President/Publisher:
Susan Sackett
Vice President/
Webmaster:
J.B. Wright
Treasurer:
Ann Marie Eisentraut
Program Director:
Henry Geist
Secretary:
Shelley Newman
Members at Large:
Alan Newman
Myra Rubinstein
Bruce Stiles
Al Wendler |
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The Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix meets at 9:00 a.m. on alternate Sunday mornings at a local restaurant. Currently, we meet at the HomeTown Buffet, 1312 N. Scottsdale Road, in Scottsdale. Map to the HomeTown Buffet. We enjoy the company of our fellow Humanists during brunch followed by a lecture from a guest speaker and topic discussion.
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Upcoming Meetings and Topics
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Feb 21st |
Our Miserable Future
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Speaker: Dr. Lawrence Krauss
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Prof. Lawrence M. Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist with wide research interests, including the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology, where his studies include the early universe, the nature of dark matter, general relativity and neutrino astrophysics. He received undergraduate degrees in both Mathematics and Physics at Carleton University. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1982), then joined the Harvard Society of Fellows (1982-85). He joined the faculty of the departments of Physics and Astronomy at Yale University as assistant professor in 1985, and associate professor in 1988. In 1993 he was named the Ambrose Swasey Professor of Physics, Professor of Astronomy, and Chairman of the department of Physics at Case Western Reserve University. He served in the latter position for 12 years, until 2005.
In August, 2008, Dr. Krauss took up his new post as Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Department, and Inaugural Director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University.
Prof. Krauss is the author of several acclaimed popular books, including The Physics of Star Trek and Beyond Star Trek. Naturally, our HSGP president, Susan Sackett, is particularly thrilled to welcome Dr. Krauss to be our guest speaker!
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Feb 27th |
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, by Michael J. Sandel
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Event: Book Club
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The Humanist Book Club meets on the fourth Saturday of each month at 10:30 a.m., Mesa Main Library, Main Branch, 64 East 1st Street (East of Country Club Way at the intersection of N. Centennial Way -- N.W. corner)
From Publishers Weekly:
Harvard government professor Sandel (Public Philosophy) dazzles in this sweeping survey of hot topics—the recent government bailouts, the draft, surrogate pregnancies, same-sex marriage, immigration reform and reparations for slavery—that situates various sides in the debates in the context of timeless philosophical questions and movements. Sandel takes utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative and Rawls's theory of justice out of the classroom, dusts them off and reveals how crucial these theories have been in the construction of Western societies—and how they inform almost every issue at the center of our modern-day polis. The content is dense but elegantly presented, and Sandel has a rare gift for making complex issues comprehensible, even entertaining (see his sections entitled Shakespeare versus the Simpsons and What Ethics Can Learn from Jack Benny and Miss Manners), without compromising their gravity. With exegeses of Winnie the Pooh, transcripts of Bill Clinton's impeachment hearing and the works of almost every major political philosopher, Sandel reveals how even our most knee-jerk responses bespeak our personal conceptions of the rights and obligations of the individual and society at large. Erudite, conversational and deeply humane, this is truly transformative reading.
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Mar 07th |
The Psychology of Magic
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Speaker: Anthony Barnhart
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An expert in the psychology of illusion, HSGP member Anthony "Magic Tony" Barnhart has lectured on the topic at magic conventions and to students of psychology at colleges and universities. As a graduate student in cognitive psychology, himself, he has employed psychological principles to elevate his magic’s impact and increase the audience’s sense of wonder. Nowhere is this influence more evident than in his strolling magic where, in a one-on-one environment, he is able to strongly influence the behavior of audience members.
Click here to watch a segment KTVK Phoenix Channel 3 aired about psychology and magic, featuring Magic Tony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMyZ0PL5G4. For more information on psychology and magic, visit Magic Tony's website at http://www.magic-tony.com/
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Mar 21st |
Subjugation and Escape
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Speaker: Lisa Bauer
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Lisa Bauer has described her experience with Islam and religion in the October/November 2009 and December/January 2010 issues of Free Inquiry magazine, with an introduction by Richard Dawkins, whom she assisted with research duties for his latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth. The final installment describing her saga is in the February/March 2010 issue.
Lisa is currently a graduate student in Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson. In the past two years, she has made great strides towards overcoming both religion and her own social phobia, and has become involved in various atheist and humanist groups.
In the articles, Lisa describes her lifelong journey from atheism to her family's Roman Catholicism to Islam, and finally back to atheism. It was a long and often treacherous journey, emotionally painful and often self-destructive, extending to sexual as well as emotional submission to a trusted authority figure. In the end, though, and with the help of some trusted friends, she managed to break free of her former religions.
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HSGP BUILDING UPDATE
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Our building is located at 627 West 8th Street (between Alma School and Country Club) in Mesa. The adobe home is situated on .8 of an acre of land. We anticipate completion sometime this year! When renovated, we will have a huge 1800 square foot meeting space, a kitchen, library, children's activities, storage and office space. We will be presenting many exciting fund-raising events. Note: We really need your tax-deductible donations of $$$$ cash!
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FUND RAISING STATUS FOR OUR NEW HOME
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As of the end of December, 2009, we had received donations just over our first goal of $100,000 through fund raising activities for our building. We are at the top of the Thermometer!
Unfortunately, most of this amount has already been spent in getting the building up to code with the City of Mesa. We will need to raise many thousands of dollars more to complete the building (Stage II); additional money will need to be raised to pave the parking lot (Stage III). Please consider donating today! |
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FUND RAISING CORNER
By Bruce Stiles
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PLEASE BEGIN A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION
On-going Monthly Subscriptions: $260 from 10 recurring donations.
I’m happy to report that our program of recurring small monthly donations is beginning to gain traction. We now have an aggregate of $260 a month being donated from 10 recurring donations, with a couple more about to start.
Having a predictable cash flow allows us to better plan ahead, because we can identify when we will have enough funds to make specific improvements.
I would like to encourage more Members to make a small recurring monthly donation. Doing so will not only help to get the building completed, but will also enable the donor to get well-deserved recognition. If a donor makes fifty monthly donations of $20, his or her name will be included at the Bertrand Russell Level on a plaque that will be permanently displayed in the building.
If you would like to make donations by BillPay, make the payee “Humanist Society Greater Phoenix.” (There are usually not enough spaces available to include the “of.”) Our address is P.O. Box 26044, Scottsdale, AZ 85255-0117. Our phone number is 602-426-1313. You can put “Building Fund” in the memo field, but we know what it’s for.
And as always, thank you for your support.
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Bruce M. Stiles, CFP®, ChFC®, is the Director of Development for HSGP and provides general information to Members and others as a public service. Ideas and opinions expressed in this column are his alone, and do not reflect the opinions of HSGP, which makes no claims or warrantees about the suitability or outcomes of ideas and opinions expressed in the column. |
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CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
PROGRAM HAS BEGUN!
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Our Childhood Education Program has begun! We held two sessions of our FUN-DAY SCHOOL in August, with several parents, kids and helpers. Children are enjoying crafting, drawing, story time and more, while learning Humanist values!
Our Fun-Day School will meets in the (smaller) private room at the HomeTown Buffet, concurrent with the meeting for adults in the main room. The kids' program begin around 9:30, with breakfast, and finishes around 11:15 a.m., when our lecture in the main room concludes.
We have a few teen and young adult volunteers to help with the kids, and we would also like to encourage parents and grandparents to bring your kids and offer your assistance on a rotating basis.
Future activities being planned include evolution studies and activities, coloring, story-reading, and social activities such as games. A complete curriculum will be forthcoming, and "evolving." During this pilot stage, attendance will be free and reservations are not required. (Later, we will want to register the children and their may be a small fee to cover supplies.)
Note: Please RSVP to Jamaica Popejoy prior to each HSGP meeting (jthmfan86@yahoo.com) if you are planning on bringing children -- she needs to plan for the appropriate activities. |
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CAR POOL UPDATE, by Harold Saferstein
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HSGP has a car pool network. Save $$ and be a helpful, happy Humanist. If you need a ride to an HSGP event or can offer a ride to people in your part of town, contact me, Harold Saferstein, at 480-991-7548, or e-mail me at dermaz@cox.net. If you signed up a few years ago, please sign up again, as the list needs to be updated. I will put those in need of a ride with those offering or those who might wish to alternate ride sharing. It's FREE!! |
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BASHAS' PROMOTION RETURNS!
Once again, we have a chance to get FREE MONEY! The Bashas' SHOP AND GIVE (formerly called "Thanks a Million") program is back! Go to http://www.bashas.com/charity to learn more.
Just shop at Bashas' grocery stores from now until the end of April, 2010. For every dollar you spend, we will get 1%. If you already have a Bashas' "Thank You" card, you will need to re-link it to our special number: 23113. You only need to do this once and you'll be good until April 30th. (Go to the customer service desk to do this. Or you can link the card you already have online by going to their website -- see first paragraph above). If you don't have a Bashas' card, you can ask for one -- it's free; just be sure to link it to 23113. So please try to shop at least once a week at your nearest Bashas', even if it's only for a few items. Every purchase will help HSGP! |
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HSGP FREE MONEY WITH eSCRIP!!
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HSGP has signed up for the eScrip Program. It's easy to earn money for HSGP just by doing your everyday shopping!
Go to the website www.escrip.com to sign up. Our Account ID is: 500020562. When signing up, use this and type in Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix for the charity you want to support. Their website is secure, and you can put in your credit card numbers safely. Follow the instructions to select your own password. Then, when you shop at select merchants, we will get credit. (Unfortunately, Safeway will not donate to us because we are not a K-12 school.)
You can shop online at eBay, or Barnes & Noble, Sears, Amazon, and many more! If you book your American Airlines tickets through the approved eScrip travel service, we also get a percentage, as we do if you book a Carnival Cruise! These are just a few of the many easy, painless ways to help HSGP! |
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HSGP SUPPORTS HOMEBASE!
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 The people at HomeBase are thrilled with our support! Our next drive will be on FEBRUARY 7th. Please bring NEW white crew socks, bottles of shampoo and conditioner (especially needed), as well as toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and other toiletries for distribution to young people living on the streets of Phoenix. They also appreciate gently used clothing, which the young people can wear on job interviews.
Bruce and Kathy Pettycrew, who volunteer to take our donations down to HomeBase, would like to remind you that while it may be tough to donate in these difficult financial times, even ONE pair of new socks will be greatly appreciated. Thank you! |
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OUR MEMBERS-ONLY YAHOO! GROUP
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A special Yahoo! Group has been set up for paid HSGP members only. It's free and only takes a minute to sign up! Join Yahoo Humanists. Susan Sackett is Moderator; sign up and if you are a paid member, you will be approved by the Moderator, usually within 24 hours. Messages and archives of this group will be accessible only by members, so there is no spamming or flaming. Messages will be posted once they are approved by the Moderator, so if your posts are within the normal Yahoo! guidelines, they will be approved and posted.
We continue to have lively discussions on religion, politics, ethics and other Humanistic concerns. We've had some extremely interesting posts lately, covering topics such as stem cell research, gay issues, theocracy, global warming, and other important areas of interest to Humanists. We now have 64 members signed up. Join our group today! |
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Susan Sackett, Certified Humanist Celebrant, would like to remind you that she is available for all your life passage ceremonies, including weddings and commitment ceremonies, baby namings, coming-of-age celebrations, funerals/memorial services, and even divorce celebrations! Special 10% discount for all HSGP members and their immediate families! Humanist Celebrant. Discounts for HSGP members! Contact her at humanist@hsgp.org. |
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