Newsletter

Newsletter of the Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago

January 2008

Welcome to Our Sunday Morning Programs in January

• DAVID BUMBAUGH, Professor of Ministry at Meadville Lombard Theological School, returns to open our Living Ethics series on Sunday, January 6th. He will speak on "Blue Birds Over the White Cliffs of Dover? The Promises of WWII." After watching Ken Burns' docu-mentary The War, Bumbaugh has been induced to reflect on what society has done with the opportunity purchased at so great a cost by the generation that fought in that global struggle.

• JOEL BLEIFUSS, editor and publisher of In These Times, continues our Living Ethics series on Sunday, January 13th. He will speak on "The Mess In Iraq: Is the Mainstream Media to Blame?" Bleifuss will discuss the role of the independent press in American politics and how it has helped expose the complicity of major news outlets in selling the Iraq war to the public.

• PHILIP HOCKBERGER, professor of physiology at Northwestern University Institute of Neuroscience, returns to continue our Living Ethics series on Sunday, January 20th. His topic is "The Nature of Consciousness." Hockberger will describe the research in neuroscience and cell biology that has expanded our understanding of self-awareness and the role of the human subconscious in every-day experiences.

• JIM KENNEY, executive director of Common Ground, returns to conclude our Living Ethics series on Sunday, January 27th. His topic is "Religion, Violence, and God." Kenney will discuss how religion became inter-twined with violence in the minds of thoughtful people and became "the most terrifying face of our age." How, he asks, even in the enlightened 20th century, was "God's name taken so often in vain."

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Coming Activities and Events

• Our SUNDAY MORNING COLLOQUIES are from 9:20 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., in the library. Led by Ken Novak, we meet in a small, group to share and examine how we live our lives. This month's topics: Community on Jan. 6, Integrity on Jan. 13, Meditation on Jan 20, and Strength on Jan. 27.

• Our FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES resumes on Friday, January 4th. We'll see a universally admired work by the late director Robert Altman: a dark and compelling tour de force set in a brothel in the Old West. Julie Christie and Warren Beatty brilliantly headline this film gemstone. We begin promptly at 7:17 p.m.

• Our FICTION CIRCLE is on Sunday, January 6th, at 12:20 p.m. Ken Novak will lead a discussion on A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. Unlike his earlier The Kite Runner, this novel focuses not on male relationships but on friendships between women in modern Afghanistan.

• Our READERS THEATRE GROUP will not meet in January, February and March. For information on this group, contact Susan Burck.

• Our SECOND SATURDAY COFFEE HOUSE is on Saturday, January 12th, at 8:00 p.m. David and Gail Hardesty, folksingers, and Ken Novak and Vicki Elberfeld, writers/storytellers, headline a program of Song and Sketches for a Winter's Night. Susan Burck will emcee. Open-mike sign-up (all acoustic, all genres) begins at 7:30p.m. There is a $5 minimum charge at the door, and moderately priced refreshments are available.

• Our next DOCUMENTARY FILM will be on two nights. On Friday, January 18th, at 7:15 p.m., we'll see the first half of Adam Curtis's The Century of the Self, the sometimes controversial story of the growth of mass-consumer society. On Friday, February 1st, we'll see the second half of the film, after starting with the light-hearted animated short The Story of Stuff. An extended discussion will follow. Children's films will be shown concurrently; child-care will be provided. Coffee will follow--please bring snacks to share. For further details see Marne Glaser, Paul Ozarowski, or David Wokosin.

• Our ETHNIC DINNER OUT is on Saturday, January 19th at Kabul House, 3320 W. Dempster St., in Skokie. Join us to feast on fine Afghan food, including kebobs, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian dishes. There 's free parking. We'll order at 5:00 p.m. Contact Richard Curren at 773-743-7976 or richard_curren@yahoo.com to say your coming.

• Our FILM DISCUSSION GROUP, led by Alan Kimmel, meets on Monday, January 21st, at 7:15 p.m. We've again chosen two currently playing movies. Juno is a sarcastic, light-hearted drama of how a teenager deals with her pregnancy. It was directed by Jason Reitman and stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Atonement is a tragic, fate-driven, romantic tale directed by Joe Wright, with James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, and Vanessa Redgrave.

• A second TOWN MEETING of the Society will be held on Sunday, January 27th, at 12:30 p.m. We'll continue the discussions we began on November 4th on how better to coordinate the work of our committees and to improve communication with our membership. All are welcome.

• Our CREATIVE WRITERS GROUP, led by Milt Zerkin, meets as usual on the fourth Sunday of the month, January 27th, at 12:15 p.m. It's a chance to share your short original works with us. Newcomers are welcome.

Recent Sunday Programs

• CALVIN MORRIS, Executive Director of the Community Renewal Society, spoke on November 11th. His topic was "Drugs and the American Criminal [In]-Justice System." The meeting was chaired by Steve Julstrom. Rev. Morris began by singing a Baptist hymn, whose incantation, "I've got hope on the inside, working on the outside," reflected his vision of a world "more elevated in its humanity toward other people and nations." But he condemned our "draconian drug laws" and a society that is "focused on punishment, not prevention and treatment." He pointed to a disparity in arrests and sentencing for drug crimes in minority communities, and charged that the justice system is not a just one for many people. "It is skewed against people of color." He said the Community Renewal Society works to expunge the records of non-violent drug offenders and to care for their families. He went on to call for a humanizing of our culture despite the difficulty in fighting "our self righteousness."

• JIM CONLON, conservation biologist, spoke on November 18th. His topic was "Home Energy Efficiency: Saving Money and the Environment." The meeting was chaired by David Wokosin. With a background in ecosystem management, Conlon emphasized energy efficiency, especially in the home. He said "we're motivated by both our pocketbooks and our admiration for the land." Noting how heat energy is transferred in nature, he described the energy cycle from source to use. In the home, he said, the biggest energy loss is in heat, noting that "proper insulation can drastically reduce heating bills." Conlon listed various improvements that can reduce heat loss. They ranged from no-cost steps such as lowering thermostat settings, unblocking radiators and heat vents, and cleaning refrigerator and air conditioning coils, to low-cost steps, such as drapes, circulating fans, weather stripping and caulking, insulated water heaters and pipes, and low-flow shower heads, to major steps, such as added roof insulation, solar water heaters, and high performance windows.

• KAREN HAIGH, Executive Director of the Family Development Center at Governors State University, spoke on November 25th. Her topic was "Early Childhood Learning: The Reggio Emilia Approach." The meeting was chaired by Mimi Sarwark. Haigh described the U.S. adaptation of this open-ended educational tradition for preschool children that originated in 1945 in Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy, as "the community to create something positive and full of hope for the future." This teaching approach, already adopted in many schools in the United States and as other countries, "encourages relationships and communication" and "gives careful thoughts to the rights of children," said Haigh. Haigh went on to detail the Guiding Principles of the Reggio Emilia approach and further advocated that children "have to be taken seriously." She said they have rights as well as needs, and that the Reggio Emilia approach is successful because it focuses on "children's potentials rather than their deficits."

• CHUCK MERTZ, WNUR talk show host, spoke on December 2nd. His topic was "This is Hell! How Not to Make Money in Radio." The meeting was chaired by Paul Ozarowski. Mertz revealed that WNUR is an all-volunteer station with an annual budget of only $75,000. He said it is popular among a hard core of listeners but its occasional criticism of Israel has been frowned on by the mainstream media. Complaining that "left wing individuals are muzzled" by the mainstream media, Mertz said that WNUR is not enamored of ill-informed celebrities but turns to real experts. "I don't have an agenda," Mertz said. "By joining one side or the other you are forfeiting the possibility of getting your message to the other side." He noted that his use of humor related to senior topics has often infuriated left wing partisans. Mertz concluded with the quote he uses to close his show: "Everyone is stupid! Please question everything I say."

• CANDACE GORMAN, civil rights attorney, spoke December 9th on "Guantanamo: America's Gulag." The meeting was chaired by Ken Novak. An attorney for 25 years, Gorman said she got involved in Guantanamo litigation and became the attorney for two prisoners at the infamous prison after learning of the inhumane conditions they faced. She charged that Bush administration anti-terrorism policies compromise the detainees' civil rights by denying them the right to know what they are accused of and who their accusers are. She charged that prisoners are subjected to indefinite detention, lack necessary medical attention, and are subjected to aggressive interrogation, including torture. Gorman urged Americans who want to get involved to contact their local member of Congress and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a nonprofit legal organization in New York City dedicated to organizing and providing legal assistance to Guantanamo detainees. For more information, she pointed to her own website and blog at gtmoblog.blogspot.com.

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Our People

• Dan and Mary Kaplan have joined the Society. They live in Wilmette and have three children in the Sunday School--Ethan, Brendan, and Renee. Dan is a consultant to local government, Mary a stay-at-home mom. "We came for the speakers and found a community where it felt good to talk to people about issues," says Dan. Welcome, we're glad you found us!

• David Hardesty, who joined the Society in 2005 along with his wife, Gail, and quickly plunged into one Society activity after another, was appointed to the Board of Trustees at its December 12th meeting. David replaces Claude Williams, who had resigned. Thanks for your past work on the Board, Claude, and welcome to you, David!

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Sunday School Scoop

Our Winter Festival, marking the last program of 2007, was filled with all our Ethical traditions--the mitten tree, decorated with food and clothing to warm people in need, performances by our children, holiday carols, and our candle-lighting ceremony, with Tom Hoeppner overseeing it all with his usual grace and style. Thanks to the YES group for writing and producing the play and to everyone else who participated! This year we contributed to the Chicago Sun-Times "Letters to Santa" program, answering the special holiday wishes of 15 children, and we planned to make lunches for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter. This month we'll celebrate Martin Luther King Day with a program of "Music of the Movement," learning and singing some of the important songs of the civil rights movement. A very Happy New Year to all!

—Sharon Appelquist, Director

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Notices and Announcements

• Our Annual Pledge Drive has been underway for only two months and already we have raised $33,139, or 58 per-cent of our $57,000 goal. These pledges are from 55 members, of whom 29 are Sustaining Members, those whose "fair share" pledges exceed $600 or are up 20 percent from last year. We appreciate their generosity and ask those who haven't yet pledged to please do so as soon as possible.

• Ethical Action called for volunteers and out they came on a snowy, icy night to answer phones for the winter pledge drive at WTTW Channel 11. Flanking the public TV studio and gracing the camera in new black and white Ethical t-shirts were Gail and David Hardesty, Ken Novak, Hana Hovorka, John Ungashick, Sheila Curren, Norma Haber, Rosamond Shee, Roz Trapp, Sue and Scott Walton, Paul Ozarowski, and Ethical Action co-chair Marne Glaser. A great fun night and good community service!

• The Environmental Footprint Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 13th. All are welcome; please email environmental@ethicalhuman.org with any issues for discussion.

• A Hot Dogs and Sloppy Joes Fundraiser Coffee Hour is planned for Sunday, January 13th, at noon. Join us for steamy "dogs" and homemade "Joes," hosted by the YES group and the Special Events Committee. Get one on a bun for $5, served with chips, soda, and dessert. A tasty value!

• The Environmental Footprint Committee will host another Compact Flourescent Lamp Sale during the Coffee Hour on Sunday, January 20th. Here is another chance to get a good deal on these energy-saving bulbs!

• A New Society in New Mexico? An exploratory group for starting an Ethical Society in Albuquerque is meeting on Sunday morning, February 3rd. If you know of anyone in the area familiar with Ethical Culture, please contact Kathi Foy, AEU Leader-at-large , at kathifoyesnm@gmail.com for details and directions. Dorothy Lockhart, a member of our Society now living in New Mexico, is among the organizers of the group.

• Our Tribute Fund is a convenient, caring way we can 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.

• Membership in the Society is open to those who share our ethical outlook and wish to join our caring community. The next Membership Orientation is on Sunday, January 20th, at 12:15 p.m. To discuss membership, you can also contact Membership Chair Tom Hoeppner.

• Try Public transportation to our Sunday meetings. The #290 PACE bus leaves the Howard L station at 9:30 a.m. and goes to Touhy Ave. and Cicero Ave. (Skokie Blvd.). It's then a short walk to our building. A return #290 bus to the Howard station leaves Touhy and Cicero at 1:20 p.m.

• Our Board of Trustees meets on Wednesday, January 9th, at 7:15 p.m. Society members are welcome to attend.

• The electronic edition of our newsletter comes sooner and saves us postage. Email a request to the office, noting pdfnewsletter as the subject and your name and address. If you're not a member, a contributing friend, or new on our mailing list, a subscription to the mailed newsletter is $20 per year.

• Our Weekly Program Update is emailed to anyone who wants to be regularly informed of the coming weeks meetings and activities. To be on the list, send an email to programinfo@ethical human.org or call the office.

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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, Lisa Crowe, Sheila Caplan Curren, David Hardesty, Oliver Pergams, Renee Sullivan

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