Best Practices in Schools

Date: Sunday February 5, 2012

Join Loren Andrews, Alan Kinsey, Executive Director of Many Flags, One Campus, and Beth Vickery, a Cushing Kindergarten Teacher at the Cushing Public Library for a lively discussion on Sunday, February 5th, 2012, on Innovation and Best Practices in Schools. The event runs from 2 – 4pm and is free and open to all.

This presentation is offered as a free community event in anticipation of the 25th Annual Camden Conference: The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do we have what it takes?, February 17-19, 2012. For more information, please call 236-1034 or visit www.camdenconference.org.

Education in America

Date: Tuesday February 7, 2012

Join Ron Bancroft for a talk on “Education in America: Where do we go from here?” on Tuesday, February 7th at the Camden Public Library. The event runs from 6:30-8pm and is free and open to all.

What is the current state of American education? How does American education compare to that of other developed nations? How is our national unemployment rate and its resultant impact on societal safety nets affected by our educational system? How do Maine educated students meet the national and international needs of a global society?

Many Americans are of the view that a ‘modernization’ of public education is needed to prepare our youth and to re-invent our American workforce in order to compete more effectively within an increasingly interconnected and, many will claim interdependent, globalized world economy.

• Speaker: Ron Bancroft
• Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
• Camden Public Library
• 6:30-8:00PM
• Free

About the speaker: Ron Bancroft founded the strategic consulting firm, Bancroft & Company, after twelve years with McKinsey & Company, where he was part of the team that collaborated with Tom Peters and Bob Waterman in the work that led to the management classic In Search of Excellence.

Ron left McKinsey in the mid-eighties for a simpler life on the coast of Maine, his native state. After several years in which he was a principal in the buyout of a large shipbuilder and the owner of a small wood products company, he established Bancroft & Company as a way to bring the value of his wide range of business experience to smaller companies.

In addition to his consulting practice, Ron has been active in education reform in Maine with both the Compact for Higher Education and the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education. Recently, Ron was part of the effort to merge these groups into Educate Maine. Educate Maine will advocate for pre-K through Higher Education.

Mr. Bancroft also has written a weekly column on state and national policy issues for the Portland Press Herald. He also serves on the Board of three mid-sized manufacturing companies, including Hussey Seating, a Maine-owned family business. He is an honors graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a Rhodes Scholar, earning a Master’s Degree in Politics and Economics from Oxford University. Ron resides outside Portland, Maine with his wife, Sally. They are active in their church and their community.

This presentation is sponsored by Raymond James Financial Services and hosted by the Camden Public Library in anticipation of the 25th Annual Camden Conference: The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do we have what it takes?, February 17-19, 2012. For more information, please call 236-1034 or visit www.camdenconference.org.

Blue Hill Discussion Series

Date: Tuesday February 7, 2012

Discussion Series: The U.S. in a 21st Century World

This four session series is a component of the Camden Conference community events program, in connection with the 25th annual Camden Conference, “The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do we have what it takes?”, Feb 17-19, 2012. It is designed to help participants to achieve optimal benefit from participation in the February 2012 Conference.

The discussions will take place on Tuesdays, January 24, 31, Feb 7 and 28, 1:00-3:00PM, in the Howard Room of the Blue Hill Public Library.

As we contemplate the “rise of the rest,” Brazil, Russia, India, China, Turkey, Indonesia and South Africa, questions inevitably emerge as to this nation’s chances for survival in tact and the likely effectiveness of its presumed leadership role in the world in days to come.

In economics, what must the U.S. do to sustain a leading economic position in the new century? In domestic politics, how can we end gridlock in our national government and clear the way for needed policy decisions and urgent actions on fundamental issues? On national security, what are the threats we face and what kind of military and security systems do we need to face them? In the field of intelligence, what structures do we need for collecting and interpreting intelligence effectively? Have the post-9/11 reforms improved our intelligence capacity or simply created a bigger bureaucracy? In diplomacy, how can we sustain our leadership in world affairs and make use of our “soft power?” In education, what skills do Americans need in the 21st century and how do we create and sustain an educational system that produces citizens competent to meet the challenges that confront us?

On social issues, do we as a society have what it takes to be a leading power in the new century, especially in dealing with immigration, minorities, economic inequality, and other demographic trends?

The first three sessions will be devoted to discussion of the foregoing questions and others which may emerge in conversation. The fourth session will accommodate an evaluation of the February 17-19 conference, comparing conclusions reached there with the collective findings of participants in the first three sessions of this discussion series.

Suggested Reading:

George F. Kennan, Around The Cragged Hill: A Personal and political philosophy
Anne-Marie Slaughter, The Idea That Is America
Fareed Zakaria, The Post American World Release 2.0

Participants should draw on individual sources of information and opinion. The facilitator’s favorite is Fareed Zakaria’s Global Public Square, accessible via CNN.com/World.

• Facilitator: Bob Sargent
• Tuesdays, January 24, 31, Feb 7 and 28
• Blue Hill Library, Howard Room
• 1:00 – 3:00 PM
• Free
• To enable full, frank and orderly exchange in discussion, registration for this series will be limited to 15 participants. Please register by contacting Director, Rich Boulet or Asst. Director, Karen Wyatt at the Blue Hill Library

Facilitator/Moderator: Bob Sargent is a former U.S. diplomat whose overseas assignments included Belgium, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam. Born in China of missionary parents, he is curator of “China: Exploring The Interior, 1903-04” a traveling exhibit of photographs of late Qing dynasty China taken by Sedgwick native, R. Harvey Sargent. Co-founder of a Maine-China network, Bob visited China most recently in November 2008. Bob is a former member of the Camden Conference Board of Directors and Advisory Board and a three-time conference program chair.

This presentation series is hosted by the Blue Hill Public Library and offered as a free community event in anticipation of the 25th Annual Camden Conference: The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do we have what it takes?, February 17-19, 2012.

The mission of the Camden Conference is to foster informed discourse on world affairs through year-round community events, public and student engagement, and an annual weekend conference. For more information visit the website at www.camdenconference.org, email info@camdenconference.org or call 207-236-1034.

Coffee House in Rockland

Date: Tuesday February 7, 2012

Join a discussion group on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 am to 11:30 am for some free-wheeling conversation covering a multitude of topics. Every 4th Tuesday, Peter Muth joins facilitator Bill Newman for a discussion of globalization.

This ongoing discussion group has continued to thrive for four years. A core group of a dozen or so sometimes swells to eighteen or more individuals who drop in for some free-wheeling conversation covering a multitude of topics. Politics, government, public policy, and current events are usually the focus. Open at no cost to CSC members. New members welcome.

Facilitator William Newman holds a BA from Brooklyn College and an MLS from Columbia University. He continued graduate study in philosophy and history at the New School for Social Research and at Cornell University. Before retiring, Bill was a librarian at various universities in the U.S. and Canada. He has taught many courses for CSC in film, literature, philosophy, and history.

The group meets at the St. Bernard’s Catholic Church at 105 Broadway in Rockland.

Colloquy Downeast

Date: Wednesday February 8, 2012

American Power: Our Prospect on the Future World Stage

Can America continue to be a leading power in the 21st century? Since national power is always limited by geo-political considerations, our colloquy will consider four of these variables: first, America’s moral and ideological character, and the limits of power; second, the crisis of profligacy and resources; third, our political crisis; and finally, our military crisis. American exceptionalism calls for re-evaluation as world geopolitical variables transform our social life. Variables such as globalization, international finance, technological and electronic developments, religious and ideological differences, migration, immigration, demographic trends, military expenditures, security problems and transforming nation-states affect our domestic and foreign policies.

• Dates: Wednesdays, January 18-February 8, 2012; 12noon – 2:00 pm
• Location: Blue Hill Public Library, Howard Room
• Facilitator: Ronald J.P. Lesko
• Registration required. Please visit Colloquy Downeast

Ronald J.P. Lesko is a retired Professor of Political Science, Political Theory and Philosophy, State University of New York

This colloquy is a pre-event for the 25th Annual Camden Conference: The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do we have what it takes?, February 17-19, 2012, with live streaming to The Grand, Ellsworth. For more information, please call 236-1034 or visit www.camdenconference.org.

Out of the School Room

Date: Sunday March 18, 2012

Join a diverse group of Educators for a presentation on “Out of the School Room: Other Learners” on Sunday, March 18th, 2-4PM, at the Cushing Public Library. The event is free and open to all.

What contributions do alternative modes of education outside the traditional classroom make to the learners they serve? This session explores how the innovative programs and approaches of our presenters open learners to experiences that inspire creativity and expand their sense of possibility for the future. We will learn about, and then discuss, the rationales, operations, and outcomes of each program.

About the presenters: Donald Carpenter is Executive Director of Trekkers; Jack Carpenter is Executive Director of Youth Forum Maine; Roger Dell if the Director of Education at the Farnsworth Museum; and David Farmer is Director of Exhibitions at Dahesh Museum of Art in New York City.

This presentation is hosted by the Cushing Public Library and offered as a free community event in connection with the 25th Annual Camden Conference: The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do we have what it takes?, February 17-19, 2012.

The mission of the Camden Conference is to foster informed discourse on world affairs through year-round community events, public and student engagement, and an annual weekend conference. For more information visit the website at www.camdenconference.org, email info@camdenconference.org or call 207-236-1034.