First BNC/BOLLI Meetup

THE STUDY GROUPS BELOW ARE OPEN TO CURRENT MEMBERS.  NEW MEMBERS ARE ENTITLED TO ONE FREE STUDY GROUP (DOES NOT APPLY TO CANASTA OR MAH JONGG).

COST IS $20 FOR ONE GROUP; $36 FOR TWO OR MORE GROUPS.  NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE THROUGH THE YEAR EXCEPT FOR CANASTA.  

ALL CHECKS MADE PAYABLE TO: BNC GREATER BOSTON

NOTE: THE BNC ONLINE CHAPTER IS SEPARATE. PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR INFORMATION AND THE PRICE TO JOIN.

Canasta Play and Instruction  

Mondays 1:00 - 4:00  

Sept 8 - Advanced players only

Sept. 29 -Lessons for new players begin

* No canasta Sept. 22

Please join us on Monday afternoons from 1:00 - 4:00 for open play and instruction. We will place experienced players in groups and introduce new players to the rules and strategy of the game. Invite your friends to join us at the Elks Club at 1 Morrell St., West Roxbury. 

Boston Elks Lodge

1 Morell St., West Roxbury 

$75 from September - January

Please bring a check made out to BNC Greater Boston

Led by Leslie Pearlstein and Audree Dyson

2nd Tuesday at 11:00am begins Oct. 14th

Meetings to take place at Sylvia Goodman’s home. You'll receive the address once you register.

Each month we will discuss a fiction short story from the New Yorker. Come join the discussion even if you don’t have a subscription! The New Yorker is available at your local library and most stories can also be found online. You will be notified of our first story a few weeks before our first meeting on October 14th. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Leader: Sylvia Goodman

3rd Wednesday 10a.m. begins Sept. 17

Meet at Panera on Highland Ave, Needham

Join us to discuss the many issues of the day, be they state, national or international. There's always a lot to talk about and we welcome all opinions. 

Co Leaders: Abby Raelin and Joie fineberg

1st Tuesday, 10:30am begins Oct. 7

Zoom meeting

Come join us for another year of great movies! They will be chosen from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and On Demand, as well as movies currently in the theater. Participants will watch the selected movies on their own and then we will discuss them as a group via Zoom ( popcorn optional). Our first movie selection is “I’m Still Here,” currently playing on Netflix.

Marilyn Howard 

Nancy Grodin 

 3rd Wednesday 11:00am begins Oct. 15

Zoom meeting

If you love uncovering a villainous plot, solving a good puzzle and of course reading a fun book...then join our entertaining book discussion group. This group encourages readers to share their views on a variety of mystery genres and the discussion is always lively. Once registered, you will be informed of the first book.

Leader: Merle Carrus 

 Four Wednesdays at 10:00am: Nov. 5th, Jan 7th, March 4th, May 6th

In reading history we learn about events. In reading historical fiction we learn how people lived through them: How they were affected, what they thought and felt. In this study group we will read four books. During the first meeting we will vote on the three other books we will read. Once registered, “you will be informed of the first book and location.

Co-Leaders: Rita Stulin and Linda Shyavitz

10:30-11:30am Two Sessions Fridays Nov. 14 and Dec. 12

Zoom meeting

Session 1 - We will explore poems by Billy Collins, an American poet who served as a poet Laureate of the U. S. from 2001-2003. In 2016 Collins was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is known as an inspiration for his humor in writing.

Session 2 - We will discuss poems by Kim Addonizio, an American poet and novelist. Her work is known for its unflinching explorations of love, lust and mortality. Her poems make for a compelling mix of pain, difficulty and solace. She assures readers that they are not alone in navigating challenges and changes of mortal life. Copies of poems will be sent out about two weeks before the meeting, giving people a chance to look over the poems.

In group we will orally read the poems and discuss their meanings and their relevance to our lives. Usually there are 6-7 poems for each poet. Everyone is welcome, no previous knowledge of poetry is necessary. 

Leader: Ruth Bender 

4th Wednesday 10:30am begins Oct. 22

Zoom meeting

Thought provoking and a little mind bending, each month a member of the group chooses a story and leads the discussion. We will continue using Frankly Feminist, Short Stories by Jewish Women from Lilith Magazine, edited by Susan Weidman Schneider and Yona Zeldis McDonough. Available on Amazon. Once registered, you will be notified of the first story to read.

Leader: Lois Horwitz  

Every other Thurs. 10:00-11:30am begins Sept. 25

Learn to knit or relearn if it’s been a while. For years, our members have been making lapghans and shawls for residents at Hebrew Senior Life facilities. These are the focus of our work, but any projects are welcome. Crocheters are welcome too! It’s a friendly, low pressure group, so come and kibbitz and stitch. Location to be determined.

Leader: Audree Dyson 

11:00am  2nd Thursdays:  Oct. 9, Nov. 13, and Dec. 11

Zoom meeting

Over twenty-five years before his ascension to the Supreme Court, Louis Brandeis first made a national reputation by making the first attempt to spell out a legal “right to privacy.” Courts have been struggling ever since with the task of defining how far our rights to privacy go.

This study group is intended to allow us to discuss our own attempts to decide what the boundaries of the privacy right ought to be. We will meet three times this fall and will look at three cases, based upon actual disputes. We will discuss our findings and opinions and then compare them with the actual court decisions. We reviewed 6 cases last year and enjoyed sharing our perspectives. No background in law is necessary. 

Leader: Merle Carrus 

Friday September 5,10:30 AM

"Making History : 200 Years of American Art From the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts"

In a guided tour, we will see 85 works from the historic PAFA collection offering new narratives of the history of American art with a diverse and inclusive group of artists including iconic artists such as Hopper, O'Keeffe, Pippin, Hassam, Hart Benton and Cassatt.  Limit 20 people.

Also on view at PEM ( on your own ) "Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest," on biodiversity and the importance of the forests of the Northern Hemisphere. 

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

BNC member $30

BNC Nonmember $36

Turner's Seafood at The Lyceum is a few blocks from the museum for those interested in lunch after the tour.

Thursday October 16, 10 AM

Join us for a 90 minute guided tour of the workrooms of this 100 year old family-owned and operated business of art handling and the restoration of fine art and decorative objects .

Limit 12 people.

29 Tower Road

Newton,MA

BNC member $18

BNC Nonmember $25

Blue on Highland in Needham is nearby for those who'd like to have lunch after the tour.

Thursday, November 13 at 10 AM

Winslow Homer had a long relationship with New England and the MFA and we will have an approximately hour long docent - led tour of this exhibition of dozens of Homer's luminous watercolors and other works that span his career.  Limit 12 people.

BNC members :$18 plus MFA admission and timed ticket exhibition entry fee.

( MFA members will pay only $18)

BNC Nonmembers : $27 plus MFA admission and timed ticket exhibition entry fee 

(MFA members will pay only $27)

We can stop by the museum's American Cafe for lunch at 11:30.