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Gold LEAF Institute Course Catalogue

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Social Gathering

Dining Out, Summer Term

Free

with Patricia Overall

Calendar Jul 2, 2026 at 11:30 am

In-person

Participants will meet once a month for lunch at various restaurants in the Farmington area. Reservations must be firm one week before the date. Participants will order from the standard menu and receive separate checks.

Dates:

July 2, 2026

August 6, 2026

September 3, 2026

October 1, 2026

Time: 11:30 am.

Location: TBD

Patricia Overall has been a member of GLI for many years.  She is a retired high school mathematics teacher who later worked in hotel management, bartending, and other occupations, including NACA (now NASA). She has lived in 18 states and obviously enjoys eating out.

Will run

Learning How to Play Mahjong

$10

with Carole Lee

Calendar Jul 29, 2026 at 10 am

In-person

Learn to play Mahjong or fine-tune your skills. Mahjong is a popular Chinese tile game played by four or fewer people. It is a relaxed and enjoyable game, so players can socialize with their friends while playing. Playing mahjong keeps the mind sharp and active because it involves skills and strategies.

The first class will focus on the basics of the game and strategy. The second class will help beginners continue learning the game and teach scoring to more experienced players.

Dates: July 29 & August 5, 2026

Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am 

Location: Ed Ctr, 114

Carole Lee is a retired UMF professor. Eddie Yuen is a retired math teacher. Both presenters have been playing mahjong since they were young children.

Will run

Fifty Years of Nursing: A Story to Tell

$10

with John Henkel

Calendar Aug 17, 2026 at 1 pm

Hybrid

2 sessions

Let’s meet and share tales about our mutual experiences in health care. At our ages, it seems like a prudent thing to do. I have stories to tell (the good, the bad, the amusing) that may also provide some education in how to navigate the health care system. 

Date and Time:

August 17, 1-2:30 pm

August 31, 2026, at 11 am-12:30 pm

Location: Ed Ctr, room 114

John Henkel is a nurse who has been lucky to ride the wave of the nursing revolution from the days of starched nursing caps to color-coded scrubs.

John is eternally grateful for his time as a nurse. He can’t imagine having done anything else. He has worked as a nurse in a variety of roles and locations before ending up in Wilton.  

 

Will run

Summer Social

Free
Calendar Sep 16, 2026 at 12 pm

In-Person

Free

Date: September 16, 2026

Time: 12-2 pm

Location: Kineowatha Park/Barn

A time to get together and socialize with fellow Gold LEAF members.  This will be a potluck lunch at Kineowatha Park in Wilton from 12 noon until 2 PM.  Donations welcomed.

Will run

Changing the World from the Inside Out

$14

with Martha Soule

Calendar Sep 22, 2026 at 1 pm

In-person

Explore Mindfulness and Meditation in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh (Plum Village) and how they can help us deal with the challenges in our daily lives and in our world.

This will include how to stop, calm, rest, and heal before speaking or acting when upset - so that our actions can be more helpful in our struggling world.

We will listen to some of Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings and will explore ways to bring them into our daily lives, if that appeals to us.

4 sessions

Dates:

September 22, 29, 2026

October 20, 27, 2026

Time: 1 pm-2:30 pm

Location: Education Center, room 113

Martha (Marty) Soule discovered this practice in 1993 and brought it into her life. It helped support her as she raised her children, worked several jobs, and dealt with her mother's cancer, her father's Alzheimers, and other challenges.

After Martha went to her first retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh in 2001, she began a community of practice (Peaceful Heart Sangha) which still meets every Monday evening and every Thursday morning. Martha was ordained as a member of the Order of Interbeing in 2009 and became a Dharma Teacher in 2022.





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