President’s Corner
Fellow Gentrainers, Greetings!
As we begin a new year (September 1) we are putting the COVID impact further into the past. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic we have not been able to organize a trip to the Ashland Shakespeare festival. Finally, as last year drew to an end we were able to resume our participation in this highly desired activity. This is evidence of a return to more normal times. And we have started planning for the 2025 trip.
The new Board of Directors was installed on September 18. However, our newly elected Vice President had to resign so we are now seeking a new Vice President. I ask our members to help us in this search by nominating a member who would be able to step into the position. Please send any nomination to me or any member of the Board.
The MPC offers a multi course program in Western Civilization called the GENTRAIN program. We support that program directly with funds to support faculty in advancing their knowledge base and teaching skills. We also run a number of programs to enhance and expand the intellectual and cultural interests of our members. A very important program is our scholarship program that provides funding for needy students. We provided our students with $500,000.00 in scholarships since the program was stated. The Board is now working on establishing this year’s programs. The first event is a visit to the Crocker Museum and Art gallery for October 27! More to follow.
The Board faces a number of serious issues this year. We must grow our membership numbers (still below pre-COVID numbers), increase our general funding levels, and develop new sources of income. We would be delighted to get ideas and suggestions from you, the members of our Society.
I will report on progress as the year develops.
The Society was formed in 1983 to help financially support the Gentrain Program at Monterey Peninsula College. The dues of $35 per person and $50 per couple, are paid annually and assist the Society to provide programs which include: a special lecture given on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month (free of charge), field trips and special events, and a scholarship fund. The Gentrain Society lends its support to the Gentrain Courses given in four-week, two-hour units on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 to 10:50 AM
The Gentrain Society is a non-profit organization established as volunteer auxiliary of Monterey Peninsula College. It
[The course examines the two centuries which shaped all subsequent Western history: the Golden Age of Greece. The Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, the rise of
Jack Erickson will give a lecture on the Etruscans, the dominant people living in central Italy during the 4th and 5th centuries BCE. There were
YOU’RE INVITED to join the Gentrain Society for a Special Event Travel with us 🚍 to Sacramento for a private tour of the famous Crocker
Wednesday March 15, 2023 -1:30 pm – A Titan Of Monterey History – Mr. Pat Hathaway
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 8:45-9:40 Early Islamic visual culture — Gamble 9:55-10:50 The Rise of Islam, Tom
Enjoy all the benefits of membership in the Gentrain Society. Join Today!
980 Fremont Street
Monterey, California 93940
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I am Muhammad Najm Akbar. Call me Najm.
Born in Multan, Pakistan, I had my initial education there.
In the United States, I have graduated twice from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, MA 1995 and MALD, 2011, and have a graduate degree in History from Fresno State, 2022. Middlebury awarded me an MA in Teaching of Foreign Language, in 2009.
Alia and I have lived In Monterey since 2005. Our children are married and engaged in their professional lives in New York.
Our biggest delight is our two granddaughters, the eldest turns four soon, and the youngest is about a year and a half old.
I remained part of the Pakistan Foreign Service for two decades and at the Defense Language Institute taught Urdu for thirteen years until 2018.
I joined the MPC pool of adjunct history instructors in 2022 and have taught courses in Gentrain, World History, US History, and History of World Religions.
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