Learn about the history of Leisure World Sept. 10
SUNSHINE CLUB
Margaret Gillon will give a presentation about the history of Leisure World to the Sunshine Club on Friday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m. via Zoom.
All residents are welcome to join this Zoom meeting at https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/87427954280 ?pwd=dExQR2dDblZSbUNkQlV oclhrajFhUT09. The meeting ID is 874 2795 4280, and the passcode: is 080651.
Those would like to get the Zoom link via email should text their name, Mutual number and email address to (562) 301-5339 no later than today, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. (text only; no phone calls).
Gillon is a retired programmer/ IT manager/web developer and continues to work on web projects as a volunteer.
Gillon joined the board of the Leisure World Historical Society (a 501c3 nonprofit educational foundation) in 2013. Her first project was setting up a computer to convert the society’s 150 VHS tapes to digital files and create a YouTube channel to host the videos. Board member Richard Erickson came in many times a week to convert videos, which had to be played while the conversion was done. As of August, the Historical Society Youtube channel has been viewed by 117,766 people.
Gillon became president of the Historical Society in 2018. She has also served on other boards in Leisure World such as the Golden Age Foundation.
In 2019, the Historical Society partnered with the University of California in Irvine to open an archive for Leisure World at the UCI campus. The original LW newspapers, documents, and photos were moved to UCI. Residents can visit the archive and see the materials at the university Langston Library. Before the move, Gillon scanned over 4,500 photos and documents. Video producer Owen Hughes also filmed the Historical Society and the UCI archive as part of his video “The Beginning of Leisure World” during that time.
There are many materials at the Historical Society in Clubhouse 1 for people to view, including artwork by Leisure World artists, digital photo collections, the LW news on microfilm from 1962-1999, digital copies of the LW paper from 2009 to the present, sales brochures from the 1960s, aerial photos, artifacts, 1960s maps of Leisure World, digitized copies of the Golden Rain Foundation’s minutes from 1962-1972, court records from some of the past lawsuits such as the Golden Rain Foundation vs. the Leisure World Foundation 1965, digital copies of construction photos of Seal Beach Leisure World being built, and so much more. It is open every Thursday from 2-4 p.m. in Clubhouse 1.
LWers can view the Historical Society’s website at https://sealbeachleisureworldhistory. org and its YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/channel/UCdvkUuFiuG8AFDGqxObmAsg.
To view the “The Beginning of Leisure World” video, go to https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=i-abIxDx6vs
For more information, contact Anna Derby at (562) 301-5339.
