McMartin House
Most of our Activities for Seniors are once again underway. Welcome Back! More info under "OUR ACTIVITIES" tab. LOCATE
ACTIVITIES OFFERED AT McMARTIN HOUSE
McMartin House Membership is required. One $30 Annual Membership Fee permits a member to join any number of activities. Most activities have small charges each session to cover supplies, resources, refreshments etc.
THIS MONTH AT McMARTIN HOUSE:
All Our Activities that were active prior to Covid-19 restrictions are listed below along with their Activity Descriptions.
NOTE THAT EMAIL ADDRESSES SHOWN FOR CONTACTING ARE NOT AUTOMATIC "LINKS".
The Activities that are currently active are also listed in our Monthly Calendars.
There are two monthly calendar presentations. The First lists all our current activities except Yoga. Yoga is the largest current activity and has a separate Monthly Calendar.
McMartin House Activity Calendar One
McMartin House Activity Calendar Two YOGA
Not offered during December
If you wish to join a Yoga Class, please note that you cannot simply turn up at the classroom door (as you may do with other McMartin House Activities). Please contact the Yoga Connection at (613)267-7148 for information and instructions on how to enroll.
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS
ACTIVITY DIRECTORS: If you want to make changes to the description of your Activity, or to add information, please contact Brian Henderson, Web Master, by email at staff@perthseniors.ca and leave your message or phone number.
MAH JONGG: A NEW ACTIVITY AT McMARTIN HOUSE
Now seniors can play Mah Jongg (or Maahj, as it is often called) every Tuesday from 1-4 PM at McMartin House. Send an email to if you are interested and would like more information. Please include your phone number and we will get back to you. MyMahJongg@PerthSeniors.ca
“Mah Jongg is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, with millions of dedicated players around the world and a variety of Internet and computer versions. A very small amount of time and effort is required to become familiar with the elementary principles of the game. Your patience in mastering the fine points of Mah Jongg will be repaid many times by the keen enjoyment invariably derived from the game.” [1]
“Mah Jongg is a fascinating, rummy-like game played with tiles rather than cards. The game originated in China but its exact origins are shrouded in story and myth. Some claim it was the game of Chinese royalty, played in secret to keep the knowledge to themselves. Others claim it was invented by a Chinese General to amuse his troops during long months of battle. More recent investigations point to early versions of this popular tile game appearing as recently as 150 years ago in China as a variant of card games. Whichever story you choose, there is general agreement that the game we play and love originated in China, and popularized in the United States by Joseph Babcock at the beginning of the 20th century.” [2] Please join us for a fun afternoon of lighthearted giggles and games!
The above two quotes are from the National Mah Jongg League : The League (Control-Click to visit).
THE ALGONQUIN BOOK CLUB: A NEW ACTIVITY AT McMARTIN HOUSE
The Algonquin Book Club meets at McMartin House on the 4th Wed of each month, at 10am. We read and discuss a book each month. The book choosing meeting is in July. For 2022/2023, our list of books included:
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Still Life by Sarah Winman Starlight by Richard Wagamese
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall The Company We Keep by Frances Itani The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Fight Night by Miriam Toews The Promise by Daman Galgut What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
“Book Club members use texts and subsequent discussions to learn as they work through, reflect on, or address the social or political issues they encounter in their lives — at home, in their workplaces, or in society more generally,” the researchers write,
or so says Author: Shawn Kornegay. We require a comfortably small group for effective discussion sessions. Membership Numbers are currently at capacity. For information, send an email to nancy.p.button@gmail.com
THE WRITING GROUP: A "RENEWED" ACTIVITY AT McMARTIN HOUSE
PERTH COMMONS COHOUSING COMMUNITY
Perth Commons Co-Housing Community is a group of seniors engaged in shaping how we will live in the coming years. Since the summer of 2015 we have been building a community of people committed to offering one another neighbourly friendship and support in either a shared building or a network of private dwellings. High among our priorities are a healthy, independent and sustainable lifestyle and active engagement in the world around us.
We meet the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm for a potluck supper and to keep in touch with one another through discussion and laughter.
For more information, please go to http://www.perth-cohousing-initiative.com or call Louise McDiarmid 613-264-8590 or Susan Samila 613-264-1196.
WEDNESDAY BRIDGE
Wednesday Bridge runs from April to Thanksgiving, each Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:30. Social Bridge is one of the most popular activities at McMartin House, and Wednesday Bridge is a supplement to Friday Bridge and not in competition with it. (All of its members play there too).
However, while Friday Bridge offers a “first come, first served” approach to establishing the number of tables, Wednesday Bridge takes reservations and attempts to establish complete tables of 4 players for every session. This is accomplished by email. The Activity Director sends emails inviting all registered members who would like to attend, to reply by email. Replies are monitored and If necessary, further emails are sent to try and gain a missing player or two and to end up with complete tables.
If you wish to be added to the list of registered members, send an email to Simone@PerthSeniors.ca
THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON BRIDGE CLUB
The Friday Afternoon Bridge Club meets in the Edna Green Room at McMartin House every Friday afternoon, officially starting at 1:00 P.M., to play social Bridge in a comfortable and friendly setting. In fact, many members like to get there half an hour early and play Bridge with friends prior to the game competitions that start at 1:00 PM.
There are five rounds of four-hand Bridge, with scores recorded for each individual and their partners at each table. The winners at each table rotate to the next table. There are small prizes for the persons with the highest individual score, the second highest, and the lowest. Prizes are also awarded for the overall winner for the year.
Kveta Privora and Joy Price, Activity Directors, report that the Friday afternoon Bridge group normally averages 5 or 6 tables of Bridge, and is growing with new members who join after attending “Teaching Bridge” sessions.
Members contribute $2.00 each Friday they play Bridge, to cover refreshments provided each session and the purchase of playing cards and supplies. These funds also cover an annual donation the group makes to McMartin House. Contact: Kveta Privora at 613-300-9502.
TEACHING BRIDGE “Teaching Bridge” sessions are offered periodically rather than continuously. When there is sufficient demand, sessions may be offered in the January to March period, each year. The goal of these sessions is to teach the fundamentals of Bridge while allowing players to gain experience in a friendly, informal and mentored environment. Those attending range from complete newcomers with no knowledge of Bridge to individuals with a pretty fair knowledge of how to bid and play, but who wish to gain more experience playing with experienced players who are willing to be helpful.
Kveta Privora and Joy Price, both excellent players (who play both duplicate and social Bridge), provide the instruction and expert guidance. Volunteers from the Friday Afternoon Bridge Club provide a core of experienced players, scattered among the tables, and assist with mentoring. A McMartin House Membership ($30) is required. Each player also pays a $2.00 per session fee. Text books and other resources are provided without additional cost. Sessions run from 1:00 to 3:30. Contact: Kveta Privora 613-300-9502. LinkToEasyBridgeProgram
RAINBOW LINE DANCING - Sunday - 11:30 until 1 PM The Rainbow line dancing group invites all members of the human spectrum to join us for an hour of fun and exercise. The music is varied, some country, some pop and some good old rock-n- roll. The laughter is contagious. Our group is at a beginner level, but newbies are welcome. There is always space on the dance floor for one more. Contact Kari Cunningham: karidot@aol.com
LINE DANCING - The Line Dancing Group is a well-established group with an enthusiastic membership of up to three dozen dancers, with the number declining a bit when their snowbirds depart for the sunny south. Line dancing sessions begin each year on the Monday after Thanksgiving mid-late October (Check the Events Calendar) and run each Monday (except holidays) through to about the last week in March. Class sessions run from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M. (Beginners' Group) and from 10:45 to 11:45 A.M. (Intermediate Group). Classes are $3.00 each.
This activity emphasizes the great value of Line Dancing to the health of the dancers. It is “good for the body and the memory. It adds years to your life, and life to your years!” The music and dances that the leaders use with the group include the waltz, cha—cha, polka, samba, and rhumba as well as country and western. New members are welcome.
SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING
Scottish Country Dancers meet every Friday morning from 9:30-11:30. We begin our year in September and finish in May. The group is led by Simone Crabb, an experienced dancer. New dancers, both male and female, are always welcomed to the group. Scottish Country Dancing is done to lively jigs and reels, or to slower strathspeys. Since the dancing is done in soft dance shoes, the group meets in the upstairs boardroom at Mc Martin House with its beautiful hardwood floor. Our members are a happy, easygoing group, able to laugh at their own mistakes, or to appreciate the beauty in a dance well performed by all. Scottish dancing is also a fun way to exercise the brain, the toes and everything in between! Contact Simone Crabb at 613-264-2767 or send an email to Simone@PerthSeniors.ca
THE STAMP CLUB
Are you a stamp collector or interested in becoming one? Then the Perth Stamp Club is a place you need to visit! Whether you collect stamps, covers, souvenir sheets, cancels, or maybe you collect a specific country, or a special topic, this club is for you.
We are a small group of enthusiastic philatelists. We love to look at stamps, talk about stamps and share our hobby with others. If you want to learn about stamps or to share your interest in stamps please join us.
We meet at McMartin House on the second and fourth Wednesday evening of the month from September to June.
For more information please contact Susan Murray at: stampclub@perthseniors.ca
YOGA
Wikipedia defines Yoga as the physical, mental, and spiritual practices which originated in ancient India as systems helping the individual to attain a state of permanent peace. Since the 1980s, yoga has been popular as a system of physical exercise contributing to fitness.
The gentle Yoga courses offered at McMartin House encourage stretching and body movement through basic postures. They offer adapted postures and the use of props and other aids to allow all senior students to participate as they feel they are able.
Please review the YOGA CALENDAR (shown above) to learn about the days and times when Yoga Classes are offered. For more information, Contact info@yogaconnectionperth.org or phone 613-267-7148.
