Joy of Learning classes in April!

Come join us in April for our ever-popular “Joy of Learning” series! We will have six classes this April, World War II in the Far East, History of the Musical, Falmouth Master Gardeners Series, Crisis in Ukraine, American Revolutionary Decisions and Closet Criminology: keep reading for times, descriptions and registration!

We have offered Joy of Learning classes for many years, in April and October. They are taught by educators and other experts on a volunteer basis, for adults and for teens at a high school/college learning level.  

Come learn something new and have fun!  This program is free, sponsored by the Friends of the Falmouth Public Library. Registration is required, please do so by clicking the links below, or call us at 508-457-2555 x 7!

World War II in the Far East with Michael McNaught
Mondays, 4/3, 4/10, 4/24 and 5/1, 11:00 am—12:00 pm (does not meet Patriots’ Day 4/17)
Register by clicking here.

This course will trace the evolution of Japanese expansionism from the Meiji Restoration (1898), the “insult” to the officers of the Imperial Japanese Navy by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the subsequent naval and land war in Asia and the Pacific, and the emergence of China as a World Power.

Michael McNaught has B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from Oxford University, where he specialized in Military History and the Theory of War. The son and grandson of British army officers, he came to the U.S. in 1961. He retired to Falmouth in 2004 after a 44-year career in education.  In retirement, he has lectured extensively at the Falmouth Historical Society, Falmouth Academy, the public libraries of Falmouth, Chatham and Orleans, and other venues.

History of the Musical with Mark Pearson from the College Light Opera
4 Mondays, 4/3, 4/10, 4/24 and 5/1,  3-4:30 pm (does not meet Patriots’ Day 4/17). Click here to register.

This class will cover many aspects of the history of the musical, including operas and operettas, the evolution of comic operas, music halls of the early 20th century, the beginning of the American musical, and finally, contemporary musicals.

Mark Pearson received his MFA in Theatre Design from Boston University and completed the young artist apprenticeship at the National Opera in DC under Plácido Domingo. In addition to being the Executive and Artistic Director of Falmouth’s own College Light Opera Company, Mark has had an extensive career in theater, both in the United States and abroad. 

Falmouth Master Gardeners series

4 Tuesdays, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18 and 4/25, 1– 2:00 pm, Click here to register.

4/4 Designing your Landscape with Mary Pat MacKenzie
4/11 Soil 101: What Every Gardener Needs to Know with Cathy Ceta
4/18 Native Plants in Your Backyard with Mary Pat Barry
4/25 Sustainable Turf with Kate Eldred

The Master Gardeners of Cape Cod are volunteers trained by Barnstable County Extension staff to provide science-based horticultural information to the public. In line with their motto of “helping others learn to grow” they are offering presentations on four different gardening topics during the month of April.

Crisis in Ukraine with John J. Davidson

4 Wednesdays 4/12, 4/19, 4/26 and 5/3, 1-2 pm (starts the second week of April)
Register by clicking here.

April 12, 1 pm: The History of Russia and Ukraine, an Introduction to the Current Crisis
April 19, 1 pm: The Roots of the Current Crisis in the History of East-West Relations
April 26, 1 pm: The Events Since the Russian Invasion of February of Last Year Up to the Present
May 3, 1 pm: Possible Outcomes to the Current Crisis, Peace as a Possibility as well as Ukrainian Victory

John J. Davidson has a B.A. in history from Yale University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins with a specialization in Russian Studies and Security Studies. He also completed a J.D. at the College of William and Mary School of Law. Over the last three decades, he has worked in many of the Russian-speaking countries on foreign aid and reform projects for the US government and the EU, living in Kazakhstan and Armenia for several years. He also worked on projects dealing with democracy and law in Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar. He is fluent in Russian and can read Ukrainian well. Having worked in Ukraine in 2014 and conducted many interviews with government leaders there, he established strong sympathy for the Ukrainian cause.

American Revolutionary Decisions with Tamsen George

4 Thursdays, 4/6, 4/20, 4/27 and 5/4 10:30 —11:30 am (does not meet on 4/13), click here to register.

1. What Happened in Boston? A close examination of the events in Boston, from the Massacre to Concord and Lexington to Bunker Hill to Dorchester Heights. Was anyone in charge?
2. Traitors, Rebels and Spies: Who were they? What was loyalty? Wy did it always seem a shock when spies were discovered? It was a fluid time when no one was sure of neighbors, even leaders.
3. A Woman’s Work is never done: Running a household, all skills needed to keep the families afloat while being severely limited to the role determined for the “fair sex.” What if your husband is gone for months at a time, and you must have male supervision or accompaniment in business matters?
4. Political Parties: First appearing in Washington’s administration and becoming flagrant by his second term. What did they believe and how did they go about forming a government? Where was Jefferson in all this? Or Adams?

Tamsen George, author of Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis, has ten years of experience in research in the formative years of our nation, 1750 to 1825. She was the president of the Falmouth Historical Society for 8 years, a member of the Falmouth Historical Commission and the Falmouth Community Preservation Committee. Her career was in historic preservation and arts administration.  A former West Falmouth summer resident, she moved to Falmouth full-time from Sandwich 18 years ago.

Closet Criminology with Deb Harrington

4 Fridays, 4/7, 4/21, 4/28 and 5/5, 11 am –12 pm (does not meet on 4/14), register by clicking here.

Since the days of Cain and Abel, there has been curiosity about why people commit crimes. Couch Criminology will delve into the historic and current theories to help explain criminal trends and behaviors.

Sessions 1 & 2: “Nature vs nurture” theories in Criminology.
Session 3 Fun with forensic fingerprinting, etc.
Session 4: Breaking the Myths and True Crime examples

Deb Harrington, MEd (license in Behavioral Sciences) has taught Criminology in person and online and is currently the founder and Ex Director of A Place to Breathe… a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Falmouth.