Stimulation - Knowledge - Interaction - Fun |
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Dear Members and Friends,
I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. Registration for Winter 2023 classes is now open. Food for Thought and Coffee Clash continue in January, with both in-person and online options. Read more below.
As we did last year, let's recap our activities and accomplishments for the past year (January – December 2022). Our members, friends, speakers, and volunteers – instructors, board members, and committee members – made this happen. Sending a great big thank you to every one of you!
- 32 classes – in-person, online, and hybrid
- 5 Coffee Clash discussions
- 5 Food for Thought presetations
- 4 Special online presentations
- 1 Members-only art show at the Northeast Harbor Library
- 1 Schoodic Day Trip featuring dutch oven cooking and birding
- 1 Member Celebration at the Wendell Gilley Museum
Our fall appeal is underway. We are honored that some of you have chosen to give already – thank you. But, we still need your help to sustain ASC learning opportunities. See the article on dues, tuition, and donations below.
Be well, be kind, and I hope you find joy and peace this holiday season. See you soon!
Janice
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Click the button below to view the course descriptions and sign up. |
Friday, December 9th
at midnight
Sign up now!
(207) 288-9500
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Our very successful fall term finished up last week. Fifteen classes were held with a total of 228 registrations – more than any term since ASC began! |
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Thank you to our Fall instructors
We couldn't do this without you:
Duane Braun
Ruth Braun
Richard Cohen
Peggy deWolf
Bill Dohmen
Bob Gallon
Andrea Lepcio
Mollie McNickle (Wheeler)
Lincoln Millstein
Harald Paumgarten
Steve Powell
Pat Pugh
Rosamond Rea
Meile Rockefeller
Jack Russell
Mary Vekasi
plus guest presenters and tech helpers!
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Reminder - if you took a class (or classes) this fall please remember to fill out your online course evaluations. Click the link or choose "Student feedback form" on the Courses menu on our website. You must be logged in to submit your evaluation. |
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Dues, Tuition, Donations – What Does it All Mean? |
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Every fall, it seems we are bombarded with letters from charities and other non-profit organizations appealing for donations. Acadia Senior College also makes such an appeal, and some members wonder why. If our instructors are volunteers and our classroom sites are free, why does ASC need any funds besides what we already pay for membership and tuition?
What does it mean to be a member of Acadia Senior College? ASC is a 501(c) (3) non-profit membership organization. This means that you, the members, are the authority that runs the College, through an elected Board of Directors. Whether you take a course or not, your membership dues ($35) entitle you to attend all our events, receive all our communications, and most importantly, participate in elections at the annual meeting and have a voice in how the College operates.
What are course tuition and membership fees used for? Yes, our sites are free and our instructors are volunteers. Course materials such as textbooks, photocopies, and art supplies are covered by tuition. But administering all that we do requires a paid part-time staff. Related expenses include printing brochures, office supplies, internet and phone, and website maintenance and improvements.
So, why the annual appeal for donations? Membership dues ($12,000) along with course tuition and event income ($32,000) make up the bulk of ASC income. (Figures in this article are based on the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget.) We also receive some income from grants ($5,500) and interest on our investments ($2,400) for a total income of nearly $52,000.
With much of ASC’s work being accomplished by volunteers, our major expense is for our limited, but very efficient, staff. We spend about $54,000 a year on administration, bookkeeping, and accounting. Other significant costs are for course materials, brochure production, office supplies, equipment, insurance, website updates, and marketing ($26,000), bringing total expenses to about $80,000 per year.
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As you can see, our income of $52,000 does not cover our expenses of $80,000. We make up the difference through the generosity of our members, who have historically donated another $25,000 – $30,000 in response to our appeals.
ASC is on solid financial footing, thanks to you. We are able to keep our basic charges for membership and tuition relatively low. And, we maintain a modest scholarship fund to assist members with course fees on request.
Our fall appeal is underway. We hope you will consider supporting ASC. You can donate online or if you wish to donate by check, please mail it to
ASC, PO Box 475, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679. Would you consider becoming a monthly donor? This is a convenient way to donate a little at a time throughout the year. Also, remember that gifts made to honor or memorialize a special person can be made at any time.
We truly count on your support!
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January Coffee Clash @ Havana |
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We are excited to announce that Havana in Bar Harbor will be hosting our 2023 winter/spring Coffee Clash series!
Our first 2023 Coffee Clash takes place
on Friday, January 13th from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Watch for an upcoming announcement
on January's topic, and registration information.
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The next opera preview with Bob Gallon will be Saturday, January 14th. Bob will lead a discussion prior to this Saturday's live broadcast of "Fedora" at the Grand in Ellsworth. |
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This talk is from 11:00 a.m. to noon, followed by a break for lunch. The live broadcast begins at 1:00 p.m. For more information click here.
The preview talks are free and no reservations are required. You do not have to attend the live broadcast to participate in the pre-event discussion, but tickets for the live broadcast can be purchased online or at the door.
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Upcoming talks will include:
- Falstaff on April 1st
- Der Rosenkavalier on April 15th
- Don Giovanni on May 20th
- Die Zauberflote on June 3rd
Watch for more information in upcoming newsletters.
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Friday, January 27th at noon |
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Join us for soup, salad, sandwiches, and dessert at our January Food for Thought presentation at Birch Bay Village in Hulls Cove.
This presentation will also be offered on Zoom.
The Webb Telescope is a marvel and is bringing us pictures of our universe that we could have never dreamt of when we were young. Join Bob Gallon as he tells us more about the project and shows us some amazing pictures, maybe even pictures of the first stars after the Big Bang.
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Email tip #12
Always proofread
Re-read your email before you press send.
- Is your message clear and complete?
- Are there any typos?
- Are you sending this to the right people? (Should it be reply or reply all?)
- If you are replying to an email, have you addressed all questions or requests?
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Here are some photos from Meile Rockefeller's Scandinavian Christmas Cookies class. Reports from students say the class was really fun, and the results sure do look yummy! We hope Meile will consider teaching the class again. |
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