In-person

Participants will meet once a month for lunch at various restaurants in the Farmington area. Reservations need to be firm one week before the date. Participants will order from the standard menu and receive separate checks.

First Thursday of the month

October 2, 2025

November 6, 2025

December 4, 2025

January 1, 2026

February 5, 2026

11:30 am.

Location: TBD

Patricia Overall has been a member of GLI for several years.  She is a retired high school mathematics teacher who later worked in hotel management.

Other occupations included working for NACA, now NASA, and bartending. She has lived in 18 states and obviously enjoys eating out.

In-Person

Each session will be a walk or snowshoe in various meadows, woodlands, or mountains in the vicinity of Farmington. The travel time to the trailhead will generally be between 30 and 45 minutes, and participants should plan to be on the trail for 1 to 2 hours. Efforts will be made to avoid difficult terrain, and a makeup date will be scheduled in the event of cancellation.

Approximately one week before each session, participants will receive an email detailing the travel plan, providing information about the destination, and offering suggestions on what to bring.

October 23 or 24, 2025, at 10:00 am, weather dependent, will be led by Barb Toner with forester Jon Dody. Jon will take us on a walk through the woods, sharing what he looks for from a forest management perspective, taking into account the landowners' objectives.

November 20, 2025, at 1:00 pm, led by Eileen Kreutz

December 18, 2025, at 1:00 pm, led by Eileen Kreutz

January 28, 2026, at 10:00 am, led by Barb Toner

Barb Toner and Eileen Kreutz have conducted many similar outings in past sessions.

In-Person and Hybrid

The Templars were created as a military religious order in 1119 and were based in Jerusalem to protect Christian pilgrims. During the next two centuries, the Templars became the most powerful network in the world. They became the bankers of Europe, transferring funds between nations and rulers, and amassed great wealth as an organization.

The accumulated wealth attracted envy, and envy begat rumors of licentiousness and accusations of heresy. Phillip IV of France engineered the destruction of the Order of the Templars in 1307. Fables concerning the Templars will be discussed, and the facts of the Templars, a most remarkable order of knights, will be emphasized.

October 30, 2025 

November 6, 13, 20, 2025

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Location: Ed Ctr, 107

Chuck earned a master's degree in history, focusing on Islamic ideology and Muslim history. He mentored with Dr. Stephen Harmon and completed a thesis discussing Hamas. This provided the background and interest in the Templars.

In-Person

Are you passionate about the outdoors and preserving access to the places you love? Join us for a special presentation by the High Peaks Alliance designed for people who care about access to nature, wild places, and community.

Join us to: 

• Get the inside scoop on trail and conservation updates, including the latest on Mosher Hill Falls, Sandy River Bridge, and our Rec Rangers initiative
• Pick up free trail maps and guides for your next adventure
• Hear inspiring personal stories about people just like you who’ve made a difference
• Learn ways you can volunteer and amplify your impact
• Connect with fellow GoldLEAF members who share your values, and become part of an active community dedicated to preserving public access for future generations

This is also your invitation to make your voice heard on issues that matter in Maine’s High Peaks. Come and ask your questions and find your next adventure!

Date: December 2, 2025

Location: Education Ctr, Room 112

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Brent West is the Executive Director of the High Peaks Alliance. He brings a genuine love for Maine’s great outdoors and a commitment to keeping its natural beauty accessible for everyone. He works closely with local communities, volunteers, and landowners to protect public access and the unique wild places that make the High Peaks region special. He’s known for bringing people together — whether it’s building new trails, supporting conservation projects, or finding creative ways for residents and visitors to connect with nature.

Amanda Laliberte leads community engagement and outreach at the High Peaks Alliance, where she helps connect people to Maine’s wild places through storytelling, events, and partnerships. She manages membership and communications, coordinates with local partners, and leads initiatives like planned giving and outreach programs. 

In Person 

Evangeline: The novel provides the historical information that is missing from Longfellow’s Evangeline. The purpose is to discuss the historical information through the biographical material available on each of the major figures in the event that is known today as The Expulsion of the Acadians.

December 3, 2025

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Location: The Landing, Olsen Student Center, Lower Level

Born in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Richard Mullin is a lifelong educator and writer. A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, he began his teaching career at a Blackfoot Indigenous high school in Western Canada, later returning to Nova Scotia to teach English at Bridgewater High and serve as Principal at Mahone Bay High. He spent 25 years teaching English at Rumford High School in Maine and also taught English Literature at Husson University.

Now retired and living in Dixfield, Maine, he dedicated eight years of his retirement to researching and writing his first book. He has been happily married to his wife Lorraine for over sixty years, and together they have three college-educated daughters.

In-Person

This is a 72-minute film that features documentary footage of Gandhi's famous Salt March, the 1960 Nashville Students' desegregation of lunch counters, and the Danish resistance to the Nazis.  We will have a few minutes during and after the film for discussion.

Date: December 16, 2025

10 am-12 pm

Location: North Dining, A

This film was used in Rawlings's UMF course on Peace Studies.  Rawlings taught at UMF for 27 years.  He is a co-founder of Veterans For Peace.

In-Person

The Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at the University of Southern Maine provides opportunities for all to engage with five centuries of cartographic materials. With half a million items dating back to 1475, our place-based collection invites you to stay curious!

In the OML's Cohen classroom, you will receive a brief history of the collection and an introduction to the different digital resources available after your visit. In our Reading Room, you’ll have a chance to look at our permanent globe display and a selection of “Gems from the Collection.”  There will also be time to visit our gallery space, which has rotating exhibitions throughout the year. OML staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the various items on display.

January 7, 2026

Snow date: January 14, 2026

Location: USM Osher Map Library, 314 Forest Avenue, Portland, Maine, 04101

Kelsey Riordan arranges tours and events at Osher. Other library staff may lead the tour.

In-Person and Hybrid

This course will discuss critical and rare earth minerals, their distribution globally, and their importance to society and a low-carbon future. Also discussed will be the occurrence of these deposits in Maine and controversies over potential mining.

January 21, 2026

2:30 - 4:00 pm

Location: The Landing, Olsen Learning Center, Lower Level

John Slack is a retired geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, where he worked for 42 years. He holds a Ph.D. in economic geology from Stanford University (1976) and is on the editorial boards of three scientific journals. Over the past decade, John's research has focused on critical and rare earth minerals, especially in Maine.