Last Updated on July 7, 2026
Catching up with ELLIC
Gif Intlekofer, Moderator
(originally in the July Sunburst)
The greatest change in handling the auditorium check-in process is that we now use three Chromebook computers at the doors. For years, our four permanent Registrars have been registering ELLIC members on a giant spreadsheet in the cloud, while the auditorium Doorkeepers had to use pens and paper. Now the Doorkeepers can be synced on their computers and use the same spreadsheet. Most ELLIC information is located there, which keeps us well organized. If you are interested in becoming a Doorkeeper, or even a Zoom manager to back up Hope Tillman, please contact me.
All I can say is, “Hat’s off to all the volunteers and the Steering Committee. ELLIC couldn’t happen without you!”
According to our members and guests, this year’s programming has been very well received, with some presenters being described as exceptional. Annually, our semester catalogs include a well-planned variety of presentations, such as The History of Film, the Hulett’s “Annie Get Your Gun”; New Orleans, the Accidental City; Mary Ann Jung’s Elizabeth Cady Stanton—Equality for All; and Recovering the Treasures of WWII. The category, Living at Charlestown, included the Chapel, Our Pride and Joy, and Seminary Life at St. Charles College. These programs were brought to life by our own Fr. Leo Larrivee and former seminarian Paul Rao. We also learned about Crypto and AI, The Abrahamic Religions, How Colors Affect You, and The State of Our Democracy. And who can forget the show-stopping finale with Daryl Davis playing and singing the Blues on piano? This listing of courses, classes and presentations is just a sampling of all that ELLIC offers.
For many newer residents, the name of our continuing education organization sounds strange. To clarify, it is an acronym for our motto: Enjoy Lifelong Learning in Charlestown. In 2008, a small group of residents created our “school,” based on the model of a two-semester college, offering small classes, multiple-class courses, lectures, and theatrical performances. For the past 18 years, ELLIC has thrived. To learn its full history, go to the Residents’ Council site, CCICharlestown.org, open Education, then ELLIC and click on History.
Now that “School’s Out” for our resident students, the Curriculum Co-chairs Margaret Eng and Sandy Ranno are hard at work finalizing the full catalog to be available to residents at all lobby desks on September 2, with the separate registration forms available at all lobby desks on September 9. Registration officially begins that day and is ongoing throughout the semester. Amazingly, our semester fee remains at $15.00, which allows members to register for any of about 45 programs that may interest them. Now that’s a steal!
All instructions on how to register, program categories, and the index of all programs are in the front of the catalog. A full listing of Steering Committee members, including Registrars, with phone numbers and email addresses, is on the last page of the catalog. Your black ELLIC mailbox is in the back area/wall of your mailroom. Please place your completed registration form and check for $15.00 in an envelope and drop it in your ELLIC box to register.
To give you a preview of what’s to come, here are just a few programs to look forward to. Brian Rollfinke, who brought us the wonderful lecture on owls, will return with “Vultures Get No Respect.” The Wills duo will present “Abigail Adams,” Mary Ann Jung will bring Martha Washington to life, and we will hear about scientific research on how and why people can become chocoholics. I can really relate to that one!
See you around campus this summer and hope to check you in at the auditorium door this fall.
To contact me, Gif Intlekofer, see my contact information in the Resident Directory.