E.B. Ball & Bertha C. Ball Center/Ball State University

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Instruction in finger spelling and basic conversation based on American Sign Language and signed English. Certificate of Completion provided to those who attend all six sessions in their entirety.  Limited to 24 students. 

Instructor: Laura Shadoin, retired teacher, Muncie Community Schools

Reservations required
Please reserve your space at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

Tracing your roots is a way to document history and family information that you can pass along to future generations. With many resources available online, genealogy is becoming popular and easier to accomplish. This class is for those will little or no previous knowledge of genealogy. 

Topics covered each session:
March 5—Genealogy 101: Will focus on general standards (i.e., how genealogists write dates among other things) and discuss how to get started with your family tree.
March 12—Forms and Documents: Will discuss census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, land records, and etc., as well as the type of information that can be obtained from these forms.
March 19—Organization: Will examine several different ways to organize all the information that you find.
March 26—Software and Free Websites: Will take a look at three different software programs on the market as well as some of the free websites available to help you do your research.

Instructor: Karen Good, board member and chair of Ancestor Hunters, Delaware County Historical Society; and the Indiana County Genealogist

Limited to 20 guests. No charge - Reservations required. Please reserve at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057.

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Listen to three short talks before enjoying an afternoon tea in the Ball Family mansion. We’ll talk about dolls, books, and how needlepoint has changed since our grandmother’s time. Bring your favorite doll and hats are optional! 

Limited to 40 guests — Reservations required
Please reserve at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

If you are looking for a new or different hobby, consider needlepointing. Today’s needlepointing is not the same as it was during your grandmother’s time. In each class you can create a one-of-a-kind needlepointed piece by selecting your own thread colors. The stitch guide that accompanies this project allows you to even choose the stitches you want to use to complete the project. Class is for the beginner, intermediate, or advanced needlepointer.  

Instructor: Linda Burkhardt, owner, Elegant Needleworks, Inc.

Reservations required
Please reserve your space at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Take a virtual walking tour around campus to learn about some of the sites that are filled with stories related to landmark women’s history. Discover places connected to women learning, teaching, playing, healing, singing, serving, protesting, sometimes misbehaving, and even saving lives. The program will include lots of historic maps, photographs, and newspaper stories and advertisements.

Presenter: Melissa Gentry, Supervisor, GIS Research and Map Collection, Ball State University Libraries

No Charge—Reservations Required
Please reserve your space at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Whether you are new to grant seeking or looking for grant writing tips, this class is for you. Grant writing is a crucial activity for nonprofits and educators to fund projects and support their mission. In this introductory class, you will learn the basics of grant writing including:

· How to find funding opportunities
· The basic elements of a grant proposal
· Developing a project budget
· The “do’s and don’ts” of writing a proposal

Instructor: Jackie Davis, Director, Pre Award, Strategy, and Outreach, Sponsored Projects Administration, Ball State University

Working as a grant professional for over 20 years, Jackie has experience as a program officer, grant writer, grant program manager, and grant proposal manager. She is a Certified Research Administrator 
(CRA), who has spent her career assisting others in the pursuit of grant funding. 

Reservations required
Please reserve your space at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057 

Westminster Village

Open to the Public – Reservations not required

After a failed attempt to secure freedom for East Berlin in 1953, the communist government sealed off the eastern half of the city. In 1961, the German Democratic Republic began construction of the infamous Berlin Wall that stood in place until 1989. The presenter, Tom Schwartz, first went to Germany in 1961 as an exchange student so he was there when the wall went up. He received a BA in German from Indiana University and a MA in German Language and Literature from University of Pittsburgh. Program is offered by the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center in association with Westminster Village.

Presenter: Tom Schwartz, retired high school German teacher

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Abstract painting is a great way to enjoy watercolors without worrying about getting shapes and images just right. You can explore your creative side while improving or building your watercolor abilities. Open to all skill levels.

Instructor: Ann Johnson, local artist and former owner of F.B. Fogg

Limited to 10 students — Reservations required
Please reserve your space at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Cost $40 -- Reservations required
Limited to 10 students
Please reserve at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

Learn to combine watercolors with images, printed material, and other objects to create a unique work of art. Ann will teach you simplified techniques and inspire you to explore your creative side as you design your masterpiece. Open to all skill levels.

Instructor: Ann Johnson, local artist and former owner of F.B. Fogg

Westminster Village

Open to the Public – Reservations not required

When visiting a cemetery, have you ever wondered about the information on a headstone? The name and dates are obvious, but what about the symbol on the stone? Does a hand with a finger pointed up mean the person went to heaven? If so, what is the meaning of the hand with a finger pointed down? Karen Good will answer this question and explain other symbols in this informative presentation. Program is offered by the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center in association with Westminster Village. 

Presenter: Karen Good, board member and chair of Ancestor Hunters, Delaware County Historical Society; and the Indiana County Genealogist

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

No Charge - Reservations required
Please reserve your space at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

The presentation will detail how to do basic business math when building an income statement. You’ll learn the five different categories found in a Profit and Loss Statement (Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, Expenses, and Net Income) and what happens when you change each one. You’ll also learn the steps to building financial projections and the difference between markup and margin.

Presenter: James P. Womack, Business Advisor, East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Cost $40 -- Reservations required
Limited to 10 students
Please reserve at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

Learn to combine watercolors with images, printed material, and other objects to create a unique work of art. Ann will teach you simplified techniques and inspire you to explore your creative side as you design your masterpiece. Open to all skill levels.

Instructor: Ann Johnson, local artist and former owner of F.B. Fogg

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

No Charge -- Reservations Required
Please reserve at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

This professional development session will help participants understand how to take inventory of their current workplace culture and climate and develop skills to improve team member interactions. A basic understanding of belongingness will be discussed and how developing a sense of mattering can foster community.

Presenter: Michael A. Martinez, Associate Director of Training and Development, Office of Inclusive Excellence, Ball State University

Beech Grove Cemetery

Join Indiana resident and author, Kevin Yaney, as he leads a tour of some of the graves of Civil War veterans who were laid to rest at Beech Grove Cemetery. This casual history tour will focus on residents of Delaware County who took part in the war, as well as Indiana’s involvement in the war.

“There are more Civil War veterans buried at Beech Grove Cemetery than any other place in Delaware County,” Yaney says. “Every grave marker tells a story. I will relay some of those stories from the clues that are left behind for us.” If you like history, this will be a great event.

The event will start and end at the cemetery office located at 1400 W Kilgore Ave, in Muncie.

About the author
Kevin Yaney is the author of The Fourth of July, a trilogy of historical fiction books set during the Civil War. The three books tell the story of Louisa McLain and her two sons, George and Will from Delaware County. Sixty years after the war, on the Fourth of July, Louisa is in a nursing home, reading letters her sons sent her during the conflict. As the story unfolds, it is discovered that both George and Will were recruited as Union spies. They were sent perilously behind enemy lines, dressed as Confederate soldiers. They also became part of the abolitionists’ movement through the Underground Railroad, running slaves out of the South to freedom.

Mr. Yaney will have his books available at the event. For more information on his books, visit https://fourthofjulybook.com/.

Program is offered by the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center in association with Beech Grove Cemetery.

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Cost: $55 – Reservations Required
Please register online at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057
Limit of 12 students

Have you ever wanted to write your memoir, but didn't know where to start? Do you feel like it's an overwhelming task even if you have given it a try? Come join this class to get your memoir jumpstarted. Besides that, you will learn that you can write a memoir using poems, or a combination of both prose and poems. We will look at how you can frame your memoir around a major life event or a series of happenings that others can relate to. In this series of three class sessions, you can begin to piece together a manuscript that you can seek to publish for the masses, gift to your family, or just write for yourself. We will write from prompts that will "capture your life" and help you get your memories on the page and we'll share our work, ideas, concerns, questions, and epiphanies. Each of our three sessions will have a loose theme - but that doesn't mean we won't stray into some other themes during each session - writing has a way of doing that. Come and join in on the fun and surprises of writing your life!

Instructor: Lylanne Musselman, award-winning poet, playwright, and visual artist

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

If you are looking for a new or different hobby, consider needlepointing. Today’s needlepointing is not the same as it was during your grandmother’s time. In each class you can create a one-of-a-kind needlepointed piece by selecting your own thread colors. The stitch guide that accompanies this project allows you to even choose the stitches you want to use to complete the project. Class is for the beginner, intermediate, or advanced needlepointer.  

Instructor: Linda Burkhardt, owner, Elegant Needleworks, Inc.

Reservations required
Please reserve online at:
https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

Westminster Village

Open to the Public – Reservations not required

In November 1950, the greatest storm of the twentieth century crippled the eastern United States, affecting more than 100 million people. Sometimes referred to as the Great Appalachian or Thanksgiving storm, this was no ordinary weather event. Its giant size and multiple record-setting hazards―including snow, ice, flooding, wind, and cold temperatures―were cataclysmic. This superstorm was the most costly weather-related disaster when it occurred. Only two other storms that affected the US mainland since then, both hurricanes, have exceeded its death toll. The weather records it established remain benchmarks of extreme weather to this day.  Program is offered by the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center in association with Westminster Village.

Presenter: Dr. David Call is an Associate Professor of Meteorology and Geography at Ball State University. He teaches classes in meteorology and physical geography and conducts research on how society deals with hazardous winter weather. His research has been published in journals such as the “Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society” and “The Professional Geographer.” He is also the author of Superstorm 1950: The Greatest Simultaneous Blizzard, Ice Storm, Windstorm, and Cold Outbreak of the Twentieth Century. His book will be available for purchase for those interested. 

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

Cost: $30--Reservations Required
Please register online at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057
Limit of 15 students

You have your manuscript (or even a grouping of poems or a short story) ready to send out, but you're not sure how to take the plunge into publication. Do you need an agent? How do you find one? Can you send it to more places than one? What if I get rejected...am I a failure? Where do you find places that will accept your manuscript? Do I pay big money to get published or do I get paid for my work? How do I get blurbs for my cover? Is self-publishing an option? We will cover these questions, your questions, and so much more in this two-hour workshop on how you can get published - by a big publishing house, smaller presses, or even online journals for a poem or a short story. You will walk away with a lot of ideas, inspiration, and places to get your manuscript or your shorter works published.

Instructor: Lylanne Musselman, award-winning poet, playwright, and visual artist

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

No Charge – Reservations Required
Please reserve at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057
Open to age 21 and older
A reception and book signing to follow the presentation

Join us for a captivating evening featuring award-winning writer, researcher, and editor Keith Roysdon, alongside esteemed author and former journalist Jill Blocker. Together, they will engage in a compelling discussion about their latest works and offer insights into their unique perspectives.

Keith Roysdon, a lifelong Indiana resident now residing in Tennessee, will discuss the latest book he co-authored with Douglas Walker, Cold Case Muncie. The book marks the duo's fourth collaboration on crime and justice in Muncie and Delaware County. It delves into the chilling narratives of unsolved murders in the area, providing a gripping exploration of the mysteries that haunt the community. Roysdon will also talk about writing fiction, including recently published short stories.

Joining Roysdon is Ball State alum Jill Blocker, author of What Was Beautiful and Good. Her novel transports readers to the tumultuous era of the First World War, where a young singer's ‘joie de vivre’ is disrupted by the chaos of conflict. Blocker's narrative explores themes of freedom and resilience, inspired by real-life events that sparked an international art movement. Originally from the U.S., Blocker currently lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

No Charge—Reservations Required
Please reserve your space at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

Roy Weaver and Shawn Sriver, co-authors of “Running Against the Grain: The Story of Philadelphia Eagle and Movie Star Timmy Brown,” will detail the story of Timmy Brown who went from being a child of divorce to living at an orphanage in rural Indiana to a sports success at Ball State. In the 1960s, he played pro football at Green Bay and in Philadelphia. More than 50 years after he left the Eagles, he still held four team records. He ended his career as a Baltimore Colt in Super Bowl Ill. 

Timmy also aspired to have equal success on stage, as a singer and actor. His recordings and live appearances scored in the Philadelphia area, and his acting career led him to roles in two of the most acclaimed movies of the 1970s. 

Presenters: Roy Weaver, Former Dean, Teachers College, and Shawn Sriver, Entertainment Historian, and Accreditation and Assessment Coordinator, Teachers College, Ball State University