As I complete my year as president of the Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL) at Lincoln Land Community College, I remember so many pleasurable events that filled my year. My theme of “Curious About Cultures” brought many memorable people into our lives to share information about India, Indigenous groups, Japan, South America and Africa. We read books by a wide variety of authors, and I look forward to that group staying together for another year as we read from a vast array of books from other countries around the world. 

We learned to dance with the Springfield International Dance group and how to do Latin dances with Julio. We traveled to places near and far with Around Town and Wander on Wednesdays. We tasted some very interesting dishes as we had lunch and dinner with Meet, Greet & Eat.  The speakers at Breakfast Round Table covered a wide variety of topics. ALL members kept themselves active with Pathfinders (walking), Pedal Pushers (biking), Swinging Singles (golf), Yoga and Pickleball. If you wanted a relaxing time learning and playing a variety of games you could try GameOn!, Pinochle, Hand & Foot or Mah Jongg. We all learned so much through the Chautauqua series on Japan and Ethics. History Hunters learned about everything from Illinois Prisoner of War Camps to Route 66 to Jacksonville History. If members were into reading there was Booklovers, Curious About Cultures Book Club and Spanish Book Club to choose from, or you could do all three. Movie buffs could always enjoy Flicks on Friday, and if you had a story to tell, there was the Scribes group. The Science group brought us knowledge about cryptocurrency, and the Art group sponsored their annual art show, a performance by several of our members and another performance by those who may be joining us in 30 years or so. 

Two new groups formed this year — Ancestors Search and Hooks & Needles. As always, we are looking for new ideas and people to volunteer to lead new groups. With a membership of over 550, there are plenty of ideas out there. If you have a good concept you’d like to explore, join us and share your thoughts and expertise. 

This year wouldn’t have been possible without the wonderful group of volunteers who make ALL what it is. Every group, every activity needs to be planned and then executed. The members of The Learning Council spend hours contacting people to share their interests and knowledge, calling various places to plan a visit and then proceeding to host our diversity of programs. They help keep the membership informed by getting write-ups about their activities in our newsletter — the Update — which is then compiled by another volunteer. The board keeps everything moving along, making decisions about a range of issues. 

We also enjoy the help of the staff in the LLCC Community Education Department. They take our ideas and information and see that we have the space and resources to make everything happen. They listen to all our comments and try to predict what will make all our programs run smoothly. I have relied heavily on the people in that office as I’ve navigated my year. 

And now it’s time to look to the future. New officers will be installed at our annual meeting in May and will begin their new terms in July. I’ll continue to be active in the organization and will also continue to sit on the board for another year. The continuity built into our system benefits everyone so no one person feels the weight of having all decisions resting on their shoulders. There will be a Fall Kickoff again in August, and the Chilli Dinner will be held in late September or early October. The mid-winter celebration will energize us in January, and by this time next year, we’ll be looking back at all the good things that have happened and looking ahead once more to another great year. 

If you think you might find something is this organization that would meet your needs as a person 50 or better and would like to join us, please visit www.llcc.edu/all or contact the LLCC Community Education office at 217-786-2432 or Community.Education@llcc.edu. I’d love to see you at an upcoming program, activity or event.