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Unless otherwise noted all activities take place at the Baltimore
Ethical Society, 306 West Franklin St. For more info call 410-581-2322
or check our web site at <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="http://www.BaltimoeEthicalSociety.org">www.BaltimoeEthicalSociety.org</a><br>
<br>
<u><i><big><b>THIS WEEKEND</b></big></i></u><u><i><big><b><br>
1st Saturday Coffee House: Feb 3 at 7 PM </b></big></i></u><big>:</big><big><small>
Poetry</small></big><big><small> ▪ </small></big><big><small>Music</small></big><big><small>▪</small></big><big><small>
Open Mic ▪ Refreshments ▪ Free
(donation suggested)
</small></big><br>
<u><i><b><big>Poetry Group Sun Feb 4, 9:30 am</big></b></i></u><br>
<div align="left"><u><i><b><big>
Moveable Treats and Platform Sun Feb 4 10:30 am
to Noon <br>
Volunteers needed to help pack Movable Treats beginning at 12:15<br>
</big></b></i></u></div>
<br>
<br>
<big><i><b><u>Sunday Platforms: Promptly at 10:30 am</u></b></i> </big><span
style="" lang="EN">(See details below)<br>
February 4 </span><span style="" lang="EN">“A Life Story”</span><span
style="" lang="EN"></span> <i>Fritz Williams, Leader</i><br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"></st1:City></st1:place><b><span
style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN"></span></b><span
style="" lang="EN">February 11</span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Arial;"
lang="EN">DARWIN</span></b></st1:City></st1:place><b><span
style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN"> DAY</span></b><span
style="" lang="EN"> “What Did <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Darwin</st1:place></st1:City>
Learn About Human Behavior from Observing Animals?” </span><i><span
style="" lang="EN">Sharon
Kingsland,Ph.D, JHU, </span></i><u><span style="" lang="EN">Joint
meeting with Baltimore Secular Humanists</span></u><o:p><br>
</o:p><span style="" lang="EN">February 18<o:p></o:p></span><span
style="" lang="EN"> “Pain and Ethics”<o:p></o:p></span><i><span
style="" lang="EN"> Will Rowe, American Pain Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></i><o:p><br>
</o:p><span style="" lang="EN">February 25<o:p></o:p></span><span
style="" lang="EN"> “3<sup>rd</sup> Annual BESpeakoff”<o:p></o:p></span><span
style="" lang="EN"> An oratorical contest for middle school</span>
students. <i>Gordon Stills, Facilitator</i><br>
<br>
<u><i><b><big>Other Activities</big></b></i></u><br>
Poetry Group Sun Feb 4, 9:30 am Sun Feb 18, 9:30 am<br>
Eight Commitments Workshop # 4 Sat Feb 10, 6:00 pm or Sun Feb 11, 12:30
pm Reservations required for Feb 10 meeting, with pot luck dinner.<br>
Book Group Sun Feb 11, 9:30 am Sun Feb 25, 9:30 am<br>
Newcomers’ Meeting Sun Feb 25, 12:15 pm <br>
<br>
<u><i><b><big>Snack Schedule</big></b></i></u><br>
Feb 4: A to F<br>
Feb 11: G to L<br>
Feb 18: M to R<br>
Feb 25: S to Z<br>
Please bring a snack on “your” week (based on the first letter of your
last name).<br>
<br>
<u><i><b><big>Platform Details<br>
</big></b></i></u>
<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">February
4: “</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">A Life
Story</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">”</span><span
style="font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">Fritz Williams, Leader,
Baltimore Ethical Society<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 4pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When he
describes his responsibilities as Leader of the Baltimore Ethical
Society, Fritz Williams always mentions storytelling.<span style=""> </span>“I
began telling stories,” he says, “to illustrate the points I was trying
to make in my talks and presentations.<span style=""> </span>But
increasingly, stories are becoming the main thing, the essence of what
I have to say, and the analysis and explanation that precede and follow
them are mostly commentary.”<span style=""> </span>This talk is a
close-up look at Fritz’s understanding of the central place of the
story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span
style="font-weight: bold;">Fritz Williams </span><span style="">serves
as primary speaker, teacher, pastor, and organizational leader of BES.<span
style=""> </span>Fritz also performs weddings and commitment
ceremonies.<span style=""> </span>He has worked as a parish priest in
the Episcopal church, and as a writer and producer at public TV
stations in Harrisburg, PA, and Detroit, MI.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<pre style=""><span
style="font-size: 4pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">February 11: “</span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-weight: bold;">What Did
Darwin Learn About Human Behavior from Observing Animals?</span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;">Sharon
Kingsland,Ph.D.,</span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;"> </span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;">Chair, <o:p></o:p>
Dept. of History of Science and Technology, JHU</span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;"> </span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 4pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It is
commonly thought that Darwin insulted humans by bringing them down to
the level of animals. But we should also recognize that Darwin’s
discussion of human and animal evolution in </span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;">The Descent of Man</span><span
style="font-size: 11pt;"> (1871) did not so much bring humans down as
it raised animals up, showing them to be capable of emotions and
thought and in general being a lot like us.<span style=""> </span>Darwin
also vehemently rejected the notion that his theory supported the idea
that “might makes right” or that evolution means we are inherently
selfish.<span style=""> </span>To the contrary, he believed that the
rise of ethical standards was adaptive from an evolutionary standpoint.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharon
Kingsland</span><span style=""> is a historian of science and professor
in the Department of History of Science and Technology at Johns Hopkins
University.<span style=""> </span>She specializes in the history of
modern life sciences, especially the history of evolutionary biology
and ecology.<span style=""> </span>She teaches an undergraduate
course called “Debating Evolution” which explores various controversies
in evolutionary biology from Darwin’s time to the present.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">February 18: “</span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-weight: bold;">Pain and
Ethics: An examination of factors contributing to the <o:p></o:p>
under treatment of pain</span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;">Will Rowe,
Executive Director, </span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;">American
Pain Foundation</span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;"> </span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<pre style=""><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everyone knows pain.<span
style=""> </span>Fortunately, most of the pain we experience is temporary.<span
style=""> </span>But even our brief experience with pain is enough to
convince us that the state of being in pain is one of the worst states of being.<span
style=""> </span>Imagine being in pain every day, relentless, unrelieved pain.<span
style="">
</span>Over 50 million people in America suffer from chronic pain even though the ways and means to treat much of this pain exists.<span
style=""> </span>Why is
there such neglect?<span style=""> </span>There are many contributing factors.<span
style=""> </span>Some of the important ones inhabit the realms of ethics, policy, and cultural
beliefs.<span style=""> </span>I will articulate some of these and issue a call for support and action regarding public policy that supports the neglect of pain
patients.<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Will Rowe</span><span
style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">has worked
in social service organizations since 1980 and has also been an
Instructor of Philosophy at Universities in Europe and the US.<span
style=""> </span>The American Pain Foundation which is a national,
independent non-profit organization with the mission to improve the
quality of life of people affected by pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 4pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">February 25: </span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">“</span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;"><span dir="ltr"></span>3</span><sup><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">rd</span></sup><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;"> Annual BESpeakOff: </span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">An oratorical contest for
middle school students</span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-style: italic;">Facilitated
by Gordon Stills<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span
style="font-size: 4pt; color: black; font-style: italic;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The
BESpeakOff is an outreach project intended to give local students a
chance to express themselves before an intimate audience of strangers.
Students win trophies for themselves and for the school of the first
place winner, as well as applause and encouragement from their parents,
friends and members of the Society</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.<span
style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lemmel Middle
School took 1st Place in 2005 and Lombard Middle School won in 2006.</span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gordon
Stills</span><span style=""> is a retired Baltimore school principal.<span
style=""> </span>He is also a poet, a dramatic reader and narrator,
and a small businessman.<span style=""> </span>A 46-year member of
the Baltimore Ethical Society and former board member, he is currently
serving the Society by conducting weddings and other ceremonies as an
Ethical Humanist Officiant.</span><br>
<br>
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