Newsletter

Newsletter of the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago

September 2008

Welcome to Our Seaon-Opening Sunday Morning Programs

• FRITZ WILLIAMS, retired Leader of the Baltimore Ethical Society, returns to open our new season on Sunday, September 7th, with a personal retrospective talk on “The Voice of a Storyteller.” An Episcopal priest and television producer before he became an Ethical Leader, Williams will discuss his being transformed by discovering his own emerging life story—and coming to appreciate storytelling as “a uniquely powerful vehicle for exploring the depths of our development as human beings.”

• ROBERT KOEHLER, an editor at Tribune Media Services and a noted Chicago-area journalist and columnist, speaks on Sunday, September 14th. His topic is “A Peace Journalist Looks at the Media.” Koehler will challenge the current state of the media, which he charges with not only missing and ignoring important stories but also with “a willful narrow context for the news.”

• JEANNETTE LEVITT, donor mom and volunteer activist, speaks Sunday, September 21st, on “Organ Donation: A Gift of Hope, A Gift of Life.” Levitt will describe the organ donation process and address its common myths and misconceptions. She will tell her personal story with organ donation—one of “loss and grief, as well as hope and joy.”

• ROBERT MILLER, a popular Chicago-area magician, presents a special intergenerational program, “Magical Entertainment,” on Sunday, September 28th. In an interactive, family-oriented group performance, Miller will entertain us with his “stories, surprises, comedy, and fun.”

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Coming Society Events

• Our SUNDAY MORNING COLLOQUIES are back, beginning on September 7th, from 9:20 a.m. to 10 a.m., in the library. Led by Ken Novak, we meet early in a small, nonjudgmental group to examine how we live our lives. The topics this month are Strangers on Sept. 7, Foolishness on Sept. 14, Skill on Sept. 21, and Pleasure on Sept. 28.

• Our FIRST SUNDAY MUSIC JAM is on September 7th, after the morning program. Society members and nonmembers are welcome to a fun session of folk and popular songs. Bring your voices, guitars, mandolins, drums, or other instruments.

• Our SECOND SATURDAY COFFEE HOUSE, hosted by Vicki Elberfeld, is on Saturday, September 13th, at 8 p.m. Welcomed back as the featured performer will be Kristin Lems, popular folksinger, songwriter, teacher, and Grammy nominee. Enjoy her dynamic performances on guitar and piano, with songs ranging from torch to back porch, topical to tropical. Open-mike signup (all acoustic, all genres) begins at 7:30. There is a $5 minimum charge and moderately priced refreshments will be available. All ages are welcome!

• Our next FICTION CIRCLE discussion, led by Ken Novak, is on Sunday, September 14th, at 12:15 p.m. We’ll discuss the novel A History of the World in 10½ Chapters, by Julian Barnes. Playful, provocative, and ironic, this series of first-person retellings of historical events begins with a stowaway’s version of what Noah’s Arks (sic) were really like.

• Our FILM DISCUSSION GROUP, led by John Ungashick, meets on Monday, September 15th, at 7:15 p.m. Two currently playing movies have been chosen. Vicki Cristina Barcelona, which follows a romantic journey by two American women in Spain, is Woody Allen’s latest. It stars Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem. Frozen River is a somber, hard-luck story of dangerous decision-making. It was directed by Courtney Hunt and stars Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, and Charlie McDermott.

• Our next ETHNIC DINNER OUT is on Saturday, September 20th, at the Philippine restaurant Little Quiapo, at 6259 N. McCormick, in Chicago. There is free parking and fine food, with your choice of items off the menu or from the buffet, We’ll order at 5:30 p.m. Please let us know you’re coming by contacting Richard Curren at 773-743-7976 or richard_curren@yahoo.com.

• Our DOCUMENTARY FILM NIGHT returns on Friday, September 26th. We’ll see Uncounted, an exposure of voting machine fraud in the 2004 and 2006 elections that reveals the startling ease with which the results of the coming election could be switched. A special guest speaker, Lora Chamberlain of the Ballot Integrity Project, will discuss the specific obstacles to a fair election in Illinois. We’ll start early, at 7 p.m. A children’s video will be shown concurrently. Coffee and treats follow. There is no charge.

• Our CREATIVE WRITERS GROUP, led by Milt Zerkin, meets on Sunday, September 28th, at 12:15 p.m. Newcomers are welcome to share their short original works with u

• Our next ETHICAL HUMANITIES nonfiction discussion is on Sunday, October 5th, at 12:20 p.m. We’ll discuss David O. Stewart’s The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution, a blow-by-blow account of the Constitution’s crafting. The book is available at local libraries.

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Recent Sunday Programs

• YOLANDA ADLER, JOE and SUSAN BURCK, and KEN NOVAK presented a program, “Oscar Wilde: Wit, Wisdom, and Woe,” on July 27th. Yolanda began with a short biography of Oscar Wilde, celebrated Irish-English literary rebel against the rigid Puritanism of the late-19th century.

In a succession of readings and dialogues from “A Woman of No Importance,” “The Happy Prince,” and “De Profundis,” Susan, Joe, and Ken revealed the full range of Wilde’s satire, including his ability at improvisation. Among his many witty quotes were “It is perfectly monstrous [how people say] things against one behind one’s back that are absolutely and entirely true,” and “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” and “Good taste is the excuse I’ve always given for leading such a bad life.”

Yolanda interspersed the readings with commentary and asides that noted how Wilde mocked the rich and Victorian society, and showed sympathy for children and the poor. She pointed to his defiant lifestyle and described the tragic consequences of his imprisonment for a homosexual affair.

• “IN DEFENSE OF FOOD,” a book by Michael Pollan, nature writer for the New York Times, was the subject of an Ethical Humanities discussion program on August 3rd.

The discussion was led by Ken Novak, who pointed to Pollan’s “manifesto for nutritionism,” with an emphasis not just on the food we eat but on our intake of nutrients. We discussed an unintended consequence of low fat, high carbohydrate diets, which, while fighting heart disease, opened the door to diabetes. We noted that commercial interests have interfered with government-guidelines for healthy eating and described our personal experiences with diets.

In his book, Pollan urged us to “get over the Western diet” and reverse the trend from leaves to seeds and from natural, whole foods to highly simplified foods stripped of their original nutrients. He urged that we “eat like omnivores.” In addition to eating more wild foods, he advised us to cook more, eat slower, eat meals at the table, and not eat alone. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” was his simple slogan. “Learn to like healthy foods,” was a final bit of advice.

• OLIVER PERGAMS, Society member and environmental biologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, spoke on August 10th. His topic was “The Alarming Shift Away from Outdoor Recreation.” The meeting was moderated by Mike Dupuis.

Oliver described his recent scholarly research into why nature-based recreation has been steadily falling since the late 1980s. He noted previous studies that demonstrated a “videophilia,” or a correlation with time spent on movies and video games. He used slides to show high cross-correlations between variables such as visits to national and state parks, camping permits and hunting licenses, and time spent in hiking.

Oliver pointed to several implications in the trend from nature-based recreation, including our children’s health and environmental sustainability. He noted the “media storm” when his report was published last year. He showed a video clip of his testimony before Congress, in which he proposed that the No Child Left Behind law be amended to mandate hands-on nature experiences in the science curriculum.

• “MAKING TOUGH CHOICES: LIFE’S ETHICAL DILEMMAS” was a group discussion program on August 17th. It was led by Society members Susan and Joe Burck, who selected issues raised by New York Times ethics columnist Randy Cohen.

One ethical dilemma was whether plagiarized, non-attributed lines in a play about to open should be brought to the attention of the director. A second dilemma was whether an office manager should be told about a scurrilous internal email sent by one of his workers. A third dilemma concerned how a woman should handle her husband’s seemingly platonic relationship with another woman. Another ethical dilemma was whether the purchaser of a dog should try to find the rightful owner when he finds the dog had been stolen. The next dilemma was whether a person should vote for a candidate whose policies he agrees with but who he doesn’t like personally. A further dilemma was whether a lawyer should violate a client’s privacy and reveal the client’s hint at suicide.

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Sunday School Scoop

The Golden Rule Sunday School is back in session! This year we’ll be focusing on the 8 Commitments of Ethical Humanism, as well as lots of ethical action, stories, crafts—and fun, fun, fun! Thanks to our YES group for providing childcare all summer while we were on break.

We have another terrific lineup of teachers this year. JoAnn Hoeppner will be caring for our babies and toddlers, and Aimee Neumann will be with the Preschoolers. Gina Rosada will be with the K–1st graders, and Katie Wokosin the 2nd–3rd graders. Mimi Sarwark and Brian Barnes will share the 4th–6th graders, and Katie Merrell will lead the Coming of Agers.

Our Back to Sunday School Potluck Picnic will be Saturday, September 6th, at Aimee Neumann’s house. The intergenerational program, with magician Robert Miller on the 26th, should be a blast for all ages. I hope to see you there!

—Sharon Appelquist, Director

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From the President

Being a former teacher, I’ve coupled the fall season with anticipation. I now have similar feelings with the start of this year’s programming. Thanks to many volunteers our building has been spiffed up. Our lobby is getting a new sound-deadening ceiling, freshly painted walls, and energy-saving lighting.

Programming has lined up a superb array of speakers. Publicity is implementing new tactics to spread the word. Our Sunday School is ready for its eager learners. And due to the hard work of the Hardestys and you, the August 23rd rummage sale has put a few bucks in our coffers and cleaned out our closets.

Now the Board has issued its first homework assignment. At a town meeting in October, we hope to answer why the Society deserves our time and money. We don’t have the task of doing God’s work, but we do have a mission. Please take a few minutes to jot down what you think our mission is, or should be. Place these brief statements in the mailbox in the entryway or email them to office@ethicalhuman.org. I am anticipating you will all be getting A’s.

Lastly, on a more somber note, our Society offers its sympathy and concern to the victims of July’s shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist church. It’s truly awful that people whose lives are dedicated to rational goodness could be hurt by an irrational, hateful act.

—Matt Cole , President

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Notices and Announcements

• A Cranberry Slough Work Party, led by Oliver Pergams, is planned for Saturday, September 6th, 9 a.m. to noon. In an ongoing restoration project at this southwestern Cook County nature preserve, Society members will help in cutting invasive weeds, seeding native plants, or restoring ephemeral ponds. For directions, go to www.cranberryslough.org. Email Oliver at pergams@uic.edu with any questions.

• Our Environmental Footprint Committee, led by Lisa Crowe and David Wokosin, is having another energy-saving CFL (compact fluorescent light) sale, on Sunday, September 21st, during the coffee hour. The committee is also sponsoring the green efforts of the Giving Tree Band, which is printing the Society’s name and website in the booklet for their next album. All are welcome to attend the next committee meeting, Sunday, September 14th, 12:30 p.m.

• Our YES teenage group is gearing up for a busy fall, leading off with another bagel sale on Sunday, September 28th. Also planned are a fundraiser for a new ping-pong- table in the community room and a trip to the annual YES conference in New York. Meanwhile, our youngsters will continue helping with plant care and sign changing.

• Our summer rummage sale, on Saturday, August 23rd, was a whopping success. We raised almost $2,000—thanks to the super organizing efforts of Gail and David Hardesty and the contributions and assistance of many other hard-working members. Let’s do it again next year!

• Our library has new acquisitions. Among them: The Americans, by Oscar Handlin, on successive eras in the nation’s history; Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women’s Rights Movement, by Sally McMillen; and Citizen: Jane Addams and the Struggle for Democracy, by Louise Knight. Come in, browse, and check out a book.

• Our Tribute Fund is a way we honor each other—with congratulations on a birthday or anniversary, condolences on the loss of a loved one, wishes for recovery from an illness, or hailing a personal achievement. Tribute forms are on the literature tables.

• New members are welcome. If you share our ethical outlook and wish to join our caring community, contact Membership Chair Tom Hoeppner. The next Membership Orientation is on Sunday, September 28th, 12:15 p.m.

• 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 Weekly Program Reminder is emailed to anyone who wants to be regularly informed of the coming week’s meetings and activities. To be on the list, send an email to programinfo@ethicalhuman.org or call the office.

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

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TributeFund

• A happiest 90th to Joe Wosk
—with love from your sister-in-law Elaine Maller and family

About Us

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

Officers and Trustees: Matt Cole, President; Yolanda Adler &
Dick Carney, Vice Presidents; Paul Ozarowski, Secretary; John Ungashick, Treasurer; Susan Burck, Lisa Crowe, Sheila Caplan Curren, , Steve Freedman, David Hardesty, Oliver Pergams, Renee Sullivan

Sunday School Director: Sharon Appelquist
Newsletter Editor: Alan Kimmel
Ethical Officiants: Marne Glaser, Jo-Ann Hoeppner, Tom Hoeppner, Ken Novak
AEU Representative: Tom Hoeppner