President’s Letter

We are pleased to be offering one of the most varied and exciting semesters ever! We are responding to your expressed interests — from poetry to politics, from insects to art. The slate of courses will be taught by some of our most popular instructors, and we are introducing some new voices. We also have a new Industry Tours leader (Ron White) and two EdVentures—one overnight, one local—that will fill up quickly. The winter will fly by if you are as engaged with participating in these offerings as we were with creating them.

Countless hours of volunteer time, the creativity of our Program Committee, the let’s-consider-everything willingness of the EdVentures Committee, the untiring commitment of our Board, newsletter and other committees have all led us to 20 years of success. But that success is measured by what we bring to the community, not in our coffers.

As we told you in the last newsletter, operating in a challenging economy is difficult for any business, but even more so for non-profits like BRCLL, as our funding sources are more limited. While all the work to provide quality classes, EdVentures, and special events is done by our dedicated volunteers, there has been an upswing in the amount of required administrative hours, printing costs, and instructor fees for top-notch presenters. As a result, we’ve had to let go (reluctantly and not without much debate) of 20th Century pricing in order to be viable for the next two decades. This is the first time in four years an increase has been necessary.

It’s also important to note that we are still much less expensive than other Lifelong Learning groups near and far, and we are the only Lifelong Learning Center that our research has been able to discover that charges a lifetime membership (rather than on an annual or semester basis). Therefore, while we regret that prices have increased, we hope you’ll continue to take part in our varied and engaging educational offerings.

Also, remind your friends: Lifetime membership goes from $40 to $70 on January 1. Tell them now. Call us; we’ll send them a newsletter. The time to join is immediately.

Some last comments: We are always happy to hear from you. We are what we are because of you—your opinions, your criticism, your praise, your interests, your participation. Also, if you or someone you know is interested in presenting a class, we would love to hear from you. Call our office or visit our website for a course proposal form.

It is our great pleasure to share our journey in Lifelong Learning with you.