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Kullbergs integrate into their lives the four pillars of Chautauqua

8/28/2009 Chautauqua has expanded from its religious founding over the past 135 years to revolve around the four central pillars of art, education, religion and recreation. For longtime Chautauquans Jim and Judy Kullberg, these have become pillars of value in their own lives. The Kullbergs first came to Chautauqua in the 1980s, persuaded by friends Joan and Bob Battaglin. They found themselves among many visitors from Corning, N.Y, with whom they developed a close affinity. They have enjoyed connecting with these community friends even after retiring to North Carolina. In addition to the close group of Corning friends, the Kullbergs fell in love with the diverse programming Chautauqua offers. They gradually became more involved each season, participating as well as observing. They have incorporated each pillar to optimize their Chautauqua experience each summer. “We love all of the four pillars of Chautauqua. We value them very highly,” Judy said. “(For) each one of the pillars we have things that we do or things that we love about it.” She added that while they greatly enjoy the morning religious service and afternoon lecture, it is their involvement in the Presbyterian House that has gotten them most involved in Chautauqua. They participate with several other couples from Corning, all who attended the same church. Judy designed the database for keeping track of Presbyterian House guests. Jim has been the treasurer for the last eight years and has served on the board even longer. “It gives us an unusual opportunity, both for meeting people and just participating in Chautauqua,” Jim said. Another passion the Kullbergs share is a love of the arts, especially music. They attend nearly every Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra concert and enjoy the chamber music and piano competition. They also participate in the Chautauqua Connections program. They have had students for the past several years that they have gotten to know and love, Judy said. Recreation is yet another pillar the Kullbergs identify with. Both are avid golfers, making time to play before and after the summer season. Judy also serves on the golf board of governors. They have a grandson who also enjoys recreation on the grounds, attending Boys’ Club. The Kullbergs can boast a solid grounding in education at Chautauqua. Both are members of the Class of 1998 Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Circle. Jim serves as class treasurer, and Judy designed the database for Alumni Hall to keep track of CLSC alumni. In addition to this work, Jim serves on the Alumni Hall Finance Committee. After building a house on the grounds in 1998, the Kullbergs have been able to share their fervor for the Institution by hosting a variety of guests, including their daughter, son and three grandsons. The Kullbergs’ devotion to the grounds also has prompted them to include Chautauqua as a beneficiary of their Individual Retirement Account (IRA). “Hopefully we’ve got a lot more years, but we’ve already enjoyed Chautauqua for 20 years and we want to pass it on for people who are still coming,” Jim said. “Hopefully our home will stay in our family, and to keep the value of the home up you’ve got to support the Institution. … We thought we had to do our part to carry on the heritage.” For more information about making a planned gift for the benefit of Chautauqua Institution, contact Karen Blozie, Chautauqua Foundation director of Gift Planning, at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.

Foundation recognizes Bestor Society members, extraordinary donors

8/21/2009 Photo by Jordan Schnee. MSFO students perform in a special woodwind quintet at the President’s Address Saturday in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall. Bestor Society members gathered at Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall on Aug. 15 for the annual President’s Address, an event that recognized the efforts of those who contributed to Chautauqua Institution through the Chautauqua Fund over the course of the year. The Chautauqua Fund contributes to the Institution’s operating budget, which provides for a variety of programs, student scholarships, organizations and other activities. Bestor Society members are individuals who make a gift of $2,000 or more to the fund. According to materials from the Development Office, these gifts account for approximately 80 percent of the fund’s total. The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell commenced the event with an invocation, praying for clarity about an unknown future and the opportunities and gifts people can bring to that future. George Snyder, chair of the board of trustees, then recognized those who have served the Institution in the past, and the present, including Institution trustees and foundation directors. Snyder then acknowledged past and present Chautauqua Fund volunteers. “Much of the work of the philanthropic support of the Institution couldn’t be accomplished without the efforts of those who volunteer for the Chautauqua Fund,” Snyder said. He announced, to much applause, that the cost of fundraising over the last three years averaged only 9 cents per dollar. Bob and Mary Pickens were thanked for their efforts as Chautauqua Fund co-chairs. Bob Pickens then personally acknowledged and thanked new Bestor Society members for the year. “Philanthropy is the lifeblood of this institution, and you, as Bestor Society members, are the heart and soul of that philanthropy,” Pickens said. “This all could not get done without you.” Pickens pointed out that many cutbacks are being made in arts and education departments at colleges across the country because of the economic downturn. “I’m sure you will all agree that this has been an incredible season, that the arts and education and religion and recreation are alive and well here at Chautauqua, and that’s in no small part due to your (Bestor Society’s) generosity,” Pickens said. Geof Follansbee, Chautauqua Institution vice president and Chautauqua Foundation CEO, came forward to note three individuals who have made great investments of time and resources to the fund in recent years. John Anderson, a director of the Chautauqua Foundation, was recognized for chairing the Chautauqua County effort for the Chautauqua Fund for five years. Anderson’s job entailed explaining to others why Chautauqua is an important experience, and how Chautauqua is important economically to the western New York region. During his five years as chair, $1.5 million was raised for the fund. A passionate follower of Chautauqua Opera Company, Anderson was given a gift of an opera print, including signatures of members of Chautauqua Opera staff and a personal thanks from President Thomas M. Becker and wife, Jane Becker. Follansbee also recognized Judy and Fred Gregory, who from 2006 to 2008 brought an inspirational and creative approach to the Chautauqua Fund as fund co-chairs. During this period, the fund delivered $8.6 million of revenue to the Institution. The Gregorys were given a book signed by filmmaker Ken Burns and a plant for their extensive garden, in addition to hearty thanks. Snyder followed to emphasize the impact of Bestor Society members’ gifts on students coming to the grounds. According to information from the Chautauqua Schools of the Fine and Performing Arts, about 78 percent of the 279 students enrolled at the Institution are receiving some type of need-based or merit scholarship. Art student Gabriel Roberts described the impact of the Institution on himself, both personally and professionally. He explained that Chautauqua is especially important for artists because of the natural beauty and great architecture, the network of artists available and the supportive community. “It’s very apparent that people here, on a whole, really care about art and about supporting art,” Roberts said. A woodwind quintet made up of Music School Festival Orchestra students played after Robert’s speech, introduced by MSFO Music Director Timothy Muffitt. “This is a unique opportunity for them in their artistic growth because not only do they learn how to grow as musicians, but the nature of the Chautauqua Institution … allows them to grow as human beings and as artists in a way that they couldn’t do anywhere else on this planet,” Muffitt said. President Becker concluded the evening with the much-anticipated President’s Address. Becker spoke of the changes to the Institution over the past 135 years, and what these changes have taught Chautauquans. Among other points, Becker identified the importance of maintaining and developing the grounds while responsibly allocating resources. “This place is our home, the center of our activity, and the gift of those who created and passed it to us,” Becker said. “It is our responsibility.” He identified philanthropy as “a critical growth strategy,” one which Bestor Society members have been a large part of. With their contributions, many modifications have been made, and the Institution has improved. Imagine, Becker said, a Chautauqua Fund with twice the donors. Becker spoke about how the opportunities for betterment are limited only to the effort people are willing to put into the Institution. “On behalf of the cloud of witnesses who founded and passed through these grounds, and on behalf of the known and unknown generations to come to Chautauqua and to call themselves Chautauquans, on behalf of all of these good people, I offer you thanks for the investment you make in Chautauqua, an investment in a benefit extending far beyond your personal rewards,” Becker said.

For Ferguson, Chautauqua has become a family matter

8/20/2009 If you believe in omens, waking up to one of Chautauqua’s most revered inhabitants flying over your bed could be considered a good one. For Norma Ferguson, dedicated Chautauquan of almost 20 years, discovering a bat in her house this season was a first. But for her and her family, Chautauqua has always been full of surprises, with a variety of wonders and opportunities rarely found anywhere else. Ferguson and her husband, Dick, both grew up in the nearby city of Buffalo, N.Y., but never came to the Institution as children. After college, they settled in Bethlehem, Pa., where they raised their four children, occasionally visiting Chautauqua Lake. It was not until after moving out of state to Louisville, Ky., that the Fergusons decided to visit the Institution. They rented units in the Pines Apartments with their four children, who were grown by then. “Everybody loved it. It was just more than we had anticipated,” Ferguson said. Her husband, Ferguson added, was a Presbyterian minister, and he immediately fell in love with the Institution’s religious aspect. Active in the church herself as a volunteer, Ferguson also felt strongly about the religious community. Her husband would eventually serve on the board of the Presbyterian House on the grounds. “He really tuned into the rich spiritual diversity here, and the new broadening of theological ideas,” Ferguson said. “But then we also really loved the lectures and the intellectual stimulation of all that.” From then on, the Ferguson family would get the program for each new season and decide, with their children, which week they would all come together on the grounds. As time progressed, their children began bringing spouses and eventually their own children. Ferguson now has a healthy total of 13 grandchildren. One summer about 11 years ago, Ferguson’s 7-yearold grandson said, “If we all went together, we could buy a place here.” It was then, she said, that she realized how rooted her family was in Chautauqua. She began looking for a sizeable place to accommodate their large family and decided on a condo on Elm. When her husband got an interim job close by in Pittsburg, Pa., Ferguson began coming to the Institution for the entire summer season. When he retired, they came together for the full season. She continues to do so, even after his passing three years ago. She decided to keep their house, as she feels so at home in Chautauqua. “I think the beauty of it is it does restore your soul, and I think that the whole atmosphere has just been a renewing sort of thing for the whole family,” Ferguson said. Ferguson’s family continues to visit, and she said that her grandchildren really enjoy the freedom they have to explore. She has become active on the Presbyterian House board, and has developed into an avid follower of music on the grounds, enjoying the various concerts. “Summer can be (full of) down time in most places, all of the volunteer work sort of goes on hold and people are away, and up here I can keep myself mentally and spiritually enriched and stimulated,” Ferguson said. For all that Chautauqua has meant to her and her family, Ferguson has included the Chautauqua Foundation in her estate through a trust. “This has been a really meaningful place for all of us, our whole family, and I want it to continue, I want other people to have this opportunity, too,” Ferguson said. “I think that’s most important. If you’re enjoying it, you need to share … that’s part of life.” For more information about making a planned gift to Chautauqua Institution, contact Karen Blozie, the Chautauqua Foundation director of gift planning, at (716) 357-6244.

In Chautauqua, Cochrane has a place to call 'home'

8/10/2009 For longtime Chautauquan Helen Cochrane, Chautauqua Institution has served as a steady home throughout her life. From her own childhood to those of her children, her grandchildren and even her great-grandchildren, the Institution has provided an atmosphere for growth, learning and spirituality. Cochrane’s parents had a house on Cookman Avenue, which they bought in the mid- ’30s. She came to the grounds every summer for at least a month, up until the house was sold in her college years. She returned to the grounds in 1960 after marrying her husband, Norman. Cochrane said, laughing, that she was able to lure him here with golf. They started visiting every summer with their two sons and daughter. In 1988, they bought a house at the Pines, where Cochrane still resides during the summer. “This is the longest consistent place in my life,” Cochrane said. “I’ve moved 20 times since I was married … so this place is home because it’s the longest I’ve connected to any place. … I’ve come here almost my whole life.” This long history with Chautauqua has greatly impacted her sense of self. Cochrane remembered several moments associated with the Institution that have impacted and defined her. The first key memory she had of Chautauqua was from when she was 10 years old. Her grandmother came to visit her parents on the grounds and introduced her to Mina Miller Edison. “She was so nice,” Cochrane said. “She bent down, shook my hand and asked ‘How are you?’ And I still have a very good feeling about meeting her. And then my grandmother said, ‘You’ll remember this the rest of your life.’ Well, of course, I have.” Cochrane also recalled that she used to sit in the Amphitheater choir loft and watch Albert Stoessel play the organ. She went to see what she described as his ethereal look that showed his love of music. She remembered being a teenager and swooning over another musician on the grounds as well — Hugh Thompson with the Metropolitan Opera — while other girls were swooning over Frank Sinatra. The Institution’s musical influence had quite an effect on both her and her family. Cochrane eventually became a piano teacher, a career her daughter later pursued. In addition to studying in college, her daughter studied piano at Chautauqua with renowned teacher Ozan Marsh. Cochrane also has two grandsons who are musicians. Aside from crediting Chautauqua with musically influencing her, she attributed many of her values and outlooks to the learning facilitated by lectures offered on the grounds. She remembered one speaker in particular, who came to Chautauqua while she was in her 30s. He described the difference between a hawk and a dove in terms of war issues. “At the end of that speech, I just said, ‘Well, I know what I am; I’m a dove,’” Cochrane said. “I do belong to that concept that war is always a last resort, and I believe Chautauqua really does exemplify that in the programming and in (its) very essence.” Cochrane explained that the Institution aided her further with an understanding of the world and of religion. The interfaith aspect of the Institution resonates particularly well with her, and she eventually became a Presbyterian minister. She got involved as a convener for the Women in Ministry organization on the grounds, and after retiring from the ministry in 2004 joined the Presbyterian House board. She finished her husband’s term on the board after he died in 2004 and stayed for an additional term. Cochrane also has become very active in writing and serves on the board of the Literary Arts Friends. She said she is thinking of writing a memoir about Chautauqua. “Everyone says it’s impossible to describe Chautauqua, and it’s true because in a way it’s a way of life,” Cochrane said. “Even if you’re only in the Institution for the summer, it’s a way of life that you carry with you year-round, and that is a great influence on your family.” Her three children continue to visit the grounds, bringing with them four grandsons, a granddaughter and two great-grandsons. The younger children will be going to Boys’ and Girls’ Club, which Cochrane participated in as a child. Cochrane said the Institution’s impact on both her and her family, as well as its continued growth and expansion, prompted her to include Chautauqua in her will, which she did almost 20 years ago. She explained that her Doctor of Ministry in stewardship also had a hand in her decision to give back to Chautauqua. She said that her family always has tried to tithe its income, which usually means giving to churches. But for Cochrane, the overall value of Chautauqua is religious, encouraging faith development and expansion, so she considered giving to the Institution in her will as tithing. “It fits who I am and who my parents were,” Cochrane said. “My parents were very generous people. My father saw the value of an investment in Chautauqua as important for his family, and so I’m really following in his footsteps.” For more information about making a planned gift for the benefit of Chautauqua Institution, contact Karen Blozie, the Chautauqua Foundation director of gift planning, at (716) 357-6244.

After several chances, Chautauqua finally made an impression on Sharp

8/6/2009 Becky Sharp drove from her hometown of Erie, Pa., to Chautauqua Institution at age 16 to visit a friend from high school who was working on the grounds. However, she had no idea that the Institution would become so important to her and her future family in years to come. In fact, during her first visit to the Institution, she remembered listening to her friends’ work complaints and decided she did not like the place. She would not return to Chautauqua for many years. In 1950, Sharp got married and settled in Cleveland. She and her husband would visit her family in Erie and would then travel to visit his family nearby. Her mother-in-law happened to be a baker at St. Elmo, and her sister-in-law worked at Thompson cafeteria, so they would visit his family on the grounds. These trips, however, were brief. Sharp’s next exposure to the Institution came from good friends living nearby in Cleveland who happened to be longtime Chautauquans. The two couples owned a motor home together, which they shared for family trips. When they decided to sell it, their neighbors offered them an alternative. They convinced the Sharps to go back to Chautauqua again. In 1969, the Sharps brought the younger two of their four children up for church on Sunday, then looked around the grounds for a place to stay. Unfortunately, they were unable to find anything that felt right for their family and decided to leave. But on their way out, they happened to hear about an open house on Foster Street. After making a last minute decision to stop in, they fell in love with the home. They quickly made an offer and went from tentative visitors to enthusiastic property owners at Chautauqua. Even after the Sharps moved from Ohio to Florida in the 1980s, they continued to come to Chautauqua for the season. Both held the Department of Religion in high esteem, and Sharp became active in the Presbyterian Association. She realized that she had found another place to call home. The house the Sharps purchased on Foster had an empty lot next door where they parked. They decided to sell their first house and build a second one on this vacant lot, which was completed in 1999. Her children came often during the summer. Her youngest son even started a bike shop in their basement. Later, the four children would find jobs on the grounds while in school to spend time as a family. “All four of my children worked here,” Sharp said. “It kept our family together through college years.” Two of Sharp’s children got married on the grounds, as well. Their youngest son worked for The Chautauquan Daily as a photographer for two summers, even after developing a fatal brain tumor. He also took pictures and video to be used in training sessions for the Chautauqua Volunteer Fire Department. Sharp said that she appreciated the community support and comfort he received during his work at Chautauqua while he was ill. Sharp’s husband died in 2001, so in 2005, she decided to sell their house and rent during future summers. She continues coming to the Institution, enjoying the religious community and sense of home. She has even made a planned gift to Chautauqua through her will. The years of enrichment through programming and community, both for herself and her family, have made contributing to the Institution a value of Sharp’s. “My family has taken so much from Chautauqua for 40 years, it’s time to give back,” Sharp said. Chautauqua has continued to unify Sharp’s family. Her sister-in-law is still a regular visitor, as well as her nieces and nephews. Her grandchildren also come and stay with her on the grounds. Her two younger grandchildren, who are adopted, recently spent two weeks in Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Sharp was overjoyed when they told her that they loved Chautauqua. “They enjoyed it this summer, and they’re really at that age where I think it’s in their blood now,” Sharp said. “They’ll be here as much as they can.” For more information about making a planned gift for the benefit of Chautauqua Institution, contact Karen Blozie, Chautauqua Foundation Director of Gift Planning, at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.

DeLanceys channel love for Chautauqua into support

7/27/2009 The prominence of Chautauqua in the lives of David and Jennifer DeLancey has prompted the couple to find many ways to give back to the place they have called home for 20 years. Whether it is Jennifer’s volunteering for the Chautauqua Property Owners Association or serving as an Institution trustee, or David’s reputation as both sailor and resident handyman on the grounds, the DeLanceys continue the legacy of giving back to their community passed down from their parents. David’s grandmother came to the Institution as a child from Erie, Pa. His mother, JoAn Webb, has been coming to the grounds for close to 40 years, and she continues to be a big promoter of Chautauqua. David grew up in the nearby city of Lakewood, N.Y., and now stays on the grounds during the season. David stays in the house his family came to when he was young. David is well known around the Institution, and many think of him as the local handyman, asking him to fix various fickle appliances. An experienced sailor, David served as commodore and now vice-commodore of the Yacht Club for years. He has earned the nickname “Captain Fun” with some of the younger residents. Jennifer first came to the Institution with David in 1975, and the couple started visiting regularly for the summer season in 1989. They stay three months out of the year, and spend their remaining time on their boat in Charleston, S.C. Jennifer serves on the board of trustees, and has done volunteer work for the CPOA, where she served as secretary and vice president. In 2006, she graduated from the Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Circle, and this year she will graduate from the Guild of the Seven Seals. Jennifer plays tennis, softball and golf, and along with David, enjoys the symphony, theater and being out on the lake. “It’s really what we consider our home base because we move a lot,” Jennifer said. “This is what our children consider their home.” The DeLanceys have three grown children who are fourth generation Chautauquans: Danielle, Wesley and Billy. All three grew up in Boys’ and Girls’ Club, served as counselors and worked various jobs on the grounds. Sports have been important to the family, especially softball. The Old First Night Run also serves as a basis for their family reunion, with up to 22 members having come for the event in the past. The importance of the Institution to the DeLanceys and their family has led them to give back to Chautauqua in many ways. They have done this through various volunteer opportunities, and by creating a charitable remainder trust to benefit the Institution’s lectureship program. “I feel that Dave and I both learned from example of contributing to various charities and doing volunteer work from both of our parents,” Jennifer said. “One of the reasons that we do what we do is we like to instill this in our children, because I feel that we’ve been so fortunate that it’s just our duty to give back. We enjoy doing it as long as we can, whether it be monetarily or our time, as far as volunteering.” Their planned gift consists of investments put into a charitable remainder trust, which, they emphasized, benefits both themselves and the Institution. They still get a return on their investment, receiving 5 percent interest each year, and after they die, those investments will go into the lectureship series. They said they consider the lectureship series to be one of the most important aspects of the season. “So now we know that No. 1, it’s out of our estate, and No. 2 is that now, if anything were to ever happen, we’re supporting Chautauqua, which we both love,” David said. For more information about making a planned gift for the benefit of Chautauqua Institution, contact Karen Blozie, the Chautauqua Foundation director of Gift Planning, at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.

Percy to speak about Chautauqua Foundation

7/24/2009 Steve Percy, board chairman of the Chautauqua Foundation, will discuss the foundation, its purpose and composition and the future of Chautauqua Institution at today’s Men’s Club meeting at 9 a.m. in the Women’s Clubhouse. Percy is the former chairman and chief executive of BP America, Inc., BP’s U.S. subsidiary prior to its merger with Amoco Corp., and he served in that capacity from 1996 until 1999. Prior to assuming those duties, he was president of BP Oil in the U.S. from 1992 to 1996. Percy returned to BP America in 1992 from London, England, where he served as group treasurer of The British Petroleum Company PLC and chief executive of BP Finance International. Since retiring from BP, Percy served as the head of Phillips Petroleum Co., visited as a professor of corporate strategy and international business at the Universiy of Michigan Graduate School of Business and conducted workshops on corporate governance for the AHC Group, a strategic consultant in the areas of environment, energy and materials. A native of Cleveland, Percy earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctorate from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association.

Chautauqua life-changing for mother, daughter and son-in-law

7/20/2009 Dorothy Stevenson worked as a waitress at Chautauqua Institution while in college in 1940. She returned to Chautauqua in 1948 for her honeymoon, and spent the off-season in a house on Miller Avenue. Her history here continued as she and her husband began coming to Chautauqua regularly in the 1970s. Stevenson greatly enjoys Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, the chaplains and the 2 p.m. lectures. She gives back by ushering at the opera and theater performances. She has also decided to include the Institution in her will, thus contributing to a place that she sees as an important part of her and her family’s life. “We all appreciate so much the Chautauqua message — growth and understanding, trying to understand other people and build bridges where there’s misunderstanding and fear, and Chautauqua does such a wonderful job with doing that,” Stevenson said. “I think the people who come here absorb that and take it back to their communities, and it’s a message the world really needs to hear.” Stevenson’s daughter, Susan McKee, and son-in-law, Hal Simmons, also decided to include the Institution in their wills. McKee came to Chautauqua several times growing up and is now a regular resident during the season. Simmons started visiting 26 years ago, after “marrying in.” Suddenly there was no other vacation place that made sense to him, he said. He joked that he wants to retire just so that he can stay the full nine weeks each summer. “Think of what your life was like before you were exposed here; think of how your life has changed since you’ve been exposed here and what a great investment for the future it is,” Simmons said. McKee and Simmons described their experienceat the Institution as a pilgrimage instead of a vacation. Simmons explained it as going away from where you live, being exposed and changed by new things and then taking it back home to share with other people. Having a strong connection with the Institution’s Abrahamic initiative, they took the Abrahamic Program for Young Adults back to their hometown in Denver, Colo. “I appreciate the diversity of all of Chautauqua’s programming, and I think the four pillars are really important,” McKee said. “But the Abrahamic Program is one that has opened up our family’s lives.” The intergenerational aspect of the Institution also has been very important to their family, McKee said. Her father came to the Institution as a boy. She remembered him telling stories of running through the hotel halls with his family during the off-season. When he was ill with Parkinson’s, the family would gather together at Chautauqua, and McKee appreciated the environment in which they could interact as a family. He spent his last summer here in 1998. McKee’s daughter has grown in an interfaith environment in both Denver and Chautauqua, where McKee has been visiting every summer since she was born. She said her daughter now has a strong interest in interfaith activities and work. McKee described Chautauqua as a formative place for a family. Stevenson hopes that the Institution will continue to thrive so future generations may come, learn and interact with people of different backgrounds and faiths. By giving, they contribute to that future. “We’re not well-to-do people, but what we have we certainly want to give back to (a) place that is as life-giving as Chautauqua is,” McKee said. “If more of us who give the little bit that we can continue to do that, then hopefully there will be more opportunities for reasonable housing and different kinds of scholarships so that Chautauqua can attract communities to be part of this fabric that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to come here.”

Residence hall gets major remodel with help from Chautauqua Opera lovers

7/18/2009 Marcia and Jack Connolly saw their first opera together in 1957. The young couple attended a Metropolitan Opera production of Verdi’s Otello in Boston. Thirty-five minutes of curtain calls followed the performance. It was so excellent, Jack Connolly said, that it has remained a part of opera lore in Boston ever since. “There was something electric about it. It was a remarkable first shot at seeing opera,” he said. That first show stuck with the Connollys, and they became lifelong opera lovers. Jack Connolly had been coming to the Institution since 1943 and lived here full time until 1951. After visiting during the summers, they bought a house here in 1974, bringing their love of opera with them. “She was more knowledgeable (about opera),” Jack Connolly said of his late wife. “But I just loved it.” The Connollys, who met in college, passed their love of opera down to their family — first to their daughter, Melissa Orlov, and then to their granddaughter, Orlov’s daughter, Katrina (Read Katrina’s essay on Chautauqua Opera on page B2). Orlov remembered her mother thinking that it was the accessibility of opera at the Institution that stuck out for her. “She felt that as an integrated art form, Chautauqua’s program is so unique in that it’s so accessible to kids; Katrina took on a love of the art form,” Orlov said. “What’s interesting about opera is the clashing of the arts, religion and education.” Chautauqua Opera Company does more than cultivate young audiences, however. It cultivates young singers. Budding professionals, some just out of their undergraduate or graduate schools, come from across the country to perform and study here as Chautauqua Opera Young Artists. The Institution must provide several things to attract star talent: an accomplished staff to guide and teach the young performers, adequate practice facilities and perhaps, most importantly, comfortable housing. Until this year, comfortable was not an adjective that many Young Artists would have used to describe the Summer School Dorm, where they lived during the opera season. Jeff Beruan, who was a Young Artist here in 2006 and who returned this year, remembered contending with problems like a fire alarm that went off every time someone cooked breakfast and doors that would not completely close. The Connollys have been involved with fundraising and philanthropy at the Institution for decades. As members of the Chautauqua board of trustees and Opera Guild, they have worked for years to attract money for the Chautauqua Fund and for opera at the Institution. From 1995 to 2000, Marcia Connolly led a group that raised a $3.5 million endowment fund for the Institution. “She was tireless in her pursuit of getting people to support opera,” Orlov said. Marcia Connolly, who worked for 25 years as the associate director of admissions at Harvard University, cared deeply about helping the careers of young people. “She took great pride in following students who were admitted,” Jack Connolly said. “She was in the business of changing lives.” In 2006, the Connollys turned their focus to renovating Norton Hall, the Opera Company’s home. When the cost proved too great to undertake a major rebuilding or remodel, they looked for another way they could help; the Summer School Dorm was an obvious choice. “It was a substandard facility,” Jack Connolly said. “It was past its useful age.” The Connollys, who donated about 90 percent of the money to pay for the remodeling, started planning to remodel the Young Artists’ dormitory during the summer of 2007. By the fall of 2008, plans were ready; construction began in December. The change has been dramatic. “It’s incomparable,” Young Artist Jeff Beruan said. “It’s like night and day,” Jorell Williams said. “It’s amazing what can happen overnight.” Williams is one of this year’s Young Artists, who also was here in 2008. Marcia Connolly did not get to see the product of her hard work; she passed away in March of 2008. However, her husband and daughter say that investment in the community was tremendously important to her. “Marcia would be proud of the work that’s been done,” Jack Connolly said. “She’d be happy to be associated with it.” The work was no small feat. The building was completely gutted and rebuilt. Windows were given reflective film to keep out the sun. Fans were installed in all the bedrooms. Four new bathrooms were added, and the existing bathrooms were remodeled. “It was a renovation down to the studs,” Jack Connolly said. “The point of the new dorm was to support the program and make it suitable for older students,” Orlov said. “To create a space where each student has privacy and there are comfortable living spaces.” But they did not do it on their own: the Opera Guild raised money to outfit the individual rooms with furniture and fixtures and the kitchen with basic equipment; Judy and Hale Oliver paid to remodel the kitchens and purchase appliances, furnish the common areas and provide supplemental funding for the project. The Connollys have given a huge gift to the Opera Company with the remodeling of the dorm. Jay Lesenger, artistic and general director of the Opera Company, said the rebuilt residence hall is a major improvement. “We’d already seen upgrades for the rehearsal facilities and the opera offices. Aside from Norton Hall, this was the last major project,” he said. Jack Connolly and his daughter say this building is a gift to Marcia Connolly, a relentless advocate for the Institution. They both hope that the work done in her name will help opera continue to thrive here.

Chautauqua couple grows together through volunteering, giving back

7/18/2009 Travis and Betty Halford are two people among a large number of new volunteers for this year’s Chautauqua Fund. They are spending time during their sixth season at Chautauqua Institution to give back to what they refer to as a “jewel in the world.” The Halfords first came to the Institution years ago with an organization called New Horizons Band, which organizes musical groups for seniors across the nation. Travis played in one of these groups and came to stay in Bellinger Hall for a band camp. He does not recall visiting Bestor Plaza, or even the lake, but he and Betty did pick up literature on the Institution as they departed. After reading the materials at home, they realized the Institution was the place they had been looking for. Travis explained that both he and Betty have a natural desire to learn and that Chautauqua fit in with that aspiration. As subscribers to the symphony and opera in their hometown of Atlanta, Ga., they also appreciated the concentration in music and the arts that Chautauqua offers. What the Halfords were drawn to more than anything was the Institution’s religious and interfaith aspects. Travis serves as chair of trustees for his church, and next year, he will serve as the congregation’s president. Betty is the associate minister for pastoral care. Both have done chaplaincy work, led by Travis, in assisted living facilities. Thus, the focus on faith resonated with both of them. “We were drawn here the first year, and years after that, for the interfaith Abrahamic community program,” Travis said. “And that aspect of the place, the experience of living in it, living it out, has been very special.” They started coming for the Chautauqua Season, and stayed for about a week during the first couple of years. Then, when a condo in the St. Elmo Hotel became available last year, the Halfords bought it. Travis said they wanted to experience Chautauqua for a longer period of time. They now come for the entire season. As they increasingly got involved, the Halfords felt it was more and more important to support the Institution in any way they could. They joined the Bestor Society last year and continue to contribute to four or five organizations that they feel strongly about. This year, the Halfords decided they needed to get other Chautauquans involved in supporting the Institution, and so they volunteered for the Chautauqua Fund. “It was just our enthusiasm for the Institution and all that it does,” Betty said. “There is not another place in the world, I don’t think, where one has such concentration of outstanding speakers and the opportunity to do all the things that we do here and be exposed to all of the things we’ve been exposed to. Its just incredible.” The Halfords hope to eventually share the Institution’s opportunities and experiences with their grandchildren once they are older.

'Two different Chautauquas' meet Bargers' needs through 45 years

7/18/2009 If you ask Bob and Mary Bargar what Chautauqua means to them, you’re likely to get two different answers. That is because for both longtime Chautauquans, just what Chautauqua means has evolved over the years. “We have really lived two different Chautauquas,” Bob said. Mary was first introduced to Chautauqua by her parents in 1950, when the family visited from Cleveland for a Unitarian Conference. After Mary graduated high school in 1955, she found a friend in Eleanor B. Streeter, who managed the Tally Ho along with Edna T. Lawson. Mary worked as a waitress at the Tally Ho for two seasons. This was the beginning of a long relationship with the Streeter family and the Tally Ho. Back in Cleveland, Bob and Mary met through their parents and wed in 1959; they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1964, Mary decided it was time to introduce her husband to Chautauqua. “Of course, it turned out to be a famous rain-all-weekend type of stay, but it must not have been that bad because Bob wanted to come back the next year,” Mary said. “Yes, it rained all weekend, but Mary loved Chautauqua and I loved Mary,” Bob added. Back then, Bob said, he felt like “an observer of the scene.” They came for weekend stays through the 1980s. “Our little Chautauqua world was at the Tally Ho with the Streeter family, and occasionally we would stay at the Gleason,” he said. Fifteen years ago, retirement gave Bob and Mary the opportunity to take up residence at Chautauqua for the entire summer, and so they purchased a condo in the renovated boarding house next to the Tally Ho. In the off-season, they spend time with their two daughters, Beth in Dallas, Texas, and Nancy in Ocala, Fla. Over the years, they have been able to share Chautauqua with their children and, Bob said, are now witnessing the “representation of passing the baton generation to generation.” Their first-born granddaughter, Kathryn, is working at the Gleason Hotel and the Amphitheater this summer. “This will be her time to make Chautauqua her own,” Bob said. And that is exactly what Bob and Mary have done for themselves. For 30 years, Chautauqua was a respite, a place to unwind for three days or so before heading back to work. Bob was vice president at National City Bank in Cleveland, and Mary worked for a nursing facility where she served as the assistant director of admissions. Now, retirement has given them an entirely different Chautauqua, where they have time to really enjoy all of the programming and activities. “For me, there have been two different Chautauquas that have responded to my needs at different times of my life,” Bob said. Mary’s days at Chautauqua are spent attending the morning lecture, and she is an Education Department lecture evaluator. She sings in the choir on Sundays and attends rehearsals throughout the week. Perhaps her most favorite activity, however, is going to the Pier Building beach to read and meet up with friends. Bob’s interests run the gamut. “Where else can one get (a) 110 percent ration of religion, education, recreation and art under one cosmic roof?” he asked. Bob has been the treasurer of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua for the past eight years. “I find much satisfaction from my involvement with a growing congregation,” he said. The UUFC has been working hard and has raised enough money through their efforts to purchase the property on 6 Bliss Ave. for use as a denominational house. Bob also is a member of the Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Circle Class of 2000. He attends the morning lectures and enjoys boating on Chautauqua Lake. Mary and Bob are also regulars at Chautauqua Theater Company performances, and they especially enjoy the Bratton Late Night performance at each season’s end, where the cast puts on an improvisational evening of entertainment. Bob and Mary’s love of Chautauqua has made them huge advocates and cheerleaders for contributing to the Institution. Their personal satisfaction has come from making a deferred gift to Chautauqua. They also each made Chautauqua a beneficiary of their IRAs. Bob is no stranger to fundraising from his years working with organizations in Cleveland and his time as UUFC treasurer. “What I have learned is the value to both the donor and the organization of a charitable gift,” Bob said. “The feeling one gets from making a gift is intangible; it’s more than dollars and cents.” “I think maybe people don’t understand that you can make a deferred gift, and you don’t have to be a millionaire,” Mary added. “I would encourage people to think that way.” “What we have done through our gift is help to ensure the future of Chautauqua for the next generations,” Bob said. By making a deferred gift, the Bargars have become members of the Eleanor B. Daugherty Society. The Daugherty Society recognizes those individuals who have included the Institution in their estate plans through a will, trust or other planned gift. If you would like to learn more or are considering including Chautauqua in your will or other estate plans, please contact Karen Blozie at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.

Couple grows in work, love at Chautauqua

7/8/2009 For Chris Dahlie, Chautauqua Institution has been a part of his summers for almost all of his life. He first visited the Institution in 1980 at age 2. By age 6, he and his family, who lived in Jamestown, N.Y., spent full summers here. “No television was allowed,” Dahlie said, “which made me very unhappy.” That unhappiness disintegrated, however, as Dahlie grew into a natural member of the Chautauqua community. By 1985, he made his way through Children’s School and into Boys’ and Girls’ Club where, he said, he was lousy at every sport they had, except for Manhunt. Dahlie, pronounced “Daily,” remembers being called “Chautauquan Dahlie” by his friends at Club. He said that as he grew up, Club became more fun: less about competition, more about hanging out and playing with friends. At age 13, Dahlie needed to obtain a gate pass to stay on the grounds all summer. He got a job, like many young members of the Institution before him, at The Chautauquan Daily. One of the perks of the job was a season gate pass, and so to keep coming back, he worked as a paperboy from ages 13 to 16. At age 16, he became circulation manager of the Daily, a sort of manager of the paperboys, and then at age 18, he became an assistant to the business manager. With this history, one might have predicted a career in journalism, but no such luck. Dahlie attended the University of Southern California, where he studied music recording. Upon graduation, he came back to the Institution for his first post-college job as a member of the Amphitheater sound crew. An expected move to London for work the following year came to a halt when Dahlie was unable to extend his visa. And so, once again, he ended up back at the Institution for the summer, but instead of working for the Daily, he took a position as the head of audio at the Amp. “I was promoted by attrition,” Dahlie said, when none of his coworkers from the previous summer returned. And so went the cycle of Dahlie’s life during the early part of this decade: Summers at the Institution working at the Amp, sometimes helping out with sound for the opera and dance companies when they needed it; the rest of the year, a traveling soundman, often working in New York City. In January 2004, Dahlie was the house engineer at a Disney event in New York City when he noticed that someone had run cables from the generator outside through an open door into the building, rather than through a hole that had been cut in the wall specifically for that purpose. Perplexed, he decided to investigate. A woman named Roslyn Fulton, the guest lighting designer for the Disney gig, had run the cables through the door. Upon finding the individual responsible for running the cables incorrectly, Dahlie confronted her about it. “So, we didn’t like each other very much at first,” Fulton said. But the two bonded later that day when they discovered they were both fans of the band The Cure. And so, consequently, Dahlie asked Fulton on a date. “I liked that she was a tech girl,” Dahlie said. “And she liked The Cure.” The pair started dating, and Fulton fell in love with the Institution upon her first visit. “I really, really like it here,” she remembers telling Dahlie. And in 2006, after her first year of graduate school at the California Institute of the Arts, Fulton spent her first full summer here. She worked as the master technician for Chautauqua Theater Company. Dahlie, who still maintains close ties with many of his childhood friends from the Institution, was at first wary of bringing his girlfriend into the fold. Dahlie said he and his friends were very protective of their community and experience here, but everyone quickly took to Fulton. Despite an extraordinarily rainy summer and the stress of juggling two different production schedules, they made their relationship work. On the last day of the 2008 Season, Dahlie, who has lived in the same dorm as the Chautauqua Opera Young Artists for the past four summers, told Fulton that the Opera Company would be presenting him with an award that night for some work he had done for them during the year. He invited his friends and family to the event, and talked some of the singers into performing one last song of the season, only replacing the name of the title character with “Roslyn.” Dahlie meant to propose, but he didn’t even have to ask the question. As soon as she realized they were singing her name, Fulton jumped into Dahlie’s arms and they were engaged. They were married in May at the Hall of Philosophy where, Dahlie said, many of his friends from the Institution have tied the knot. This season, they’re back to work: he once again at the Amp and she preparing to leave on a world tour with the band Nickelback. In the fall, he will begin work on a doctorate in communication studies at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He gives much credit to the Institution for preparing him for the rigorous scholarship ahead. “The lecture programs shaped the awareness that allowed me to get into grad school,” he said. Fulton, who is also searching for her summer niche at the Institution and who feels enriched and enlivened by the thriving arts scene here, said the couple hopes to make this place their home base every summer, while he spends the academic year teaching and she travels for her job. Dahlie, a lifelong Chautauquan who has now brought his wife into the community, encapsulates their future at the Institution by saying, “I’ve only ever spent summers here, so if I have to spend one somewhere else, I’ll be unhappy.” Around here, that’s probably a common sentiment.

Three decades in, Livingstones find Chautauqua 'a place for family'

7/3/2009 In the late 1970s, Dan Livingstone had just graduated high school when his friend Dean Jones invited him for a weekend at his family’s summer getaway in Chautauqua, N.Y. Returning home, Livingstone told his parents, “This is your kind of place!” That is exactly how Fred and Pearl Livingstone’s Chautauqua story begins. They were intrigued by the literature Dan had brought home. The following summer, Dan was hired to work at Boys’ and Girls’ Club. His parents, determined to find a way to spend time with their son after his first year of college, made arrangements to rent a house for a month. That was all it took for Fred and Pearl to fall in love with Chautauqua. They purchased a home on the grounds by the end of the season. “We were completely captivated by Chautauqua,” Pearl said. That first summer, Pearl and Fred were able to take a course with famed author Isaac Bashevis Singer. “Several years later we even had a dinner party which he attended,” said Pearl. “I mean, this is what makes life at Chautauqua so special. Where else can you just have dinner with a Nobel Prize-winning author? “These are the things that are very doable at Chautauqua.” The house that Fred and Pearl purchased was in need of renovation. They spent weekends during the winter months driving from Cleveland to meet with friends, and their son, David, who would fly in from Washington, D.C., to work on the house. “It was a wonderful winter,” Fred said. From that point on, Chautauqua has been a staple in the Livingstones’ lives. It is above all, according to Pearl, “a place for family.” Fred has been practicing law in Cleveland for over 50 years and Pearl is a retired teacher. They have two sons, a daughter and 12 grandchildren. Their daughter, Ruth Heide, brings her family to Chautauqua for the entire summer while she works at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club teaching counselorsin- training. Their two sons, David and Dan, are able to bring their families for long weekends during the season from New York City. “I tell my Cleveland friends that my real work is in the summer, and the rest of the year is my time off,” said Pearl, recalling her daily routine. “I walk the perimeter of the grounds each morning, except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I take a stretch and tone class with my daughter. I go to the morning lecture, and I try to go to the 2 p.m. lecture. I always make extra efforts when the topic is on politics and world affairs.” Fred and Pearl also enjoy the symphony, theater and opera. “What I really love is the proximity to everything. I can walk everywhere, and I can make quick decisions to do one thing or another. There are just so many opportunities,” Pearl said. Fred and Pearl are especially appreciative of the Abrahamic Program that was initiated by former director of the Department of Religion Ross McKenzie and has been sustained through the work of current director Joan Brown Campbell. “Chautauqua is so much more than an institution that benefits people who come and participate in programs,” Fred said. “Chautauqua is a model attempting to lead the country to an understanding that there are many paths to God.” Pearl, who is involved with voter registration in Cleveland, felt gratified last season, during Week Two on “Restoring Legitimacy to our Election System,” when she was able to meet with Campbell and Institution President Thomas Becker regarding potential speakers. “You really feel like you have input,” Pearl said. “You are part of the process,” The four pillars of Chautauqua are so ingrained in the Livingstones’ lives that both Pearl and Fred decided to make a gift to Chautauqua through their will. “We didn’t feel comfortable financially making an outright gift at this time,” Fred said. “But this enabled us to leave something substantial to Chautauqua, and we can continue to add to it over time.” Fred and Pearl said they understand that philanthropy at Chautauqua is essential — without it “there wouldn’t be a Chautauqua as we know it.” “If you look at the percentage of the revenue that comes from the gate, it is clearly not enough to cover the program,” Fred said. By planning a gift for Chautauqua through their will, the Livingstones have become members of the Eleanor B. Daugherty Society. The Daugherty Society recognizes those individuals who have included Chautauqua in their estate plans through a will, trust or other planned gift. As members of this society, the Livingstones enjoy several benefits, including tours of new or renovated facilities, recognition luncheons and participation in the Everett Scholar-in-Residence Program. “We appreciate that the Everetts have been so generous in endowing the program, and they do a good job helping to bring in wonderful people,” Fred said. Pearl added, “Last year it was Dennis Ross who had just come back from touring the Middle East with (President Barack) Obama, and to hear him talk about what happened — you felt like you were an ant along with them in the room.” If you are considering including Chautauqua in your will or other estate plans, please contact Karen Blozie at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.

Peters family heads north for 'home of the heart'

5/1/2009 Pat and Tim Peters will be leaving their home in Greensboro, Ga., soon, heading north for another summer of friends, family and Chautauqua memories. The Peterses’ Chautauqua history began many years ago. After World War II, Tim’s father, a Presbyterian minister, and his wife purchased a home on Scott Avenue. Later, they moved to Wahmeda, a community that lies just outside the grounds of Chautauqua Institution. For Tim, this meant summers at Chautauqua working just about every job possible: taxi driver, caddy and janitor to name a few. He worked at the Refectory and parked cars for evening events. Tim even worked for The Chautauquan Daily, getting up at 5:30 a.m. to address papers needing delivery. Pat first visited Chautauqua in 1962 for a weekend visit after she and Tim were engaged. The weekend stay was all it took for Pat to fall in love with “the wonderful houses, how quaint and fabulous Chautauqua is, and feeling like you’ve stepped back in time.” Pat and Tim married in June 1963 and honeymooned at Chautauqua. Tim was attending law school and Pat was a teacher, leaving their summers free. “We spent the whole summer in the upstairs apartment of Tim’s parents’ house,” said Pat. “I worked as a waitress at the North Shore Inn and Tim was a janitor.” It would be some time before the Peterses found their way back to Chautauqua. Their lives became busy with their careers—Pat as a piano teacher and Tim a lawyer— and raising their three children. Upon retirement, Pat and Tim, along with Tim’s sister and brother-in-law, Gwen and Steve Tigner, built a home in Wahmeda on the footprint of Tim and Gwen’s parents’ former home so they could spend their summers in Chautauqua. They share the divided house with Gwen and Steve, who are year-round Chautauquans. “We love living next door to each other, and being so close to family,” said Pat. Pat and Tim both enjoy the symphony, theater and opera, and are avid golfers, but they cherish the ambience of Chautauqua above all else. “There is nothing fake about the ambience,” said Pat. “It’s indescribable, and there’s just a feeling of how special and different it is from anything else. I tell my friends that Chautauqua is my home of the heart, and that’s because of the intangible things, the things you just can’t describe.” “Chautauqua is unique from everything else in the world,” said Tim. Chautauqua has made the Peterses very aware of the importance of supporting the arts, and they have taken the steps to ensure Chautauqua lasts for future generations by making a gift through Chautauqua’s pooled life income fund. They have made an irrevocable gift from which they receive an income for their lives. Upon their death, Chautauqua will receive the remainder for its permanent endowment. “We wanted to do something that would last a while and be meaningful after we are gone,” said Pat. Tim added, “We have the benefit of giving a gift and contributing to the financial basis of Chautauqua, being paid an income from the gift, and also receiving an instantaneous charitable income tax deduction.” Through their gift, the Peterses have found a way to leave a legacy while supporting Chautauqua in a way that is the most financially appropriate for them. “I think anyone who enjoys Chautauqua should consider this type of gift because you don’t have to be extremely wealthy,” said Tim. By making a gift through Chautauqua’s pooled life income fund, the Peterses have become members of the Eleanor B. Daugherty Society. The Daugherty Society recognizes those individuals who have included Chautauqua in their estate plans through a will, trust, or other planned gift. If you would like to learn more about Chautauqua’s pooled life income fund or are considering including Chautauqua in your will or other estate plans, please contact Karen Blozie at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.

Miller finds joy in togetherness of community

3/1/2009 Year-round Chautauquan Jane Miller likes to think of the place she fell in love with decades ago as a filling station for the mind. “It’s where I fuel up for the year with culture and stimulation,” she said. “Chautauqua is the center of my life. You can’t come here and not learn something new.” It was in 1955 that Jane’s husband, David, brought her to Chautauqua, where his parents had been coming for at least two decades. Jane and David became yearround residents in the early nineties. Chautauqua means many things to Jane, but above all it provides an ideal setting for her family to gather. With her three children living in France, California and Ithaca, N.Y., Chautauqua remains the place where they choose to spend each summer together. Jane is especially proud of the way Chautauqua has influenced her grandchildren, who have attended programs and classes, and worked on the grounds. She is particularly grateful for the opportunities her eldest granddaughter has experienced as an artist. “She always took art courses, and last summer was able to attend Chautauqua’s School of Art on a full scholarship,” said Jane. “She is now in France completing master’s level work in art. I credit Chautauqua with how far she has come as an artist.” Jane feels at home here, whether it is during mid-summer surrounded by her family or the beginning of winter when the snow first covers Bestor Plaza. “For me, it’s like living in two different places without having to pack your suitcases,” she said. For Jane, the “joy in being together as a community” was most apparent two years ago when she lost her husband, David. “Without the winter community I wouldn’t have gotten through losing him,” she said. “I just love the community.” The off-season is a busy one for Jane: book clubs, bowling on Fridays, play readings, and monthly community dinners that she has organized for some time. Jane is also involved with her church and takes advantage of cultural events in the region, including theater and music programs in Fredonia, Jamestown, Erie and Buffalo. As a community member for many years, Jane has also witnessed the growth of the Institution. “Chautauqua has changed quite a bit since I first started coming here, and mostly for the better,” she said. Jane commended the work of President Tom Becker, the growth of the CLSC and Writers’ Center, and general improvements to the quality of the program. She credits Chautauqua with helping her grow as a person, meeting new people and being able to explore different points of view. For all of these reasons, Jane has chosen to include Chautauqua in her will. “Chautauqua isn’t just the center of my life, but also of my children and grandchildren, and I want to support it as much as I can,” she said. “You have to measure what the most important things are in your life; make a list, and if Chautauqua is on that list, do what you can to support it, no matter the size of your gift.” During difficult economic times, charitable organizations often suffer most. Jane encourages people to make a gift and support the future of Chautauqua. By planning a gift through her will, Jane Miller has become a member of the Eleanor B. Daugherty Society. The Daugherty Society recognizes those individuals who have included Chautauqua in their estate plans through a will, trust or other planned gift. If you are considering including Chautauqua in your will or other estate plans, please contact Karen Blozie at (716) 357-6244 or e-mail kblozie@chautauquafoundation.org.