This month the Central Ontario Humanist Association was pleased to have biology professor Dr. Monika Havelka give us a presentation on Evo-Devo.  In this presentation she explains how small changes in the HOX genes that control development can lead to big changes in how an animal looks.

This video is now posted online and you can watch it right here:

You can download the slides in PDF format.

The Central Ontario Humanist Association has just released their updated 2010 Membership form. There are two changes this year over previous years. The first is that members are no longer automatically members of the Humanist Canada (Humanist Association of Canada). The second is that because of this, our membership fees are lower than previous years.

You can view our membership information and to download the membership form on this site by going to our membership section.

You can download the Humanist Canada (Humanist Association of Canada) membership form or pay online at the Humanist Canada Membership page.

Hello Everyone,
Good news! I was able to book Barrie Public Library’s 50 seat meeting room for all our regular monthly meetings in 2010. The not so good news is that I was unable to book the room on the last Wednesday of every month. Please put the following COHA meeting dates in your 2010 calendar:

Wednesday January 20
Thursday February 25
Wednesday March 24
Thursday April 29
Wednesday* May 26
Wednesday* June 30
Wednesday* July 28
Wednesday August 18
Wednesday* September 29
Thursday October 28
Thursday November 25
Wednesday* December 29

The asterisks flag the last Wednesdays of those months. Although historically we have not met in June, July, August, and December, I booked those months just in case (and will cancel as soon as we know we won’t need the room). If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

More good news!
Dr. Monika Havelka is over H1N1, and will be coming to our November meeting. As you know, last January a snow storm caused most of us to miss Monika’s (TVO’s twice nominated best lecturer) extraordinary slide presentation. Then the day before she was to speak at our October meeting her daughter came down with H1N1. Sooo… hopefully for sure this time come prepared to learn about the exciting discoveries coming from the emerging biological specialty of “evo-devo” — whereby a set of genes common to all life forms, including us, control the construction of our bodies. There will be time for questions, and I intend to ask her about the even newer field of epigenetics. And please, post a copy of the attached poster on your favorite grocery store’s bulletin board and/or other venues.

One of the reasons we can enjoy Monika’s presentation at our Annual General Meeting, is that the business portion of the meeting can be mercifully short. — the current slate of Directors is being acclaimed, so no time is required for elections.

In yet more good news, the recent changes in our afilliation with Humanist Canada (the old HAC) allow us to decouple our membership fees. This means you can choose to continue your Humanist Canada membership or not. If not, you need only pay COHA’s annual membership fee, which starting on Jan. 1, 2010, will be $30 per person, or $50 per household, or $15 if you have a student card. If you do want to renew your Humanist Canada membership you can download it from www.humanistcanada.com and remit it to Humanist Canada yourself. And please note that if you wish to make a charitable donation to COHA (always needed and welcome), you can remit it to Humanist Canada with the stipulation that it be forwarded to COHA, and a tax deductible receipt will be issued to you. That way, all tax payers support COHA as well as all the churches out there.

Warm regards,
Paul
President, Central Ontario Humanists Association