Events

"The moon spins in perfect resonance with its orbit around Earth; millions of neurons fire together to control our breathing; every night along the tidal rivers of Malaysia, thousands of fireflies flash in silent, hypnotic unison. All of these astonishing feats of synchrony occur spontaneously - as if the universe had an overwhelming desire for order" (from the dust jacket of Steven Strogatz's book Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order). In this class we will discuss some of these examples of synchronized behaviors and try to understand how they arise spontaneously. About the instructor: Dr. John Tyson. Before retiring to Dock Woods with his wife, Linda, John Tyson was a university distinguished professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. John earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from Wheaton College in 1969 and a Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of Chicago in 1973. As a graduate student, John began his transition from chemical physics to theoretical biology because many open problems in molecular cell biology caught his attention. After postdoctoral studies in biophysical chemistry and cell biology in Germany and Austria, John and Linda moved back to Blacksburg in 1979, where they raised their four children. At Dock Woods, John continues to write scientific papers with his colleagues at Virginia Tech and other universities in the U.S. and Europe.

In this dynamic presentation, you will hear from an adoptee who returned to Korea for the first time. We will learn about Korean culture and about the instructor's reunification with her birth parents. About the instructor: Jenna Antoniewicz. Jenna Antoniewicz was born in Seoul, South Korea. She was adopted when she was 11 months old, and was welcomed into the U.S. at JFK International Airport by her parents and older brother in 1984. She grew up in rural Bucks County and is now the mayor of Royersford borough in Montgomery County. Jenna earned her B.A. in creative writing with a minor in diversity studies at Susquehanna University. She later earned an M.S. in education with an emphasis in college student personnel administration from Bucknell University. She is a fierce advocate for social justice issues and formerly served in higher education administration in the areas of student life and advancement.

This lecture will deal with how the Biblical text and its meaning is all too often misunderstood because it is either wittingly or unwittingly misinterpreted by ignoring such matters as historical situation, cultural context, and the meaning of words in the original Hebrew or Greek text. The focus will be on how such "malpractice" in Biblical interpretation often has significant consequences in humans' lives and relationships. About the instructor: Dr. Manfred Brauch. In 2004 Dr. Manfred Brauch retired from Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University in St. Davids, PA. Over the course of 26 years, he served in several positions as academic dean, professor of Biblical theology, and president. Dr. Brauch is the author of numerous essays in both popular and academic Christian journals, as well as several  books including Set Free to Be: A Study in Romans, Hard Sayings of Paul, and Abusing Scripture: The Consequences of Misreading the Bible. Throughout his retirement, Manfred and his late wife, Marjean, engaged in both long and short-term volunteer work in medical mission and theological/Biblical education in Thailand, Chile, Russia, New Zealand, Honduras, and Cameroon.

Please join principal players of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra as we introduce music from the upcoming 2022-2023 season. Enjoy the reverence of Bach's sacred compositions, Bizet's intoxicating "Carmen," Berlioz's tribute to unrequited love, and much more! Live chamber music performances along with anecdotes and stories about the composers and their music will keep you entertained and informed. Each class member will receive a complimentary concert ticket, and discounted season tickets will also be available for purchase. About the instructors: Nancy Franchetti, Emily Gulglielmi, Jane Nechin, and Hannah Richards. Nancy Franchetti (cello) attended Temple University's College of Music. Nancy taught strings in the Philadelphia Archdiocese for 41 years and has been teaching privately for over 30 years. She has played in numerous ensembles, including serving as principal cellist in a local orchestra. She also performs as a freelance cellist in the greater Philadelphia area. Emily Gulglielmi (principal second violin) attended Philadelphia Music Academy (now The University of Arts). She taught strings in both the Centennial and Upper Dublin school districts, and currently teaches privately and as a faculty member of the Ambler School of Music. Jane Nechin (principal flute) graduated from West Chester University and teaches music in the Abington School District, where she has received commendations from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association for excellence in music education. She is also a principal flute with Orchestra Society of Philadelphia and directs the Chancel choir and Herald Ringers at Sanctuary Church in North Wales. Hannah Richards (viola) graduated with degrees in viola performance and music business from the Hartt School of Music at The University of Hartford. Hannah has performed extensively with The Divine Hand Ensemble, Lehigh University Orchestra, and is a founding member of Table for 26th. Hannah maintains an active private studio through ArcoNet in North Wales and Clemmer in Souderton.

Can you recall a time on a clear, moonless night when you looked up to the heavens and witnessed a blanket of stars? In this course we are going to consider this awesome universe: the planets, stars, and galaxies. The launch of the Hubble and James Webb telescopes have given us views of the heavens that until now were impossible to see. Through photographs sent from these telescopes, we can view the beauty and majesty of the heavens. We will also consider the smallest unit that can live on its own. This unit makes up all living organisms and the tissues of the body: the cell. Our human body is composed of trillions of cells. These cells take in nutrients from food, convert these nutrients into energy, and carry out specialized functions. We will look at the basic science of cells and the beautiful expanse of the heavens. About the instructor: John Rowe. John Rowe grew up in Mount Carmel, PA, and graduated from Mansfield University with a degree in mathematics education. He then went on to earn a master's degree from West Chester University. He taught math in the Indian Valley and Indian Crest middle schools of the Souderton Area School District for 40 years. He currently volunteers for the Souderton Area track team, on the Living U curriculum council, and in a variety of other ways at Souderton Mennonite Homes, where he and his wife, Betsy, have lived since 2016.

Join a knowledgeable Chanticleer tour guide for a 90-minute walking tour featuring garden history, seasonal highlights, and a tour of the first floor of the Chanticleer house. Chanticleer is a 35-acre pleasure garden, where gardeners lead the design and the garden is a study of texture, form, and color. It is recommended that you dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes, and bring a water bottle and camera with you. Please note: This tour has a maximum enrollment of 30 persons - 20 of whom can ride the shuttle from any one of the Living Branches campuses to and from Chanticleer. The cost for the tour and shuttle is $32.00; the cost for the tour only is $22.00 per person. Chanticleer is located at 786 Church Road, Wayne, PA. Please bring along a packed lunch, which you can enjoy at one of the picnic tables or in the greenhouse on the Chanticleer grounds. We will have extra time until 2:00 p.m. to enjoy the grounds before departing home. This tour will happen rain or shine.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been in existence for around 168 years providing higher education opportunities to African American students and others who had long been denied entry to Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). In this session we will learn about the history of HBCUs and about the history of Lincoln University. We will compare and contrast the ideology, mission, and circumstances of southern and northern HBCUs and PWIs. We will look at successes and challenges facing the HBCUs of today. About the instructor: Dr. James DeBoy. James DeBoy (Ph.D., University of Delaware, M.S., Springfield College, B.S., Ursinus College) served 44 years at Lincoln University as a professor of health and physical education, therapeutic recreation, and health science. He was a department chair for 22 of those years. Dr. DeBoy has delivered professional papers at national and international conferences and has published academic journals on the topics of human cognition and metacognition, obesity prevention, assessments of student learning, and faculty governance in higher education. Since retiring in 2019, he splits his time between southwest Florida and the Jersey Shore, where he enjoys playing pickle ball, golfing, kayaking, bicycling, fishing, reading, traveling, and penning letters to the editor.

*ACTIVE AGING WEEK* Using a multisensorimotor approach, instructor Dr. Minjung Shim will invite participants to engage in mindful exploration of one's creativity and self-expression. The class will include music, visual art-making, and gentle dance/movement activities. About the instructor: Dr. Minjung Shim. Minjung Shim, Ph.D., BC-DMT, is a board-certified dance/movement therapist and assistant professor in the Department of Creative Arts Therapies at Drexel University. Minjung has professional training as a ballet dancer and in dance/movement therapy (DMT). As a DMT clinician, she has more than 20 years of experience working with individuals across the life span in both medical and behavioral health sectors. Minjung's education and training in research includes obtaining a Ph.D. in creative arts therapies at Drexel University and fulfilling a postdoctoral training in mind-body medicine at Stony Brook University. Her clinical and research interests center on the integration of body and mind with creative arts-based interventions into the mainstream health care system by means of rigorous, evidence-based research and clinical application of this work.

*ACTIVE AGING WEEK* This course introduces participants to the applications of biological and circadian rhythms in one's health and well-being. Topics will range from the benefits of maintaining a regular schedule to applications of music and rhythmic stimulation in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The instructor will present practical advice for maintaining good temporal hygiene, as well as tips for discussing rhythms with health care providers. About the instructor: Dr. Donald McEachron. Donald McEachron serves as a teaching professor and as the coordinator for academic assessment and quality improvement at Drexel University's School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems. He earned a B.A. in behavioral genetics from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California at San Diego. In 2006 he completed an M.S. in information science at Drexel. He has worked extensively in the areas of imaging, editing three monographs on imaging applications in biomedicine. His primary biomedical research has focused on chronobiology, biological rhythms, and human performance engineering. In association with architects and engineers, Dr. McEachron works in the field of indoor ecology, where he examines how built environments influence human physiology and behavior.

*ACTIVE AGING WEEK* This course will explore how non-pharmacologic strategies including exercise, nutrition, and cognitive stimulation are important for healthy aging. We will look at how these strategies, focusing particularly on exercise, benefit physical and psychological well-being. Join us to hear about the outcomes of an exercise study conducted in 2020 and about the results of the resilience study and impact of Covid at Living Branches from 2021. We will compare what worked with what didn't, and share recommendations regarding resilience. About the instructor: Dr. Kathleen Fisher. Kathleen is a nurse education and researcher from Drexel University. As a nurse and nurse practitioner, she has enjoyed working with many different groups of people including Native Americans in Alaska and on the Hopi reservation; with migrant farmworkers from the Eastern shore of Maryland; and in many underserved communities, e.g. people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those experiencing homelessness. Dr. Fisher has collaborated with Drexel University and Living Branches in dementia care strategy programming since 2017. She enjoys using a "transformative, participatory action research approach" meaning that she likes empowering residents and staff on concerns that they would like to work on.

Who doesn't love to see birds and butterflies visiting our gardens? Learn why it's important to include native plants in your garden, and how these plants help birds, bees, and other insects thrive. We will discuss the many native plant species and options for our gardens, along with their importance to our environment. About the instructor: Marie Meiklejohn. Marie Meiklejohn works at Floral and Hardy in Skippack. She assists customers with plant selections, garden coaching, and container designs. She also leads talks on various garden topics. Previously Marie owned Marie's Garden, a seasonal plant nursery, for 15 years. Marie studied horticulture at Temple University, Delaware Valley University, and Longwood Gardens. She has received a certificate of merit in ornamental horticulture from Longwood Gardens and a certificate in horticultural therapy from Delaware Valley University.

Pamela will present her brand new program "Philadelphia Red-Tailed Hawks on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 2009 - 2019." She will share many interesting facts about this incredible bird of prey and present the dramatic saga of a female red-tailed hawk named Mom, her four mates, and 25 offspring over the course of a 10-year period. All of this took place in Philadelphia, and began in a nest on a window ledge of the Franklin Institute Museum of Science. This story is filled with love, excitement, laughter, adventure, and heartache. Pam will share photographs and videos featuring this famous urban red-tailed hawk family. About the instructor: Pamela Dimeler. Pamela Dimeler is the director and founder of the Parkside Academy of Music and Dance in the Delaware County borough of Parkside, where she has spent 35 years teaching music and dance to children of all ages. She is also a photographer and nature enthusiast, and has been observing and documenting a pair of great horned owls and other wildlife since 2012. Pam's other interests include instructing senior fitness classes at the Rocky Run YMCA and playing the Celtic harp in the Brandywine Harp Orchestra. Pam resides in Delaware County with her husband, Scott.

This program reflects upon the changing times of a Harleysville couple whose lives spanned the 20th century. Isaiah and Susan Landes established a plumbing company just as the Great Depression of the 1920s - 30s began. Their family business, IT Landes, Inc., has now grown into a multi-million dollar employee-owned corporation. While the presentation portrays a family business venture, this program primarily relates stories from their family history, as published in 2021. As a subtext the program will encourage class members to collect and share family stories of their own. About the instructor: Richard Lichty. Richard Lichty is a retired teacher and pastor who lives at Dock Woods with his wife, Mary. He is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, where he majored in history, and Eastern Baptist (now Palmer) Theological Seminary, where he earned an M.A. in religion. He taught social studies and religion at three different high schools, including 19 years at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School (now known as Dock Mennonite Academy). In his retirement he enjoys researching and writing about genealogy and family stories, volunteering at the Mennonite Heritage Center, and teaching Sunday school classes at Plains Mennonite Church.

Have you ever wondered how your water softener works; what's behind the plastic abbreviations of those recycle triangles; how soaps and detergents clean; and what happens as you bake bread? This course looks at the basic chemistry behind all of these household products and related chemistry processes at a level that students will understand! There's no need to have prior knowledge of chemistry to profit from the course. We can see the creative mind of God in chemistry. God has created a marvelous universe that works according to easily understood chemical principles. This program is an eclectic look into some of the many chemical principles that we encounter daily. If you think you hate chemistry, maybe this course will change your mind! About the instructor: Tom Sanders. Tom Sanders is a resident of Dock Woods and has been a fan of science and mathematics since elementary school. He loves reading about math, physics, chemistry, and science in general. Particularly he enjoys how math and science show the glory of God and His creative power! Tom taught high school chemistry for five years at Germantown Academy. After a 33-year career as a research chemist, Tom retired from Rohm and Haas/Dow in 2011. He and his wife, Shirley, raised two sons.

Are you curious about what living in Egypt would be like for an American? Or what life was like in Kuwait directly after the liberation of that country after the Gulf War? Presenter Judy Lambert lived in the Middle East for 17 years. She will discuss history, share stories of daily life, and present artifacts and pictures. About the instructor: Judy Lambert. Judy is currently retired from 50 years in education, having first served as a history teacher and then as the admissions director of American International School in Cairo, Egypt. She has lived in the five countries and all three of her children graduated from high school overseas. She currently works part time at Souderton Mennonite Homes as a receptionist. Judy loves to share her travel adventures.

This presentation was initially a colloquium delivered as part of the 2014 renaming ceremony of NASA's Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Mark Tuttle will share his off-screen insights and outtakes from the First Flights television production. The making of the TV documentary series First Flights with an internationally renowned icon presented many challenges and gave Tuttle unique insight into the world of celebrities. The presentation features still and video footage, and will provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of traveling for three years with Neil Armstrong in the U.S. and then later during the First World Air games held in Turkey in 1997. About the instructor: Mark Tuttle. Mark H. Tuttle has had a long and varied career in media creation and distribution. Working closely with his wife, Donna, they dubbed and sold to television Japanese anime of classical children's stories; created and sold a worldwide network TV series with Neil Armstrong; and created shows for PBS and large-screen video art installations. Over the years they also published books and magazines for the Baptist World Alliance and many other non-profit organizations.

Explore the cultural history of immigrants in southeastern Pennsylvania and how they impacted the growth of the region and influenced everyday life. See photos and artifacts from instructor Ryan Conroy's personal collection and archive for an exciting visual experience. About the instructor: Ryan Conroy. Ryan has volunteered with multiple local non-profit organizations and businesses in providing historical research, and has authored articles for magazines, websites, and blogs. He serves as acting president of the Spring-Ford Area Historical Society, serves on the council for Royersford borough, and served as a past president of the Historical Society of the Phoenixville area. Ryan has a history show on a local news outlet, Voxipop, called Timeless Tales. He enjoys sharing his love for history and knowledge of his favorite subjects, including local history, photography, immigration, and military history.

In this class Erik Kratz will share about God's amazing hand in his baseball career and the interactions that he was able to have because of Him. This class will offer ample time for questions from the audience, as Erik will share about his career and life as a professional baseball player. About the instructor: Erik Kratz. Erik Kratz grew up in Telford and graduated from Christopher Dock Mennonite High School (now Dock Mennonite Academy). He is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, where earned a B.A. in business administration. Erik played 19 professional baseball seasons as a catcher. He and his wife have been married for more than 20 years and have three children. Erik's family is a part of Souderton Mennonite Church.