Is our country in danger of conformity? Is history about to repeat itself?

Jerry Ciarcia, a Wareham native who is now a resident of Marion, posed these questions to a group of elderly citizens in a meeting room in Buzzards Bay, and he's about to bring similar discussions to Wareham.

Ciarcia leads “Never Stop Learning,” a program that welcomes residents of all ages, meets monthly, and discusses historical events, figures, and books.

The program's introductory meeting will be at the Wareham Free Library on Nov. 29 beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The meeting will center on Christopher Columbus' life including his four voyages to America, what he was searching for, and what he loved. Ciarcia also plans on discussing Amerigo Vespucci's role and why America was named after him.

During the meeting in Buzzards Bay, Ciarcia discussed "Prisoners of Principles:" historical figures that challenged the status quo and ways of thinking, eventually changing the world.

“None of these guys were conformists, they were leaders,” said Ciarcia. “It's wonderful to read the history about all these different people and they're just as exciting as a lot of the characters in the novels [people] write.”

Ciarcia has been a “history buff” for years. He first began discussions groups in Florida, where he moved for retirement 20 years ago. He's now hosted the group in Buzzards Bay for two years. Though he's hosted the program in Wareham before, he stopped for a while due to health reasons. Collaborating with Michael Carlozzi, the library's new director, Ciarcia will bring the program back to Wareham.

He gives out an outline at the beginning of all the meetings so attendees could follow along. All those in the group are encouraged to speak up and take part of the discussions.

“[Never Stop Learning] feels that it's important that we keep learning,” said Ciarcia. At 92-years-old, he said learning and reading help him keep his brain and memory sharp.