Hard to believe that A session will end on October 17 and B session will begin on October 24. What a group of 20 courses we just learned from! Each session provided new enrichment opportunities from the variety and excellence of both our course leaders and the topics. The catalog for C (18 courses) and D (22 courses) will be available mid-November. Registration will begin approximately December 11.
Council Update
I wrote last month that I am going to give members a sense of what goes on behind the scenes to make WISE an exemplary lifelong learning institute, so here are some highlights from our Council meeting on October 10.
In the challenge to find new vice presidents, we began discussing a possible Bylaws change to remove the 2nd Vice President position. (In this era when older learners are engaged in so many activities in addition to WISE, the six-year commitment that comes with it is a significant impediment for many people.) Included in the discussion was the possibility of also adding to the Bylaws the ability for members to vote on-line, if needed, between annual meetings. Meanwhile, our Nominating Committee (Zelda Schwartz, chair,) continues to look for a 1st VP which now is less than a 4-year commitment. If you want more information, let Zelda ,zelda.paul@verizon.net, or me, maddiswise@gmail.com, know.
As WISE grows, the new Planning and Outreach Task Force, led by Pat Hurton, is beginning its study of how WISE needs to be prepared to continue to meet members’ expectations. The Curriculum Committee, chaired by Barbara Groves, identified the possibility of having a staff person responsible for scheduling, and for support to courses and group leaders. The Summer Course Development Task Force, led by Joe Corn, will need to grapple with what additional staff work will be needed to support additional courses in the summer.
Financially, WISE is very stable and, thanks to your generosity each year by giving to the Annual Fund, we are collecting the resources to allow us to add staff hours as needed. Office space, however, continues as it was 25 years ago—a situation that we are working on with Assumption leaders.
Speaking of the Annual Fund, in November you will be receiving WISE’s yearly solicitation for donations that continue to keep WISE in its stable position and allow us to invest funds toward ensuring WISE’s future.
An Unexpected Benefit of Being a Member of a Lifelong Learning Institute
If you read the Styles section of The New York Times on Sunday a couple of weeks ago, you saw the article about a widow and a widower who met at Farleigh Dickinson University’s lifelong learning institute (FILL), fell in love, and got married. It is such a charming story that I want to share it with you. On the right is a photo of the actual article. (Click the image for a full-sized view of the page.) Below is the link to a somewhat revised version on the NYT website.
Marsha Addis, President maddiswise@gmail.com
land: 508-829-9383
cell: 626-422-6701
Mission Statement
The Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption College is a member-directed organization providing lifelong learning opportunities for older adults.
Marsha Addis, President