[BES Friends] December Schedule

[Stephen Meskin]

This message was originally sent Wednesday evening, but got held up by 
an ISP (Internet Service Provider) problem.  Many, if not everyone, on 
our e-mail list did not receive it.  We apologize if you happen to 
receive this twice. 

> MAIL NOTICE: The December newsletter should have been received by now 
> in the Baltimore area. If you normally receive it, but haven't 
> received it yet, please let me know at admin at BaltimoreEthicalSociety.org
>
> Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings will be held from 10:30 to 
> noon at the Society, in the Congress Hotel at 306 W. Franklin St., 
> Suite 102. On street parking is available. Handicap parking and 
> entrance are available in the adjacent lot with appropriate 
> identification. Ethical Humanist Sunday School for children during 
> platform meetings. Call 410-581-2322 for more information or, on the 
> day of the event, to check for closing during inclement weather. Also 
> check our newsletter and web site: www.BaltimoreEthicalSociety.org
>
> Save on your 2005 TAXES by making a contribution today to keep Ethical 
> Culture alive and lively in Baltimore.
>
> SUNDAY MORNING PLATFORMS (see details below)
> Dec. 4th – "The Binding of Isaac” by Fritz Williams, Leader, Baltimore 
> Ethical Society
> Dec. 11th – “Life is Enough” by Richard Kiniry, Leader of the 
> Philadelphia Ethical Society
> Dec. 18th – Winter Festival: A Participatory Happening
> Dec. 25th – “What Do We Believe?” An Interactive Journey
>
> OTHER ACTIVITIES
> Dec. 3rd – COFFEE HOUSE Saturday at 7pm.
> The second in our monthly series of CoffeeHouses. Music and poetry by 
> featured performers, plus an open mic.
> Coffee, tea, and snacks available. Snow date: Sat., Dec. 10. Sign-up 
> for open mic at 7pm.
>
> Dec. 4th – POETRY GROUP Sunday at 9:30am. Facilitated by Karla 
> Mancero. Bring poems that move you or that you have written to share 
> and discuss. A general theme is picked for each meeting - contact 
> Karla at poet at BaltimoreEthicalSociety.org to be added to the e-mail 
> list and receive notification of topics.
>
> Dec. 4th – BOARD MEETING Sunday at 12:30 pm. All members are welcome 
> to attend.
>
> Dec. 11th – COLLOQUY Sunday at 9:30 am. Facilitated by Stephen Meskin. 
> The colloquy is a formal program consisting of guided meditation on a 
> particular topic, with responses on a personal level as well as time 
> for silent reflection. It was developed by Arthur Dobrin, Ethical 
> Culture Leader, author, and teacher. The topic this month will be 
> Meditation, based on a section in Dobrin's book "Spelling God with Two 
> O's."
>
> Dec. 11th – ETHICAL ACTION - Sunday at 12:30 pm
>
> Dec. 18th – POETRY GROUP Sunday at 9:30am. See Dec 4th.
>
> Dec. 18th – NEWCOMERS' MEETING - Sunday at 12:30pm. Learn about the 
> history and organization of the Baltimore Ethical Society and the 
> Ethical Culture movement.
>
> PLATFORM DETAILS
> Dec. 4th – “The Binding of Isaac” by Fritz Williams, Leader, Baltimore 
> Ethical Society
> The Biblical story (Genesis 22) of God putting Abraham to the test by 
> commanding him to take his son Isaac’s life and offer him up as a 
> sacrificial burnt offering is one of the most poignant and troubling 
> passages in the entire Bible. Through the centuries, rabbis, imams, 
> priests, and ministers have attempted to make theological and moral 
> sense of it. Fritz Williams provides a deeply personal and humanistic 
> encounter with this ancient story.
>
> _Fritz Williams_ is Leader of the Baltimore Ethical Society and, in 
> that capacity, serves as primary speaker, teacher, pastor, and 
> organizational leader. To these duties, Fritz brings extensive 
> ministerial and communications experience. He has worked as a parish 
> priest in the Episcopal Church, and also as a writer and producer at 
> public television stations in Harrisburg, PA, and Detroit, MI. He is 
> especially loved for his down-to-earth narrative style of speaking and 
> his "When I Was Kid" stories, based on his own childhood.
>
> Dec. 11th – “Life is Enough” by Richard Kiniry, Leader of the 
> Philadelphia Ethical Society
> It seems that most people who claim to believe in heaven and hell 
> don’t actually plan their lives with an afterlife in mind but the idea 
> remains part of their theory about life and they can fall back on that 
> idea in times of trouble. Since Ethical Humanists don’t expect such 
> life insurance, should we live differently, behave differently?
>
> _Richard Kiniry_ has been Leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society 
> for more than ten years. He has also served in various capacities with 
> the AEU including the Board, the Leadership Committee and as president 
> of the National Leaders Council. He currently is the NLC 
> representative to the AEU Ethical Action Committee. Richard spent his 
> college years in a Catholic seminary, raised chickens in India for two 
> years with the Peace Corps, and had his own stained glass business for 
> many years. A graduate of the Humanist Institute, he is also the 
> Director of Camp Linden, a children's camp in Chester County, 
> Pennsylvania, and a member of the Board of The East Fairmount Park 
> Alliance, a neighborhood community group in North Philadelphia
>
> Dec. 18th – Winter Festival: A Participatory Happening
> It may not be snowing, but we’ll celebrate the season together anyway, 
> with our traditional mitten tree and some sharing of what this time of 
> year means to us all. Bring gloves, scarves, etc. for the mitten tree, 
> a final donation for the good folks at Viva House to distribute, and a 
> winter tradition to share - in story or as “show and tell”. Even if 
> it’s snow-less outside, we’ll still have our own winter wonderland 
> inside the Congress Hotel!
>
> Dec. 25th – “What Do We Believe?” An Interactive Journey
> Ethical Culture emphasizes deed before creed, so we often talk about 
> how to live ethically but we don’t usually address what each of us 
> believes. While the Baltimore Believe campaign encourages us to 
> believe that Baltimore can be a better city and advertising campaigns 
> urge us to believe in their products, that’s not the kind of belief 
> we’re going to address here. Rather, what are our innermost beliefs? 
> What helps us make it through difficult times? Together, in one or 
> more small groups, we will explore this question.
>
>
>