Newsletter

Newsletter of the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago

April 2009

Welcome to Our Sunday Morning Programs
Every Sunday morning from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
These programs are free and open to the public.

• A TOWN HALL MEETING for members is our special program for Sunday, April 5th. We’ll share ideas for financing the Society’s future growth—for creative ways of fundraising, of encouraging generous pledging, and of increasing income from investments, rentals, bequests, and gifts. Anticipating the budget discussion at our June Membership Meeting, we’ll also look at where our money should be spent.

• BARRIE COLE, critically acclaimed writer/performer, presents “Word Bath,” a carefully selected collection of sensitive, whimsical monologues, on Sunday, April 12th. Called “Chicago’s champion of lyrical oddness,” Cole will perform some of her favorite works in this “deluxe exploration of language.”

• JON MARSHALL, a lecturer at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and author of an upcoming book on the legacy of Watergate, speaks Sunday, April 19th. His topic is “Investigative Reporting in the Internet Age.” Marshall will discuss how changes in the media are affecting our ability to know what our governments, corporations, and other powerful institutions are really doing.

• Our ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL is on Sunday, April 26th. Led by Tom Hoeppner and Sharon Appelquist, we will celebrate the return of the sun and renewal of life. The Sunday School children will present a short play and individual musical performances. To get our gardens started, they will offer gifts of small spring flowers in hand-painted pots.

Coming Society Events

• Our Sunday Morning Colloquies are from 9:30–10:00 a.m. in the library. Led by Ken Novak, we meet in a small, nonjudgmental group to examine how we feel about our lives. The topics this month are Leadership on April 5th, Dreams on April 12th, Hating on April 19th, and Joy on April 26th.

• Our annual Humanist Seder and Liberation Festival is on Friday, April 10th, at 6 p.m. Members and friends of all religious backgrounds are welcome to celebrate the Jewish Passover and all struggles for human freedom. We’ll read from our “Humanist Hagaddah” and enjoy a sumptuous Seder meal, with a chicken or vegetarian main course, beverages, and potluck side dishes. Prices are $10 per person with a side dish, $20 without. Nonmembers are asked for another $5, seniors get a $5 discount. Children under 18 are free, being encouraged to help in setup and cleanup. Space is limited, so register early. Preference is given to members. For reservations and what side-dish to bring, contact Ron Baiman at Baiman@sbcglobal.net.

• Our Second Saturday Coffee House, hosted by Vicki Elberfeld, is on Saturday, April 11th, at 8 p.m. Enjoy a dual concert—with The Sass! Trio and Andina and Rich. The first group consists of Sandy Andina, Susan Urban, and Kate Early, with “original classic folk” on guitar, banjo, dulcimer, and drum. Then Sandy joins yodeler Stephen Lee Rich in folk and country dosed with social and political satire. Our open mike resumes next month. A $7 minimum donation includes refreshments.

• Our Ethical Humanities discussion group, led by Ken Novak, meets on Sunday, April 12th, at 12:15 p.m. We’ll discuss psychologist Steven Pinker’s essay “My Genome, My Self,” from the January 11th New York Times Magazine. Pinker examines his genetic inventory and how much “genes make the man.” The essay can be read at http//is.gd/fgZ9.

• Our Ethnic Dinner Out is on Saturday, April 18th, at the popular Polish restaurant, Czerwone Jabluszko (Red Apple), 6474 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Chicago. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet for $10.95. There is street parking and a free lot behind the building. We’ll order at 5:30 p.m. Please reserve with Richard Curren at a Sunday morning meeting or at richard_curren@yahoo.com.

• Our Film Discussion Group, led by John Ungashick, meets on Monday, April 20th, at 7:15 p.m. We’ll discuss two current films. Everlasting Moments is a Swedish-language family drama about a woman whose venture into professional photography opens her life. It was directed by Jan Troell, with Maria Heiskanen and Mikael Persbrandt. Sunshine Cleaning is a comedy about two sisters with a murder-scene cleanup business. It was directed by Christine Jeffs, with Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin.

• A Theater Party to see Alan Bennett’s Tony-winning play The History Boys is planned for Wednesday, April 22nd, 7:30 p.m., at Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre. Contact Ken Novak ASAP to reserve a discounted seat for $13 ($3 goes to the Society).

• Our Jazz Café Cabaret returns on Saturday, April 25th, at 8 p.m. It features our own Marne Glaser, vocals; Chris Mahieu, piano; Adam Krause, bass; and Andy Marsala, sax. Enjoy a great evening of jazz standards and new tunes in a relaxed atmosphere. The $7 cover includes a beverage.

• Our Creative Writers group, led by Milt Zerkin, meets on Sunday, April 26th, at 12:15 p.m. As always, newcomers are welcome to share their short original works with us.

• Our next Fiction Circle meets on Sunday, May 10th, at 12:15 p.m. Led by Ken Novak, we’ll discuss Anthony Burgess’s dystopian “horror show” novel A Clockwork Orange. Those who have seen the film are also welcome.

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Recent Sunday Programs

• Sam Fleischacker, professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois in Chicago, spoke on February 8th. His topic was “The Myth of the Judeo-Christian Tradition.” The meeting was moderated by Dan Kaplan.

Fleischacker ironically described the so-called “shared history” of Judaism and Christianity as including “2,000 years of Christians killing Jews,” theological differences on Christ, the Trinity, human nature, “original sin,” and “redemption,” and conflicts on issues such as abortion and sex.

Fleischacker nevertheless noted the increasing attention being paid to shared Christian and Jewish values on various social and ethical issues. But he pointed out that Muslims, Buddhists, humanists, and others share them, too. He warned that the persisting allusion to “Judeo-Christian tradition” could be a “dangerous and exclusionary cover” for a right-wing racist, sexist, anti-gay agenda.

• Nate Silver, founder of the famous, astoundingly accurate fivethirtyeight.com polling website, spoke on February 15th. His topic was “Common Pitfalls of Prediction: Lessons from the 2008 Election.” The meeting was moderated by Anil Kashyap.

Commenting on the 2008 presidential election, Silver criticized the media for “making the polls themselves the story,” for “misinterpreting and cherry-picking the data,” and for doing little to distinguish between the popular and electoral vote. He said that polls “are not predictive,” pointing especially to “their time lags and methodological and sampling errors.” “They all massage the data,” he added.

Silver said that the media “favors the underdog” and “is attracted by conflict and drama.” He called for “pressure on the media” to make reporting of the polls more accurate. He also noted that statistical comparisons of the 2004 and 2008 elections reveal that race played a part in how people voted.

• Idy Ciss, member of the Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago and dance teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music, presented “The Stories of African Dance” on February 22nd. He was introduced by Graham Rae.

“I speak through my arms and whole body,” Ciss, a na-tive of Senegal, enthusiastically declared. Accompanied by percussionist Josh Guy, he artfully demonstrated various West African dances, drum beats, and rhythms. Bringing audience members, including children, to the front, he led them in several drumming and dancing exercises.

Ciss went on to display and describe the various percussion instruments used in his performances. “Our dances have meaning and stories behind them,” he noted. “From birth to death, there’s a dance for everything.”

• Floyd Sandford, professor emeritus of biology at Coe College, presented a program, “Darwin Remembers—Recollections of a Life’s Journey,” on March 1st. He was introduced by Scott Walton.

Tall, bearded, and dressed in mid-1800s style, Sandford walked slowly on stage and settled into a comfortable chair amid assorted books, pamphlets, and animal skulls. In a convincing and engrossing portrayal, he quietly began recalling the major events and ideas of Charles Darwin’s life—as though he were Darwin himself.

“Darwin” recounted his childhood, his brief medical and religious studies, his famous 5-year voyage on the Beagle, and, after decades of study and writing, publication of Origin of Species in 1859. He went on to discuss his later, even more controversial, books The Descent of Man and The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals, from which he suffered much verbal criticism and abuse. Afterward, Sandford as himself responded to questions about evolution, “punctuated equilibrium,” and “creationism.”

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From the President

Spring is upon us. Forgive me, but the birds are singing and the trees are budding—so I just had to open with that line. Spring for most is the beginning of something new, but for me, perhaps as a teacher for many years, spring is the time to reflect on the year past.

This has been a good year for the Society. We grew in so many ways: new members, new songs, new web page design, new community e-mail list, and many new ideas to help our members and the larger community.

This past month our Board voted to join Evanston Interfaith Action, “whose mission is to bring together communities of faith and spirit to serve people who are hungry and homeless and to express shared values through action and interfaith dialogue.” While many of us may not believe in a supreme being, we fervently have faith that humans have the capacity to make this a better world and can work with those who share that goal.

What a great way to start a spring day.

—Matt Cole , President

Our People

• John Taylor and Judith Ball have joined the Society. They live in Oak Park. John is retired from careers as a biology teacher and a quality and safety manager for a manufacturer. Judith is a social worker. They were attracted by our “many stimulating activities,” and they “feel comfortable not having to express a particular dogma.” Welcome!

• Stephen Meyers and Christopher Dillow also are new members. They live in Chicago’s Lincoln Square. Stephen is a psychotherapist, Chris is a bank program manager. They like our “sense of community” and for “providing a moral education for our children.” We’re glad you found us

• Gail and David Hardesty are first-time grandparents. Their daughter Shannon, who lives in Utah with husband Eric Uhle, gave birth to a baby boy, Cole, on March 19th. Like Gail and David, we’re “busting our buttons!”

• Tomasz Czajka and Lindsey Gilroy were married by Ethical officiant JoAnn Hoeppner on February 28th at the Evanston Ecology Center. We wish you a happy life!

• Sam Gogol, a Society member, died in February at age 99. Sam was a high school print shop teacher and home remodeling contractor. Our condolences to Rose, his wife of 65 years, and his son Ed and daughter-in-law Marilyn.

Sunday School Scoop

In March we talked about working together as a group. On the 15th we picked up litter in the neighborhood. With the help of the YES group, we hope to raise enough funds this year to buy a new ping pong table for the community room. To that end, a hot dog sale was planned for the 29th.

This month we’ll learn about alternative energy and other environmental issues along with Earth Day. To say thanks to all the people who keep the Society going, we’ll have a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on April 5th, inviting all those who help our community in large and small ways. On the 26th, we’ll celebrate the change of seasons with our annual Spring Festival. The kids are working hard on a new play and other presentations of their many talents, as well as our traditional potted flowers to give away.

—Sharon Appelquist, Director
sundayschool@ethicalhuman.org

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Activities and Announcements

• Pledges of $53,935, or 98 percent of our $55,000 goal, had been received from 108 members by mid-March. It would help a lot if the $4,500 in unpaid pledges were paid by the Membership Meeting in June. If you’re not sure whether you’ve pledged or how much is yet unpaid, please contact John Ungashick at jungasick@aol.com. Thank you for your commitment and generosity.

• Our annual Memorial Day Weekend getaway is May 23–25. Full plans, including the site and cost, will be available early in April. Any questions should be directed to Tom Hoeppner. Adult and children’s activities are being planned by Ken Novak and Sharon Appelquist.

• An intergenerational Gardening Workday at Evanston’s Talking Farm is planned for Saturday, April 18th, 10 a.m. to 1p.m. in honor of the April 22nd Earth Day. Contact environmental@ethicalhuman.org for information. The next Environmental Footprint Committee meeting is on Sunday, April 12th, at 12:30. All are welcome.

• Another Lunchtime Soup Kitchen is planned by our Ethical Action group at Evanston’s Second Baptist Church, on Monday, May 4th, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. We need at least 10 volunteers to prepare and serve free hot meals for over 100 hungry people. To volunteer for this community outreach sponsored by Evanston Interfaith Action, contact Marilee Cole at marileesgarden@comcast.net.

• Our Ethical Action group is also planning an appreciation luncheon for the special ed teachers at the Rice Children’s Center in Evanston on Wednesday, April 29th. Contact Marne Glaser if you can volunteer to help.

• Our Youth for Ethical Societies (Y.E.S.) group is planning a winter-grime-cleaning car wash in the parking lot during the April 26th Spring Festival. $5 car wash tickets will be for sale beginning on Sunday, April 19th.

• Our Board Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for election to four spots on the Society’s Board of Trustees. Nominations can be made to committee members Ed Drower, Mike DuPuis, David Hardesty, Paul Ozarowski, or Ellen Rae, or to boardcandidate@ethicalhuman.org.

• The Annual Assembly of the American Ethical Union will be June 11–14, in St. Louis. Our delegates are Yolanda Adler, Paul Ozarowski, Scott Walton, and Carolyn Welch. Workshop presenters include Society members Tom Hoeppner, Aimee Neumann, and Scott. Any Society member is welcome as a non-delegate. For information on the program and costs, get a brochure at the Society office, online at www.aeu.org, or contact Sue Walton at sns@swwalton.com.

• Our Tribute Fund is a way we honor each other—such as condolences on the loss of a loved one and congratulations on a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or personal achieve-ment. Each tribute is printed in the newsletter. Forms are on the literature tables.

• 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.

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

• Become a member of the Society. Show that you share our ethical outlook by making a commitment to our caring community. Contact Membership Chair Tom Hoeppner at thomas_J_Hoeppner@rush.edu or come to the Membership Orientation on Sunday, April 26th, at 12:15 p.m.

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TributeFund

• In fond memory of Keke, my wife of 40 years, gone too soon
—from Alan Kimmel

• In memory of Sam Gogol, my long-time loyal friend
—from Ruth Myers

• In memory of Rivian Zeff
—from Renee Sullivan and Jane Sullivan

• In memory of Irving A. Haber
—from Renee Sullivan and Jane Sullivan

• Thanks to Matt Cole for hosting our testosterone weekend in Wisconsin
—from John Ungashick and the rest of the hole-in-the wall gang

• Thanks to Svetlana Bekman for spearheading the fantastic weekends we had with Dale McGowan and to celebrate Darwin. Both were great events for broadening our contacts with other humanist groups and widely appreciated by our members.
—from Anonymous

• Thanks to John Ungashick for your tireless work in managing the finances of the Society. The professionalism that you’ve brought to this vital task is much appreciated.
—from Anonymous

• To Gail and David Hardesty in celebration of the birth of their grandson, Cole
—from Matt and Marilee Cole

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, Vice President; Paul Ozarowski, Secretary; John Ungashick, Treasurer; Susan Burck, Lisa Crowe, Sheila Caplan Curren, Steve Freedman, David Hardesty, Oliver Pergams, Renee Sullivan, Carolyn Welch

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