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MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE 2011 SEASON
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(1) Tuesday, January 11, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM downstairs (street level) at the Moonstruck East Restaurant, 449 Third Avenue at the southeast corner of 31st Street [ click here for map ].
We will celebrate Tom Paine's Birthday with dinner and conversation.
Come drink a Birthday toast to the Patriot who assisted the birth of this nation and must be acknowledged as one of its founders. It was his Common Sense approach to the rights of humans to be free that challenged king and Pope, and whose words encouraged the tattered and freezing Revolutionaries to hold on against the King's army.
Another Tom, Professor Thomas Riggins, Philosopher at NYU, will lead the toasting and the celebration, sharing more information about Tom Paine.
This will be a two-part celebration, because on Friday, January 28, at 6:00 PM, closer to Paine's actual birth on January 29, 1737 in England, we'll gather outside of Marie's Crisis Cafe, 59 Grove Street between Seventh Avenue South and Bleecker Street, to hand out flyers inviting passersby to join in our Birthday Party at the location right there in the Village where Tom Paine died, in what was then a rooming house; surely he was disillusioned with his compatriots.
Theodore Roosevelt had referred to Tom Paine as a "Dirty little Atheist" when this man of vision, stature and integrity had fallen into disfavor with those who held that one cannot be "good" without belief in god.
Let's gather in appreciation of his courage and give this Humanist Hero a raised glass and a round of applause! Hope to see you there!(2) Wednesday, February 9, 2011: The usual second Tuesday HSMNY meeting will take place on Wednesday this month! Wednesday, February 9th, is a better time to honor Charles Darwin on his 202nd birthday.
You are invited to attend two special presentations at the American Museum of Natural History, located on Central Park West at 79th Street [ click here for map ]. There are several options.
For the Early Birds, at 3:30 PM, a presentation on the Human Brain will take place on the 3rd Floor. There is a charge of $18.00 (but free for Museum members: A year's membership is $70.00).
At 6:00 PM, a lecture on Gorillas begins in the Kaufman Theater on the First Floor (a charge of $15.00 or $13.50 for Seniors, but free to the first 75 Members).
After the lecture, we can have a real birthday celebration at the Uno Chicago Grill nearby, on the corner of 81st Street at 432 Columbus Avenue (212-595-4700); it might be 8:00 or 9:00 PM by then. Hope to see you there at the Museum, early or late, or even at the Restaurant. Beth will be displaying a symbol for the Humanist Society of Metropolitan New York - The Corliss Lamont Chapter, so that you newcomers will recognize our group.
Here are several references: first, for the Brain: The Inside Story exhibition: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/brain-the-inside-story and second, for the From the Field: Revisiting Akeley's Gorillas lecture: (unavailable)
The Childhood Learning Stage of Humankind
The primitive Macho culture of manly physical response to danger is a behavior that evolved in our Human baby stage. In the childhood of Humankind, we had no answers to our questions, no accumulated wisdom to address our dilemmas, so we did what children do: in the absence of knowledge and experience, we made things up! We had no science, no psychology, so we improvised, and we did the best we could. And for that phase of our evolution, it seemed to work pretty well; in some ways, remarkably well. For Humans to have survived at all is actually spectacular. Considering their risks: hunger, freezing, floods, predatory animals, plagues, earthquakes, drought, volcanic eruptions, and wars. Carl Sagan reminded us of our species' success, that we had survived against a lot of odds.
But, A Four-Million-Year Childhood?
We can be forgiven for our violent, confused, adolescent, growing-up stages, even the need for the authority of vengeful, unseen gods to back us up. You know, the old ploy: "My father can beat up your father!" But what's our excuse now? Have we yet acquired the wisdom and the will to progress and evolve into the adult behavior that one would expect of an ethical Human species? Let's get it straight. I dislike demeaning your gods, Allah, Yahweh, whoever, but if I were going to cite the authority of any supreme being, I'd choose an ethical one! Not one who is into vengeance, or who demands an eye for an eye, or sends curses upon humans, or welcomes to its throne, martyrs who have murdered for the cause. No way! If I worshiped any supernatural connection to the universe, it would be one that champions compassion, love, nurturance, respect, equality, equitable treatment, fairness, sharing, forgiveness, and one that would enable and encourage Humans to live rich lives of fulfillment and joy, developing all of their talents and potential, and living out their days unharmed.
I like the slogan in honor of Charles Darwin: "Let's Resolve to Evolve." When do we start?(3) Tuesday, March 15, 2011: The usual second Tuesday HSMNY meeting will take place on the third Tuesday this month!
We will gather as we have previously from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in Room 508 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ], but here's a new development:
We have been invited to join with other Humanists at the "Socrates Cafe," the name for a meeting similar to HSMNY's hosted by fellow Humanist, Ken Gans, whose stimulating discussions on Humanism and basic philosophical questions has been ongoing at the NYSEC for many years, with members whose interests intertwine with our own concerns.
We're invited to bring to the table for discussion any of our concerns. There may well be a variety of timely topics that get into the nitty-gritty of philosophy.
Would even Socrates be equipped to philosophize about the People's Protests that are taking place in many countries? And what about Madison? Humanists advocate taking responsibility and behaving ethically; we certainly have a lot to discuss.
We have so many concerns, especially right here at home with state budgets and governors trying to slash funding for people programs, public employees, teachers, even police and firefighters, and perhaps the most devastating cut being the Union's hard-won bargaining rights that are in jeopardy.
Bring your special concerns and issues; even better, bring your ideas for Humanistic solutions to our dilemmas.
Hoping to see you there for a rousing meeting.
No charge and no reservations needed. Light refreshments will be available.(4) Tuesday, April 19, 2011: The usual second Tuesday HSMNY meeting will again take place on the third Tuesday this month!
We have been invited to join with other Humanists at the Socrates Cafe for a meeting hosted by fellow Humanist, Ken Gans, whose stimulating discussions on Humanism and basic philosophical questions has been ongoing at the NYSEC for many years, with members whose interests intertwine with our own concerns.
We're invited to bring to the table for discussion any of our concerns. As always, YOU are the speaker. The subject: Your own thoughts!
Bring your special concerns and issues; even better, bring your ideas for Humanistic solutions to our dilemmas.
Hoping to see you there for a rousing meeting. You may contact Beth Lamont for more information, if you wish.
If you are interested in contacting Ken Gans, he can be reached at 212-787-7000 ext. 1039.
The event is listed on Meetup here.
No charge and no reservations needed. Light refreshments will be available.(5) Tuesday, May 31, 2011: We will meet from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM in Room 408 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
We've been attending the Socrates Cafe at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on first and third Tuesdays, and this extra meeting will be in the same place, located on 64th Street at the corner of Central Park West, from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Our meeting room will be on the Fourth floor this time, in Room 408.
Please bring your concerns to share with others of like mind. There are many political actions going on at this time, and important bills in Congress that need attention. Let's urge Congress to get us out of Afghanistan! There's a support action planned for Bradley Manning.
Hoping to see you on Tuesday evening. There will be some snacks, but often when we can't stop talking, we go out for a bit of dinner afterward, mostly to continue our conversations. Looking forward to seeing you!(6) Tuesday, June 14, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Room 508 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
There is an important democratic procedure scheduled to take place on this special evening! Come prepared to take part in a discussion of Leadership, after which Volunteers to assume such role will be requested. Is this a proper democratic procedure, so far? Well, what's next?
When a young, energetic, eloquent and handsome Humanist man-of-action steps forward, (I think that we should just grab him, but…) we must then have a most democratic Vote to make him our New HSMNY President! Hint: Robert Heihn is the dynamic and visionary recruit, who has already been endorsed by our outgoing President, Tom Riggins, and by yours truly. Come get to know him and his ideas.
We had been enjoying our meetings with Ken Gan's Socrates Cafe, at which very robust discussions are always taking place, along with unanimous resolve to take individual "Humanist" action in each of our areas of concern. I insist that all initiative taken in behalf of the well being of Human Beings and of Planet Earth are Humanistic, even if inspired by religious connections. Do you agree?
Let's discuss this ethical consideration along with other important issues that need our attention. Hope to see you soon, Beth.(7) Tuesday, June 28, 2011: We will meet at 7:00 PM to attend The Moth at Central Park SummerStage. Admission is free.
ANNOUNCING OUR NEW HSMNY CHAPTER PRESIDENT! ROBERT CAMERON HEIHN was elected to office by a unanimous majority vote. His enthusiastic campaign message is to revitalize the Chapter with new activities, and by using new social media for outreach and to personalize inter-connections. Robert also has some interesting speakers in mind for future meetings. What are your suggestions? Robert Heihn would like to hear from you.
His e-mail contact: humanists.nyc.president@gmail.com
His first move in this direction is to plan a special activity for our regularly scheduled June 28th meeting. Robert writes: "I have an idea for our next meeting: the National Public Radio series "The Moth" is doing a live show at Central Park SummerStage (around 72nd Street) on this Tuesday evening at 7:30pm. The Moth is an interesting series where people just tell stories, often from their own lives. We might suggest gathering together at the 72nd St. entrance on Central Park West at 7pm, then proceed to the stage together." This sounds to be an interesting and different kind of evening.
There's more information at: https://themoth.org/events
NOW THAT SUMMER IS HERE, let's take advantage of some of the lovely "freebies" around town. Have you been to the newly refurbished Governor's Island? We need to plan some boat rides on the Hudson. Saturdays and Sundays in the afternoon are perfect for such adventures. When was the last time you took a ride on the free Staten Island Ferry? In addition to all extra activities, a few of us less adventurous "elders" will maintain the assurance of our "adoption" by the New York Society for Ethical Culture, as long as we're welcome there, by appreciatively continuing to meet for conversation in our assigned Room 508, according to our old pattern of 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings. Also, Ken Gans has been most welcoming of us Humanists to the Socrates Cafe that meets on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Some of us will definitely continue to attend this Meeting!
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! The American Humanist Association is asking for a list of our Chapter Members to indicate that we really are a viable Chapter. We seem not to have many AHA members, but rather, Chapter attendees, so please, if you consider yourself a Member of the Humanist Society of Metropolitan New York, The Corliss Lamont Chapter of the American Humanist Association, will you be so helpful as to please report "in" to the above e-mail address, so that we can claim you. Or, please call us at any time.
WAY BACK IN THE "OLDEN DAYS," when we sent "snail-mail" announcements to Members, rather than e-mails, we collected Dues to pay for the stamps and the printing. It was also useful for the renting of meeting rooms. Perhaps we should consider investing in some advertising to promote our chapter? So we might also consider requesting at least a minimal amount of $25 per year as a commitment for Membership. Please become a voting Member on matters such as this?
Here's hoping to see you soon! Best wishes from Beth Lamont, your "elder" and long-time communicator.(8) Tuesday, July 26, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on the Fifth Floor (please check sign in Lobby for precise room number) at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
Some of us have been attending, also at NYSEC, the Socrates Cafe event hosted by Ken Gans on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, and finding the philosophy and discussions there very enlightening and rewarding. We are hoping to round-out the calendar each month with HSMNY's own meetings on second and fourth Tuesdays, same time…same station, as the old saying goes. Really hoping to meet you all there!
Call any time, for more information.(9) Tuesday, October 11, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on the Fifth Floor (please check sign in Lobby for precise room number) at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
Hope to see you there!
Call any time, for more information.(10) Tuesday, October 25, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Room 507 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
You are cordially invited to a discussion of Global Values Forum - TV with Humanist Educator, Beth Lamont and 7 Keys to Love Author, Sandy Hinden.
Global Values Forum - TV will help develop appreciation for our most cherished values and clarify concerns, interests and needs of all involved on Planet Earth.
All are welcomed and your participation is most appreciated! We need you to help connect with sponsors, publicity experts, production crew, social media experts, and Website development experts.
Light snacks will be available. Hope to see you there!
Special Note: Hello Dear "ELDERS-OFF-OUR-ROCKERS!" Please don't sit there; come share your wisdom at Zuccotti Park any evening!(11) Tuesday, November 8, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on the Fifth Floor (please check sign in Lobby for precise room number) at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
Hope to see you there!
Call any time, for more information.(12) Tuesday, November 22, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on the Fifth Floor (please check sign in Lobby for precise room number) at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
Hope to see you there!
Call any time, for more information.(13) Tuesday, December 13, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on the Fifth Floor (please check sign in Lobby for precise room number) at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
Hope to see you there!
Call any time, for more information.(14) Tuesday, December 27, 2011: We will meet from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on the Fifth Floor (please check sign in Lobby for precise room number) at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West [ click here for map ].
Hope to see you there!
Call any time, for more information.
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This page last revised: January 7, 2022.
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