This winter marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the last major military battle on the Western Front of Europe in World War II. We will examine how the German Wehrmacht incredibly amassed a major Panzer Army without being detected by the Allies under Dwight D. Eisenhower after it had been essentially wiped out in the previous seven months of running battles across France. Why did the Germans pick this site for the attack? What were their objectives; their initial successes? We will explore the Allied Forces' initial responses and retreat, including the defense of Bastogne; and the counterattacks by the British and American Armies, particularly Patton's 90-degree pivot of his Third Army to blunt the attack and then collapse the salient.

Buddhism is one of the world's major religions. It is also appreciated, from the non-religious perspective, as an influential philosophy and a discipline that encourages scientific inquiry into the true nature of reality. Learn about the life and core teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived 2500 years ago and explore how the major currents of Buddhism developed as these teachings took hold within different cultures. The program will also review the variety of Buddhist organizations and centers that have sprung up in NH in recent years.

The Camino de Santiago is a 500 mile pilgrimage walk in Spain along old Roman roads and trade routes. Thousands walk this path each year in search of spiritual enlightenment, physical challenge, and personal growth. Hear what it is like to be a modern-day pilgrim walking this journey.

Freedom isn't free and neither is the Internet. Some of the world's largest corporations are stalking you, collecting data and selling access to you (personally) to others, including political campaigns and nation-state propaganda. To maximize their profit, they seek to dominate your screen time with kittens, fear and outrage. At the same time they censor or de-prioritize content they consider objectionable from hate speech to controversial topics. This class may help you pop your filter bubble and get a better idea of who is doing what to you and why when you are online.

Stories and the meaning of life! While this course spans a hundred years of one family's journey, its themes are universal. We make our meaning in all life's imperfect places - family, church, convent, business and politics. As participants, you will be encouraged to expand the scope and enrich our class conversations with your own stories of family, religion, business and politics.

Explore the historic structures of Canterbury Shaker Village and hear about the people who lived and worked there. Learn of the key beliefs and enduring values of the Canterbury Shakers that allowed them to create a successful utopian community that lasted for more than 200 years. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and do be aware that many of the buildings have limited handicapped access. Meet at the Museum Store.

What can clothing selections reveal about the multiple meanings of fashion and fashionable goods in 18th century New England? Costume frequently reflects patterns of consumption, self-fashioning, politics and agency. Explore these topics and more via stories revealed by various examples of extant clothing, textiles and accouterments.

This course will examine the ever-growing threat of financial fraud to seniors. It has been estimated that this is a $37 billion issue in the United States affecting at least five million seniors annually. Given that many victims don't report their losses, chances are excellent that these figures understate the problem. What are some of the most common schemes that you or someone you know may encounter? What are some red flags to help you spot an attempt to defraud you? What behaviors might you observe in someone you know to help you identify when a family member or friend may be the victim of fraud? We will discuss resources that may be available to help one evaluate their suspicions We will also share strategies to help lessen the risk to one's financial resources. If someone does use fraud to get access to your money, what are some next steps you might take?

Unlike Lenin and the Bolsheviks in Russia, Castro in Cuba and so many other autocrats and dictators in modern times on both the right and left, Hitler and the Nazis actually came to power through the democratic process in Wiemar, Germany. The stage for Hitler's rise was set by Germany's defeat in World War I and the crippling, punitive terms imposed on Germany by the Allies in the Versailles Peace Treaty. But social, economic and political events which followed contributed significant fuel to a German society in disarray, paving the way for the rise of this charismatic speaker. We will explore all of these events and how they were exploited by the Nazis, culminating in their electoral success in 1932, and followed by Hitler's seizure of absolute dictatorial powers shortly thereafter. We will examine whether that confluence of people and events was essentially unique historically; or whether it could indeed happen again, here or elsewhere.

Explore the notable women of the Hebrew Bible - Eve, Deborah, Esther, Ruth and others. Hear their stories and the lessons to be learned from their lives.

Participants will tour the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. Experience the history of Native North America through galleries that span the entire North American continent and reflect over 20,000 years of cultural expression. Your visit will begin with a brief informational video of the museum and its founders, Bud and Nancy Thompson. Your tour will include several galleries that articulate lifestyles, environments and art of each region. Following the tour, participants are welcome to revisit the galleries and enjoy the 12-acre campus which includes wooded trails and an arboretum with over 200 species of plants, flowers and bushes used by Native people for food, medicines and crafts

The NH State Library is the oldest institution of its type in the country, dating back to 1717, pre-dating the United States. But what is a state library, its mission, its role? Join State Librarian Michael York as he takes us through the State Library's current home, built in 1895 of native NH granite, from sub-basement to top floor. On your tour you will learn the history of the State Library, explore this magnificent building, its collections and repositories. You will hear the mission and the major purpose of the State Library and discover how the library fulfills these through the services it provides to you, the citizens of NH, to the government and to your local public libraries. You will see documents dating back to the 1700's and current digital documents and hear about new innovations, a testament to how the State Library continues to change to remain current and meet your needs. This is a rare opportunity to learn about this fantastic resource available to you and supporting you as a citizen of NH. Weather permitting, meet outside the library and we'll go in as a group; otherwise, meet inside the lobby and remember . . . sssh! Handicapped access is available at the side entrance. Let the OLLI office know in advance if you will need to use the handicapped entrance. Three and ten hour metered parking is available on the streets surrounding the library and in the School Street and North State Street garages. (https://www.concordnh.gov/844/Downtown-Parking)

If the prospect of planning for nursing and long term care seems overwhelming, come to this class where Jenny Rivard will help you develop a basic understanding of how to create a sound financial plan. She provides estate planning services which include wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advanced directives. Additionally, American Wealth Protection Legal focuses on Elder Law and Medicaid Planning to help protect your assets from being spent down to qualify for nursing home care. Jenny is also a licensed financial advisor giving her a unique perspective in protecting assets. There are many tools that can be used to help ensure not all of your assets are spent down on the cost of care. She will explain the options in easy terms to help you navigate through the crisis. Please note that the financial details are covered in more depth in the class she is offering in Manchester.

It's Presidential Primary season again, and the Democrats are off and running! Well, at least 2 or 3 are. And maybe 2 or 3 more are walking. But the rest are pretty much crawling - if that. But even for the "crawlers," "There is still time" (to quote the banner in the apocalyptic movie "On the Beach"). With the number of candidates and the Party's requirement that all delegates be awarded proportionately in the primaries and caucuses, this nomination could not only come down to the wire but may actually be decided in the Convention (for the first time since 1956). Join us to find out what's happening (especially behind the scenes), why, and what it all means - all with a heavy dose of political incorrectness. And don't forget the Republican race. Like every incumbent but one since 1932, President Trump should get renominated in a walk with only token opposition from two long, long, long, long shots. But there's this thing called "impeachment" lurking in the background. Consequently, "Pence for President" may not be as far-fetched as you might think! Stay tuned; It doesn't get any better than this when it comes to politics. The first class will be a viewing and discussion of the film, "The Manchurian Candidate," facilitated by Phyllis Benoit. The final three classes will be presented by David Hess.

Quakers are often confused with Shakers, or grouped with a brand of cereals, or oil or a rare parrot. Learn how Quakers have been important in NH's and New England's history. Discover their diversity, find out where they are most active in the world today and learn of the ways this religious society helps people today.

You have all read the "experts" who wax poetic about relationships. Marriage, divorce, widow/widower, single again ... all this does is expand the self-help and relationship sections in bookstores. Through humor, and perhaps a sense of irony, we will look at relationships through the eyes of some of the great thinkers and humorists in history. Woody Allen once wrote: "You know, I feel nauseous and tingly all over. Either I'm in love or I have smallpox." And he suggested that: "Relationships are like a shark you know? A shark must keep moving or it dies. I think what we have on our hands is a dead shark." Why do we identify so strongly with classic movies like When Harry Met Sally (Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan)? Why do so-called mature "singles sites" drive you bonkers? Where is Dr. Ruth when we need her the most? This course will have four sessions; the 2nd session presents the movie: When Harry Met Sally. There will be a brief discussion following this movie and it will carry over to part of the 3rd session. Disclaimer: Please note that this course will NOT help you in any current relationship. Most likely, this course will irretrievably ruin it. But not to worry, according to one of the most popular singles sites, there are plenty of fish in the sea; so what are you worried about?

Although we often honor veterans on certain holidays and thank them for their service, we may not know what that service actually entailed. Chichester author Jimmy Pappas will read from his poetry book "Scream Wounds," inspired by the true accounts of veterans he has known. He will guide the class participants through the world from which his poetry was developed and show them what it must have been like for a soldier to go out on patrol in Vietnam. Autographed copies of "Scream Wounds" will be available for purchase.

Learn about the dangers that teens face every day. In doing so, we'll discuss how computers, cell phones, iPads, digital cameras, gaming systems, social networking applications, and internet blogs all play a role in placing students and families at risk. This 1.5-hour presentation is specifically geared towards parents (and grandparents), educators and community leaders who are looking to better understand the technology available to teens today and the way in which child predators use it to exploit them.

Since the turn of the 20th century, the U.S. Supreme Court has been a powerful force in modern society. How did this peculiarly "anti-democratic" institution come to be a powerhouse? Is it too powerful? How does it relate to the other legal and political institutions of government? Explore these questions and examine some familiar examples of historical and contemporary debate over government policies. How is the Court constituted and how does it operate? From its formation to its functional operation, the Court manages to process the major legal disputes of the day. Putting aside current politics, we will explore how it does that.