Newsletter

Newsletter of the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago

June 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.

• DICK WHITAKER, a member of the Society, opens our summer season on Sunday, June 14th, with a talk on “The Future of Religion.” A recent graduate of the Humanist Institute, Dick will tell how discussions in a study group he led on this subject revealed Humanistic possibilities. He will discuss the topics and speakers at the study group as well as a curriculum he developed for the Humanist Institute.

• Our YES (Youth of Ethical Societies) group presents a special program, “Economy in Crisis: Teens as Collateral Damage,” on Sunday June 21st. Society member Anil Kashyap, Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Chicago, will describe the impact of the current recession on today’s high school students. His comments will be followed by a panel discussion of YES members.

• KEN NOVAK will lead a special Ethical Humanities group discussion on “What I Learned from My Parents” on Sunday, June 28th. Knowing that parents teach both through their words and their actions, we’ll share what our parents said and did, including those things they might not have intended to teach.

Coming Society Events

• Our Ethnic Dinner Out is on Saturday, June 20th, at the Sarajevo Restaurant, 2701 W. Lawrence Ave., in Chicago. Enjoy fine Bosnian favorites: cevapcici beef sausage, veal, and delectable kabobs. Street parking is easy and close. BYOB. We’ll order at 5:30 p.m. To confirm your attendance, please email Richard_Curren@yahoo.com.

• Our Creative Writers group, led by Milt Zerkin, meets on Sunday, June 28th, the last Sunday of the month, at 12:15 p.m. As always, newcomers are welcome to share their short original works with us.

• Our Second Saturday Coffee House is going dark for June. We’ll resume on July 11th, when we’ll welcome back our own, violinist Rachel Baiman, with a program of bluegrass, jazz, and rock.

• Our Film Discussion Group is also skipping June but will resume in July.

• Our Sunday Morning Colloquies are taking the whole summer off. They will resume in September.

• Our Fiction Circle Grande will be on Sunday, July 5th. We’ll discuss The History Boys, a play by Alan Bennett about a group of English boys hoping for a spot at Oxford or Cambridge. To borrow a copy of the play or a DVD of the movie, ask Ken Novak or Sharon Appelquist.

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Recent Sunday Programs

•Barrie Cole, acclaimed writer/performer and daughter of Matt and Marilee Cole, presented “Word Play,” a program of two whimsical monologues, on April 12th. She was introduced by Marilee.

In her first piece, This Book, Barrie thrust a book into the air and passionately poured out her love for it: “It’s a very good book,” she exclaimed. “I’m delirious, woozy—it makes me feel—unclouded!” she shouted. “It’s the lang-u-age in it—how did the author do that?!” she wailed. “It’s an open door—this book, this book—ohh!” she softly sighed.

In her second piece, Alphabet Project, Barrie poured out an emotional torrent of words as she raced through the alphabet: “A? actual–actually.... B? bigger–better.... C? craving–what do I crave?....D? drama....F? feeling....G? grip, get a grip....I? issues, interesting....J? justice, jut out....L? love, luck, lament....N? names....Q? always married to ‘U’ (understanding)....V? veering off....X? a kiss....Y? yes, the power of ‘yes’....Z? like a bee.” After her stunning performance, Barrie concluded with the obvious: “I–love–language!”

• Jon Marshall, a lecturer at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, spoke on April 19th. His topic was “Investigative Reporting in the Internet Age.” The meeting was moderated by John Taylor.

Marshall defined investigative reporting as the digging into “what people in power want to keep secret.” He noted history-changing exposés by the great “muckrakers” Nellie Bly (insane asylums), Edward R. Murrow (migrant farm workers), Rachel Carson (pesticides), Woodward and Bernstein (Watergate), and Seymour Hersh (Abu Ghraib). Investigative reporting, he declared, “is vital to our democracy.”

Marshall worried about the health of investigative journalism, citing staff reductions at major news organizations, legal actions by the subjects of investigations, and government secrecy. Nevertheless, he praised the new opportunities opened up by the Internet, with its powerful search engines and proliferation of blogs and websites. Investigative reporting, he said, has become less expensive and records are more accessible, though he noted problems with credibility and financing. Praising the work of National Public Radio, he hoped other non-profit organizations would step into investigative reporting.

• Hugh Taft-Morales, Intern Leader at the Northern Virginia Ethical Society and a graduate of the Humanist Institute, spoke May 3rd on “Psychotherapy and Ethical Culture.” The meeting was moderated by Holly James.

“Pastoral counseling is a big part of being an Ethical Leader,” Taft-Morales said. His Ethical faith is based on “the potential good within us all.” We need “a balance between the heart and the head,” he added. Stressing “the quest for meaning” in our lives, he pointed to “a wholeness between our private self and the one we project.” He said healthy relationships require us to bring out the best in others and “to accept responsibility” as we strive for our goals.

Saying “we can best relate our values through our stories,” Taft-Morales then described how psychotherapy helped him understand the tumultuous life of his grandmother. Knowing about her struggle for identity and her search for values has “helped me as an Ethical Leader.” Psychotherapy, he contended, “is not an admission of failure” but “a sharing of the experience of living.” We can all help in counseling, he concluded. “Listen—be a friend.”

• Tom Campbell, local attorney and amateur historian, spoke on May 10th. His topic was “Fighting Slavery in Chicago: Abolitionists and Lincoln.” The meeting was moderated by John Ungashick.

Campbell reviewed the history of slavery in the U.S. and how it was sanctioned by the “covert language in the Constitution.” He discussed the struggle against enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law and the growth of the abolitionist movement in Illinois, a free state because of the anti-slavery provisions of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

Campbell described in particular the work of abolitionist Charles Dyer, founder of the Anti-Slavery Society in Chicago and an early supporter of Abraham Lincoln for President. Campbell went on to discuss Lincoln’s great legal skills, his changing attitudes toward slavery and Negroes, and how “he had to deal with racism as a politician.”

• Jan Schakowsky, a member of Congress from Chicago and northern suburbs, ended our regular season on May 17th. She spoke on “President Obama: My Appraisal and Expectations.” She was introduced by Alan Kimmel.

Schakowsky detailed the accomplishments of the Obama administration’s opening months. She called it a time of “‘Yes, we can!’” It is another period of “transformation,” she said, akin to the historical transformations of the Bill of Rights, the abolition of slavery, the progressive movement of the early1900s, the New Deal, and the civil rights movement. The last few years of political regression have been hard, but “running against the wind has made progressives stronger,” she said.

Schakowsky was optimistic about the future and wished to be part of coming legislative battles. “Wherever I go, I feel the crackle of innovation,” she said. Schakowsky called for a quality education for everyone and asserted that the goal of a national health plan is not the health of the private insurance industry but insuring that “never again will someone who gets sick have to go into bankruptcy.”

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From the President

It’s June and our Society is about to turn 127—a dozen years older than the oldest person on the planet but still in its infancy compared to tortoises and giant fungi. Our health and longevity depends on the nourishment by our active membership. So I urge you all to attend our annual membership meeting on June 7th and our member-led summer programs—you’ll be amazed at the talents among us.

I thank all involved for a fabulous season of varied, entertaining, and enlightening Sunday platforms. New things this year included a rummage sale, a service auction, meals for the homeless, kids working to make our world greener and our cars cleaner, and our face on Facebook. But the best new thing has been our new members—we’re lucky to have you and you’re lucky to be one of us. Watch out tortoises and fungi—we plan to be around a long time.

—Matt Cole , President

Our People

• Jay D. Woldenberg, son of member Jay Woldenberg, has joined the Society. He and his wife, Kathy Shepherd, live in Rogers Park and are Sunday School parents. Welcome, Jay!

• Ed Thompson is also a new member. He lives in Skokie, is a carpenter and has a son in Sunday School. Ed finds us “a good alternative to organized religion.” Welcome, Ed!

• Thomas Gray Salter, grandson of member Hunter Gray and Eldri Gray, received his MD degree from the University of Minnesota in May. Our congratulations!

• Tom and JoAnn Hoeppner were in Brazil in April for the wedding of their foreign exchange student “son” Murilo. Great news!

Sunday School Scoop

Another wonderful year has flown by in the Golden Rule Sunday School. I’m so grateful to all the dedicated teachers, supportive families, and curious children. A warm thank you to all. This year we collected spare change to build schools, helped restore the trails at Emily Oaks, made blankets for Project Linus, raised funds for a ping pong table, picked up litter in the neighborhoods, made lunches for the homeless, and undertook many other activities and lessons.

Four of our kids graduate this year. They were to give their Coming of Age presentations on May 31st and will be moving on to the YES group next year. We’re also “graduating” our long-time Sunday School chair, Katie Merrell. We can’t say thank you enough for her years of support, commitment, and enthusiasm. Fortunately, Kate Wokosin has agreed to become our new chair, and I’m looking forward to working with her next year. Happy summer!

—Sharon Appelquist, Director
sundayschool@ethicalhuman.org

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Worth Repeating

“There’s a lot of talk in this country about the federal deficit. But I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit—the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes; to see the world through the eyes of those who are different from us—the child who’s hungry, the steelworker who’s been laid-off, the family who lost the entire life they built together when the storm came to town. When you think like this—when you choose to broaden your ambit of concern and empathize with the plight of others, whether they are close friends or distant strangers—it becomes harder not to act; harder not to help.”

— Barack Obama

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Activities and Announcements

• Our Annual Membership Meeting is on Sunday, June 7th, at 10:30 a.m. Members are invited to a free continental breakfast, beginning at 9:30 a.m. At the meeting we’ll hear reports on the past year’s programs and activities, discuss plans for the next year, and adopt our annual budget. There will also be a contested election for four open spots on the Board of Trustees. The five nominated candidates are Susan Burck, Sheila Caplan Curren, Oliver Pergams, Sue Walton, and Carolyn Welch. As provided by our bylaws, other nominations may be made from the floor.

• At Oak Park’s “Day in Our Village” on Sunday, June 7th, our Society will have a booth to publicize who we are and what we do. If you would like to volunteer, for either the 11 a.m.–3 p.m. or 3 p.m.–7 p.m. shift, please contact Oliver Pergams at pergams@uic.edu or 708-383-0430.

• Our Ethical Action group had two recent successful activities—an April 29th luncheon for the teachers and staff of Evanston’s Rice School and a May 3rd soup kitchen at the Evanston Baptist Church. Thanks to the more than 15 Society members who participated in this community outreach.

• Our Environmental Footprint Committee has a summer water-saving recommendation for those who sprinkle their grass: use a rain barrel—they can be ordered online for $40 and picked up at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The committee’s next meeting is on Sunday, June 14th, at 12:30 p.m. All are welcome.

• Our Summer Rummage Sale is on Saturday, August 29th. Last year’s sale was a big moneymaker for the Society. You can bring your high-quality clothing, household, and electronic items to the building, where they will be stored, sorted, and priced. Pickup arrangements can be made by calling the office or Ken Novak at 847-414-4314.

• 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, June 21st, at 12:15 p.m.

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TributeFund

• Congratulations to Kyle Duke on his election as president of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity at IIT
—from John & Judi Ungashick

• Thank you to the organizers of and participants in the Spring Festival.
—from Svetlana Bekman & Mike Dupuis

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