Learning is a Lifelong Art

By Colleen Gundlach
What are some of the worst mistakes ever made in history? Was one of them General Longstreet’s second assault at Gettysburg? How about King George and his ministers forcing the North American colonists into the revolution? A study of such world-changing mistakes is being presented this semester at the Taconic Learning Center.

Norfolk resident Cecily Merman at a TLC course.

The Taconic Learning Center (TLC), also known as the Lifelong Learning Institute of Northwest Connecticut, is a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities in the tri-state area. According to Norfolk resident Ted Briggs, there are two underlying principles that make TLC different from other lifelong learning institutes. “We are a stand-alone organization unaffiliated with any other academic institution and we do not charge for our classes.”
Briggs, a past president and current secretary of TLC, is one of many Norfolkians who volunteer there. Rosemary Farnsworth is TLC’s treasurer, while past and present board members include Jack O’Malley, John Funchion and Sally Vaun. Norfolk is heavily involved in supplying courses, such as O’Malley’s class in poetry, Debbie Tait’s 19th century art appreciation and Jerry Oakes’ quantum physics course, all part of this semester’s curriculum. Bob Bumcrot has led several classes in mathematics and the late Peter Shiras’ literature courses were a favorite among TLC members.
All faculty members are volunteers. They teach because of a genuine love for their area of expertise. “We’ve had Shakespeare scholars, geneticists, mathematicians, linguists, etc.” says Briggs. “We’re always on the lookout for new talent and most of our new members come to us by word of mouth.”
Two-hour classes meeting for four to 12 sessions from January through May and September through December are held once a week in Salisbury at Scoville Library or Noble Horizons, and at Geer Village in Canaan. Some classes take place in the morning, some in the afternoon and a few in the evening. All are free of charge, although participants are strongly encouraged to become members of TLC, at a tax-deductible suggested rate of $60 per year. However, any donation is welcome and one does not need to be a member to participate in any of the courses offered there.
This semester, in addition to the course on the history of bad mistakes, aptly named, “Bad Mistakes and Very Bad Mistakes,” and those offered by the Norfolk residents listed above, offerings include topics such as the Obama presidency, Shakespeare’s “The Winter Tale,” the United States economy, perennial philosophy, opera and play readings. Each semester’s offerings are different, depending on who is available to teach his or her specialty.
For more information, visit www.taconiclearningcenter.org, or contact one of Norfolk’s TLC members.

Photo Courtesy of TLC