Speaker Series: An Unbiased Look from the League of Women Voters

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024

1:00 PM Webinar

Click to View on YouTube 

CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM
Once again, the Marin and Sonoma League of Women Voters will be offering a nonpartisan and unbiased look at the pros & cons of the November election’s state ballot propositions. This special 90-minute presentation will include each proposition’s existing law, proposed changes, fiscal impact, the supporters & opponents as well as the campaign financing. This is your opportunity to demystify the ballot and clarify what a “yes vote means” and what a “no vote means.” The LWV envisions a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate. Bring your questions and join this educational and informative event.

Program Chair…..Suzan Sweet

Blood Drive at The Outdoor Art Club

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2024

10:00 AM – 2:45 PM  at the Clubhouse
1 West Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley CA 94941

COMMUNITY IMPACT PUBLIC EVENT

Donate blood in November and be automatically entered into a chance to win one of three $10,000 gift cards!

Invite your family and friends to Sign Up and Give.

Our blood drives are operated by Vitalant Blood Donation and follow all current health precautions. Located in the OAC’s Main Hall, donations can be scheduled by appointment and are open to the community. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Appointment times are now open. Select yours here.

Event Chairs…..Sara Byruck & Deborah Strull

Speaker Series: Enriching Lives Through Music

THURSDAY, November 7, 2024

1:00 PM Clubhouse

CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Beverly Rodgers

Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM)

In 2008, Jane Kramer left college and took a risk. She bought 15 soprano recorders and began to fulfill her life-long dream of bringing accessible, inclusive music-making to a few San Rafael Canal-area kids. Now, Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM) is a full-scholarship, multi-year, intensive program that provides high quality music education and performance opportunities to enable youth to develop the social, emotional, and academic skills they need to succeed in life. Join ELM founder to learn how one person’s passion can change children’s lives.

Speaker Series: Book Passage’s Annual Holiday Book Fair

THURSDAY, November 21, 2024

1:00 PM Clubhouse

CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Robin Wein

Book Passage’s Annual Holiday Book Fair

Elaine Petrocelli, founder and President of Book Passage, will reveal her list of recommended books for the season. Join this beloved annual event and leave with the perfect gift order for everyone on your holiday list. A percentage of the book sales will be donated to the Outdoor Art Club.

Speaker Series: Resilient Parks within Changing Land & Seascapes

THURSDAY, January 16, 2025

1:00 PM Clubhouse

CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Bridget Mazzini

Resilient Parks within Changing Land & Seascapes

Dr. Sarah Allen, marine ecologist and Science Program Lead for the National Park Service, shares stories about how managers are collaborating with scientists and other partners to preserve, protect and reimagine parks for the future. A paradigm shift for the 21st century on managing national parks is underway. Parks are no longer restoring ecosystems to some past vision of 19th century land and seascapes, but restoring processes under uncertain weather and climate patterns.

Speaker Series: Thriving! How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life

THURSDAY, January 23, 2025

1:00 PM Webinar

Zoom link

CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Jill Sampson

Thriving! How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life

Rand Selig, a seasoned expert, shares tools and decades of wisdom to help you thrive in every stage of your life. Embrace your potential and a life of fulfillment with Thriving! This captivating book explores what it takes to create a purposeful, healthy, and happy life. Rand Selig, an accomplished entrepreneur, coach, scoutmaster, board member, and roll-up-your-sleeves conservationist, shares his extensive expertise in this book. With an MBA from Stanford and undergraduate degrees in mathematics and psychology, he excels at managing complex projects globally. He is relentlessly positive and believes he can design his own life and others can, too. Based in Mill Valley, he enjoys life’s adventures with his wife Carol, an OAC member.

Speaker Series: What Gets in the Way of People Understanding Each Other Better?

THURSDAY, February 6, 2025

1:00 PM Webinar

Zoom link

CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Daphne de Marneffe

What gets in the way of people understanding each other better?

Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, and author of Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like too Much), and parent of three. In her research, private practice, writing, and podcasting, Yael uses science and Eastern philosophy to explore practices proven to foster healthier relationships between partners, parents and children, and between our most important life roles. Yael is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and her writing on work, parenting, and relationships has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, and Tricycle, among others.

Speaker Series: Astronomy and Look through a Telescope at the Sun

THURSDAY, March 6, 2025

1:00 PM Clubhouse

CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Jill Sampson

Astronomy and Look through a Telescope at the Sun

Dan Smiley is the founder of Marin Stargazers, a volunteer group dedicated to sharing the wonders of the universe with the public. As an amateur astronomer, he has presented dozens of events throughout Marin County and beyond to inspire people to connect with the cosmos. He grew up in Mill Valley in a musical family, and for over 30 years was a violinist with the San Francisco Symphony. Mr. Smiley is Vice President of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, helped the Mill Valley Public Library start its library telescope program, has traveled several times to Australia to view the southern skies, and is an advocate for DarkSky International. He lives with his wife Suzanne Leon, also a violinist with the San Francisco Symphony, in Mill Valley.

Speaker Series: Flood Control Part 2: An Ongoing Concern for Southern Marin

THURSDAY, March 20, 2025

1:00 PM Webinar

Zoom Link

CULTURAL ARTS PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Karen Jernstedt

Flood Control Part 2: An Ongoing Concern for Southern Marin

Stephanie Moulton-Peters, Marin County District 3 Supervisor and Judd Goodman, Senior Civil Engineer at the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District will update the community on flood control, an ongoing concern and opportunity. This presentation will cover studies, maintenance, and capital improvements aimed at reducing flood risk in Southern Marin. It will also describe ongoing strategies for climate change resiliency.

Speaker Series: Sports in the Bay Area and Beyond

THURSDAY, April 3, 2025

7:00 PM An Evening in the Clubhouse

CIVICS & CONSERVATION PUBLIC PROGRAM

Program Chair…..Lori Howard

Sports in the Bay Area and Beyond

Ann Killion, longtime sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, will discuss the shifting sports landscape, both in the Bay Area and around the country (and globe). Will the Warriors return to greatness? Will the 49ers finally win a sixth Lombardi trophy? What is happening with the rapid changes in college sports, including the collapse of the Pac-12, which sent Stanford and Cal to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). What will the arrival of two women’s professional teams in the Bay Area mean? What are the implications of having the world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup, in the U.S. in 2026 and the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028? We will discuss it all, with plenty of audience feedback and questions and answers.