Senior News April, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  4

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Elderhostel: April program features familiar "house mother"

Commission on Aging to convene rural meeting in Eureka

CSL Election: Attend a forum and vote for your candidate

Senior News: Ad manager says "so long"

Volunteer outreach: Gail Gai has connected people for 25 years

Why I love to volunteer

Through Friday April 12: Tax preparation assistance

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Elderhostel
April program features familiar "house mother"
by Jennifer Bell

Jennifer Bell and Ruth Jackson getting ready for the April Elderhostel in Arcata. Photo by Barbara Clark

I'm relatively new to Elderhostel-Ruth Jackson broke me in as the Elderhostel Program Coordinator six years ago, her fourth coordinator.

Elderhostel at Humboldt State University hasn't been the same since Ruth joined the program in 1987. For 15 years she has served as the Live-In Coordinator, or "house mother" as she refers to herself.

What is "Elderhostel" you ask? Ruth would fill you in quickly: "Elderhostel is an international program which provides learning vacations at reasonable prices to those 55 and older." Elderhostelers at HSU take courses in local history and natural history, but Ruth Jackson isn't just interested in talking about the local programs. Ruth has attended more than 18 programs in England, Williamsburg, Virginia and Washington DC. She has been to Ashland for a Shakespearean Elderhostel seven times. "I like the theater," she said. "We used to go in September and see almost all of the plays that ran all season." Her voice says she is ready to go again.

When asked how Elderhostel has changed over the years she was a bit reflective. "The program is gone from the campus," referring to the movement to place Elderhostel at local hotels instead of college dormitories. While Elderhostel surveys show that participants want some of the conveniences of a hotel such as toilet and shower facilities in the room, Ruth misses the early days of running the programs in the dorms.

I can still remember her routine at the orientation-"the restrooms become co-ed at night. Turn the light on when you go in, and off when you go out," Ruth announced. Then when the grumbles of discontent spread throughout the group she added, "We haven't lost anyone yet-in fact we've had at least one marriage."

Ruth still loves Elderhostel. She said, "It's fun to meet people from all over the place, all over the country and all over the world. I've met people I've kept up with. One friend I met would come up here and sometimes we'd go up to Ashland. Another fella I met at William and Mary and kept up a correspondence." And, while she loves going out into the community to sell Elderhostel to get local people to come, one of her favorite things is being able to say "I have a desk at HSU!"

HSU's Office of Extended Education is offering four weeks of Elderhostel programs this year. April 14-20, instructors Dr. John Hewston and Gary Bloomfield will help hostelers experience Spring Migration Birding. They follow with Birding on the North Coast June 2-8. July 14-20 Jerry and Gisela Rohde will lead a trip along the Horse Mountain Highway, Raymond Hillman will explore Victorian Architecture of Eureka, and Bill Shaw will travel north to Telonicher Marine Lab to research aquaculture. Sept. 29-Oct. 5 the Rohdes will return to hike along the river canyons of Rockefeller's Redwoods, Hillman will return with Commercial Fishing in Humboldt Bay, and many locals will help Elderhostelers learn more about Arcata from appropriate technology to organic farming. There is still space in the June and September programs for commuters.

Jennifer Bell is Extension and Elderhostel Coordinator for Humboldt State University. Her e-mail is bell@humboldt.edu and her phone is 707-826-5879.