Elderhostel’s for People on Move

Ever consider returning to school to learn about modern music? English poetry? Art nouveau in Paris?

You should know about Elderhostel, a worldwide program for older learners who stay on college campuses for a week at a time.

A hotbed of local Elderhostel activity can be found at Loyola Marymount University, thanks in large part to the efforts of Joan Farrell, LMU’s answer to the quintessential house mother, tour director and entertainment chairman. Farrell’s secret is that she makes strangers feel like family.

A Culver City resident who says she stopped counting birthdays at 35, Farrell attended LMU in her 50s and earned a degree in hotel management. Just as she was about to launch her career, she suffered an accident that put her on disability. For a while, she recalls, she felt that her life was wasting away, but then she decided to return to the Westchester campus as a volunteer in the Continuing Education Department.

“I saw an older woman registering for a class who looked confused and lonely. And then I saw a group of older people standing around, all strangers, and I started talking to this woman and brought her over to the others,” she said. “That was the beginning, because this woman told Dr. (Joan) Fisher, (associate dean of the Continuing Education program), and I was assigned to help out with the Elderhostel program.”

Elderhostel is for people on the move, intellectually and geographically. Last year, the program drew 200,000 participants to about 2,000 locations in more than 40 countries. Although most of its classes are based at colleges, some also are offered at museums, libraries and cultural-recreation organizations such as YMCAs. Students live in dormitories and are offered three courses that meet for 60 to 90 minutes each weekday. The typical charge for a six-night program in the United States is $275.

When Fisher asked Farrell to manage its Elderhostel as a paid staff member, she decided to attend a session at another school for the experience. One of her interests was North American Indians, so she spent a week studying them at Central Arizona College.

“I was the stranger,” she said. “My roommate drove a huge motor home from Maine with just her dog as a companion. . . . I thought this was terrific. She wasn’t the slightest bit afraid to go out and try new things. That’s why I call our students seekers.”

Farrell understands the aches, pains, and worries of her “family,” many of whom are single women over the age of 70. She also knows that studying is half the fun. In her four years running the program, she has seen lifetime friendships created and one romance flourish into marriage. She has a mailbox filled with letters and cards.

“This program has taught me to express myself and made me see that we don’t have to sit home and worry about ourselves,” she said. “I’d like to see more men enroll and more people who have never been to college before participate. This would make a great gift for adult children to give to their parents--to show how much they appreciate their education or just for love.”

Loyola Marymount’s program is filled for this summer, but Farrell invites people to come by for a visit and for a look at how the program works.

For information about the Elderhostel program, write to: ELDERHOSTEL, 75 Federal St., Boston, MA, 02110. Elderhostel’s publication can also be found at many public libraries. For information about the Loyola Marymount program, call Joan Farrell at (213) 338-2757)

Bulletin Board

Volunteer Luncheon--The Hollywood Senior Citizen Multipurpose Center will hold an orientation luncheon for people 50 and older who are interested in volunteering their time; 6501 Fountain Ave., Hollywood; noon Wednesday; information: (213) 465-2158 (free).

Senior Advisory Council--The West Hollywood Senior Advisory Council will present a program on the Bill of Rights; Werle Building, 626 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood; 2 p.m. Thursday; information: (213) 851-8202 (free).

Vision Screenings--The Pacific Coast Eye Center will offer vision screening tests; Suite 405, 435 Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills; for appointments and information: (213) 274-1112 (free).

Classes Offered--The Westminster Senior Center is offering a series of classes in various subjects; the center also is organizing a men’s support group; 1234 Pacific Ave., Venice; information: call Rosanne Mangio at (213) 392-5566.

Art Class--Pico-Robertson Senior Center; 8838 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles; 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays; information: (213) 271-3306.