, Travel for Free, a complete set of gardening how-to's, and all types of dance.

Those not wanting to wait for the catalog to arrive can sign up online now at www.clubed.net.

Complete information and registration is also available by calling 830-895-4386, or by visiting the Auld Center, 1121 Second Street, Kerrville. Weekly articles appear at clubedcomments.blogspot.com.

Link to article in Kerrville Daily Times:
http://dailytimes.com/story.lasso?ewcd=946f297afebc3360

Friday, May 15, 2009

Mugging for customers

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal May 20, 2009

I picked up my Club Ed notepad and grabbed a KVHC pen from the Kee Motors mug I use as a pen holder. I wrote out my grocery list and stuck it to the refrigerator with the A-1 Transmissions magnet.

I was late for an appointment, so I grabbed the A&M key ring, my UT travel mug, and my UNT gimme cap and dashed for the car.

Welcome to the world of advertising specialties.

Putting ads on common items began back in1845, when an enterprising insurance agent printed his business message on calendars he gave as gifts. Over 150 years later, we still are suckers for freebies.

Just gazing at my desk, I see a Zurich letter opener, Office Max jump drive, and several calendars from printers, insurance companies, and LP gas suppliers. I even use a Fredericksburg Community Education screen cleaner to wipe off my computer monitor!

Could we make it through a day without using these handy gadgets? More important, why would we want to?

I asked Betty Braswell, owner of ADCO Advertising for 27 years.

"Everybody uses them," Braswell said. "People do like to get free things. We hope the items we sell will stay with the customers as advertisements for business."

Braswell noted that pens are perennially popular, along with caps, T-shirts and trophies. Drink mugs for cars are big, and "koozies" to keep bottles and cans cool still stand out. Braswell noted that couples are now giving away custom koozies as wedding favors.

The tchotchke doesn't even have to be useful or functional to be effective. One of my favorite pickups was an inch-long triangular plastic gadget that flashed intermittent red LEDs when you pushed on it. I still have no idea of its purpose. For all I know it's a universal homing device and an alien race will soon land on my lawn.

At Club Ed, we are not immune from using ad specialties to keep our name in front of customers. Our little logo (the Club Ed guy getting conked on the head by a coconut) graces notepads, calendars, T-shirts, banners, and the crowd favorite - pink flamingo-shaped writing pens.

It is silly to think that getting a free wooden yardstick will sway our decision on which real estate agent to use, but it happens. One salesman swore he closed million-dollar deals by giving the buyer a pair of cowboy boots. I am among those who feel a sense of elation all out of proportion to getting a free screen cleaner.

A question for the ages, I decide, as I sip coffee from my Club Ed mug.

XXX

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes with 3000 enrollments. The fall session begins in September. To sign up, ask a question, suggest a class, or apply to teach, call 830-895-4386, or visit www.clubed.net.

Whacking away

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal
May 13, 2009

As a kid, Matt Trevino tagged along as his grandfather played golf. No one in his family played all that well - they couldn’t break 100. But those golf outings made an impression on young Trevino that drives him to pass along the passion of the game to today’s youngsters.

“I was enamored of beauty of the course as I tagged along,” the Riverhill Country Club head golf pro recalled. “We have three beautiful courses in Kerrville, and you can't ask for a better golf atmosphere in a community. In order for the game and the courses to survive, we need to get young people playing.”

Getting young people playing is the purpose of Trevino’s summer junior golf clinics at Club Ed. Trevino, who had no lessons as a kid, loves introducing youngsters to the sport.

“None of this was taught to me at school, so I had to learn on my own,” he said. “I love the game. It can teach us a lot of lessons other sports can't. I am trying to make the game more accessible to the community. The earlier we get them started, the better chance to grow the game.”

Trevino starts by teaching the rules and etiquette of golf. Then he “lets them whack away.”

“They are looking to hit a bunch of shots,” he said. “We let them figure out how fun it is. They all want to hit balls.”

Trevino employs a three-pronged approach to teach kids - or adults - to be better golfers. First is to get them to put their hands on the club the right way. Then they learn how to stand. And finally, how to swing.

“I you get them to grip it right and stand right, odds are they are going to swing right,” he explained.

Most kids he sees in junior camps start at the 8 to 10 age range. With golf, younger is better.

As to those lessons that golf teaches? Trevino ticks them off.

“Golf is a tough game to learn,” he said. “It is a very individual game and what you put into it is what you get out of it. You don't have somebody to pass the ball to. It is a game of integrity - almost every penalty is self-imposed. So it teaches honesty, builds integrity, and teaches you how to work hard.”

Trevino’s vision goes beyond the immediate improvement in kids’ golf games.

“Part of my feeling and part of my job as a PGA professional is to grow the game for years to come,” he said. “These kids will be the pros of the future. I can't imagine having grown up and learned a different sport.”

XXX

Matt Trevino will teach Junior Golf sessions this summer on Wednesdays at 4:30 at Riverhill Country Club. Club Ed offers15 enriching summer camps and programs that range from rockets to computers to horses. To sign up, visit www.clubed.net or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes with 3000 enrollments. The fall session begins in September. To sign up, ask a question, suggest a class, or apply to teach, call 830-895-4386, or visit www.clubed.net.