Spring 2013 Club Ed catalog is online!

Online signup now open

For release: 12/17/2012

Contact: Phil Houseal, 830-257-2218, club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net

Lifelong Learners can get an early start on signing up for Spring 2013 Club Ed classes by going online at www.clubed.net. Learners can access the site at any time to find and sign up for their favorite classes, which begin in January and February. The catalogs will be mailed after Christmas.

Courses are offered in the areas of computers, crafts, dance, recreation, fitness, business, writing, foreign language, gardening, music, and more. They are open to people of all ages regardless of where they live.

New classes offered in Club Ed for the first time include: Women’s Self-Defense, Learn to Draw, Canoeing, Bridge, Portuguese, Belly Dance, Journal Writing, and Genealogy.

National motivational speaker Sid Hurlbert will present “What to Say & How to Say It” for unlocking the secrets of customer service. Homebirth midwife Janet Meek will lead a series on Childbirth Education. SeeWing Yee of San Francisco will offer a new seminar on “10 Ways to Establish Business Credit.”

Returning favorites include a series of Gardening in Texas classes, Welding, Dance Hall Dancing, Horsemanship, Spanish, Estate Planning, Writing and Marketing Your Book, and the Texas Concealed Carry courses, both in Mt. Home and Boerne.

The Center for Fitness teams up with Club Ed to offer introductions to Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, and Tai Chi. A new series of computers instruction covers topics from Basic Computer to Quickbooks, Office, and iPad.

Musical choices include piano, guitar, dulcimer, singing, and ukulele.

Once again, those seeking to become licensed real estate agents can take the series of required courses, which will be offered between January and June. Club Ed and the Real Estate Classes Institute are also offering the Mandatory Continuing Education updates for practicing agents.

Catalogs will be mailed to all Hill Country addresses between Christmas and New Year’s. Extra copies will be available at area libraries and chambers of commerce. Club Ed is now located in the Dietert Center, 451 Guadalulpe, Kerrville. Information is available online at www.clubed.net, by emailing club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net, by calling 830-257-2218.

Like Clockwork

by Phil Houseal

In June of 2012, Clyde Day was named a Fellow in the National Assoc of Watch and Clock Collectors. Clyde has taught Clock Repair for Club Ed for nearly three decades. Here is a column originally published Oct 10, 2007.

More often than not, completing a Club Ed class is not the end but the beginning of an infatuation with a brand new subject. Such was the case with Dennis Loftis, one of many who have been charmed by the subject of clocks.

Loftis’s “clock affliction” began innocently enough as he browsed through the Club Ed catalog and read the description of Antique Clocks, taught since 1985 by Clyde Day.

“I always had an interest in clocks,” Loftis recalled. “I owned 30, about half of which did not work. They were mostly of sentimental value.”

He decided to sign up for the class so he could learn more and repair his collection.

He soon discovered the three sessions, while jam packed with information, were not enough for all he wanted to accomplish. Day taught them clock history, operation, repair and restoration. The students learned the ins and outs of collecting, identification, and evaluation of clocks. They compared designs, and learned the basics of maintaining and repairing clocks.

But all that was not enough for Loftis.

“I called Clyde after the class and asked if I could learn more,” Loftis said. “Clyde said, ‘What are you doing next Wednesday?’”

So began a yearlong relationship. Every Wednesday, Loftis visited Day’s small shop on the banks of the Guadalupe River and learned at the seat of the master.

“I’m enjoying it,” Loftis said, looking up for his workbench covered with springs, small tools, and magnifying glasses. “It entertains me, and keeps me busy.”

“And keeps him off the streets...,” Day said, laughing.

“But not out of the pool halls,” Loftis added.

Loftis hasn’t decided whether his passion for clocks is a vocation or avocation. He has learned a lot in a year, but this is not assembly line work.

“I figure that fixing about one clock per Wednesday is enough for me,” he laughed. “Besides, I’m so busy repairing clocks for Mr. Day’s customers I still haven’t had time to work on my own!”

Dancing Makes You Smarter

Mary Lee Gowland, our writing instructor, posted a note about getting caught dancing in the grocery store. She didn't even realize she was doing it until another customer pointed it out.

It surprised her, but didn't bother her. "I've never cared if I make a fool of myself, just dance because when I hear music I can't help but move in time to it," she said. "I guess the body knows best what's good for it!"

She didn't realize how right she was. She shared an article from Stanford that cited evidence dancing actually makes us smarter. An excerpt:

"One way to do that is to learn something new.  Not just dancing, but anything new.  Don't worry about the probability that you'll never use it in the future.  Take a class to challenge your mind.  It will stimulate the connectivity of your brain by generating the need for new pathways.  Difficult and even frustrating classes are better for you, as they will create a greater need for new neural pathways."
[For complete article: http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm]

So there. Dance like no one is watching. And - as the article notes - you don't have to dance. Just try anything new.

Club Ed: It's what makes you smarter!