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Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute |
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For all Explorers and Guests FRIDAY“COFFEE WITH”…..SCHEDULE On Selected Fridays from Open to All - No Admission Charge
Coffee servers are: Nancy Smith and Joanne Caverly
10 Federal Street, Suite 10
“Friday Coffee With…” Fall 2010 semester All “Friday Coffee” speakers begin at 10:00 AM
Our Commonwealth: the Massachusetts Experiment in Democracy: Mr. Stephen Kenney, Director, Commonwealth Museum
Massachusetts’ proud history is second to none. The Commonwealth Museum, at the Massachusetts Archives, displays rare national treasures, from John Winthrop’s charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony to Paul Revere’s copper engraving plate of the Boston Massacre. Learn about the design and content of the museum’s “state of the art” interactive exhibit. Stephen Kenney has been Director of the Commonwealth Museum since 1992. He received a Ph.D. from Boston University and has been an administrator or faculty member at several area colleges including service as Interim President of Quincy College.
9/24 Saving the 1768 Jeremiah Lee Mansion: A Century of Preservation by the Marblehead Museum & Historical Society Judy Anderson, former Lee Mansion curator
Come learn about this magnificent colonial Georgian home, one of the major architectural gems of pre-revolutionary times, built by American craftsmen in 1768 when Lee was the wealthiest merchant and ship owner in Massachusetts. Preserved in its nearly original state, the house stands as a tribute to both colonial America's strong ties to England and its independent commercial success.
Judy Anderson is a social and cultural historian with an emphasis on Anglo-American furniture, architecture, historic interiors, and social history of the 17th and 18th centuries. A veteran of 30 years experience in the museum field, she has taught courses, given lectures, worked on several exhibitions, and particularly enjoys being a part of the ongoing story of Marblehead and the splendid 1768 Jeremiah Lee Mansion.
10/8
The Role of the Foreign Service in American Diplomacy Ambassador Monteagle Stearns
The United States State Department recognizes 194 independent countries around the world. How we relate to these 194 independent countries is the subject of this morning’s talk. Diplomacy does not just happen. In 1776 Congress sent Benjamin Franklin on his most important diplomatic mission. He was asked to persuade France to help America in its fight for independence. From that successful mission to France in 1776 to today, diplomacy is the end result of efforts by thousands of dedicated career Foreign Service Officers representing our country across the globe. The author of Talking to Strangers: Improving American Diplomacy at Home and Abroad, Ambassador Stearns will enlighten us on the challenges and successes of American diplomacy.
Ambassador Stearns has had a distinguished career as a Foreign Service Officer. He has served as ambassador to Greece, The Republic of the Ivory Coast, and has been posted to Turkey, The Congo, The United Kingdom and Laos. He served as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and as special assistant to W. Averell Harriman, then the State Department’s ambassador-at-large. Since leaving the Foreign Service, he has been a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. and held positions at Simmons College, Harvard University and Princeton University.
10/15 The Centennial of Flight in Massachusetts 1910-2010 Essex County Leads the Way William J. Deane, President, Massachusetts Aviation Historical Society
Who knew? We’ll learn about the major role of Essex County in the development of aviation in America. From the first flights, the first flying field, the first aero meet, the first aeroplane manufacturing plant, from our involvement in World War I – this area was indeed full of “firsts”. It started one hundred years ago and continues today in the 21st century with aeronautical research and development in aviation and aerospace.
Mr. Deane is currently President of the Massachusetts Aviation Historical Society and serves as a Director and Vice President of the Massachusetts Air and Space Museum. He is a retired Senior Vice-President of the Shawmut Bank of Boston and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps where he served as a tactical air controller.
10/22 “Smile, You’re on Candid Camera” Steven Valenti, President, F.M. Valenti, Inc
It is almost impossible to avoid being on “Candid Camera” today. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, written in 1949, is a dystopian novel about the totalitarian regime of the Party, an oligarchical collectivist society where life is a world of perpetual war, pervasive government surveillance, and the voiding of citizens' rights. For better or worse, have we finally arrived at 1984? We will learn about the technology of today that has lead to the ubiquitous surveillance camera in every aspect of modern life. What about the legal issues of using (or not using) surveillance cameras? From the issues of civil rights, privacy issues, school safety, public traffic and crime safety, employee monitoring, retail “shrinkage” control, national security and the technology of wearable cameras, home security systems, fake security cameras – there will be plenty to learn and discuss. Steve Valenti, a graduate of Tufts University, is president of a thriving multinational security organization that helps secure multi-billion dollar organizations like Aetna Insurance, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos, Gillette Stadium and many others. He is currently working to help improve the video surveillance systems that keep us all safe at Logan's International Airport. 11/19 The Future of Books and Libraries Dr. Sidney Berger, the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library Peabody Essex Museum We are delighted to welcome back Dr. Sidney Berger. At an earlier “Friday Coffee With…” session, Dr. Berger expounded on the subject of caring for rare books. He has graciously offered to return and continue our discussion, this time on the subject of what our future holds for books and libraries. In our hands we can hold a manuscript hundreds of years old. What will we have to hold in a future of electronic books, rapidly evolving technology, and constantly evolving software? What will tomorrow’s technology mean for the future of books and libraries? Do you really believe those who predict that the book is dead and that all future writing is destined to be in digital form? Dr. Berger will show you why this view is pure nonsense. The Phillips Library, one of New England’s older libraries, is the research and documentation division of the Peabody Essex Museum. Dr. Berger has impressive credentials as an archivist and curator. He has published and spoken widely on many topics related to books, libraries and literature. He teaches courses in the Preservation of Library Materials; The History of the Book; Special Collections and Rare Book Librarianship; and many other subjects too numerous to mention.
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