ESCOM Clubs
ESCOM clubs are designed by and for older adults, but everyone is welcome!
CLUB LISTINGS:
Arlene Stark Philosophy of Science Club (Online)
ARLENE STARK PHILOSOPHY CLUB
1st, 3rd & 5th Monday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Online/ZOOM
This club is named in honor of its late founder, Arlene Stark. Discussions and programs focus on Science and Philosophy.
The club is presently discussing the History of Human Problem Solving.
For more information & Zoom link, contact Jay Conner at greatferm@email.com or 415-858-3297.
Astronomy Club (Novato)
ASTRONOMY CLUB
2nd Monday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
The ESCOM Astronomy Club is devoted to a non-technical approach to the current understanding of the Universe, its structure and its many components. This includes learning about our Sun and the planets in our solar system, comets, the nature of stars and star clusters and the types of galaxies. We also spend time learning about the ongoing scientific explorations into such topics as black holes, dark matter and dark energy, the expansion of the Universe and the search for extraterrestrial life. In addition, we try to follow the contemporary discoveries of both earth and space-based telescopes.
An important part of each month’s meeting is to inform ourselves of what’s up in the night sky of that particular month: the planets, stars, constellations and other telescopic objects (star clusters and nebulae). Periodically we will plan night outings to observe the night sky at a dark location, using binoculars and small telescopes.
The typical format of our meetings will be a combination of formal presentation along with some hands-on activities and discussion. Occasionally we will use professionally-made videos to illuminate a particular topic and follow those with discussion. In addition, there are a few of our members who have personal expertise in astronomical topics who will make presentations.
We welcome participation by anyone who has an interest in astronomy, regardless of personal experience or expertise.
For more information, contact Rich Lohman at richneal@pacbell.net.
Book Forum Club (Novato)
BOOK FORUM CLUB
4th Monday 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
Click here for 2026 schedule of books.
For information and Zoom link, email Susy or Sheryl:
—Susy Miller: susymiller00@hotmail.com
—Sheryl Hoy: hoygang@gmail.com.
Caregivers Club (Online)
CAREGIVERS CLUB
Online/Zoom
2nd Wednesday 1:00 – 3:00 pm
We share what has worked, how we stay on an even keel, and tricks for keeping our sense of humor. We discuss sharing tasks, experiences with family, and sources of help. We can also just bitch, moan and laugh at what our lives have become. The main idea is that sharing a load makes it easier to bear burdens, support our loved ones, and live meaningfully.
For information & Zoom link, email Diana Davis at calekdiana@yahoo.com.
Chess Club (Kentfield)
CHESS CLUB
Every Friday 2:00 pm
Kentfield ESCOM Center
We welcome anyone who knows how to move chess pieces and understands the basic principles. If you haven’t played in a long time, we recommend playing 10 to 20 games as a beginner on chess.com or on lichess.org as a refresher. Getting better is a slow process that takes a fair amount of studying, playing puzzles, playing games, and getting used to losing.
Usually, but not always, we play with a clock. For instance, we play “Rapid” games of 25 minutes with a 15 second increment for each player. (Here is a link with an explanation of increments: Time Controls.)
Some club members play only for enjoyment and aren’t bothered if they lose a lot; others enjoy the game but are also quite competitive.
For more information, email Spencer Star at spencer.star@gmail.com.
Current Events and Issues Club (Online)
CURRENT EVENTS & ISSUES CLUB
2nd & 4th Thursday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Online/ZOOM
Before the meeting begins each month, we each have time to turn to our morning news source of choice for a nugget of news or concern we can present for the consideration of our assembled fellows. We welcome all fresh, new, informed opinions, civilly presented and argued.
For more information and Zoom link, contact Jay Conner at greatferm@email.com or 415-858-3297.
Digital Camera Club (Novato, Offsite)
DIGITAL CAMERA CLUB
1st & 3rd Mondays
NOTE: Meeting days can vary. Check schedule below to confirm.
1st Monday:
Field Outing (check schedule below for info)
3rd Monday 10:30 am – 12:30 pm:
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
Open to anyone who would like to expand their photographic capabilities by learning from others on how to capture images. Join our group on the first Monday of each month to discover unique and unexpected locations, capture amazing photographs; then share your experiences during our 3rd Monday meetings at the IVC ESCOM Center!
During our meetings we showcase photos on a shared monthly shooting theme, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. We’d love to have you with us!
Digital Photography Club Schedule
For more information contact Harvey Abernathey at ndimages6@gmail.com or 415-385-0054.
Dynamic Mindfulness Club (Kentfield)
DYNAMIC MINDFULNESS CLUB
Fridays, 11:00 – 12:00
Kentfield Campus Redwood Grove (between Math/Science/Nursing and Performing Arts Buildings)
During Dynamic Mindfulness Club meetings, we walk with mindfulness to increase attention, aliveness, appreciation of the walking body, and awareness of the environment. We meander around the campus while moving from a very body-centered, self-aware state. Walking seldom requires much concentration or instruction; we’ve been doing it since we first learned to walk. However, there is a way to walk that allows you to experience your body and the space around you as you have never experienced it before. If you are paying full attention, every step is a new experience. Dynamic mindfulness dramatically increases aliveness and appreciation for the experience of walking and awareness of the space around you.
For more information, contact Larry Berkelhammer at larryberkelhammer@gmail.com.
Enquiring Minds Club (Online)
Ur DISCUSSION CLUB
1st & 3rd Thursdays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Online/ZOOM (contact Jay for link)
Ur is a prefix, meaning primitive, original, earliest – as in Ur-text, Ur-language, or Pilsener Urquell, the source. It can also be an abbreviation for Ultimate Reality.
We are presently working our way through 24 Great Courses lectures on Frederick Neitzsche. The series can be joined at any time.
Come see! Join us anytime!
For more information and Zoom link, contact Jay Conner at greatferm@email.com or 415-858-3297.
Exploring AI Club (Online, Kentfield, Novato)
EXPLORING AI CLUB
1st Tuesday 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Even-numbered months: Kentfield ESCOM Center
Odd-numbered months: Novato-IVC ESCOM Center
The Exploring AI Club is designed to work with different developments in Artificial Intelligence and to give members experience in using AI on different platforms and for different topics of interest. Hands-on practice is emphasized in the meetings and open discussion of results is supported. Meetings will follow specific topics for each meeting and meeting locations will change on a predictable calendar. Meetings will include hybrid ZOOM.
Upcoming topics: Artists and art techniques, Creating & refining images, Health and healing, Geneology, Security for seniors online, Practical start-to-finish Al design, Exploring different Al production techniques.
For more information & Zoom link, contact Gary Gonser at ggonser3@gmail.com or 415-966-6542.
Fun with Games Club (Novato)
FUN WITH GAMES CLUB
2nd & 4th Wednesdays 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
Games such as Scrabble, RummiKube, Mexican Train (Dominoes), and card games!
We encourage fun and participation. Game rules are followed, but there may be some ’wiggle-room’ (so keep your rule-books at home)!
For more information contact Sue Derana at sderana@yahoo.com or 415-987-1719.
Great Courses Club (Online)
GREAT COURSES CLUB
Every Thursday 1:30 – 3:00 pm
Online/ZOOM
Great Courses Club is on hiatus.
Meetings will resume on 4 February 2027.
When we return, we will be watching ‘Off the Beaten Path’, a 28-episode travel and photography documentary series hosted by National Geographic photographer Bob Krist. The series explores hidden cultures, local customs, and landscapes across unique destinations like the Azores, Mexico, Maine, and Venice.
For more information & Zoom link contact Ellen Breazeale at breazeales@comcast.net or 415-892-6546.
Living Mindfully Club (Online, Kentfield)
LIVING MINDFULLY CLUB
Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Kentfield ESCOM Center and Zoom via this link
The Living Mindfully ESCOM club provides a forum for group meditation plus exploring and sharing reflections on applications of mindfulness in daily life.
NOW MEETING WEEKLY!
NOTE: We will NOT be meeting October 29.
For more information contact Andy McGuire at sparkyflashrebob@gmail.com.
Mahjong Club (Novato)
MAHJONG CLUB
2nd & 4th Tuesday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
Mahjong is returning from summer break! Join us for our first fall meeting on September 8!
This club was formed to teach people how to play Mah Jong and to offer a venue for experienced players to meet.
This is not a club where you can ‘drop in’ with the expectation that you can join a game. Please be sure to contact the club leaders, so they can plan on the number of people, including who needs lessons and who just wants to play.
To arrange attendance and get more information, email Linda Henderson at linda_h@peak.org or Pat Bailey at pbailey49@aol.com.
Mahjong for Beginners Club (Novato)
MAHJONG FOR BEGINNERS CLUB
2nd & 4th Friday 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
This NEW club is forming to help beginners become better players faster. With more frequent meetings and tailored attention, it will prepare members to play in the main Mahjong Club.
For more information, email Linda Henderson at linda_h@peak.org.
Marin County Book Club (Online)
MARIN COUNTY BOOK CLUB
4th Tuesday 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Online/ZOOM
We focus on fairly short pieces of fiction, often well-known, but sometimes we read classical books, plays, essays, poems, etc.
Upcoming:
-NOVEMBER 24: Important article in The Atlantic magazine, “The End of Reading Is Here” by staff writer Rose Horowitch, accessible online (You may need to sign up for a $1 trial subscription).
–DECEMBER 22: No meeting-Holiday!
NOTE: Please call Norman if you’re planning to attend for the first time.
For more information & Zoom link contact:
—Norman Nayfach at normanhnayfach@gmail.com or 415-488-7823.
—Julio Burroughs at julioburroughs@gmail.com or 415-927-1488.
Mindfulness Club (Novato, Online, Kentfield)
MINDFULNESS CLUB
EVERY TUESDAY, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Pacific Time
Our Location ALTERNATES:
1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesday: Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center and Zoom via this link
2nd & 4th Tuesday: Kentfield ESCOM Center (no zoom option)
We gather to learn and practice mindfulness. Whether we’re just beginning or have meditated for years, we settle more fully into our bodies and our lives. We build capacity to remain balanced during negative experiences and fully present for positive ones, while embracing the impermanence of both.
Format:
- 30 minutes of mindful reflections
- 15 minutes of optional gentle movement
- 30 minutes of meditation, with some guidance
- 10 minutes discussion, Q&A
For more information, email Will Meecham at willmeecham@gmail.com.
Opera and Beyond Club (Novato)
OPERA & BEYOND CLUB
3rd Friday, 1:00 – 4:00 (except for the first meeting—see below)
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
GREAT NEWS! Opera & Beyond resumes in-person meetings! First meeting: Friday October 30 at 1 pm.
I am all fired up and excited to have these Opera & Beyond sessions. My commitment is to make these sessions interesting, joyful, and for all of us to participate socially during our sessions.
We enjoy complete operas (and sometimes other genres) with English subtitles, with a synopsis provided several days before each club meetings. Before and after watching the performance, we share our thoughts and offer critiques of the opera, the singers, or anything members would want to share. Michael adds his experiences visiting Italy and meeting opera singers face to face.
This club is about more than just watching opera. It’s a chance to discuss and share, enriching our knowledge and appreciation of opera (and beyond!)
Mission Statement – Opera and Beyond Club 2026
The mission of Opera and Beyond is to celebrate the beauty, drama, and richness of opera while fostering friendship, learning, and a social connection among our members.
Through monthly screenings of complete operas on the third Friday of each month, at, IVC, the Indian Valley Campus in Novato. I seek to deepen our appreciation of this remarkable art form and explore the fascinating stories behind the music, composers, singers, librettists, and historical events that have shaped it.
I encourage members to participate by sharing brief, informal talks, personal experiences, favorite arias, musical discoveries, and entertaining anecdotes about opera and the wider world of music. By learning from one another, I hope to stimulate curiosity, inspire conversation, and make every gathering an opportunity for discovery.
Opera and Beyond is more than an opera-viewing club. It is a welcoming social community where music brings people together, knowledge is shared, friendships grow, and everyone—regardless of musical background or experience—can participate, contribute, and enjoy the experience.
My goal is to combine the pleasure of great opera with the joy of companionship, lifelong learning, and a shared enthusiasm for the arts.
Come for the opera. Stay for the music, the stories, the friendship, and the discovery!
For more information, contact Michael Sachs at michahsachs@gmail.com or 415-298-1939
Quick Write Club (Point Reyes)
QUICK WRITE CLUB
1st Wednesday, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Community Room, West Marin Health & Human Services, No. 1 Sixth St, Pt Reyes Station CA
A chance to write quickly and spontaneously, then share what we write.
For more information contact David Glaubinger:
email: davidglaubinger@att.net
phone: (628) 888-4386.
Reading Great Plays Club (Online, Novato, Kentfield)
READING GREAT PLAYS CLUB
3rd Tuesday, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Even numbered months: Kentfield ESCOM Center + Online
Odd numbered months: Novato/IVC ESCOM Center + Online
We read aloud and discuss short and full-length plays, both serious dramas and comedies. Plays enjoyed include works by Neil Simon, Lynn Nottage, Albee, Miller, Sarah Ruhl, and Tennessee Williams.
Upcoming:
- The play for October is “Lost in Yonkers” by Neil Simon.
- The play for November will be “It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play” by Joe Landry.
- We will NOT meet in December.
For more information & Zoom link, email:
—Gary Gonser: ggonser3@gmail.com
—John Petrovsky: jpetrovsky45@gmail.com
Silent Sitting Club (Novato)
SILENT SITTING CLUB
2nd Saturday (usually, check with Will to confirm)
10:00 am -12:00 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center
NEXT MEETING: Saturday 14 November 2026
This club offers longer periods of contemplative practice, with a brief introductory talk about meditation, but simple silence (no guidance) during the practice periods.
Format:
Announcements & brief talk
40 minutes silent practice
Break & mindful movement
40 minutes silent practice
For more information, email Will Meecham at willmeecham@gmail.com.
Spirituality of Aging Club (Online, Novato)
SPIRITUALITY OF AGING CLUB
2nd & 4th Thursday, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Novato (IVC) ESCOM Center plus Zoom via this link)
Next meeting: September 10 (no more meetings in August).
We meet for mutual support, as we contemplate the GIFTS of aging. For instance, how growing older encourages letting go, acceptance, strength of heart, a sense of humor, supporting younger generations, exploring new interests, finding meaning, making peace with mortality, etc, etc.
For more information, email Will Meecham at willmeecham@gmail.com.
Wednesday Detection Club (Online)
WEDNESDAY DETECTION CLUB
1st Wednesday, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Online/ZOOM (contact Diana for link)
The Wednesday Detection Book Club usually picks books for the year in January–usually cozies but a few darker books also sneak in. The person who chooses the book also presents a bio of the author.
Upcoming books:
—Nov. 4th: “Deception by Gaslight” by Kate Belli presented by Barbara
—Dec. 2: “The Christmas Appeal” by Janice Holletts presented by Jackie
—Jan. 6th: Book Selection Meeting for 2027
For more information and zoom link, contact Diana Davis at calekdiana@yahoo.com or 415-897-4844.
Who Done It? Book Club (Online)
“WHO DONE IT?” BOOK CLUB
3rd Wednesday, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Online/Zoom (contact Diana for link)
Club members receive an email notice the Thursday before and a Zoom invitation the day before each Meeting.
In the “Who Done It?” club we choose books in January. We read anything from police procedurals to cozies with a few thrillers thrown in. The person who chooses the book also presents a bio of the author.
Upcoming books:
—Oct. 21st “The Frangipani Tree Murder” by Ovidia Yu presented by Diana
—Nov. 18th “Straight” by Dick Francis” presented by Joan
—Dec. 16th “A Murder of Crows” by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett presented by Marghie ….be aware there are several books with this title …..be sure of the author!!
—Jan. 20th Book selection for 2027
For more information and zoom link, contact Diana Davis at calekdiana@yahoo.com or 415-897-4844.
