**See Special Addition Below!!!
Speaker's Bureau Coordinator Mary Burritt and her dedicated volunteers have diligently worked on speakers to headline the 2025 program....ENJOY!
January 15, 2025
Cochise, Geronimo and the Apache Wars
By Gregory McNamee
February 19, 2025
Arizona Colonists, Pioneers, and Immigrants:
A Multicultural History
By Jim Turner
March 19, 2025
Arizona's Cosmic Connections
By Marshall Shore
April 2, 2025
**Travel Survival Tips: What To Do When Everything Is Lost Or Stolen
By Carleen A Watts, CFE
April 16, 2025
Jerome - Too Stubborn To Die
How The Town Survived
By Jay Mark
This presentation by Arizona Historical Society's Jim Turner describes some of our history's notables and notorious characters from common folk to public heroes. Find out more about the everyday people like you and me that helped settle our pioneer state long before indoor plumbing, electricity and of course, air conditioning!
Jim Turner has worked with more than 70 local museums and authored numerous books about our region and state. He has been teaching Arizona history for 47 years.
Please see the flyer for more details. As always, the program is free and open to the public but does require pre-registration through the Community Center.
As our own International Dark Sky Discovery Center begins going vertical in the John Cutillo Civic Plaza adjacent to the museum, March's presentation by Marshall Shore exploring "Arizona's Cosmic Connections" is a very timely topic.
Shore promises to take attendees on a journey through Arizona's rich heritage and innovative strides showcasing how our state continues to illuminate our understanding of the stars and beyond.
Speaker Marshall Shore's passion for uncovering the weird, the wonderful, and the obscure treasures from our past including the semi-forgotten people, places, and events that have made us who we are today, combined with his storytelling magic are sure to provide an entertaining afternoon.
Please see the flyer for more details. As always, the program is free and open to the public but does require pre-registration through the Community Center.
Some of you may have heard Carleen's presentation last fall regarding the hidden dangers that await unsuspecting travelers and her easy, savvy tips to avoid these devasting pitfalls that can quickly derail an often expensive and what should have been an enjoyable trip.
There was such a positive response to Carleen's insightful and entertaining program, she has agreed to return for a special Speakers Bureau program on April 2nd at 1:00 pm, just in time for travelers planning summer trips at home and abroad.
Encore is also pleased to share that Carleen has recently joined our Board and we look forward to the benefits her vast experience and energy will be to Encore's efforts to serve our senior community.
Please see the flyer for more details. As always, the program is free and open to the public but does require pre-registration through the Community Center.
Arizona residents as well as tourists share interest in the intrigue and colored history of the mining town located on the steep sides of Cleopatra Hill. On April 16 you will have the opportunity to join historian Jay Mark and his presentation of "Jerome: Too Stubborn To Die". His diverse background, knowledge and experience contribute to his lively and engaging presentation that includes many seldom seen images as he recounts the numerous disasters, tragedies, setbacks and ultimate successes of the city that was once the fourth largest in Arizona.
Sign up now to insure a spot for what is sure to be yet another entertaining program brought to you by Encore's Speaker Bureau. Please see the flyer for more details. As always, the program is free and open to the public but does require pre-registration through the Community Center.
The names Cochise and Geronimo are well known as their stories, legends and lore have been told and depicted in history books, movies and even TV westerns. But how much has been based on fact as opposed to the creative minds of Hollywood writers and fictional novelists?
Encore invites you to join writer/research fellow Gregory McNamee on Wednesday, January 15th as he unravels the tangled history that surrounds the Apache Wars, the notable warriors, the US Army and the other players who had roles in a terrible guerrilla conflict that lasted more than 25 years.
Speaker Gregory McNamee, who has written about the Apache Wars for Encyclopedia Britannica and other publications, is well versed in the complex story of this conflict and the decades of uneasy peace that followed. You won't want to miss this program as he shares his well researched knowledge and insights into this significant piece of Southwest history.
Please see the flyer for more details. As always, the program is free and open to the public but does require pre-registration through the Community Center.
Imagine yourself planning your dream vacation abroad, anticipating all the exciting and memorable sights you'll soon be experiencing for yourself. Now imagine yourself arriving at the first destination on your itinerary, navigating through the airport and proceeding beyond to embark on your carefully planned to do and see list only to find that somewhere along the way, two-legged predators had relieved you of your essential travel items.....money, credit cards and more. What would you do?
This very scenario is the topic of October 9th's program "Travel Safety - Conquering the Hidden Predators Lurking Within the Travel Wilderness".
Join presenter Carleen Watts to learn how to heighten your awareness to this threat and learn some basic but routinely ignored travel tips for safeguarding your most important personal items. And if the worst case scenario still occurs, she'll share the steps to take to make the remainder of the trip less stressful and hopefully salvage some of the anticipated enjoyment.
As a former US Special Agent (Criminal Investigator) for over 32 years, Carleen's unique career path has prepared her to speak on this topic in depth. Please refer to the flyer for additional details on her impressive credentials and experience.
Be sure to pre-register with the Community Center prior to October 9th for this interesting program that starts promptly at 1:00 pm.