Topics Covered in this Newsletter:

1)  Saturday, November 10th HLAA Plymouth Chapter Meeting 2-4 pm Plymouth Public Library.  Topic is Hearing Assistive Technology.  All are welcome to attend.

2)  Tuesday, January 15th HLAA Plymouth Chapter Meeting 7-8:30 pm Plymouth Public Library.  Topic is Psychology of Hearing Loss.  All are welcome to attend.

3)  HLAA Membership information, including a free one-year membership for veterans.  Please join HLAA if you haven’t already.

4)  Walk4Hearing wrap-up.  Please consider a donation if you haven’t donated already.

5)  HLAA National Convention June 20-23 in Rochester, NY.

6)  AARP Grant on Open Captioning at live theatrical performances and music events, and a list of local open captioned events tentatively planned.

7)  List of open captioned performances in Boston and Providence.

8)  Hearing Loss Simulator so your friends and family can hear what a hearing loss sounds like.

Saturday, November 10th HLAA Plymouth Chapter Meeting

The Hearing Loss Association of America Plymouth Chapter is having it’s bi-monthly meeting this Saturday at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South Street, from 2-4 pm.  The topic is Hearing Assistive Technology 101.  Refreshments will be provided.  If you haven’t RSVPed, you are still welcome to attend.  Our presenter, Ellen Perkins, Hard of Hearing Skills Trainer, asked me how many copies of her power point presentation to handout, so that’s why I asked for RSVPs.  The meeting will be captioned.

In addition to our November 10 meeting, we are having a holiday party on Sunday, December 16 from 2-4 pm.  It will be held at Sandy Spekman’s house at 16 Valley Front, Great Island, Plymouth.  Save the date for now, and information will be forthcoming.

Tuesday, January 15th HLAA Plymouth Chapter Meeting

Our January 15, 2019 HLAA Plymouth Chapter meeting will be on Psychology of Hearing Loss at the Plymouth Public Library from 7-8:30 pm.  Dr. Michael Harvey, psychologist, will be presenting.

HLAA Membership information

For those of you who aren’t members of national HLAA, it costs you ten cents a day to join.  Go to:  https://www.hearingloss.org/make-an-impact/become-a-memberrenew/.

Veterans can get a one-year free membership:  go to:  https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/VeteranComplimentaryMembership.pdf

The HLAA Plymouth Chapter is a member of AmazonSmile.  If you buy through Amazon, you can set it up so Amazon donates a portion to our chapter.  Go to: https://smile.amazon.com/

HLAA’S Annual Walk4Hearing Wrap-Up

The annual Walk4Hearing was held on Sunday, October 28.  Our team, the South Shore Strollers, raised $1,100.  Thank you to all who donated.  If you haven’t donated, you still have a chance:

1)     Bring a check to the meeting on Saturday at the Plymouth Public Library, made out to Walk4Hearing.

2)     Donate online by going to:  http://hlaa.convio.net/goto/southshorestrollers

3)     Mail a check, made out to:  Walk4Hearing, and send to:  Sandy Spekman, 16 Valley Front, Plymouth, MA 02360.

2018 Walk4Hearing:  Left to right are Nancy Williams, Peggy Ellertsen, Sandy Spekman.  Sandy represented the South Shore Strollers, our team name.  The Walk might be over, but the fundraising doesn’t have to be!  Here’s a few things to keep in mind to make sure the donations keep rolling in. Donations are accepted until December 15th.  Mail a check, made out to:  Walk4Hearing, and send to:  Sandy Spekman, 16 Valley Front, Plymouth, MA 02360.

The funds raised through your efforts will go directly to supporting those living with hearing loss, so thank you for stepping up. If you would like more information about HLAA, please visit hearingloss.org and see what else you can do to make an impact.  I know everyone gets lots of demands of charities to support cancer, children’s cancer, heart disease, epilepsy, the list goes on and on.  However, if we don’t support hearing loss, who else will?

HLAA National Convention June 20-23 in Rochester, NY

HLAA’s Annual Convention will be held in Rochester, NY June 20-23, 2019.  Our chapter can send some representatives and their registration expenses are covered by our chapter.  If you’re interested, let those in charge know this.

AARP Grant on Open Captioning

Our chapter has been awarded an AARP Grant to provide open captioning at 8 different theatrical or performing arts events.  Announcements will be made at the November 10 meeting where some of these captioned events will be held.

Open Captioning is a form of accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing population in the United States. The c2net.org website describes Open Captioning as “text displayed simultaneous to live speech, dialogue or performance”. This technology is now utilized by theaters nationwide. It provides hearing impaired patrons with the complete script and song text for live performances on small screens directly adjacent to audience seating. For more comprehensive information on Open Captioning visit www.c2net.org.

A tentative schedule is as following:

I’ve also requested a list of songs (set list) and song lyrics for the South Shore Folk Music Club (southshoremusicclub.org) in Kingston, Mass. on Saturday, November 17 at 7 pm.  There’s a coffeehouse featuring Lisa Bastoni and Chuck Vermette.  Tickets are $9 members, $10 non-members.   The location is First Parish Duxbury, 842 Tremont St., Duxbury,MA.   For more information, go to:  http://www.southshorefolkmusicclub.org/2018/08/saturday-november-17-2018-coffeehouse-featuring-lisa-bastoni-opening-with-chuck-vermette-open-mic-new-location-at-first-parish-duxbury/

A list of OC events in Boston and Providence is below.  Please ask for open captioning, so we can start seeing them on the South Shore, Plymouth, and Cape Cod.

Open Captioning can be found at performing arts theatres in Boston and Providence.  The schedule of OC events: https://boston.broadway.com/accessible_services/

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
Emerson Colonial Theatre
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 2pm

Click here to purchase.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Boston Opera House
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 2pm

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROL KING MUSICAL
Boston Opera House
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, February 02, 2019 at 2pm

Get tickets here

SCHOOL OF ROCK
Boston Opera House
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 2pm

Get tickets here

A BRONX TALE
Boston Opera House
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, April 06, 2019 at 2pm

LES MISERABLES
Boston Opera Hous
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 2pm

MISS SAIGON
Boston Opera Hous
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 2pm

DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Boston Opera House
Open Captioned Performances
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 2pm
Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 2pm

HELLO, DOLLY!
Boston Opera House
Open Captioned Performance
Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 2pm

Trinity Rep https://www.trinityrep.com/box-office/accessibility/open-caption-performances/

Trinity Rep offers open captioned performances for each of its six subscription series performances, plus A Christmas Carol. Tickets may be purchased with a subscription or for individual performances.

Open Caption dates for the 2018-19 Season

A Christmas Carol: November 11, 2018, at 12:00 pm
black odyssey: January 6, 2019, at 2:00 pm, January 16, 2019, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
An Iliad: February 10, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Macbeth: February 3, 2019, at 2:00 pm, February 13, 2019, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
The Song of Summer: March 17, 2019, at 2:00 pm, March 27, 2019, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Little Shop of Horrors: April 14, 2019, at 2:00 pm, May 1, 2019, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Marisol: May 19, 2019, at 2:00 pm, May 29, 2019, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm

A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage ASL Interpreted / Open Captioned Performance Sunday, December 2 at 7:00pm Shubert Theatre

This touring production of A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage by Charles M. Schulz features everyone’s favorite Peanuts gang – Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, Sally, and more, all led by the lovable Charlie Brown – as they discover the true meaning of Christmas. When Charlie Brown becomes discouraged by the materialism of the season, Lucy convinces him to direct the neighborhood Christmas play. In typical Charlie Brown fashion, things go awry when he selects a tiny fir tree for the production. It’s up to Linus to save the day and remind everyone of the real message of the holiday.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage, Schulz’s timeless story of the spirit of Christmas, showcases the unforgettable music of Vince Guaraldi, performed by a three-piece ensemble on stage, as well as a concert of beloved holiday carols led by the Peanuts characters.