FNSFA: Matthew 25: Ministries Volunteer Session

Location: 11060 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati
Friday, March 24, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free Member | Free Non-Member

When ILR toured Matthew 25 Ministries last fall, we learned that volunteers play an essential role in the work of the organization. Let’s gather as a group to bring hope to the poor. This volunteer session will include sorting, counting, packaging, and palletizing donated household goods for shipment to various parts of the world.

NOTE: Comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes are recommended. The temperature in the processing center fluctuates with the season. No large bags or backpacks are permitted.

FNSFA: Rumpke Recycling Center Tour

Location: 5535 Vine St., Cincinnati
Friday, March 31, 10 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free Member | $10 Non-Member**

Rumpke continually works to start and sustain successful recycling programs. As Ohio’s largest recycler, their recycling innovations include a major facility in Cincinnati capable of sorting more than 100,000 pounds of recycling per hour. Come join us for an informative tour of the facility to see how it’s done.

FNSFA: Voice of America Museum Tour

Location: 8070 Tylersville Rd., Ste. B, West Chester
Friday, April 7, 10 a.m.–noon
Cost: $10 Member | $15 Non-Member**

Let’s visit the iconic Voice of America Museum, which features re-creations of radio and television studios from the 1920s through today. You can expect to see memorabilia from radio’s Golden Age and the early days of television, including photos, costumes, and items belonging to historic figures such as Waite Hoyt, Ruth Lyons, and Uncle Al.

FNSFA: Rentschler Forest MetroPark Walking Tour*

Location: 5701 Reigart Rd., Hamilton
Friday, April 14, 10 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free Member | Free Non-Member

Ahh, spring! Time to shake off the cold of winter, stretch your legs, and take in the sights and promise of spring. The Rentschler Forest MetroPark has over 400 acres of woodland, frontage along the Great Miami River, remnants of the old Miami-Erie Canal, a prehistoric Native American earthwork, a reconstructed wetland, and more.

NOTE: Tour will take place outdoors. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and be able to walk one mile.

FNSFA: Berkeley Square Tour

Location: 100 Berkeley Dr., Hamilton
Friday, April 21, 10 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free Member | Free Non-Member

As a proud sponsor of ILR, Berkeley Square is excited to invite you on a tour of their campus. Learn about Life Plan Communities, what they are and how they differ from other types of facilities. See the types of amenities and benefits offered. Learn about the levels of care and types of residential options available, plus experience why residents choose to move to a Life Plan Community.

FNSFA: Butler County Historical Society

Location: 327 N. 2nd St., Hamilton
Friday, April 28, 10 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free Member | $10 Non-Member**

Join us for a tour of “I Do: 150 Years of Butler County Weddings.” A presentation on the history of wedding customs and attire will be followed by a guided tour of wedding dresses, groom’s clothing, and wedding accessories ranging from 1839 to the 1970s. The family stories told by these fascinating artifacts will be a highlight of the tour.

Dialogues on Democracy Lecture Series

Location: Zoom
5 Mondays: March 27–May 1, 7–8:15 p.m. (NOTE: No class on 4/10)
Cost: Free Member | Free Non-Member

This discussion series, a unique opportunity coordinated with Miami University’s Menard Family Center for Democracy, features nationally prominent scholars, experts, and practitioners as they discuss selected topics of American law, politics, and history.

Spring 2023 speakers TBA. Past speakers have included Pulitzer Prize winning historian Eric Foner, former Federal Election Commission Chair Michael Toner, former CNN anchor Brian Stelter, Washington Post editor Jesse Wegman, former federal appeals judge Michael McConnell and Yale University historian Timothy Snyder. This spring’s lineup will be equally impressive.

Coordinator: John Forren is Associate Professor and Chair of Miami’s Department of Justice & Community Studies and Director of Miami University’s Menard Family Center for Democracy.

NOTE: Course extends post-term.

Live Longer? Yes! Live Better?

Location: West Chester, Voice of America Learning Center, Room 116
Thursday, April 13, 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Cost: Free Member | Free Non-Member

There is no doubt that we are now living longer than our ancestors. The question is, can we live better, fuller lives than seniors experienced in the past? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” if we follow the common-sense principles outlined in the Seven Dimensions of Senior Wellness.

Instructor: Roy Franchi was born in London, England. After a spell in the Royal Navy he joined the U.K. division of Procter & Gamble, eventually becoming Director of Sales and Distribution. He transferred to the U.S. to work in a range of companies. Today his primary interests are the aging process, new approaches to retirement, and whole person wellness.

Looming Large in Georgetown*

Location: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Wilshire’s, Ward Hall Mansion
Tuesday, May 2
Cost: $75 Member | $93 Non-Member**

Toyota Kentucky is Toyota’s first wholly-owned American vehicle plant and its largest in the world. It was here that the first American-made Camry was introduced in 1988. Thirty-five years and 9,300 employees later, over 13 million vehicles have rolled off the assembly lines in Georgetown. And since ILR last toured in 2012, the RAV4 Hybrid and the first American-assembled Lexus—the ES 350—and ES 300h were added to the annual production lineup of 550,000 vehicles and 600,000 engines.

Our lunch destination is Wilshire’s, located in one of the oldest historic homes in Kentucky, that of General John Payne. Erected in approximately 1790, the 11-room colonial residence is an excellent example of Kentucky’s “Stone Age” architecture.

After lunch we will marvel at the grandest Greek Revival mansion in the state. Ward Hall was completed circa 1857 at a cost of $50,000—in gold—and represents one of the most intact mansions of its kind in the country. Complete with Corinthian columns with cast iron capitals/bases set against Flemish bond brickwork, the 12,000+ square-foot stunner rises from a brushed and hammered coquina limestone foundation. Built as a summer home for Junius Richard Ward and his wife, Matilda Viley Ward, the mansion isn’t just another pretty house. In fact, we’ll tour it in its current furnished but unrestored state.

NOTE: There will be a reasonable amount of gentle walking and standing during this event. Photography permitted everywhere except the Toyota plant floor. The Toyota tour will be via an electric tram with headsets. A valid ID (driver’s license or passport) is required. No purses, bags, cameras, cell phones, or carry-ons permitted in the plant. Lockers are available or valuables can be locked in the bus. We will also visit the Toyota Experience Center. Ward Hall is not handicap accessible; there are eight stairs to the entrance and another dozen between each floor. Those wishing to not go beyond the first floor are welcome to walk the garden where there are benches.

Schedule

• 9 a.m. - Assemble at SE corner of Ditmer parking lot for first pickup
• 9:15 a.m. - Depart Oxford
• 9:45 a.m. - Assemble at VOALC in West Chester for second pickup
• 10 a.m. - Depart VOALC
• 11:45 a.m. - Toyota
• 1:45 p.m. - Lunch at Wilshire’s
• 3 p.m. - Ward Hall
• 6 p.m. - Return to VOALC
• 7 p.m. - Return to Oxford

Lunch (choose one)

• Cup tomato dill soup, petite house salad, ½ grilled cheese sandwich
• Grilled Chicken Philly sandwich w/fries
• Wilshire’s BLT sandwich w/fresh fruit
• Blackened Mahi Mahi wrap w/fresh fruit
• Chef Salad

ILR Annual Meeting and Ice Cream Social

Location: The Knolls of Oxford, Auditorium
Friday, May 5, 2–3:30 p.m.
Cost: $8 Member | $12 Non-Member**

We’ll lick our end-of-year business and serve up the latest scoop via this abbreviated board meeting. You’ll also have the opportunity to vote for your new board of directors. There’s nothing like a little Graeter’s ice cream on a warm spring afternoon. Create your own sundae from some award-winning flavors with all the traditional toppings.