Welcome from our President

Senior Scholars began in 1973 as a cooperative effort of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), colleges and universities of the Charlotte Area Educational Consortium, the Community Health Association, and the Senior Forum. We are structured as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and run entirely by volunteers.

We meet weekly on Fridays from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at Providence United Methodist Church located at 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte. Our meetings run from the second Friday in January through the last Friday in May, recess from June through August and resume the second Friday in September. The last meeting of the year is held the third week of November.

Please take note of our weather cancellation policy: a meeting is canceled when Myers Park High School is closed due to inclement weather. If start time is delayed at MPHS, we still begin our meeting at 10:00. We also send a cancellation notice to members through email as early as possible the morning of the meeting.

Each Friday we provide prominent speakers from local universities, business organizations, healthcare providers and attorneys, for example. Topics include current world, national and local affairs; education; historical events; various medical issues and social and political issues. Our format is apolitical and non-religious. After a 45-minute presentation, speakers generally hold a 30-minute Q&A. With 900+ members, attendance is usually around 400.

While weekly meetings are our primary activity, we offer other activities as well: an annual educational retreat – known as Wildacres – to the North Carolina Mountains, periodic field trips, monthly pre-meeting newcomer coffee, and periodic informal social luncheons at local restaurants in a group known as the Lunch Bunch. As a group we gather for a formal luncheon after our May meeting and a holiday luncheon after the last November meeting.

New members receive a weekly email regarding upcoming meeting programs. If you are a new member and not receiving this information, please check with the Membership Committee to ensure that all your contact information is accurate. Our general email address is sscholars@yahoo.com. In addition to information provided to members via email, we provide a variety of information on this web site. For example, the site indicates information about changes in meeting location as well as a listing of upcoming speakers.

Many of our members joined primarily to listen to weekly speakers, while others wish to become more involved in the organization. We have several committees that periodically seek new members. A list of those committees, their activities and chairperson can be found in the yearly updated Directory. We welcome your interest and involvement.

We are extremely proud of our rich heritage and make every effort to provide an opportunity for members and guests “to listen and learn, be challenged and have their curiosity awakened.” I look forward to greeting you to say, “Welcome . . . to Senior Scholars at Queens!”

With respect,

Walter T Romano, President, 2020