Interesting guest speakers every week, covering local, national and international topics. Participation in discussion is encouraged.

Limit 100. Canberra Southern Cross Club Seniors membership $5 p.a. + course fee $2.50 per week..
Starts: 8 February Wednesday 10-12 noon
Venue: Southern Cross Club Jamison
Ends: 12 December
School terms
Contact: Joy McInerney on 6251 1564
Enrolments from preferably not before 9am, 16/1/2012

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) had a go at writing in a new way – he invented the essay! He has had many followers since, including Francis Bacon, Hazlitt, Charles Lamb, et al. Sara Bakewell's book tells us about him and his times, family, friends and cat in an original way that is enlightening and amusing.
Following the pattern previously set by "Nine Lives", after an introductory session (led by Kevin), there would be 10 sessions run by 2 discussion leader/presenters from the course, drawing in the group for discussion.

Limit 20 - 30
Student Materials: A copy of the book 'How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer" Sarah Bakewell (Vintage 2011. $19 at Dymocks)
Starts: 1 May Tuesday 10-12 noon
Venue: Baptist Church, Groom St, Hughes
Ends: 10 August
Further information in March/April Newsletter
Contact: Kevin Walcot on 6249 6688
Enrolments from 9am 16/01/2012

Examine the concept, history, galleries, relics and art of the Australian War Memorial. Provisions will be made for group participation in discussions related to the collection. Expert staff from the memorial will address the group on occasion; on completion the group will visit the Memorial's extensive repository at Mitchell.

Limit 10 - 12
Starts: 7 February Tuesday 1.30-3.30 pm
Venue: Australian War Memorial
Ends: 4 December
Three terms of five weeks.
Contact: Robert Simms on 6231 0076
Enrolments from 24/1/2012, after 8 am

Europe on the eve of the Thirty Year War; changes in the nature of the war; personalities; lasting importance of the Peace of Westphalia. C17 culture: scepticism, empiricism and rationalism; Galileo, Descartes, Newton; science and the 'Commonwealth of Learning'; the search for perfect government: Hobbes, the English Puritans, Locke. Post 1660 absolutism: Louis XIV; the Spanish succession and the Peace of Utrecht. The Baltic and Poland.

Limit 30
Starts: Tuesday 7 February; 10-12 noon
Venue: Pilgrim House Conference Centre, 69 Northbourne Ave, Canberra City
Ends: 4 December
Weekly in School Terms
Contact: David Webster on 6257 7928
Enrolments from 16/01/2012

Continued development of language and conversation skills. Study of advanced aspects of grammar and modern Italian writers. Participants need to have a good grasp of Italian grammar and vocabulary skills.

Limit 12
Starts: 8 February Wednesday 10-12 noon
Venue: Southern Cross Yacht Club
Ends: 14 November
Contact: Joan Waldron on 6286 2179
Enrolments from 23 January 2012

A twelve week course for beginners and continuing students. It will use simple Danish conversation, song, board games and children's literature to expand knowledge of this Scandinavian land.

Limit 5 - 15. Room hire and some photocopying costs
Starts: 16 February Thursday 2-4 pm
Venue: Cook Community Hub Room 1
Ends: 3 May
Contact: Keith Ross on 6258 0286 or
Enrolments from 16/01/2012

Participants with no knowledge of Latin, those who wish to refresh their knowledge of Latin and those who have undertaken Stage 1 of the former Latin Learners Alive! Course will undertake a one-year course of three terms. Participants can progress to the Reading Latin Course. Further details available by phone.

Student Materials: The first stage book is "So you really want to Learn Latin, Book 1", by N.R.R. Oulton, Galore Park, 1999 or later.
Starts: 6 February Monday 10-12 noon
Venue: Southern Cross Club, Woden
Ends: 10 December
Contact: Christiane Patron on 6290 1192 or
Enrolments from 9am on 23 January 2012