Fall Newsletter 2026
Strategic Planning: Building on our Successes – Addressing our Challenges
By Barbara Keating
Thank you to members who completed the online Membership Survey in June. It was good to confirm that most respondents are happy with Lifelong Learners and appreciate the many, varied opportunities for intellectual stimulation and social connection. We also received some good suggestions such as reinstituting tours.
Doing so, however, depends on volunteer organizers. Our strategic planning discussions identify our need for more volunteer leaders as one of our challenges. Another goal is achieving a balanced budget through a combination of more members and more donations.
How you may help:
- Invite friends to join Lifelong Learners.
- Volunteer for the position or committee of your choice.
- If feasible, join at the Gold level.
- If feasible, donate to the Lifelong Learners Account at MSU Foundation.
Send a check made out to MSU Mankato Foundation designated to Mankato Area Lifelong Learners, or make a donation online.
Welcome To our Newest Members
- Lynette Dorfner
- Matt Dorfner
- Wayne Eberhart
- Del Eggert
- Alan Forsberg
- Colleen Forsythe
- Fabian Gerstbauer
- Mimi Gerstbauer
- Keith Grochow
- Jodie Wallschlaeger
Important Information
Membership and event registrations
Social Groups and Clubs Information
Free Activities for All Members
First Friday Movies and Conversation
A monthly movie and conversation will be hosted on the *First Friday of each month at 1 p.m. at Pathstone Latitude and Landing, 115 Rogers Street, Mankato.
- October 16 - The Promised Land (2023, 2h 7m) R
- November 6 - The Homesman (2014, 2h 2m) R
- December 4 - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023, 1h 48m) PG13
- December 18 - Bonus Holiday Movies:
Learn more about our special events or view our calendar of events.
Coffee and Current Events
Grab your coffee and join us on Zoom for relaxed, thoughtful conversations about what’s happening in the world. We meet on the fourth Friday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The next gatherings are October 23rd, and November 27th, and December 18th. (The December date has been adjusted due to the holiday.)
Whether you follow the news closely or just want to make sense of the headlines with others, you’re invited. To sign up and receive a Zoom link for any of the meeting, simply send an email to coffeeandcurrentevents@gmail.com.
Hosts: Steve Gilbert and Georgia Holmes
Bridge Club
Do you enjoy using strategy, memory, and teamwork? Our Bridge group meets on the third Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the WOW! Zone, located at 2030 Adams St., Mankato. It’s a great opportunity to sharpen your skills, connect with fellow players and just enjoy an afternoon of fun and camaraderie. If you’d like to participate, please contact the office.
Host: Mary Bliesmer
Dining Groups
Twice each month, we come together for a relaxed meal and good company. These gatherings offer an easy way to meet others, share stories, learn from one another, and enjoy lighthearted conversation. Weekly updates will include details about upcoming dining dates, and RSVPs can be made through the office.
Luncheon Group
The luncheon group meets on the second or third Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m., with restaurants chosen monthly.
Host: Sue Howard
Evening Dining Group
The evening dining group meets on the third or fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m., also at rotating restaurants.
Host: Sarah Suskovic
Book Clubs
BookMarks Book Club
This LLL Book Club reads fiction and meets monthly on the Fourth Wednesday from 1 - 3 p.m. in the Conference Room at the Blue Earth County Library, 100 E. Main St., Mankato. Books are chosen monthly and will be announced in the weekly updates. The book selected for Wednesday, September 23rd will be The Diamond Eye, by Kate Quinn.
October’s meeting will be held on the 28th. The Club does not meet in November or December.
Host: James Booker
History and Science Book Club
This Book Club reads non-fiction and meets quarterly on the second Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Maverick Innovation Gateway, 230 Stadium Road, Mankato. The book selected for our December 10th meeting is: The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life, by Robert Trivers.
Host: Steve Gilbert
Gustavus Nobel Conference 2026
The 62nd Nobel Conference will focus on the topic of the Mississippi River. On official maps, the Mississippi River is merely the water that lies between two banks; however, both cutting-edge science and ancient ways of knowing define the river as being much more expansive. Today, historians and social scientists are shedding new light on the myriads of ways the Mississippi shapes human communities and power structures.
The Nobel Conference is free, but you must register online. Be sure to contact the office after registering if you'd like to sit with the Lifelong Learners group in Christ Chapel.
- Where: Gustavus Adolphus College - Christ Chapel
- When: Tuesday and Wednesday, October 6 and 7
Fall Quarter 2026 Presentations
Presentation Fees
- Gold Members: Free (Register by email or phone)
- Silver Members: $7.00 per presentation
- The Stuarts: Why They Still Matter. The History of England – Part II (14 sessions – Cost is $25)
- Non-Members: $15.00 per presentation
Upcoming Presentations
The Emancipation of Eliza Winston (a Famous Trials Presentation)
- Thursday, October 1st, 2–4 p.m.
The Stuarts: Why They Still Matter. The History of England - Part II
- Tuesday, October 13th, 2–4 p.m.
The American Regional Theater Movement
- Thursday, October 22nd, 2–4 p.m.
League of Women Voters Candidate Discussion
- Wednesday, October 28th, 2–4 p.m.
Why Christian Gun Culture Makes Us All Less Safe
- Thursday, November 12th, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
The Trial of Harry Hayward, Minnesota’s First Known Serial Killer
- Monday, November 16th, 2–4 p.m.
Blue Earth County Then and Now
- Tuesday, November 24, 2–4 p.m.
Big Tobacco Is Targeting Our Kids Again. What Are We Going to Do About It?
- Monday, November 30th, 2–4 p.m.
Special Parking Site Instructions
Money Matters
Your Connections Could Make a Difference
To develop a stronger base of community support for Mankato Area Lifelong Learners, the ad hoc Fund-Raising Committee plans to approach local businesses for contributions by initially focusing on banks, credit unions, financial advisors and automobile dealerships.
Our chances of success are improved if we can tell them that one of our members has a connection with their organization. That connection might be as a current or former employee, board member, volunteer, loyal customer, or some other capacity. If you have such a connection, please contact Lifelong Learners at lifelonglearners@mnsu.edu. Our members' connections throughout the community may be one of our greatest fundraising resources.
Your Financial Support Will Make a Difference
In October all members will receive the annual "Ask Letter" in the mail. Please consider donating to Lifelong Learners using the instructions below or donate with a credit card (incurs a fee) online. Our budget deficit will be a lot larger than the projected $10,000 if we do not reach our goal of $8,000 in donations. This fiscal year, an anonymous donor will match up to $1,000 for first ever member donations or for increases in a member’s total donations from FY26 to FY27.
Please make your checks payable to: Minnesota State University, Mankato Foundation with a designation to Mankato Area Lifelong Learners in the memo line and mail to Mankato Area Lifelong Learners, 129 Morris Hall, Mankato, MN 56001.
If you make the check to Mankato Area Lifelong Learners, it will be credited to our account in the Foundation, but it takes longer to show up in Foundation Reports and complicates the process. Only the Foundation is a 501C (3) organization! Please do not make out your check donations to Mankato Area Lifelong Learners!
