Membership is annual and required to take courses. Once you are a member at any senior college, you are elligible to take courses at any of the 17 Maine senior colleges.wHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THIS MEMBERSHIP, IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2025 THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2026.

Your story matters.  You have experiences and wisdom valuable to others.  This class will help you recall, organize, and write these episodes. Sharing our stories and experiences with others in class often leads to unexpected rewards. Enjoy the encouragement and support of writing and sharing with others in a comfortable and safe atmosphere.  New writers, unsure writers, experienced writers, all are welcome.

 Mike Davis believes everyone has a story to tell and wisdom to share.  His goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment for persons to learn together.  Throughout his career he helped lead safe, respectful experiences of listening and sharing. He treasures each story and the opportunity to bring people together in transforming relationships.

 ZOOM

 Oct 2 (possible switch to 10/9) Oct 23

Nov 6, 20  Dec 4, 18  Jan 8,22

Your story matters.  You have experiences and wisdom valuable to others.  This class will help you recall, organize, and write these episodes. Sharing our stories and experiences with others in class often leads to unexpected rewards. Enjoy the encouragement and support of writing and sharing with others in a comfortable and safe atmosphere.  New writers, unsure writers, experienced writers, all are welcome.

 Mike Davis believes everyone has a story to tell and wisdom to share.  His goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment for persons to learn together.  Throughout his career he helped lead safe, respectful experiences of listening and sharing. He treasures each story and the opportunity to bring people together in transforming relationships.

ZOOM  

 Oct 6,20 Nov 3.17 Dec 1,15  Jan 5, 19

This class will meet on Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month from 10 - 11:30. The instructor will lead discussions of books and authors. The books are from various genres and should all stimulate interesting discussion.  

  1/14/26     West with Giraffes         Linda Rutledge     Jane Carlson and                                                                                   Pat Peck                2/11/26     Three Days in June        Ann Tyler              Heidi Julian            3/11/26     Secret of Secrets           Dan Brown           Andrea Dresser      4/8/26       The River is Waiting       Wally Lamb          Arlene Jackson        5/14/26     Karla's Choice                Nick Harkaway     Arlene Jackson        6/14/26     Class will choose this book.  It will be announced at the                           May 14th meeting. 

It’s what we loved to do; right?

Sing along to the radio, the record player and later, the new invention that gave us “Bandstand.” Some of the most singable, nostalgic tunes have been thoughtfully culled for this course. We won’t talk titles here, but we will name-drop artists such as Garland, Holly, Reeves, Armstrong, Diamond, Buffett, and Charles. Students will be emailed the words to the upcoming songs prior to each class. At each meeting, we will learn a little about the music and the artist before we enjoy the music. (Because ZOOM is incompatible with sing-a-longs, students will be muted only during the video during which time they may simply listen or sing as loudly as they wish!).

 Lorraine Dutile Masure has led senior college courses about Broadway musicals across four academic venues during the past10 years. She continues to delight connecting with seniors and discussing the alluring world of music and theatre. 

Course pre-rquisite: Memories of this music

Meeting time: 9:30 to 11:00 am, Thursday mornings

Meeting dates: January 29, February 5, February 12, February 19, February 26, March 5, March 12, March 19

SESSION 2 MONDAY CLASS

Your story matters.  You have experiences and wisdom valuable to others.  This class will help you recall, organize, and write these episodes. Sharing our stories and experiences with others in class often leads to unexpected rewards. Enjoy the encouragement and support of writing and sharing with others in a comfortable and safe atmosphere.  New writers, unsure writers, experienced writers, all are welcome.

 Mike Davis believes everyone has a story to tell and wisdom to share.  His goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment for persons to learn together.  Throughout his career he helped lead safe, respectful experiences of listening and sharing. He treasures each story and the opportunity to bring people together in transforming relationships.

 Mar 16, 30 April 13, 27  May 11, June 1

Your story matters.  You have experiences and wisdom valuable to others.  This class will help you recall, organize, and write these episodes. Sharing our stories and experiences with others in class often leads to unexpected rewards. Enjoy the encouragement and support of writing and sharing with others in a comfortable and safe atmosphere.  New writers, unsure writers, experienced writers, all are welcome.

 Mike Davis believes everyone has a story to tell and wisdom to share.  His goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment for persons to learn together.  Throughout his career he helped lead safe, respectful experiences of listening and sharing. He treasures each story and the opportunity to bring people together in transforming relationships.

   MAR 19   APRIL 2,16,30  MAY 14, 28

America is an angry nation.  Much of the practice of Buddhism seeks to foster tranquility. Since mid 20th century, Buddhism has come bigly to our shores.  Why?  What is American Buddhism? What might it become? Might it soothe our angry feelings?  How does it or will it play in our  religiously already highly plural culture?  We will look in depth at two American Theravada Buddhist demographics…..one comprising of largely immigrants from Thailand, Theravada Buddhist by birth…… and one composed of mainly American born converts……Each, at once, both American and Buddhist 

Schedule: Mondays 10 -12   April 6, 13, 22, 27  May 4, 11

INSTRUCTOR Steve Piker is an anthropologist by career with two separate years of field work in Thailand. Thai Buddhism was a main focus of his research.  Steve has also done research on religious conversion in the U.S. He has taught 44 years at Swarthmore College immersed in the Quaker spirit of the school (which spirit also fosters tranquility) He has offered thirty five courses at four of  Maine’s senior colleges. 

Suggested reading:                                                                      Wendy Cadge.  HEARTWOOD.  THE FIRST GENERATION OF THERAVADA BUDDHISM IN AMERICA.

Your Instructor:

Steve Piker is an anthropologist by career. He spent two separate years of field work in Thailand with Thai Buddhism a main focus of the research.  Steve has also done research on religious conversion in the U.S. He has taught 44 years at Swarthmore College immersed in the Quaker spirit of the school(which spirit also fosters tranquility); and has offered thirty five or so courses at four of  Maine’s senior colleges