Chautuqua at the Shore Lecture Series Revives Gentler Time

AVALON — The New Avalon Assembly “Chautauqua at the Jersey Shore” will continue its second season of Tuesday evening lectures through Aug. 12. The seven-evening series began July 1. Its next evening will be July 22 when Dr. Lenore Tedesco, director of the Wetlands Institute will be featured.
All except the Aug. 12 event will be held at Avalon United Methodist Church and start at 7 p.m. The final one will be at Avalon Elementary School’s multi-purpose room.
July 29, Rev. John Baron, senior lecturer in Religious Studies will be joined by Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Malek, adjunct professor in Religious Studies both from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The Aug. 5 evening will feature Monica Zane, a prolific painter of Avalon scenes, author, and owner of a studio that bears her name.
Aug. 12 will be “An Evening of Poets,” with David Check, Peter Murphy and Mark Soifer.
The national Chautauqua movement began in 1874, during a period of post-Civil War prosperity. “It was really the beginning when America, in a broad context, was an emerging and world power,” said Rev. Wayne Conrad, one of the event’s organizers along with Rev. Dr. Dave Montanye, pastor of Avalon United Methodist Church.
“It was an interesting response by people of faith,” Conrad continued. From that movement grew camp meetings “as one of the holiness expressions, which was essentially a retreat from the world to live in a faith commitment,” he added.
From those origins stemmed the Chautauqua Trail. “Chautauqua’s tradition of self-improvement through lifelong learning continues,” according to the New York town’s website. Such a tradition is what Montanye and Conrad wanted to revive here.
Amazingly, there was one such entity in Avalon in the late 1890s, which operated from the Avalon Hotel. Its existence was found while delving through archives at the Avalon Historical Museum. Artists, nature walks and lectures of all sorts were given, Conrad said.
This year, the local organization became a member of the Chautauqua Trail.
Last year, Montanye said the lectures averaged 22 in attendance, some as few as 15 others over 30.
The public is invited to lectures at the church, 3344 Dune Drive, and library 235 32nd St.
From its website: Chautauqua Institution is a community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. Over the course of nine weeks, more than 100,000 visitors will stay at Chautauqua and participate in programs, classes and community events for all ages—all within the beautiful setting of a historic lakeside village. – See more at: www.ciweb.org