The Monteagle Sunday School Assembly in Monteagle continues its 142nd consecutive summer season of enrichment with an interdenominational worship service at 11 a.m. in the Assembly’s Warren Chapel. The season will continue through Sunday, Aug. 4, featuring numerous visiting lecturers who will present morning and evening programs that are open free of charge to the public; unless otherwise noted, morning lectures begin at 10:45 a.m. and evening lectures at 7:45 p.m. Anyone interested in a full schedule of the Monteagle Assembly’s 2024 program is welcome to pick one up at the Assembly Office (tel. (931) 924-2286), or to peruse the schedule on the Assembly’s website at .

Former Tennessean columnist and political advisor Keel Hunt is no stranger to Tennessee politics. Hunt joined Lamar Alexander’s 1978 campaign for governor as research director and speechwriter, then joined Governor Alexander’s team as a special advisor. Among his books are “Coup: The Day the Democrats Ousted Their Governor,” about the unexpected (and, in today’s time, unimaginable) series of events that led Alexander to take the oath of office three days earlier than originally planned to prevent the incumbent governor, Ray Blanton, from signing pardons that many suspected — with good reason — were granted as a result of bribes. Leaders from both parties worked together to execute the unannounced swearing in, a testament to a state once known as unusually bipartisan in the American south. Hunt continues to write about Tennessee politics. He will lecture Thursday night on the topic, “Whatever Happened to Tennessee?”

Richard Courtney is known in Nashville as “the Beatles guy”: a real estate broker with a weekly Beatlemania radio show (called, of course, “From Me To You”) on Nashville’s Hippie Radio, 94.5 FM. Courtney has also written two books on the band, “I Never Saw a Beatle” and “Come Together: The Business Wisdom of the Beatles,” published in 2011. Courtney will give a lecture on “The Beatles” Wednesday morning, then read from his most recent book at 2:30 p.m., Thursday in the Writers’ Grove.

When Greta Gerwig’s movie, “Barbie,” hit theaters last July, it became an instant hit, with groups of friends returning to theaters to watch it multiple times. Barbie has long been an icon, one that has (re-)captured the interest of Kate Monaghan, a trained sociologist who’s interested in Barbie’s impact on American culture. After retiring in 2019, Monaghan fell in love with collecting the dolls and their clothing from reasonably-priced sources. Her lecture about “Barbie: The toy, the doll, the icon!” takes place Tuesday morning, with a screening of the “Barbie” movie to follow that evening in the Auditorium at 7:45 p.m.

Additional events include:

Friday, July 12, 10:45 a.m., Warren Chapel — Dr. Robert Pearigen lectures on “The Ever-Changing Trends of Getting into College and How Sewanee Has Adapted.”

Friday, July 12, 2:30 p.m., Writers’ Grove (rain location: Warren Chapel) — Rabbi Bruce Alt reads from Dr. Marc Grobin’s book, “Healing the Heart of Conflict.”

Saturday, July 13, 5:30-8:15 p.m., The Mall — Jazz Picnic with Art Four Sale Band. Bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Monday, July 15, 6:00 p.m., Mall Gazebo — Final Crossings gospel band performs before Twilight Prayers, which begins at 7:00 pm.

Tuesday, July 16, 2:30 p.m., Pulliam Center — The Art of Flower Pressing workshop, with Capell Simmons instructing. Advance registration required; $30 materials fee.

Tuesday, July 16, 3 p.m., Harton Hall — Cooking Demonstration and Tasting with Chef Tom. Advance registration required; $20 fee.

Thursday, July 18, 10:45 a.m., Warren Chapel — The Whimsical and Amazing Furniture of Tommy Simpson lecture with Oscar Fitzgerald.

Thursday, July 18, 3:30 p.m., Lexington cottage (#9)—Special program on Creating Non-Alcoholic Cocktails with Jim Rogan, mixologist and presenter. Advance registration required.

Friday, July 19, Assembly Grounds — 60th Woman’s Association Cottage Tour (10 a.m.–3 p.m.) and Bazaar (9 a.m.–3 p.m.). Car pass, tour ticket, and box lunch may be reserved and paid online or at the MSSA office.

The Mission of the MSSA is to be a welcoming community of Christian faith where people gather to engage in spiritual growth and renewal, lifelong inquiry and learning, recreational, and cultural enrichment, while being good stewards of our natural resources and our Assembly heritage.