Original Query: From Rita Carozza, Academy for Learning in Retirement, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Our ALR will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2002 and we're looking to make it a special year. We're thinking of a "memory book" and planning some special events in which we could include the community. If any LLI's out there have done something special of this sort or if you've done a "memory book" that you could share with us, we'd appreciate hearing from you. Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks

From Mary Burkhart, Auburn University Academy for Lifelong Learners, AL AUALL celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Our first term was Spring 1990, but we decided to make the whole 2000 year our 10th anniversary. We started planning our Celebration over a year ago---a number of committees worked hard. The over-all 10th anniversary committee assigned the task of developing a memory book to another committee. This book took the full year to write, and is just under 100 pages. It contains letters from the founders, a history of the early beginnings, chronicles the rest of our years, explains the organizational structure of the group, has several essays on "Whither AUALL," and a long appendix with lists of all sorts: everyone who has ever been a member of AUALL, all the study groups we've ever taught, all the lectures from the lectures series, all the study/travel programs, EIN participation, the constitution and bylaws, and lots of photographs (scanned in via computer, black and white).

The major purpose of the Celebration was publicity; secondarily, fun for the members. And the publicity WORKED, I'm glad to say. Our day of celebration was well attended; over 200 people came to the full day which included speakers, panel presentations, a "bazaar," opportunities to signup for study groups, displays about the history, organization, socials, and a lovely banquet. We had Dr. Ron Mannheimer as our featured speaker, and the president of Auburn University served on a panel.

And, the best news, our fall enrollment is up dramatically over enrollments from fall 1999---from 169 full year fall enrollments to 234 this fall! 53 brand new members! Lots of former members returning. We had wonderful publicity about the celebration---a page color spread in the local paper, lots of smaller articles, inserts in bank mailing to older adults, radio and TV appearances.

So---plan early and plan big, and make your celebration obvious in the community. The PR was wonderful in many ways.

P.S. Members developed the anniversary book, with help from our office in typing and providing historical records. It was duplicated at a local copy shop, bound in cover stock, and cost less than $5.00 per book.

From Jory Peterson, University for Seniors, University of MN-Duluth, MN University for Seniors (US) celebrated its tenth anniversary a couple of years ago. We are currently in our 12th year. A committee was organized and spent almost a year planning the events. We had many throughout our tenth year. Our newsletter each month had a section entitled "Skipping Through the Years" in which the members wrote about incidents that happened throughout the first ten years of US. Our opening convocation fall of 1998 was a special event with past presidents, charter members, and original steering committee members introduced. After the Convocation there was a wonderful luncheon for all - decorated tables and hallways sported balloons in our blue and white colors. We had piano music and special guests.

Everything we did through the year carried the flavor of our ten year celebration. In February we had a birthday party for University for Seniors with birthday cake and kids birthday games. The culminating event of the year was a gala dinner in May complete with a slide program of our first ten years, more special guests, and music.

Throughout the tenth year a committee of US members put together a Ten Year Anniversary booklet that told the story of our past. Various members were asked to write different parts of out story: message from the president; the beginning; one member's memories; our connection to our host university; our relationship with EIN; our study groups; special events; our intergenerational program; what US means to us; looking ahead to the future. The booklet also contained original poetry, a chronology and pictures.

It was a grand year - a lot of work and a lot of fun. The membership did the planning, the organizing and the work to make it all happen. Hope this helps.

MORE ANNIVERSARY IDEAS From the EIN Forum (November, 2001)

From Jonah Sherman, Center for Lifetime Study, Marist College, NY
We are just starting to examine plans for a Tenth Anniversary celebration. We would appreciate any programs that you may have utilized either in the past or as possible events.

From Bob Peterson, Elder Quest, UVSC, Provo, UT
I would also be interested in your answer. Our 10th is coming up soon and we are struggling for a suitable way to celebrate in addition to the 10-Year History of our group that we are now compiling. Thanks for any help available.

From Mary Lewerenz. University for Seniors, University of Minnesota Duluth
We are in our 13th year. When we observed our 10th anniversary, we celebrated for the entire year. We began with our annual fall convocation with a speaker and an opportunity to meet fall term study group leaders. We added a luncheon following with blue and white (our colors) balloons as table decorations and US book marks at each place. Two of our members entertained with piano music. The luncheon proved to be so popular that it has become a permanent part of our fall convocation. Each month in our News Notes we had a column entitled "Skipping Through the Years." Various members contributed one of their memories of University for Seniors--some serious, some humorous. To end the fall term we held a holiday ball--dinner, dancing, listening, conversation. Our big event winter term was a birthday party--like a children's birthday party complete with members dressing as clowns, a fish bowl. pin the tail on the donkey and other games. Past presidents lit the candles on the birthday cake, sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed cake and ice cream. We ended our year-long celebration with a gala 10th Anniversary dinner near the end of spring term. The booklets that a committee had worked on all year were first distributed at this event. They were free to all members. If you would like a copy of the program for this event, I'll be glad to send it to you. Have a great time celebrating!