Sept 18 2008 Meeting Notes

From Joan Pella

Humanist Meeting, Sept 18. ( Agenda : abbreviated to simplify and add minutes.)A small but vital group was present.

Topics of discussion:

Meetings:

We will continue to meet at the Lion’s Club Hearing Association building on Paris street for our formal/discussion meetings on the third Thursday of each month from 6:30 unless we have to fit in a speaker on a different day. Eddo has arranged this and we are collecting small donations each time for the use of the premises. There is no set charge but please keep that quiet.

Social get-togethers:

We are going to have a relaxed “pub night” each month on the first Wednesday of the month,to just meet and chat, get to know each other, as well as our formal meetings. The first will be on Wednesday, October 5 at 7:00 at Little Montreal on Elgin.It’s early in the evening,since most people have to go to work the next day. We may change our meeting venue for each meeting:we’ll decide later.

Projects:

Local:

---We have the money for the bursary and Joan will be meeting with someone at Laurentian to introduce it.

--Sheila has suggested that it be open to Cambrian students as well.---- Although we had set the essay topic as the IHEU Amsterdam Proclamation, Greg suggested a broader topic: “civil liberties in Western society and the threat to them to-day.” It certainly would broaden the scope and could include all human rights accords including the Muslim one in contrast.

Please let us know what you think of these two proposals, either on the blogsite or by e-mailing me directly.(Joan: raphael1@persona.ca)

National-Sharing in the International day of Peace on Sunday. Info will be forwarded to you. Eddo attended an organization meeting on our behalf. There is a banner that I will scan and send, if you want to make a copy and carry it as a “flag” But I also will send the Humanist symbol, as one of our objectives is to participate in human rights demonstrations and be seen doing it. I am going to carry it also as a banner.

Ideas for future discussion:

Topics, speakers:

---support for a unified secular Public School system in Ontario;taking active part in the movement

---History of Native culture, status, etc.-guest speakers invited by Sheila. This may happen on a Sunday due to the activities of the two speakers. Will let you know.

---Sharing of Humanist CDs ,e. g from Eddos’s collection , also the evolution series

---Greg will present his extensive background knowledge of violations of civil liberties, E.G. Maher Arrar, Guantanamo. .The meeting for this would have to be no later than the second week of December. To be announced.

--- In keeping with our objective to participate actively , as a group join Amnesty International as an affiliate and invite a local speaker to speak to us. I think some of us have already helped Amnesty International.

----Invite a speaker from the local volunteer service group, The Human League;possibly affiliate as volunteers:Sheila will organize this.

Publicity:

--- Eddo volunteered to send meeting notices to the Sudbury star and Northern Life.

----Sheila will fax in notices to Channel 10

---Greg proposed a column idea, in which we will write regular columns on secular organizations which are helping humanity locally, e.g. the Lions, Habitat, etc. I would like to work on this and anyone else who is interested , please volunteer. I will first propose the idea to the paper and let you know.

--- Making ourselves seen in a positive context as an organization following a set of ethics which aim towards helping to build a civilized, humane society by

---participation in local events as a named organization:e.g. the peace walk project, in future,as a co-sponsor.

NOW THE REALLY BIG NEWS:

---- Bill has created a website for us, which is up and running. As it progresses, Bill will make it more sophisticated,such as adding voiced blogs. We will be able to send messages and have discussions.

Kim’s idea re book exchange project can be carried out through the blog:Kim to manage it.

See --- SudburyHumanists.blogspot.com

Hope I got that right, Bill.

Best Regards to all of you. Hope to see you sometime at the pub or a meeting or on the blog. Joan Pella