E-News July 2021

Message from
the President

Dear Senior College members and friends,

Suddenly it is the middle of July! I hope everyone enjoyed a festive fourth and celebrated with family and friends. I believe we all had a lot to celebrate this year and I felt a new sense of pride and patriotism as I watched the fireworks broadcast from Washington and New York. Soon after the fourth both of my only siblings (younger brothers) came to visit us with their wives. This was the first time we had been together since before the pandemic so it was a special time of reminiscing about our childhoods, our parents, and our offspring. They both fell in love with Belfast and realized that I had made a very good decision moving here from the D.C. area.

In past years the Board did not meet in July but this year with the reopening of the Hutchinson Center for classes and the new registration program CourseStorm it was determined that a meeting was needed. One issue that continues to occupy much of our time is finding someone willing to handle publicity for the organization. If you have had experience and would be willing to write simple press releases for local publications you will be warmly welcomed.

Several Board members had an excellent meeting with Kim Wilson-Raymond and Michelle Patten of the Hutchinson Center. They are as happy to have us back as we are to be back. Classes will begin on Thursday, September 23 and we have scheduled the Annual Meeting of Senior College on Thursday, September 30 between morning and afternoon classes. We will be able to serve refreshments during class breaks and Bell the Cat will once again furnish us with coffee, tea, and cookies!

Jim Owen, Chair of the Nominating Committee, is pleased to announce that the Committee has completed its charge and hasz selected a slate of individuals that bring a wide range of talent and expertise to the Board of Trustees. Jim and his Committee deserve the gratitude of all members for their work in choosing the slate which will be announced next month in accordance with our By-laws.

By mid-August the Fall class schedule will be online and registration will begin. Deirdre Good and the Curriculum Committee are to be commended for an excellent selection of unique and diverse courses! Many of you will, like me, have a difficult time just selecting two. In addition we are hopeful several Zoom courses will attract Senior College friends from around the state as well as local members and perhaps potential new “younger” working members. Check the website in August for the Fall curriculum. I urge you to sign up ASAP and bring a friend to enjoy the day of learning and camaraderie at Senior College!

Please don’t forget that you can also select a Zoom course at any of the other Maine Senior Colleges. Your Belfast Senior College membership entitles you to register and pay only the course fee for either Zoom or in person classes. For a look at upcoming courses around the state check out the current newsletter at: https://www.maineseniorcollege.org/mscn-newsletter

Best to all,
Nancy Perkins

Summer Classes

There is still time to sign up for a couple of summer classes. Paul Sheridan is presenting a Zoom Class “What is New, What is Old, and What Can be Better in Photography?” beginning July 19th for four weeks. Anne Gass will discuss her book We Demand: The Suffrage Road Trip on August 18th on Zoom.

Check out the details and register here.

Ann Mullen
Memorial Grove
Dedication

On Thursday, July 22nd there will be a gathering at 4 p.m. at Wales Park (Main and Congress Streets) for the dedication of the Ann Mullen Memorial Grove. For those of you who did not know Ann she was the diminutive, white haired woman who pulled her red wagon filled with gardening supplies around town from The Post Office to Grove Cemetery with but one objective: to beautify Belfast. In recognition of her dedication to this mission the Belfast Garden Club, with assistance from businesses, local government, and many individuals, will dedicate an area of the park for rest and reflection that includes a bench and some of Ann’s favorite shrubs and small trees. The Mayor, members of Ann’s family, and an army of her friends will be there to honor her memory.