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 SUMMER
SERIES -- 2009
The Winchester Academy of Waupaca will present a series of
six programs in June, July and August. Five Monday
programs will be held at the Waupaca Area Public Library, and
one musical program will be held at St. Mary Magdalene Church.
Each presentation lasts approximately one hour, fifteen minutes
and is followed by discussion and refreshments. Admission to all
is free. If cancellation is required the announcement will be
made on WDUX, AM and FM.
_________________________________________
JUNE 15, MONDAY – “A Children’s Hour: Four
Hand Piano Music From Across the World Dedicated to Children.”
Nell Buchman of Waupaca and Linda Sparks
of Appleton will play and discuss 19th
and 20th century children’s music such as Mother Goose,
lullabies, animal songs, and games. Both performers are members
of the Lawrence University faculty. (Sponsor: J.
Ingrid Lesley, in honor of her husband, Albert “Van” Lesley).
Location: St. Mary Magdalene Catholic
Church. 7:15 P.M.
June 22, Monday – “Coming of Age: Wisconsin’s
Civil War Transformation.” In celebration of Abraham
Lincoln’s 200th birthday, the Academy will be honored to have
Professor of History (emeritus) Kerry Trask of
University of Wisconsin – Manitowoc as our guest speaker.
Professor Trask is one of the state’s most noted Civil War
scholars. He
will discuss how the war produced the
generation which, more than any other, shaped Wisconsin’s
collective character
and identity. Location: Library. 7:15 P.M.
June 29, Monday – “Use Conflicts in the Management of Natural
Resources: The Wisconsin River Example.” The
Wisconsin River is a complicated example of competing interests
seeking to process water, electric power, waste assimilation,
drinking water, fishing, transportation, recreation, irrigation,
scenic beauty, and real estate values from the watershed. Bob
Martini, retired Statewide River Protection Coordinator for
the Department of Natural Resources, will present how the
economic, social and environmental issues are balanced in the
public interest.
Location: Library. 7:15 P.M.
July 20, Monday – “Climate Change and Infectious Disease: The
Past, Present, and Future.” Professor Mary Harbaugh,
University of Minnesota, Century College, will
discuss the effects of climate change on past outbreaks of
infectious diseases and possible ramifications in the near
future. Complex relationships between technology and animal life
(including human) will be examined. Location: Library. 7:15
P.M.
July 27, Monday – “The Music of Baseball.” Over 1,200
songs about baseball have been composed over the last 150 years.
Professor Fred Sturm, Director of Jazz and Improvisational
Music, Lawrence University, will discuss and play many of
the best, including “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “Joltin’ Joe
Dimaggio,” and movie themes from “The Natural” and “Field of
Dreams.” Location: Library. 7:15 P.M.
August 3, Monday – “First Floor – Dresses; Second Floor –
Cubism: Milwaukee’s Introduction to Modern Art.” A unique
perspective on the cultural maturing of Milwaukee will be
presented by Professor Elizabeth Carlson, Department of Art
History, Lawrence University. In 1913, when the city was in
many respects still a frontier town, Gimbels Department Store
took a bold step by mixing everyday fashion with artistic
creativity. Location: Library. 7:15 P.M. (Sponsors: Bettie
and Gilbert Hill)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
________________________________________
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
Richard Bidwell – Georgia M. Calvo – Leslie Dent
– Rose Marie Dorow (Pres.) – Carol Elvery -- Marge Goerman
(Sec.) – Gloria Gruer – David S. Hathaway (Ex. Dir.) – Bettie
Hill – Pat Hollenbeck – J. Ingrid Lesley – Teri Moe (Treas.) –
Michelle Peterson – Ray Robinson – Bradley Sherman (VP) – Joan
Wasserberg -- Maurice Wozniak
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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