What we’re about
We are a group of active men and women age 50 and older who are young at heart, enjoying an active healthy lifestyle, are fit (or want to be fit), friendly and having fun participating in recreational, athletic and social events with peers, including some community service projects.
We actively promote activities that defy the myths about getting older. We are the 'forever young' generation! Visit our OPALs website and sign up to receive our online newsletter. You can learn more about our founder Carolyn here. Some of the activities that we participate in include:
- Hiking
- Zip Lining
- Horseback Riding
- Bicycling
- Basketball
- Sailing
- Caving
As the Ambassador for the state of Georgia for the annual World Senior Games held in October, in St. George, Utah, I am looking for more athletes to participate.
Join us to experience the Wonderment of the West African Diaspora! We will visit Benin, Togo and Ghana. **October 19 - November 3, 2024. (**The Meetup platform will not let me list the actual days in the post.). Includes hotel accommodations, daily breakfast and dinner, all ground transportation and a bilingual guide throughout the tour.
The capital of Benin where the new 100 foot statue of an Amazon woman welcomes you. The Amazons belonged to the Kingdom of Dahomey,and had the world's only all-female army, i.e. The Woman King movie, and influenced depiction in the Wakanda movies. From there to Togo, travel by boat to Togoville, and explore Lome, Togo's capital. Togo is known for their bronze craftsmanship, and then to Ghana for 9-days.
There is so much to see and do in Ghana! Highlights of our tour include: Coastal Islands of Elmina and Cape Coast; Adanwomase Kente Village where you can see Kente cloth weavers and try it yourself; Cape Coast Castle and the 'Door of No Return'; Experience Fihankra a naming ceremony for an authentic African name; Kakum National Park, home of Africa's only aerial walkway; participate in a Festival of the Ashanti Empire. There is sooo much more to this exciting and eye-opening and informative tour. It is no doubt, upon returning home, you will forever view the Motherland in the positive light it deserves!
If you are interested, contact Carolyn at CH@CarolynHartfield.com or 678.231.4973 call/text to reserve your spot with a nonrefundable $500 deposit. If you make your deposit no later than March 15, you will receive a $500 Early-Bird discount.
If you missed the meeting, you can watch the video. Info about this tour starts at 16:40. If you want full details and a copy of the itinerary, send Carolyn an email at CH@CarolynHartfield.com and please put West Africa Tour Itinerary Request in the Subject line.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Special Virtual Documentary Night: In The Name of DemocracyLink visible for attendees
**YOU MUST WATCH THE FILM ON YOUR OWN BEFORE THE EVENT**
Link to the film is in the info below.
This event is in collaboration with the Veterans For Peace (VFP). VFP is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using their experiences and lifting their voices. They inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Their network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars.
For this Special Virtual Documentary Night, in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are meeting to talk about the documentary, In The Name of Democracy. This documentary is about the remarkable case of Lt. Ehren Watada, the first officer in the U.S. Army to refuse to deploy to Iraq on moral grounds. Here is a link to where you can watch it for free. Nina Rosemblum (Director) and Robert Watada (Lt. Ehren Watada's father) will be joining us for a special guest Q&A!
>>Click here to watch In The Name of Democracy for free<<
Again, you must watch the film on your BEFORE the event. We will be meeting over Zoom, where we will break out into small discussion groups. We will do multiple rounds of small group discussion, then close out the night with a special guest Q&A! The Zoom information is listed below.
Meeting ID: 875 5525 6659
Passcode: 861888
This event is posted in multiple meetup groups, and on Eventbrite, as well as with members of the Community Documentary Night email list. (Message me if interested in joining the email list) Therefore, THIS RSVP LIST IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ATTENDING THE EVENT. So even if you only see one person RSVPed in this meetup group, there will always be others in attendance from other groups. We tend to have at least 20 on average. By inviting numerous groups that increases the likelihood that those in attendance will be from varying backgrounds and beliefs. This is done purposefully to provide everyone with the opportunity to hear a wide range of perspectives.
This event is open to all who are open to all. The one thing we ask is that people allow others to get their full thought out and that any disagreement is voiced in a civil way. Check out the Community Documentary Night website for more info or links to previously shown documentaries.
Thank you and hope to see you there!
- Mixed Group Documentary Night: The Devil We KnowNorthwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Sandy Springs, GA
In-Person Documentary Night is held on every 2nd Friday of the month. This event was designed to give people the chance to discuss interesting ideas and topics explored in the documentaries that we have chosen as a group to watch. This month we have voted to watch the the documentary, The Devil We Know. Citizens in West Virginia take on a powerful corporation after they discover it has knowingly been dumping a toxic chemical -- now found in the blood of 99.7 percent of Americans -- into the local drinking water supply.
>>Click here to watch the film trailer!<<
We will start the film PROMPTLY AT 7:10 PM.
For the event we will meet together in the sanctuary at Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where we will watch the film together. Then we will participate in multiple rounds of small group discussions with a different groups for each round. This gives you the opportunity to meet new people and hear a variety of perspectives throughout the night. We will end by deciding what to watch next month. This is a Voting Night where we brainstorm and decide as a group what we will watch the following month, so please come with a recommendation ready. Just a reminder that next month, May, is Asian American History Month.
Decaf and caffeinated tea will be provided. We will also be having potluck style snacks! So you are welcome to bring food to share with others, whether homemade or store-bought. Please bring foods that won't be distracting for others during the film or the discussion. Vegan, nut free snacks are preferred (not required), out of consideration for allergies and also sustainability. Please label your food with list of ingredients.
This event is posted in multiple meetup groups, on Eventbrite, as well as with members of the Community Documentary Night email list. Therefore, THIS RSVP LIST IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ATTENDING THE EVENT. So even if you only see one person RSVPed in this meetup group, there will always be others in attendance from other groups.
Please be sure to read the norms and expectations below before attending.
Thank you and hope to see you there!
NORMS & EXPECTATIONS
We have generated a set of norms and expectations for our event. They were created to help us maintain a welcoming and civil environment for everyone in attendance. Please read through before attending. They will also be recited at the start of the event.
1. This event is open to all who are open to all. This is an inclusive event. So we are open to anyone including all gender expressions, racial identities, political affiliations, etc. as long as you are open to hearing the perspective of others.
2. Step Up and Step Back. Step up meaning we ask that you step up and share your perspective so that we can learn and grow from your knowledge and experience. Step back meaning we ask that you step back on occasion, allowing yourself the opportunity to hear and grow from the experience and perspectives of others in attendance.
3. Allow others to express their full thought. This is just a nice way of saying try not to interrupt.
4. Be mindful of others wanting to speak. Try to keep your thoughts concise, allowing time for others to respond.
5. If you don't agree, this is not a debate but a discussion. So instead of trying to sway the other person, try to understand where they are coming from. That can be done by asking "What makes you think that?" This requires coming from a place of curiosity rather than competition.
6. But even though it's not a debate, feel free to challenge what is said. Not in saying "You're wrong." But by sharing the idea that you have and asking how that fits with what they just shared. This allows for both ideas to be in the same space and gives the other person an opportunity to explain their thinking.
7. Assume good intentions. We are all here to learn and grow together. If something does not sound right, ask first for clarification before jumping to conclusions.
8. If there is an issue, speak up in the moment, if at all possible. Some may not realize that what they said had a negative impact on those in the room. Speaking up can give them the opportunity to correct what they said.
9. If it is not possible to resolve amongst yourselves, request that the host join your group. Once he enters your group you can explain the situation. If you would rather wait till after the event, feel free to email the host at CommunityDocumentaryNight@gmail.com, then we can figure out a way of resolving the issue for future events.
10. It's ok to eat! Tea will be provided. You are welcome to bring snacks to share. Please bring foods though that won't be distracting for other attendees.
