OUR MISSION
The Winchester Academy,
located in
Waupaca, Wisconsin, is a center
for lifelong learning. It was inspired
by
the tradition of the Scandinavian Folk Academy.
Our purposes are threefold:
1) to enrich the life of the
community by providing intellectually
stimulating
and informative programs;
2) to serve the public's wish for
continued
intellectual growth;
3) to provide a lay audience for
Wisconsin's
scholars and others with developed expertise to share their knowledge
and
enthusiasms outside the traditional structure of school and college.
WHAT IS THE WINCHESTER ACADEMY?
It is not a military school
or a building
or a campus. It isn't even in Winchester any more. Those who
organized the
Academy in 1973 saw it as a center for adult education, a
community
of scholars and experts, (professional and amateur), and a
community
of learners - folks who enjoy learning outside the formal
school structure. The Winchester Academy is a
nonprofit corporation,
exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
It is the 18-member volunteer board of trustees, and it is the 450
or so families on the mailing list. It is 40 or 60 or 150 interested
people who come to each free public program. With 25 - 30 Monday evening programs a
year,
it is the 1000 or more people each year who enjoy the opportunity to
learn
something interesting and engage in dialog with the experts.
It is the daytime Community Outreach open forums, twice or thrice
annually, which feature interactive seminars with guest scholars.
It is a lifelong learning project,
offering
the opportunity for continuing informal education to everyone in the Waupaca
vicinity.
WHY IS IT CALLED THE WINCHESTER ACADEMY?
It was organized and housed
for 18
years in Winchester, Wisconsin. It took its logo from the coat of arms of
Winchester
College, the first public school in England. (The lamp of learning and
Waupaca's historic gazebo now make the logo uniquely our own.) The
Academy
moved in 1991, having chosen Waupaca because of its vibrant and growing
population. The Waupaca community also gave enthusiastic support to a
"trial
run" of several series of programs.
WHAT DOES THE WINCHESTER ACADEMY DO?
The Academy brings free
programs to
the community to stimulate participants to want to learn more about the
topics. The speakers bring superior scholarship or expertise, yet are
understandable
to people with any level of education. The topics are diverse, mostly in what
we
call the humanities, but including liberal arts and
sciences as
well as moral and ethical issues and current events.
Since the move to Waupaca, the
Academy has
offered around 25 - 30 free public lectures each year, in three series -
fall,
winter-spring, and summer. The programs do not promote causes or
particular
beliefs. Neither are they merely for entertainment (although
many speakers
entertain delightfully). In 2007 the Academy introduced three daytime
seminars expressly to allow more time for audience participation. Many programs have been videotaped
and are
available on loan.
WHO COMES TO THE PROGRAMS?
The audiences represent a
wide cross-section
of the people of the Waupaca area. Some "regulars" come from Waushara,
Portage, Winnebago and Outagamie counties, and
summer
residents come from much farther.
A core of people attend
regularly; the
majority attend because of interest in the particular topic. Many are
retired;
many are not. Working people, business and professional people, high
school
students, young people of school age, and whole families attend.
They
have in common an interest in learning. Numbers vary from as few as 40 to
over 150.
HOW IS THE WINCHESTER ACADEMY FUNDED?
Public donations fund the
Academy's
free programs. Thanks to a broader base of public support, foundation
grants
have become another source, as well as the Wisconsin Humanities
Council. Occasionally a "special event" for fund raising
purposes is held.
Each has a unique theme and emphasis. Expenses include publication and
mailing costs,
telephone and office expenses, post office box rental and
corporate
filing fees, honoraria and travel costs for speakers, and a
modest stipend
for the executive director.
Except for the executive director
who provides
leadership and follow-through to board decisions,
there are
no paid workers. A volunteer board meets monthly to consider and
act on
selection of programs and speakers, fund raising, publications
and mailing,
and to make budgeting decisions. Board members work in
committees,
prepare publications, seek out and contact speakers, write
grant
applications, introduce speakers, stuff envelopes for mailing, and
serve
refreshments following the programs.
Total costs, including honoraria,
travel and lodging for speakers was $13,000.00 in 2006.
Supporters of the Winchester Academy may
send
their tax-deductible gifts to:
The Winchester Academy
P.O. Box 124
Waupaca, WI 54981
For information, call David Hathaway, MD
(Executive Director – 715-256-1312)
WHAT DOES THE WINCHESTER ACADEMY DO
FOR THE WAUPACA COMMUNITY?
ˆ It is free.
ˆ There is no tuition, no exams,
no
dress code.
ˆ It is live and interactive
(vs. TV)
ˆ It is unique - not available
in other
communities.
ˆ It promotes social and
cultural integration.
ˆ It offers a fellowship of
learning.
ˆ Outside the school structure,
it offers
curriculum enrichment at many
levels.
ˆ It offers a public forum to
local
and state-wide experts in many fields.
ˆ It brings to the community
expert
sources usually available only in
metropolitan areas or
college
towns.
ˆ It supports and enhances
Waupaca's
image as a stimulating, rich,
satisfying community in
which
to live and grow.
**
CLICK HERE FOR PERIODIC NEWSLETTER
**
WINCHESTER ACADEMY presents the
WINTER/SPRING SERIES -- 2010
__________________
The Winchester Academy of Waupaca will
present eight programs from February 8 through
April 26, plus two special events. The
lecture series includes one Saturday morning program at the
Holly Center on March 13 – but all other programs will be held
on Mondays at the Library, at a NEW STARTING TIME OF 6:30 P.M.
The first of the two special events will be a fund raising gala
at The Ale House on April 26 featuring the Lawrence Jazz
Ensemble, and the other will be a bird walking venture along
River Ridge on May 3. Admission is free for all programs except
the Jazz Ensemble. If cancellation is required an announcement
will be made on WDUX-AM and FM.
February 8, Monday – “Comparison of the 2009 Recession to the
Great Depression.” Professor Marty Finkler, Lawrence University
Economics Department, will analyze the causative factors of the
economic crisis of the 1930s as contrasted to the precipitating
circumstances of today’s financial woes. He will review the
similarities and differences in terms of the effect on the
national economy and the lives of individual Americans. Library:
6:30 P.M.
February 15, Monday – “The Story of Life in the Dairy
Industry in Waupaca County.” Retired officer and owner of Trega
Foods, Inc., Richard Wagner, Ph.D., will describe the cheese
making process and relate the lessons learned in the dairy
business, including land use planning. This program, in addition
to being a review of cheese production, is a history of local
industry and entrepreneurship. Library: 6:30 P.M.
March 8, Monday – “The Manly G.I: Photojournalism in the
Second World War.” This talk concerns the image of the American
G.I. in Europe during WWII. Professor Mary Lou Roberts,
University of Wisconsin - Madison, will explore how intimate
relations helped both to secure and to challenge the American
presence during the years 1944 to 1946. Sex became a factor in
the exercise of – and resistance to – the United States bid for
dominance on the European continent. Library: 6:30 P.M.
(Sponsor: J. Ingrid Lesley, in honor of her husband, Van)
March 13, Saturday – “What Can Monkeys and Their Teeth Tell
Us?” University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Biological
Anthropologist Inne Choi will explain how microwear dental
patterns give clues not only to feeding habits but also mating
patterns and social organization. Holly Center: 9:00 A.M.
March 22, Monday – “The Role of Women in the Civil War.”
Although not allowed to serve in the Army, women played a vital
role in the Civil War as maintainers of every aspect of the home
front, nurses, and, in rare cases, spies. They were expected to
support the soldiers medically, spiritually, and economically.
Professor Brett Barker of University of Wisconsin - Marathon
County, will describe women’s hardships and arduous lives when
America was mostly agrarian and without electricity or running
water. Library: 6:30 P.M. (Sponsors: Ann and Vance Linden)
March 29, Monday – “Wisconsin’s Glacial Landscapes.” David
Mickelson, retired Professor of Geology and Geophysics at
University of Wisconsin – Madison, will cover the glacial
history of Wisconsin. Today’s soil, hills, and valleys owe their
existence to the glacier which 20,000 years ago covered
two-thirds of the state. The glacial features along the 1200
mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail will be highlighted. Library:
6:30 P.M. (Sponsor: Joyce Woldt)
April 19, Monday – “Gray Wolves In the Great Lakes – An
Endangered Species?” Collette Adkins Giese, Litigation attorney
in Minneapolis, will discuss the ecological significance of
Wisconsin’s wolf population, and the ongoing recovery of Great
lakes wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly
sought to remove gray wolves from coverage by the Endangered
Species Act, but through litigation wildlife protection
advocates have thwarted these attempts. Giese is both a
conservation scientist and an attorney, and she will review both
the legal and natural history aspects. Library: 6:30 P.M.
April 26, Monday – “Vocal Jazz.” The Waupaca High School
Music Department, under the direction of Dan Wolfgram, will
present a spring program at The First United Methodist Church,
720 Demarest Street. The Vocal Jazz group is also known as “The
Madrigals” during the Christmas season when they perform at many
local events. Time: 7:15 P.M.
May 3, Monday – “River Ridge Bird Watching Stroll.” In
celebration of our long awaited spring, there will be a casual
stroll with Jim Anderson, Mosquito Hill Naturalist. This date
should be ideal for spotting many returning summer migratory
species or summer inhabitants. Bus service to River Ridge Trail
(Swan Park) will be provided – time and details to be announced.
_________________________________________
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
“JAZZ BAND DANCE FEST”
On April 16 the Academy’s
spring fund raiser will feature Lawrence University’s Jazz
Ensemble, under the direction of Professor Fred Sturm. He is a
world-renowned composer and guest conductor, and he and his
musicians have generously offered to further our organization’s
cause by providing an evening of outstanding music for listening
and dancing. The event will be held at the Ale House.
________________________________________
THE MISSION OF THE WINCHESTER ACADEMY
The purposes of the organization are:
1. To enrich the life of the community by
providing intellectually stimulating and informative programs;
2. To serve the public’s wish for continued
intellectual growth;
3. To provide a lay audience for Wisconsin’s
scholars and others with developed expertise to share their knowledge and
enthusiasms outside the traditional structure of school and
college.
___________________________________________
WINCHESTER ACADEMY’S EIGHTEENTH YEAR IN WAUPACA
The Academy had its roots as an adult education
curriculum in Winchester, Wisconsin, in 1973 under the
leadership of Professor Neil Eckstein. It moved to Waupaca in
1993 and has continued to present 25-30 programs annually.
During the recent Sesquicentennial
Year 2007 many long-time residents reflected on the changes in
the community in the last fifty years. Characteristic of most
small Wisconsin towns in the 1950s, Waupaca had little industry
and survived on tourism and the daily business of approximately
5000-7000 “town folk” and nearby “country people.” But things
have changed dramatically! The area now numbers 10,000-12,000,
we have some businesses with world markets, and the school
system is among the best in the state.
Winchester Academy is no small part of this
progress. Over the last eighteen years we have attempted to
provide opportunities for everyone to expand his/her learning
experiences to keep pace with the rapidly changing world
dynamics – from “Art to Zoology.” Programs have ranged from the
“The Song of Bullfrogs” to “Ethics – The Foundation of Freedom.”
We feel that Waupaca is among the state’s top five small
communities. Ongoing adult education is a key component, and it
is the Winchester Academy Board’s objective to help fulfill that
role.
*WINCHESTER ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES*
Robert Benada -
Richard Bidwell – Georgia M. Calvo -- Robert Cloud – Rose Marie
Dorow
(Pres.) – Carol Elvery -- (Sec.) – Gloria Gruer –
David S.
Hathaway (Ex. Dir.) – Bettie Hill – Pat Hollenbeck – J. Ingrid
Lesley --
Vance Linden – Teri Moe (Treas.) – Patrick Phair -- Ray Robinson
– Joan
Wasserberg -- Maurice Wozniak (VP)
*Emeriti: Neil Eckstein – Gerald F. Moede – Carl Strassburg –
Marwin
Wrolstad*
Winchester Academy offers its programs to the public free of
charge. It depends on the community in the form of individual
and corporate gifts. Contributions are tax deductible under
section 501©(3) of the federal tax code. Donors of $300 or more
earn ‘sponsorship’ status. The Academy makes every effort to
select speakers or topics as requested by the sponsors. For more
information please contact David Hathaway, MD (Executive Director –
715-256-1312). General information available at
www.waupaca.com/winchesteracademy.html
and
http://www.waupacalibrary.org/community/winchester.asp
Recipient of the 2003 Governor's Award for Excellence in
Programming in
the Humanities
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