Newsletter

Newsletter of the Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago

February 2007

Welcome to Our Sunday Morning Programs in February

• MEADE PALIDOFSKY, Artistic Director of the Music Theatre Workshop, speaks on Sunday, February 4th. Her topic is “Music Theatre Workshop: Changing Young Lives Dramatically.” As featured on public TV and radio, Palidofsky will describe how she creates, produces, and performs original musical theater, based on the personal stories of participants, as a means of effecting positive change in the lives of young people.

• MIKE QUIGLEY, 10th district Cook County Commissioner, speaks on Sunday, February 11th. His topic is “The Education of a Political Independent.” A leading reform spokesman and professor of political science at Loyola University, Quigley will discuss the ethical and moral issues effecting positive change in local government.

• NANCY FLANNERY, a videographer and Board member of the Midwest chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association speaks on Sunday, February 18th. Her topic is “The Politics of Art: New Deal Murals and Local Personalities.” Flannery will describe many of the murals commissioned by the Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration (WPA) back in the 1930s. She will discuss how these often-controversial works of art stimulated and reflected the nation’s emergence from the Great Depression.

• DANIEL THOMANN, a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law and convener of the Chicago Alliance for the International Criminal Court (CAICC), speaks on Sunday, February 25th. His topic is “The International Criminal Court and the United States.” Thomann will describe his work in developing local strategies to assure U.S. government support for the Court so that war criminals can be brought to justice when nations are unable or unwilling.

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Coming Activities and Events

• Our SUNDAY MORNING COLLOQUIES, led by Ken Novak, are in the library from 9:20 to 10 a.m. This month’s themes are Envy on Feb. 4, Wonder on Feb. 11, Evil on Feb. 18, and Gifts on Feb. 25. These small gatherings are designed to create a safe time and place to examine how we live our lives. At these sessions, we wait our turn and avoid advice, and then we don’t repeat what we hear to others.

• Our FIRST FRIDAY WINTER MOVIE SERIES, hosted by Dick Carney, continues on February 2nd. We’ll see a thrilling tale about two attractive female buddies on a kind of cathartic, feminist, spiritually uplifting road trip—until the final scene when there is a major downturn. The curtain rises precisely at 7:17 p.m. Afterward we’ll enjoy light refreshments.

• Our ETHICAL HUMANITIES non-fiction discussion group, led by Ken Novak, meets on Sunday, February 4th, at 12:20 p.m. We’ll discuss the life and work of Czech writer Franz Kafka, using excerpts from the graphic biography Introducing Kafka, written by David Zane Mairowitz and heavily illustrated by cartoonist Robert Crumb.

• Our READERS THEATER GROUP, led by Susan Burck, gets together on Monday, February 5th, at 7 p.m. We’ll have our usual fun, reading a short play in an informal, friendly setting. Everyone is welcome. For information, contact Susan at burck@earthlink.net.

• Our Second Saturday Coffeehouse hosted by Vicki Elberfeld, is on February 10th, at 8 p.m. The featured performer will be storyteller/musician Joe Jekot, who will present “Tales of Love,” the story of Cupid and Psyche, along with humorous, heartfelt personal tales. Signup for our open mike (any genre, all acoustic) begins at 7:30 p.m. There are a $5 minimum donation at the door and moderately priced refreshments.

• Our KNITTING & CONVERSATION evening with Vicki, Teri, and Marla is on Tuesday, February 13th, at 7:30 p.m., at the home of Vicki Elberfeld in Park Ridge. If you’d like, bring any already begun projects—yarn, needles, and instructions will be available. Needle pointers and crocheters also are welcome. To tell Vicki you’re coming and for directions.

• Our FILM DISCUSSION GROUP, led by Alan Kimmel, meets on Monday, February 19th, at 7:15 p.m. Two currently playing films have again been chosen. Pam’s Labyrinth is an adult fairy tale set in the violent aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. In Spanish with English subtitles, it was directed by Guillermo del Toro and stars Ivana Baquero. Venus is about an intriguing, unlikely relationship between an elderly man and a much younger woman. It was directed by Roger Michell and stars Peter O’Toole, Jodie Whittaker, and Vanessa Redgrave.

• Our DOCUMENTARY FILM NIGHT, hosted by Marne Glaser and Paul Ozarowski, is on Friday, February 16th, at 7:30 p.m. We’ll see Black Indians: An American Story, narrated by James Earl Jones. Acclaimed as the best Native American film of 2001, it explores the often-ignored issue of identity for two minority peoples. There will also be a concurrent showing of a children’s film. Refreshments and a discussion will follow.

• Our ETHNIC DINNER OUT is on Saturday, February 17th, at the Czerwone Jabluszko (Red Apple), 6474 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Chicago. We’ll enjoy a fantastic Polish buffet, including roast beef, turkey, chicken, pork cutlets, veal, roast duck, schnitzels, beef stroganoff, soup, and ice cream—all for only $8.49! We order at 5:30 p.m. Don’t miss this February treat. Contact Richard Curren at richard_curren@yahoo.com to say you’re coming.

• Our CREATIVE WRITERS GROUP, led by Milt Zerkin, meets on the fourth Sunday this month, February 25th, at 12:30 p.m. We’ll again be sharing our original short works. As always, newcomers are welcome.

• Our next FICTION CIRCLE, led by Ken Novak, is on Sunday, March 4th, at 12:20 p.m. We’ll discuss Geraldine Brooks’ popular Pulitzer Prize winning novel March. It shows the Civil War through the eyes of a character based on Bronson Alcott, father of novelist Louisa May Alcott, friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and noted transcendentalist and educational thinker. The book is available in libraries and book stores. If you’re vision-impaired, you can call Ken to borrow his audio CD.

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Recent Sunday Programs

• JEROME MCDONNELL, WBEZ radio’s Worldview talk show host, opened our annual Living Ethics series on January 7th. His topic was “Global Activists: People Who Make the World a Better Place.” The meeting was chaired by Cynthia Diaz.

McDonnell spoke about his WBEZ Global Activism series, in which he has talked to “people who are doing something” about complex, depressing problems around the world. He described the work of a woman who is collecting thousands of pairs of shoes for poor people in Costa Rica. He talked about volunteers who have raised money for the poor in India, established an orphanage in Nepal, and set up a women’s education fund in Senegal. He praised the work of the Association for a More Just Society in Honduras against land injustice and for the rights of community security guards.

McDonnell especially singled out women’s and health issues as needing the most attention. He stressed the need to make long-term differences and not just give money away. He deplored our “embarrassing commercials” and the “awards racket” and called for changes in U.S. government policies in developing countries.

• GEOFFREY STONE, professor of law at the University of Chicago, continued our Living Ethics series on January 14th. His topic was “Perilous Times: Civil Liberties in Wartime.” The meeting was chaired by Brian Barnes.

Stone observed that the struggle to maintain our civil liberties in times of war is not new but goes back to the founding of the U.S. The dangers posed by wartime, he said, “creates fear and intolerance” and “makes wise decisions difficult.” He cited the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which defied the Constitution’s newly adopted Bill of Rights at a time of possible war with France. He cited President Lincoln’s bypassing of the courts in suspending the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War. He cited the Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918, which stifled criticism of U.S. participation in World War I.

Stone also mentioned the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the McCarthyite redhunt of the 1950s, and illegal surveillance of Vietnam War opponents. “We’ve come a long way” in protecting our civil liberties since then, he said, but the threat of overreaction to a perceived external danger “remains a challenge to a democratic society,” he concluded.

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Worth Repeating...

I do not see Christianity and secular humanism as enemies, reflecting mutually exclusive values. Indeed I believe the aim of both Christianity and humanism is to seek and to encourage the expansion of human life. The differences are found in what each believes is necessary to achieve that goal and the definition of the goal itself.

In the struggle to humanize our world I think that Christianity and humanism are allies not enemies. Secular humanists have, however, frequently experienced Christianity as narrow, prejudiced, and imperialsitic. Christians have experienced secular humanism as anti-religious and anti-Christian. I believe both stereotypes are false….Secular humanism is not my enemy. It is my ally in the struggle for justice.

—Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong

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Our People

• John and Mimi Sarwark have joined the Society. They live in Glenview. John is the head of orthopedics at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and Mimi is a 6th grade science teacher in Glenview. Long interested in humanism, they found us through an article last year in the Chicago Tribune. Welcome, John and Mimi—we hope you make a lot of friends here!

• Mary Novakovich is the new coordinator of our newsletter mailing team. She replaces Helen Smith, who has done a great job for many years in seeing that the newsletter gets out every month. Thanks so much for your tireless, reliable work, Helen; and welcome, Mary, as you take on this critical responsibility!

• Charlotte Becker, a member for many years, is now living at the Paradise Park assisted living facility, 22 Lilac Ave., Fox Lake, IL 60020-1818. She would appreciate calls, cards, letters, and visits.

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Sunday School Scoop

On the first Sunday of last month we talked about homelessness, with our 3rd–5th graders making key chains for Habitat for Humanity’s new homeowners. On the next Sunday the topic was civil rights, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. The following Sunday we celebrated the culture of Native Americans, with their traditional children’s games, stories, crafts, and foods. We ended the month by discussing Renewable Energy, with thanks to Mike Rush for lending his expertise.

At the beginning of this month we’ll be talking about Friends and Love. Later in the month we’ll celebrate Chinese New Year and Darwin Day. On the last Sunday of February, the Sunday School will have a hot dog and popcorn sale during coffee hour to benefit the Society—so plan on staying for lunch. Also this month our Coming of Age group is taking a trip to St. Louis to visit their counterparts at the St. Louis Society. They’ll sleep over on Saturday night and stay for Sunday School before returning home.

Our Sunday School is continuing to grow, with new families coming in pretty regularly. We encourage everyone to make a point of seeking out the new faces and saying hello!

—Sharon Appelquist, Director

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Notices and Announcements

• Our Annual Pledge Drive has reached the 92 percent mark. By mid-January, 104 members had pledged $50,539 toward our goal of $55,000. Of the pledges, 44 are from Sustaining Members. If you haven't haven’t yet made a pledge, Treasurer John Ungashick asks that you send it in this month—even if you can’t pay the whole amount right away. If you have questions, please contact John at jungasick@aol.com.

• Our Ethical Action Committee, chaired by Brian Barnes, is donating $300 to the Association for a More Just Society and its efforts to achieve social justice in Honduras. Suggested by Sunday speaker Jerome McDonnell, the money is from the 10 percent share of our Sunday collections that is earmarked for charity.

• The Society library, supervised by Fred Malkinson, has some new acquisitions. Among them are speaker Geoffrey Stone’s Perilous Times and Stephen Kinzer’s Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. Come in and browse, then check out a book.

• The Noon Social Hour is a highlight of our Sunday meetings. Members and friends are invited to bring fresh finger-food snacks for everyone’s enjoyment. Based on your last name, we suggest the following monthly schedule: 1st Sunday: A–D; 2nd Sunday: E–K; 3rd Sunday: L–P; 4th Sunday: Q–Z; 5th Sunday: all. Coffee, tea, and snacks are not available until noon and they should not be taken into the auditorium. If you need a java hit before noon, please drink it before you come to the building. Thanks!

• Interested in election to the Board of Trustees at our June 7th Annual Meeting? Contact the Board Nominating Committee: John Ungashick, Sue Walton, Peter Less, Sharon Appelquist, or Renee Sullivan. Four slots will be open—those of Ed Drower and Peter Less, who are retiring, and Matt Cole and John Ungashick, who are running for reelecton. The next meeting of the Board is on Wednesday, February 14th, at 7:15 p.m., in the library. Any Society member is welcome to attend.

• Membership in the Society is open to all who share our ethical goals. For information about us or the Ethical movement, talk to Membership Chair Tom Hoeppner, Our next Membership Orientation is on Sunday, February 11th, at 12:00 p.m.

• Our Tribute Fund is a convenient way to publicly honor each other—with congratulations on a birthday, anniversary, or graduation, condolences on the loss of a loved one, wishes for recovery from an illness, or hailing a good deed. Get a Tribute form on a literature table.

• Newsletter subscriptions are $20 per year—if you’re not a member, a contributing friend, or new on our mailing list. Get the free pdf edition by e-mailing the office (include pdfnewsletter as the subject and your name and address). You can pick up a free printed newsletter at our building.

• Ride public transportation to our Sunday morning meet- ings. The #290 PACE bus leaves the Howard L station at 9:30 a.m. and goes along Touhy Ave. to Cicero Ave. From there it’s a short walk to our building. A return #290 bus to the Howard station leaves Touhy and Cicero at 1:20 p.m.

• To meet the March newsletter deadline, editor Alan Kimmel asks that you give him any reports of Society activities no later than Sunday, February 18th. Thanks!

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About Us

The Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago is a democratic fellowship and spiritual home for those who seek a rational, compassionate philosophy of life without regard to belief or nonbelief in a supreme being. We value the importance of living an ethical, responsible, and joyful life. We promote intellectual, philosophical, and artistic freedom, avoiding dogma and rigid creed. We nurture a sense of wonder about life, nature, and the universe, and are inspired by models of human achievement. Shaped by the forces of humanism, democracy, science, and religious reform, we cherish human diversity and focus on what we have in common, not on what keeps us apart.

While respectful of the faiths and traditions we may have been born to, we serve as a new religion or as an alternative to religion.

We care for and support each other, sharing our joys and sorrows. Like traditional religious communities, we celebrate births, conduct wedding ceremonies, host memorial services, and provide for the caring, ethical education of our children.

We believe in deed beyond creed and in working for a better world. We recognize the worth and dignity of every person, and strive to act so as to bring out the best in others and thereby in ourselves.

Meetings of the Ethical Humanist Society are at our home in the Greiner Center, 7574 N. Lincoln Ave., Skokie, IL 60077. Sunday meetings start at 10:30 a.m. Refreshments and a social hour follow the program. Child care is available. Everyone is welcome. If you need transportation, please call the Society office by 1 p.m. Friday. We will try to get a ride for you. The Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago was founded in 1882. The Society is a member of the American Ethical Union.

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The Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago, founded in 1882, is a member of the American Ethical Union.

Officers and Trustees: Scott Walton, President; Matt Cole &
Dick Carney, Vice Presidents; Paul Ozarowski, Secretary; John Ungashick, Treasurer; Yolanda Adler, Joe Burck, Sheila Caplan Curren, Ed Drower, Peter Less, Oliver Pergams, Claude Williams

Sunday School Director: Sharon Appelquist
Office Administrator: Alison Martin
Newsletter Editor: Alan Kimmel
Ethical Officiants: Marne Glaser, Jo-Ann Hoeppner, Tom Hoeppner, Ken Novak
AEU Representative: Tom Hoeppner
Webmaster: Simeon Carson