Staying Connected June 2026 | | In June and July, brief "Staying Connected" emails replace the monthly ALLways newsletter. The full newsletter will be back in August and will contain detailed information on how to register for the fall 2026 semester. | | |
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President's Message
In Praise of Coordinators
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At its core, the Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL) is a school. And as with any school, its quality is primarily maintained by the quality of instruction.
Our instructors are called coordinators, a title that reflects the spirit of our Academy. But regardless of title, it’s their skills, experience and passion that make ALL such a special organization. The coordinators are a widely diverse group. Some are retired educators; many are not. Together, they offer a unique and diverse set of 70+ courses each semester. What motivates them? What binds them? What rewards them for taking on this task? A desire to share their passions with their peers.
Our courses can be broken down into very different categories, styles and classroom experiences:
- Some resemble traditional academic courses, but without the grading. Students take classes for pleasure, not credit.
- Others are like studio classes, where skills are developed at each member’s individual pace, guided by a talented coordinator/coach.
- Some are discussion-based seminars, exploring individual views on current events and other timely topics. These coordinators need to be not only well versed in the topic, but also capable of leading productive conversations, a difficult, developed skill.
- Still others are explorations into unfamiliar territory. These leaders do a great deal of actual coordinating of activities, with class guests and visit possibilities.
- Lastly, there are courses on shared interests, such as art, music and film, led by knowledgeable enthusiasts.
Our all-volunteer “faculty” members do this for love, not money. No matter the topic or format, our coordinators invest significant time and extensive work organizing and planning. And our student body, you, our 400+ members, keep coming back for more—which is the best compliment of all!
As an organization, ALL quite literally could not exist without our wonderful coordinators. We are deeply grateful.
Roger Shoemaker
ALL President
| Academic Calendar Fall 2026 | |
Please watch your email in early August for catalog and registration information.
| From Curriculum and Registration | | | |
Exciting New Courses Coming in September 2026! | | |
The fall semester will include lots of new courses, many taught by new coordinators. There will also be our ever-popular choices as well as some blasts from the past!
New courses include: Fallen for France; America in Turmoil: 1955–1980; Stephen King: America's Storyteller; All But Forgotten: Women Classical Music Composers; Three Directors – Six Films; Eastern European Cinema; Shakespeare’s The Tempest; 20th Century American Short Stories; The Wonder of Flight – Part 1; A World of Pottery; Learn American Mah Jongg! and many more!
Lew Taylor is coming back with five courses for the fall (how do you do it, Lew?), James Coogan returns with the Cape Cod History course, Bill Holcombe will be teaching So You Want to be a Poet?, Tara Crowley will lead you in Mindfulness With Reiki and Heather Wilson will repeat her course, AI Literacy: What You Need To Know & Do.
Popular coordinators with new topics include Larry Brown with History of Sailing Ships: Pre-history to Clippers; The Secrets of Effective Public Speaking; and Stew Goodwin with A Fresh Look at the New World Order. Other popular courses like The Economist; Sample a New Leisure Activity; Loving the Short Story; Memories Worth Saving 2.0 and The Writing Incubator 2.0 will also be offered.
The Curriculum Committee will be sending out a short questionnaire to our wonderful coordinators in August to solicit new and exciting ideas followed by a luncheon in mid-September. More about this later this summer.
We ask everyone to watch their email! The July newsletter will include links to courses with full descriptions as well as links to registration materials. Later in July, you will also receive an email with a digital copy of our catalog and updated course and registration information.
Registration begins on August 24th—but have your registration form and payment in by August 21st to be included in the first day lottery!
Classes begin on Monday, September 14.
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ALL 2025-2026 Annual Meeting
May 22, 2026
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The ALL 2025-2026 Annual Meeting was held on May 22nd at 10:00 a.m. in the Lorusso Building Atrium. It was well attended by more than 30 members.
ALL President Roger Shoemaker began the meeting with a review of the highlights of a successful year. This was followed by detailed reports from each of the ALL Officers and Standing Committee Chairs.
| | The meeting ended with comments, questions and suggestions from those attending. | | |
Full copies of the ALL Annual Report can be accessed by clicking the following button.
| | A link to a video highlighting ALL's 2025-2026 activities can be accessed by clicking the following button. | | New Mission and Vision Statements | |
At the Annual Meeting in May, new Vision and Mission statements, developed by the Long Range Planning Committee, were presented to the membership.
Under the guidance of Vice President Brian Haendiges, these guideposts were developed, and presented and accepted by the Board of Directors.
Additional goals and possible steps to achieve them were also identified. This is a living document, adjusting to developments as ALL moves forward.
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ALL's Vision Statement
A world where older Cape Cod residents contribute to their full, vibrant lifelong potential through continual shared learning and socializing.
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ALL's Mission Statement
Build and nurture a connected community that inspires older Cape Cod residents and friends to lead more engaged and fulfilling lives through a variety of classes and other activities.
| | ALL's second Annual End-of-Year Luncheon was a great success, enjoyed by over 50 ALL members. | | |
This lively event, planned by the Hospitality Committee, was held May 22nd at 11:30 a.m. in the Grossman Commons. It followed the ALL Annual Meeting and many ALL members attended both events.
A full sandwich and salad buffet was available for attendees as they celebrated the end of classes and visited with old and new ALL friends. Copies of the Reflections 2026 anthology of ALL members' creative works were available for sale.
We look forward to this luncheon becoming a regular end-of-year time to get together for the ALL community.
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Order Your Copy of Reflections 2026
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You can still order copies of Reflections 2026.
Reflections 2026 continues a 26-year tradition of showcasing the creative work of ALL members.
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Each year, since 2000, ALL has published an anthology of the creative work of its members.
This year's collection showcases individual pieces of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography and art reflecting memories, insights, humor, and philosophy gathered from the lifelong experiences of its generous ALL contributors.
Click the following link to find out more about the history of Reflections and to order your copy of Reflections 2026.
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Please be sure to check websites for times, dates, admission prices and additional information and directions for these events.
June 1 – August 14: Hyannis Sound, 10-member, all-male a cappella group. A tradition on the Cape for many years.This year is a nautical-themed Summer of Sail show. Go to website for information on their shows all summer until August 14th.
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June 1 – August 29: Cape Harmony --Summer season for the 10-member, all female a cappella group from all over the United States who come to Cape Cod for the summer. Check their website for further information.
June 4: Taste of Barnstable at Cape Cod Gateway Airport. Event begins at 5 p.m. Experience the best of Barnstable’s restaurants, caterers, and beverage providers. Tickets are $50 in advance or $65 at the door.
June 6: Cape Cod Melody Tent presents Little Feat. 8 p.m. Get tickets online.
June 9: Happy Together tour at the Cape Cod Melody Tent. Hear The Association with the Troggs, Jason Scheff, The Fortunes, Ron Dante, The Vogues, and the Cowsills. Showtime is 7 p.m. Get tickets on website.
June 13 & 14: Annual Sandwich Glass Museum’s Sea Fair featuring nautical-themed pieces for purchase. Rain or shine under the big tent. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
June 13: Annual Auto Show at Heritage Museums and Gardens. Family friendly event. Come vote for your favorite car; see which cars won the competitions. Admission with ticket which can be purchased on website or on property. Parade of cars at 2 p.m.
June 3: Cape Cod Playhouse: Mozart to Pop Chart, June 3-20. Check website for days, times and tickets.
June 24 – 30: Into the Woods at the Cape Cod Playhouse, Check website for days, times and ticket availability.
June 1 – 7: A Doll’s House in the Sigel Black Box Theater at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Times and tickets on website.
June 6: Festuit Italiana! at the Cotuit Center for the Arts in the Back Yard from 2 - 5 p.m. Lively outdoor Italian festival complete with an open-air bar, lawn games, a firepit, and a full lineup of interactive events that invite you to jump in (or just cheer from the sidelines).
July & August: Don’t forget to check out town libraries, music, museums, movie theaters, live theaters, festivals and farmers’ markets. There’s always something to do on Cape Cod!
Happy Summer!
Dianne Tattersall
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Academy for Lifelong Learning of Cape Cod, Inc.
Cape Cod Community College
2240 Iyannough Rd
West Barnstable, Massachusetts 02668
774-330-4400
lifelonglearning@capecod.edu
www.capecodall.org
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