By Susan McLachlin
Special to The Record
It seems unseasonal to be writing about the fall Elder College courses held at North Island College starting at the end of September, but indeed it’s time to do just that.
After all, we still have great weather, perhaps kayaking or picnics on our minds, but the time is rapidly approaching to look at the Elder College calendar and to decide what fascinating things you might want to try this fall.
When the rains start arriving, you will find “at Elder College the learning process is lively, full of discussion and humour. Everyone 55+ is encouraged to join and participate. No exams, no grades, no pressure” – it can’t get better than this for those inclement days ahead.
Considering that there are so many new offerings, it may actually take a day or two for you to decide whether to sign up for a few of the short courses like “Digital Photo Workshop”, or attend the entire lecture series featuring such great topics as “For the Love of Food” or “Making Sense of Dietary Advice”, or participate in the longer classes such as “Bridge – Intermediate Bidding”.
There are so many choices available this year that you might want to take an afternoon just to peruse the organization information on our Facebook page - Comox Valley Elder College – or go directly to the NIC Elder College newsletter page http://bit.ly/2w8XuNE to get the information that you will need to register for courses or lectures. Additionally, you can come to our booth at the Sat. morning Farmer’s Market on Sept. 2, where our informed greeters will happily answer any questions you may have about the whole Elder College experience. Perhaps the best opportunity to learn first hand about the courses and to meet our volunteer instructors will be at the Stan Hagen theatre, NIC, on Saturday Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon.
There is free parking available that day.
Registration for the fall term will begin the week of Sept. 18-Sep 20. You can register online at http://www.nic.bc.ca/ec or in person at the registration office.
The registration office is in Discovery Hall, NIC and is open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Wednesday they stay open until 6 p.m.) Please note that the registration process has been changed so that there is a more equitable way of handling the many requests that flood the on-line registration program. Information on the new, easier soft launch process is available on the newsletter page (see above). You must be a member of Elder College to take part in the programs and you may join at the same time that you register on-line for the courses that interest you. It’s that simple!
So, enjoy the rest of this glorious summer but plan ahead and come join us for a chance to learn, to make new friends and to keep active when the sun don’t shine. We look forward to having you join us!