Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association upcoming events

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANIC GARDEN IN PEAK WESTERN-HEMISPHERE BLOOM (April 23, 2026)

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

To register, we prefer you pay online via the black "REGISTER" button on the left or below. For other options, contact O'Neil Dillon at oneilsdillon@gmail.com or 510-207-8761

Nestled at the top of Strawberry Canyon, the 34-acre UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley contains the largest collection in North America of wild-collected plants from nearly every continent, with an emphasis on species from Mediterranean climates.

Here you’ll see an incredibly bio-diverse landscape containing more than 10,000 kinds of plants, including many rare and endangered species. A priceless resource for research, conservation, education, and enjoyment—the Garden offers something new to see and learn with every visit.

When: April 23. 2026.,

Cost: Members and their guests $25. All others $30

The garden is a wonderful place to picnic after the tour.

If you register, then later decide not to attend this event, there may be others on the waiting list who will be able to take your place, so please cancel (click HERE, or on "Already registered" if you are on the event page) or by contacting O'Neil Dillon at oneilsdillon@gmail.com or 510-207-8761

If on the day of the event you find you can't make it, call O'Neil Dillon at 510-207-8761. Simply not paying or not replying prevents us from allowing someone else to attend. No-shows do NOT receive a refund!

If you are on the waitlist and wish to be removed without being registered, please contact O'Neil Dillon at oneilsdillon@gmail.com or 510-207-8761

PBKNCA Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon, Novato (May 03, 2026)

Sun, 03 May 2026 19:00:00 GMT

To register, we prefer you pay online via the black "REGISTER" button. Questions - Contact Jean James at jeanejames@comcast.net or 415 328-7978

Please plan to join us for PBKNCA’s annual meeting and awards luncheon on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the Key Room, 1385 North Hamilton Parkway, in Novato. (Please follow directions on your smartphone, rather than your car, as last year the latter had people driving in circles. or follow the directions from their website reprinted below and a map).

If you attended last year, you will remember what a wonderful experience it was. Not only was the venue lovely and the food delicious, the event was also an opportunity to help others.

The buffet menu has been finalized: seasonal salad, Dijon roasted chicken, asparagus with lemon, wild rice pilaf, and chocolate mousse. Included are wine; coffee and tea; as well as sparkling wine and soft drinks. At $50 per person, this is quite a bargain.

We plan to begin at noon with socializing, followed by the buffet at 12:30, a short business meeting, and then presentation of the Teaching Excellence and Scholarship awards. The awardees selected are impressive and will give a brief description of their work.

There will be lots of time afterwards to enjoy the Key Room and its patio, while connecting with both old and new friends, as well as the awardees.

The Key Room offers plenty of free parking and is very handicap accessible.

We hope you can join us for this memorable event. Please mark your calendars and make your reservations today!

We prefer you make your reservation online, but if you'd rather pay by check, please send it to:

PBKNCA
c/o Larry Davenport VP membership
1501 Adeline Ave
Redlands, CA 92374-5711

Questions or cancellation? Contact Jean James at jeanejames@comcast.net or 415 328-7978

Driving directions

Please follow directions on your smartphone, rather than your car, as last year the latter had people driving in circles. or follow the directions below).

From Northbound Highway 101: (San Rafael, San Francisco, etc.)

Take the Alameda del Prado/Hamilton Field exit. Keep right on exit ramp to merge onto Nave Drive, which runs parallel to the highway.

Continue 1 mile north on Nave Drive, passing the Main Gate entrance to Hamilton Field and State Access Road.
Turn right on Hamilton Parkway, just before McDonald’s.
Turn right into driveway just past the Marin Airporter depot, which is on your right, across from the Marriott Hotel (our driveway sign says Homeward Bound of Marin).
Pass the first set of buildings on the left. Continue on to the newer building on the left that has three palm trees planted out front. You’ve arrived at the parking lot for The Key Room.
The event venue is located in the building with the palm trees out front. Walk through the archway of the building to the main doors, which are adjacent to the Admin Office.

From Southbound Highway 101: (Santa Rosa, Petaluma, etc.)

Take the Hamilton Field exit, then keep right to transition onto Ignacio Boulevard and cross left over the freeway.
Turn right onto Nave Drive, which runs parallel to the freeway.
Continue about ½ mile and turn left onto North Hamilton Parkway (McDonald’s on corner).
Turn right into driveway just past the Marin Airporter depot. which is on your right, across from the Marriott Hotel (our driveway sign says Homeward Bound of Marin).
Pass the first set of buildings on the left. Continue on to the newer building on the left that has three palm trees planted out front. You’ve arrived at the parking lot for The Key Room.
The event venue is located in the building with the palm trees out front. Walk through the archway of the building to the main doors, which are adjacent to the Admin Office.

Deadline for registration or cancellation is Wednesday, April 22.

Cancellations after that date, or no-shows, do NOT receive a refund!

Royal Chicano Air Force Art and Activism 1970-1990 Crocker Art Museum Sacramento (June 13, 2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

To register, we prefer you pay online via the black "REGISTER" button. For other options, contact Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com

This vibrant exhibit explores the expansive production and creative impact of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), one of the Chicano Movement’s most prolific and impactful artist collectives. Beginning in 1970 at Sacramento State University, the group produced individual artworks and group murals, as well as posters for educational, cultural, and political activities. The RCAF’s transformation into a broader collective not only initiated an explosion of Chicano art exhibitions, literary events, performances, and community celebrations, but expanded civic and political engagement. While RCAF posters served as announcements for these wide-ranging activities, their multicultural aesthetics, subject matter, and strategic humor redefined Chicana/o art, as well as the history of art and activism in the United States.

Cost: Members & their guests: $25, others $35

If on the day of the event you find you can't make it, call Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com. Simply not paying or not replying prevents us from allowing someone else to attend. No-shows do NOT receive a refund!

If you register, then later decide not to attend this event, there may be others on the waiting list who will be able to take your place, so please cancel (click HERE, or on "Already registered" if you are on the event page) or by contacting Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com

If you are on the waitlist and wish to be removed without being registered, please contact Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com

Charles M. Schulz Museum (August 15, 2026)

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

To register, we prefer you pay online via the black "REGISTER" button. For other options, contact Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com

Charles Schulz’s cartoon strip has graced newspaper pages since 1950, and he became the most renowned – and well-known — cartoonist of our time. We will explore the museum devoted to the creator of the artist behind Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts Gang. Schulz’s humor was at times observational, wry, sarcastic, nostalgic, bittersweet, silly, and melancholy, with occasional flights of fancy. When Schulz announced his retirement in December 1999, the Peanuts comic strip was syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers worldwide, with book collections translated in over 25 languages, animated film specials, and musical accompaniments. The museum is filled with memorabilia, comic strips, Schulz’s re-created studio, and much more. And it is a lot of fun!

Cost: Members & their guests: $30, others $35

If you register, then later decide not to attend this event, there may be others on the waiting list who will be able to take your place, so please cancel (click HERE, or on "Already registered" if you are on the event page) or by contacting Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com

If you are on the waitlist and wish to be removed without being registered, please contact Jim Richardson at 434-964-7946 or revjimr@yahoo.com

40th Asilomar Conference - Feb 12-15, 2027 (February 12, 2027)

Sat, 13 Feb 2027 00:00:00 GMT

To register for 2027, we prefer you pay online via the black "REGISTER" button. But you may mail a coupon and a check by snail mail.

To be part of the PBKNCA package, do not reserve directly with the facility. Wait for the email message from Barry (probably in October). Be sure you check your email, or you may find you don't have a room.

For registration or logistics matters, please contact Barry Haskell at bghaskell@comcast.net .

Registration, which goes in part to scholarships, is $150 (member and their guests rate), $180 Non-PBKNCA,

Asilomar cost in 2026 was $682.85/person, double occupancy. Including room, all meals and parking. Of course, it will be a little more in 2027!

We are delighted to invite you to share in a weekend of learning, dialogue, and fellowship at the Asilomar Conference Center on the spectacular Monterey Coast.

But this is more than eight interesting speakers, it is an opportunity to renew old friendships, or make new friends at meals; walk on the beach or the trails. Explore the historic buildings of the Asilomar State Park. Visit the Butterfly Grove Inn to see the beautiful Monarch Butterflies, and much more.

“Education is the most powerful weapon we have to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Some of you may feel ready for new beginnings. Some may be eager to expand your learning into unexplored ground. Some of you may just be eager for a chance to hang with friends in a beautiful, refreshing and historic coastal retreat. And for some of you, all three apply. Thankfully, we are looking forward to a new season for the PBKNCA Asilomar Conference in February! It is again time to reserve your space for a weekend of learning, inspiration, fellowship and a breath of sanity, on the magnificent Monterey coast. Come, bring a friend, and find out for yourself.

“Education is the most powerful weapon we have to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

If you have questions on this year’s program, please contact dfrontczak@scu.edu. For registration or logistics matters, please contact Barry Haskell at bghaskell@comcast.net. Registration is $150, which goes mainly to scholarships. Cost will be similar to last year, about $680 per person, double occupancy, and includes all nine meals and parking. All registered participants will receive forms to reserve their Asilomar accommodations, including meals; please check your email. (Remember, to be part of the PBKNCA package, do not reserve directly with the facility.)

Please join us once again for the annual Asilomar Conference -- to learn, engage in discussions, and to listen to one another in new ways.

Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association upcoming events

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANIC GARDEN IN PEAK WESTERN-HEMISPHERE BLOOM (April 23, 2026)

PBKNCA Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon, Novato (May 03, 2026)

Driving directions

Take the Alameda del Prado/Hamilton Field exit. Keep right on exit ramp to merge onto Nave Drive, which runs parallel to the highway.

From Southbound Highway 101: (Santa Rosa, Petaluma, etc.)

Royal Chicano Air Force Art and Activism 1970-1990 Crocker Art Museum Sacramento (June 13, 2026)

Charles M. Schulz Museum (August 15, 2026)

40th Asilomar Conference - Feb 12-15, 2027 (February 12, 2027)