Newsletter
of the Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago
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Welcome
to Our Sunday Morning Programs in November
•
DANIEL
MARCOTTE, popular minstrel singer known as Bardsong,
presents an intergenerational program, “Unicorns
and Dragons: Renaissance Songs and Stories,”
on Sunday, November 4th. A musician and storyteller
like the bards of ancient Wales and Ireland, Marcotte creates
unique story-songs from both ancient and modern melodies and
rhythms.
•
CALVIN
MORRIS, Executive Director of the Community Renewal
Society, speaks on Sunday, November 11th. His
topic is “Drugs and the American Criminal [In]-Justice
System.” A theologian and longtime South Side
social activist, Morris will discuss the disparities in criminal
sentencing as they affect people of color and their implications
for the broader society.
•
JIM
CONLON, conservation biologist and owner of Elysian
Energy consultants, speaks on Sunday, November 18th.
His topic is “Home Energy Efficiency: Saving Money
and the Environment.” Conlon will discuss energy
audits of our homes and describe strategies for cost-effective
and environmentally protective improvements in our uses of energy.
•
KAREN
HAIGH, Executive Director of the Family Development
Center at Governors State University, speaks on Sunday,
November 25th. Her topic is “Early Childhood
Learning: The Reggio Emilia Approach.” Haigh
will describe the U.S. adaptation of this open-ended educational
tradition that originated in Italy and focuses on teacher development
and community involvement.
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Coming
Activities and Events
•
A special TOWN MEETING of Society members is
planned for Sunday, November 4th, 12:30
to 2:00 p.m., in the auditorium.We’ll hear informative
reports from our many committee and activity chairs and discuss
how to better co-ordinate their work and communicate with our
membeship.
•
Our
SUNDAY MORNING COLLOQUIES are from 9:20
a.m. to 10 a.m., in the library. Led by Ken Novak, we meet
in a small, nonjudgmental group to share and examine how we
live our lives. This month’s topics are Heart on Nov.
4, Thoughtfulness on Nov. 11, Thoroughness on Nov. 18, and Character
on Nov. 25.
•
Our
READERS THEATRE GROUP meets on Monday, November
5th, at 7 p.m. Come and have fun. Read a play with us. For information,
call Susan Burck.
•
Our
SECOND SATURDAY COFFEE HOUSE, hosted by Vicki
Elberfeld, is on Saturday, November 10th, at
8 p.m. The featured performer will be Kat Eggleston,
virtuoso guitarist, dulcimer player, and songwriter, with a
striking, passionate, alto voice. Open-mike sign-up (all acoustic,
all genres) begins at 7:30 p.m. There is a $5 minimum
charge at the door, and moderately priced refreshments are available.
•
Our
next FICTION CIRCLE is on Sunday, November
11th, at 12:15 p.m. In this second omnigenerational
Fiction Circle, Ken Novak will lead a discussion of Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We’ll talk about
what we’ve learned from Harry’s, Ron’s, and
Hermione’s experiences as this phenomenal coming-of-age
series comes to a close. Readers of all ages are invited.
•
Our
DOCUMENTARY FILM NIGHT is on Friday,
November 16th, at 7:30 p.m. We’ll see
Found in China, with filmmaker Carolyn Stanek as special
guest host. The film follows six families who adopted baby girls
in China in the early ’90s and returned there with them
recently, focusing on the girls’ insights into their adoptions
and Asian American identities. A children’s film will
be shown concurrently; childcare will be provided. Coffee and
discussion follow—please bring snacks to share. For further
details see Marne Glaser, Paul Ozarowski, or David Wokosin.
•
Our
ETHNIC DINNER OUT is on Saturday, November
17th, at Tre Konor, 3758 W. Foster Ave., in Chicago.
We’ll enjoy the best Scandinavian fare, including Nor-wegian
salmon, pork tenderloin, Swedish meatballs with lingonberries,
rib eye with mushrooms, Malmo chicken breast, and ham. (BYOB.)
We’ll order at 5:00 p.m. If you’re coming, please
contact Richard Curren at or richard_curren@yahoo.com.
There’s only street parking—but come!
•
Our
FILM DISCUSSION GROUP, led by Alan Kimmel,
meets on Monday, November 19th, at 7:15 p.m.
We’ve again chosen two currently playing movies. Michael
Clayton is a lawsuit thriller written and directed by Tony Gilroy,
starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkerson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney
Pollack. Lars and the Real Girl is a comedic sexual fable directed
by Craig Gillespie, with Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, and Paul
Schneider.
•
Our
CREATIVE WRITERS GROUP, led by Milt Zerkin,
meets as usual on the fourth Sunday of the month, November 25th,
at 12:15 p.m. It’s a chance to share your short original
works with us. Newcomers are welcome.
•
Our
next ETHICAL HUMANITIES discussion is on Sunday,
December 2nd, at 12:15 p.m. We’ll discuss Stumbling on
Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University professor of
psychology. For an audio copy, contact Ken Novak at kennovak@gmail.com.
Recent
Sunday Programs
•
DAVID
KRAFT, director of the Nuclear Energy Information Service,
returned on September 16th to speak on “Nuclear
Power: No Help in a Global Warming World.” The
meeting was chaired by Lisa Crowe.
“They’re
back!” Kraft began, warning that in the guise of combating
global warming, the nuclear power industry is attempting “a
nuclear renaissance.” He pointed to the unsolved problem
of nuclear waste disposal, the great cost of nuclear reactor
construction, and the danger from possible earthquakes and terrorist
attacks. Even then, he claimed, little carbon would be kept
from the atmosphere.
“There
is another way to combat global warming,” Kraft said,
“through sustainable, renewable energy” such as
wind and solar power. He castigated government liability insurance
subsidies to the nuclear industry. Deriding energy companies
as “pushers,” he chided us for being “energy
addicts.” Kraft asked us to think of the “dumbest
uses of electricity” and urged that we “network
in reducing energy consumption.”
•
GLORIA
GROOM,
curator at the Art Institute of Chicago, returned on September
23rd to speak on “Spirituality, Mission,
and Modernism in the Art of Van Gogh and Gauguin.”
The meeting was chaired by Oliver Pergams.
Groom
contrasted the lives and work of painters Vincent Van Gogh and
Paul Gauguin. She discussed their “rivalrous friendship,”
pointing to their exchange of letters and paintings. She said
Van Gogh grew up with little religious dogma and came to have
a more humanist outlook. He wanted artists to “create
their own religion.” Gauguin, however, “could not
get away from his Catholic upbringing” and even saw himself
as a “Christ-like martyr,” she added.
Groom
showed many slides of their brilliantly colored and textured
paintings, highlighting Van Gogh’s recurring themes of
nature and peasant life and Gauguin’s “escape to
primitive societies.” She noted that Gauguin was the “more
personable” and had a greater following. Commenting on
our contemporary view of 19th century art, she said “a
return to the old-master techniques is a real positive thing.”
•
RAY
PARRISH,
counselor for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, spoke on
September 30th. His topic was “Home
from War: Helping Vets with Post-Combat Stress.” The
meeting was chaired by Marne Glaser.
Born
into a military family, and as a Vietnam War veteran, Parrish
described post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attributing
it to “a guilty conscience” and “a fear of
returning to war.” He said that PTSD afflicts many combat
veterans, making them unable to cope with civilian life. Parrish
criticized delays in VA treatment, ironically adding that many
who leave the military with less than honorable discharges because
of PTSD are excluded as ineligible. He charged the VA with “balancing
its budget on the backs of the vets.”
Parrish
said that veterans need “political therapy.” By
wearing our “Peace” buttons we show our support
for them, he added. Noting that he “debates the recruiters”
in the high schools, he called for “counter-recruiting.”
The veterans want “to be forgiven” and “to
hear ‘Welcome home.’” They need “to
trust America again,” he concluded.
•
BOB
BERSON, Leader of the Northern Westchester (NY) Ethical
Society, spoke on October 7th, as part of our
125th anniversary commemoration. His topic was “Felix
Adler and the Concept of Human Worth in Ethical Culture.”
The meeting was chaired by Jo-Ann Hoeppner.
“The
concept of human worth is a first principle of ethical culture,”
Bob declared. It is “necessary for an ethical philosophy
of life.” Differing from mere value, “the concept
is universal” and affirms that each human being is “irreplaceable,
indispensable, and unique,” he said. In its practical
application, he added, it is by seeking “to improve the
conditions of life that we allow the best in each of us to emerge.”
Bob
conceded that there is no limit to the human capacity for either
good or evil but pointed to our “powerful potentials for
decency.” He contended that it is by treating people humanely
that we remain human ourselves. “Our worth is manifested
in relationships,” he said. “It is through our affirmation
of worth that we act to elicit the best in others.” He
said that our “faith” is in “inquiry and questioning.”
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Our
People
•
Roslyn
Cole, mother of Matt Cole, died in Florida
on September 21st at the age of 96. Fondly known as Rozy, “she
touched anyone who knew her,” Matt recalls. Our condolences
to Matt, his wife Marilee, and to all who, like granddaughter
Dara said at her memorial, felt “bathed in your love.”
e
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Sunday
School Scoop
Last
month’s Children’s Fair was a great success, even
though the rain kept us inside. Thanks to all the parents and
volunteers who helped set up, run the games, and clean up—and
to the children and adults who stayed to eat, play, and be part
of the fun.
We’re
still collecting gently-used eyewear for Sight Night—to
be cleaned, repaired, and hand-delivered to individuals worldwide
who can’t otherwise access or afford them. We’ve
also begun a drive for the Niles Food Pantry. We ask that you
bring your donations and place them in the bin in the reception
area.
On
November 4th we’ll enjoy Dan Marcotte’s intergenerational
Renaissance song and story program. On November 18th we’ll
have a Sunday School Family Pot-Luck Breakfast at 9:30 a.m.,
with our Sunday School Committee starting a half hour earlier,
at 9:00 a.m. We hope to see all our families and friends there!
—Sharon
Appelquist, Director
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Notices
and Announcements
•
Our
special Building Fund Appeal has collected
$8,030. We salute the 50 members who reached beyond their normal
pledges to help pay for the beautiful new floor and entrance
way in the reception hall. Thank you!
•
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.
•
Our
Environmental Footprint Committee, chaired
by Lisa Crowe and David Wokosin, reminds us to put paper in
the blue recycling bins and to pay attention to the posted recycling
guidelines. The committee meets again on Sunday, November 18th,
at 9:30 a.m.
•
Our
Audio-Visual Committee is looking for volunteers
to assist in videotaping, audiorecording, and photographing
our Sunday programs. If interested, please contact Paul Ozarowski
for details. Training will be provided.
•
Our
Library’s new books include The Ruminations
and Fulminations of G.M.Wosk, by member Goldie Wosk, The
Persian Puzzle, by Kenneth Pollack, and Common Sense,
by Thomas Paine. Call Fred Malkinson with your suggestions
or to check out a book.
•
Jewel
“Shop and Share Days” are here again—from
Monday, November 12th, to Wednesday, November 14th. The Society
gets a 5-percent rebate on your purchases when you use the special
coupons available on the literature tables.
•
Entertainment
Books for 2008, with discounts for Chicago-area restaurants
and theaters, are for sale. They cost $20, with the $4 rebate
to the Society going to ethical action. To purchase one, contact
Sue Walton.
•
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, November 18th, 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, November
14th, 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.
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Annual
Pledge Drive Begins
Members
and friends of the Society are receiving pledge letters asking
them to recommit themselves financially to the values of our
Ethical Community. The goal for fiscal 2008 is $57,000. Any
member or friend who pledges a fair share of $600 ($1,200 for
a couple), or increases their prior year pledge by at least
20 percent, will be considered a “Sustaining Member”
and be so identified on our published pledge list. The fair
share amount is a member’s contribution toward our long-term
goal of having at least 50 percent of the budget coming from
the annual pledge drive. Thank you for your prompt and generous
response!
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Ethical
Action News
•
The
Ted Fund, a not-for-profit organization providing
quality summer and after-school programs for public school children
from low-income families in Evanston, has received a $300 donation
from the Society, it was announced by Ethical Action co-chairs
Brian Barnes and Marne Glaser in October.
The money is from the 10 percent share of our Sunday collections
designated for a local charity.
•
A
Volunteer Evening at the studios of WTTW
is planned during their Nov/Dec. pledge drive. A contingent
of Society members will be among the volunteers answering the
telephones on camera. Details on dates, hours, and sign-up are
to be announced.
•
We’ll
again be gathering new and like-new giftables for the Rice
Children’s Center Holiday Store in Evanston,
beginning November 25th. The items will be for Rice youngsters
to give to their loved ones for the holidays. For details, check
with Marne Glaser.
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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, Oliver Pergams, Renee Sullivan, 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
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