Peer Groups

New Adventures
Our mission is to experience enriching activities that add something new to our lives. We share our passions and hobbies with each other; we plan intriguing excursions of interest to all. Our past activities have included attending a Met game, holding a group crocheting lesson, touring the Steinway piano factory, hiking along theHudson River, and performing music.  We welcome members who are eager to contribute ideas, are open to new things, and most importantly, will be consistent in attendance. Contact: Myrna Shore.

The Next Chapter (2nd Tues/mo, 6:30 to 8:30 pm)
A diverse group of 8, we are collectively single, divorced, widowed and married. Some still work, others retired, and all are looking for or working at new challenges. Our meeting topics have included finances, aspirations, how to have fun, volunteering, and we do things together socially as well. There is a sense of shared values, ethics, humor and most love animals.
Contact: Rahla Gold

Paradigm
We are a group which intends to break stereotypes, build a new framework and create our own way by freely exploring new ways of looking at life after 50 through listening to each other, enjoying the company of peer group members, learning from one another and above all, laughing.
Contact: Deborah Matz

Peer Partners I (1st Mon/mo)
Peer Partners 1 is dedicated to nourishing and enlightening our own and our partner's lives. Along with our own transition, we share in the issues of our partner's transition.
Contact: Evelyn Berkal

Post Scripts:
We meet once a month during the afternoon to discuss a selected movie, play, museum exhibit, etc. The group designates an event at the monthly meeting and members will have until the next meeting to attend it at their leisure. We also plan excursions or events for group participation outside of the regular monthly meetings.
Contact: Ellen Lennard

Potpourri
The name of our peer group, Potpourri, is designed to convey that we are an active group of individuals interested in variety. Our aim is to be flexible and open to a wide range of activities. We may meet in a member's home to discuss a topic or a book; we may enjoy cultural events suggested by members such as plays, operas and museums; even walking tours of our members' neighborhoods. We meet monthly on Thursday afternoons, although that can be modified depending on the activity. 
Contact: Christy Brown

Questrians 
We recently formed and before we knew it we had 14 members and thus have closed.We meet the fourth Tuesday of every month at the home of a member. We are a vivacious group with diversified interests. 
Contact: Laurie Lauterbach  

Salon (Last Tuesday of the Mo.)
Is devoted to giving its members a chance to discuss a topic of significance and interest, with discipline and passion, for two hours every month. Why? Members long for an opportunity to converse with interested others, with different points of view. They know, too, that significant change always begins with conversation. The Salon offers an opportunity to awaken to a topic, to see how one's personal experiences relate to it, to begin seeing it in many places and to experience a building of greater understanding. (After a Salon it is not uncommon to discuss a topic many times with members of The Salon and/or new people.) Two weeks prior to the meeting, topic-related questions are sent out.
Contact: Bethene Lemahieu 

Second Act (4th Thurs/mo)
Originally a group of twelve whose lives would probably never otherwise cross, these women were determined and enthusiastic about keeping the group not only just going along but making it a very special place to share experiences, passions, goals, and in other words from whence we came to where we want to go. Just like the Play of Life the First Act in any suspenseful drama, a great deal occurs but so do many questions that need to be understood and answered. When you settle down for the Second Act you find that everything seems to start to fit into its proper place and all the questions & doubts start to be resolved. You finally realize that you are enjoying this Play more than you ever thought you would. This is our quest!
Contact: Ellen Wright

Super Tuesdays
The Super Tuesdays is a group of super women who meet the third Tuesday of every month, from 6 to 8, to broaden our horizons by creating a forum for interesting conversation and the exchange of ideas.
Contact: Susan Roy

Tertulia (2nd Thurs/mo, 6 to 8 pm)
Tertulia, consistent with its name, meets monthly on Thursday evenings for informal conversations over dinner at moderately-priced restaurants. We meet for lively conversation, networking, and mutual support with no fixed agenda.
Contact: Karen Spitzberg

The Think Tank  (4th Mon/mo., 6 to 8 pm)
Aging comes in all colors, shapes, sizes and backgrounds. We explore the strengths in differences. 
Contact: Joan Dawson

To Be Continued (1st or 2nd Fri/mo, in am)
One of the original peer groups that started when the"Don't Retire, Rewire" project was initiated. We vary in age, background, interests and work levels, yet come together with spirit, compassion, intelligence and involvement.
Contact: Barbara Lidsky

Transitions + (2nd Mon/mo, 5:30 to 8:00 pm)
The original "Don't Retire; Rewire" evening group. We provide constructive and caring input to members' individual transitions and otherwise enjoy enthusiastic discussions on a myriad of topics.
Contact: Christine Potts

Travel Group (every two mos/2nd Wed 6-8pm)
This is not a traditional peer group. The Travel Group meets every two months on the second Wednesday, from 6 to 8, in a member's home. We share travel tips, destination and tour information, and have built a resource database of who has traveled where. We organize day trips around the region and dinners at off-beat ethnic restaurants. Membership is open to anyone interested, but attendance at meetings and dinners is limited by how many an apartment or small restaurant can comfortably accommodate. Attendance at meetings is optional. Minutes of each meeting are prepared and sent to all members. 
Contact: Pamela Roderick

The Trustees (2nd Tues/mo 2-4pm)
The Trustees are a group of 6 women who have been meeting together for about a year and a half. We share a fondness and trust and we are comfortable in each other's company. We are seeking 2 or 3 women to join our convivial group in good and interesting conversation. We meet for lunch at a restaurant the second Tuesday of each month.
Contact: Marilyn Brandee 

The 21st Century
Formerly called, The Time Paradox, this group began six years ago to address the rich topic of how we perceive time at this stage in our lives, and evolved into discussions of numerous related subjects. Now, the group has a new focus: examining the issues of the 21st century -- small and large -- that most engage us. We meet the third Monday of the month, in each other's homes, from 7 to 9 p.m. 
Contact: Linda Exman

The Uniques
The Uniques, an established rewiring peer group that meets the fourth Monday of each month in the afternoon to discuss various topics of importance to the members. We find that it's a great opportunity to talk about things we don't ordinarily discuss with our friends..
Contact: Millicent Fairhurst

The Visionaries (4th Tuesday/mo, 2 to 4 pm)
The Visionaries is a well established peer group of retired and almost-retired women, wide-ranging in age and interests. Although we have been together for over four years, we continue to redefine ourselves. We spend our times together in discussion of critical issues which impact all our lives, and in participation in activities of interest to us all. Our title indicates that we will adapt to new visions of our purpose as we mature as a group and get to know one another even better.
Contact: Elissa Singer Williams

Women on the Verge

 “Women on the Verge” meets the third Monday of each month, 6 to 8 PM, to discuss changes in our respective lives and how best to deal with them, as well as help each other determine what those changes might be. Our goals include making new friends, helping each other through a transitional period, exploring new opportunities and adventures in our lives.  As women in transition and on the verge of change, we plan to cover a broad range of issues and topics and create a warm and supportive environment for our members as well as have fun doing so. Contact:  Freda Johnson: Freda.gfa@prodigy.net. 

Special Interest Peer Groups

A Classical Music Peer Group
A group of TTN members who attend concerts and/or opera performances at moderate cost once a month. There is a wealth of generally less-expensive venues in New York in addition to the more obvious Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall and Metropolitan Opera. These include the 92nd Street Y, the City Opera, Symphony Space, Metropolitan Museum, Bargemusic, Le Poisson Rouge, Miller Theater at Columbia, Washington Irving High School. In the summer, there is the Concerts in the Parks series and opera in the parks which are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy free music with a picnic. Also, we can get-together in a member's apartment from time to time to watch a DVD or listen to a CD. We might also invite a musician to come and talk to us about an upcoming performance or about the state of classical music in New York City. In sum, there is a real wealth of possibilities for those of us interested in classical music to get together.
Contacts: Glenda Rosenthal and Lois Brenner

In Focus
Our group is interested in sharing and expanding our knowledge and use of digital photography and all its wonders. We will exchange information and ideas, look at each other's work, attend photo
exhibitions at museums and galleries, and go out on shooting expeditions with a specific assignment 
then share our results. Contact Susan Freeman.

The Improv Group.
The "Improv Group" lets us use our creativity and quick thinking to createhumorous theater scenes in a safe environment. No learning of linesnecessary and we actually want people to laugh! We meetonce a month and either do improv and/or attend performances at ThePit or Upright Citizens Brigade, the two top improv scenes. Contact: Kera Greene

Works in Progress  
Our group, started in late spring 2007 for women in various stages of professional transition, explores what we want to do professionally with the rest of our lives. One of our members, a certified life coach, is helping to guide us in our search. We typically follow a discussion format in which specific questions are assigned for each meeting as a starting point for our exploration. We've struck a nice balance between more serious and general discussions and are benefiting from the many and varied experiences of our group members. We meet the second Monday of each month, from 6-8 PM in the evening. Contact: Judy Capel

Book Groups
Tuesday Evening Book Group (3rd Tues/mo)
Monthly book group that focuses on exploring the world through literature. After identifying a target region, the group reads 2-3 books set in that area to explore different cultures and get a flavor for different parts of the world.
Contact: Joanne Steinhart

Wednesday Afternoon Book Group (3rd Wed/mo, 4 to 6 pm)
Gathers in member homes on a rotating basis to discuss one book per month, generally contemporary fiction. Members take turns researching the authors and their works.
Contact: Susan Beckerman

Wednesday Evening Book Group (4th Wed/mo, 6 to 8 pm)
We read mostly contemporary books (all paperback) by American writers and books by writers from overseas (Japan, Iran, Afghanistan, etc.) Generally, there is at least one member who prepares some background material about the author and/or the subject, which adds to the depth of discussion. Book choices depend on the enthusiasm and interest of various members.
Contact: Nadia Wechsler

Literary Gerontology Book Group (4th Mon/mo, 6 to 8 pm)
Barbara Marwell and Eleanor Foa Dienstag launched a book group focused on literary fiction and non-fiction whose subject matter is Growing Older. They think it will provide a new way of looking at and reflecting upon the subject. Books to be read will include works by Doris Lessing (The Grandmothers, The Diaries of Jane Sommers), Carolyn Heilbrun (The Gift of Time, Writing A Woman's Life), Philip Roth (Patrimony) and others.
Contacts: Barbara Marwell and Eleanor Dienstag