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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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 19^{th 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!

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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.

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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