January 16, 2012

January Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 2:10 pm
Hello Happy Humanists,

It’s another year, and after our winter party it’s time to kick it back in to gear.

Monday, January 30th: Dr. DiNorcia on “Am I My Brain?”
On Monday, January 30th at 7PM the Central Ontario Humanists will have Dr. Vincent DiNorcia talk about how our brains does the miraculous things that it does, and how the structure of our brain affects who we are and how we behave.  We meet at the Barrie Public Library in the Angus Ross Room. Guests are welcome, and your first three meetings are free.

Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts promptly at 7 PM. As is our tradition, we will be meeting for dinner and discussion at 5 PM at Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. Anyone is welcome to come. If you have any questions about our pre-meeting dinner, please email me and ask.

About the topic: The brain’s ‘job’ is to enable and control everything an organism does. But how exactly does the brain control so many complex tasks so well and so seamlessly every second of every day? Vincent will explain that it is the brain’s dynamic communication capabilities that explain how these processes work and why you can teach an old dog new tricks, namely how adult humans and other organisms have practical intelligences, social capabilities, and he will deal with the question of artificial persons.

About the speaker: Dr. Vincent DiNorcia has a PhD in Philosophy and is widely published on a range of topics, specializing in business/technology ethics. Most recently his article in the current Nov/Dec issues of Philosophy Now, “Ethics & The Brain” is available at Chapters if supplies have lasted. Also, he is a long time member and repeat speaker for the Central Ontario Humanists.

This Year’s Meeting Dates
We have our schedule for 2012! After many requests we are changing our meeting day to the first Monday of the month. On the occasion where we couldn’t book the first Monday of the month I have shown the adjustment in brackets.

Monday, January 30* [Last Monday of January]
Monday, March 5
Monday, April 2
Monday, May 7
Monday, June 4
Summer Solstice will be sometime August/July
Volunteers
If you would like to help run the day to day operations of the group, we’d love to have you help out on occasion. For example, having someone volunteer to help record who comes each day would be a great benefit. Contact me if you would like to volunteer on occasion.

December 6, 2011

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 4:20 pm

Hello members and guests of the Central Ontario Humanists,

It has been a pleasure to serve as your president this year. To close out the year we have our Winter Solstice Party and 15 minute AGM on December 11th. RSVP to Josh with what you will bring (below). We will elect our board members for next year and then have a blast. Your current executive board has been working hard some some dedicated members to already start books fantastic speakers for next year.

We will be meeting on first Monday of the month for the next year, as this is the only day the library allows us to book.

We would appreciate your input as to what was your favourite presentations of the year–the kind you want more of. As well, I’m interested to know which you disliked the most and would like to get rid of going future. Make this your club. Respond to this email and let me know.

AGM & Winter Solstice Party

Where: Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, 107 Dunlop St. E.
When: Sunday, December 11th, 12 noon until 3:30 PM
Why? Because everyone deserves a little fun.

RSVP to Josh at (removed)

We will have a potluck meal and donations to the Grocery Assistance Program are being collected. (No potluck or food donation required if you are coming just for the AGM, but donations to GAP are always appreciated.) Free parking is available all along Dunlop St. and in any city parking lots downtown. There is no charge for all members and guests, and parking is free downtown on Sunday.

Promptly at 12 noon we will begin our 15 minute AGM. We will elect our 2012 executive, and have our financial and membership reports. Then we will spring right in to the fun.

RSVP to Josh at (removed)

Call for candidates: We are looking for people to run for executive positions. If you want to run for Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Secretary, Vice-President or President we really want you. Fresh ideas and fresh perspectives are welcome, no experience needed, and only 1 executive meeting per month is required. (A description of positions is available on our website.)

If you would like to run for any position, please contact Tom Cooke.

Upcoming Meetings

We meet on the first Monday of the month. The next meetings are:

Monday, January 30 [The last Monday of January]
Monday, March 5
Monday, April 2
Monday, May 7

Thanks for a great year

Enjoy this December. Most of us, our friends and loved ones will have time off work this December, as usual. Please use opportunity to enjoy each other’s company, to have a good time and to relax. For those of you who celebrate a secular Christmas, have a happy Christmas. To those of you participating in religious holiday occasions regardless of the practice, best wishes to you and yours. And to everyone, have a merry new year.

 Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+

November 16, 2011

November Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 6:20 pm

My fellow skeptics,

This month we have yet another great presentation: Dr. Chris DiCarlo will talk to us about the importance of asking questions, and which ones you should ask to live a meaningful, fully developed life. On Wednesday November 30th we will meet at Georgian College’s Rowntree Theatre.

Also, next month, on December 11th is our AGM/Solstice party. We are looking for you to help out with our executive committee. We train on the job, and the hours are light and fun.

Read below for more information on all this and more.

This month: Dr. Chris DiCarlo

Dr. Chris DiCarlo

On Wednesday, November 30th at 7PM Dr. Chris DiCarlo will be giving a presentation at the Rowntree Theatre at Georgian College. This award winning presenter will talk to us about how to ask the right questions and how to spot bad answers. Dr. DiCarlo will tell us about the important big five questions: What can I know? Why am I here? What am I? How should I behave? What is to come of me?

This dovetails beautifully with last January’s video presentation of Sam Harris’ book “The Moral Landscape.” Ethics, free will, and critical thinking are corner stones of  Dr. DiCarlo’s lively and engaging presentation. His book, “How To Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass” will be on sale. A must have guide for all budding critical thinkers.

Many new members and guests to the Central Ontario Humanists don’t remember the last time Chris DiCarlo came by to entertain and inform us. When speaking to some members, one said he had Dr. DiCarlo as a professor and that he was a great speaker and teacher. I soon got word that another person in that conversation went home and looked him up on YouTube. She immediately said she understands why Chris DiCarlo is held in such high regard by humanists when she saw a video of him debating the existence of God with William Lane Craig. It’s easy to see why he was Humanist Canada’s 2008 Humanist of the Year.

AGM & Winter Solstice Party

Where: Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, 107 Dunlop St. E.
When: Sunday, December 11th, 12 noon until 3:30 PMWhy? Because everyone deserves a little fun. We will have a potluck meal and donations to the Grocery Assistance Program are being collected. (No potluck or donation required if you are coming just for the AGM, but donations to GAP are always appreciated.) Free parking is available all along Dunlop St. and in any city parking lots downtown.

At 12 noon we will begin our 15 minute AGM. We will elect our 2012 executive, and have our financial and membership reports. Then we will spring right in to the fun.

Monika Havelka’s talk online

I know you all will be pleased to learn that Dr. Monika Havelka’s talk from this past month is now online. Re-live the experience or watch it for the first time on our website. Monika’s talk about the biology of aging and can we put a stop to aging was educational and entertaining and is available for everyone online. You can also catch her previous talks on our website:

We Need You on the Executive Committee

We are looking for people to run for executive positions. If you want to run for Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Secretary, Vice-President or President we really want you. Fresh ideas and fresh perspectives are welcome, no experience needed, and only 1 executive meeting per month is required. (A description of positions is available on our website.) If you would like to run for any position, please tell Tom Cooke which position you want to run for.

Next Year’s Meeting Dates
We have our schedule for 2012! After many requests we are changing our meeting day to the first Monday of the month. On the occasion where we couldn’t book the first Monday of the month I have shown the adjustment in brackets.

January 30* [Last Monday of January]
March 5
April 2
May 7
June 4
Tentative: July 9* [Second Monday]
Tentative: July 30* [Last Monday]
Summer Solstice will be sometime August/July
September 10*, [Second Monday]
October 1
November 5
December 3
Winter Solstice will be sometime December

Lost and Found

During the summer solstice party someone left a bowl at the picnic site. Also, during Monika’s presentation someone left an umbrella. If you think these might be yours please email me back with a description of what you lost and we’ll get these items back to you.

Get Socially Networked

You can +1 us, you can like us, and you can follow us. The Central Ontario Humanists are here for all your networking needs:

I will see you soon,
-Shawn

November 11, 2011

DiCarlo at Georgian

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 6:39 pm

Good day everyone,

I’m pleased to announce that this month’s meeting will feature Chris DiCarlo as our guest speaker. We will be meeting at Georgian College’s Rowntree Theatre on Wednesday the 30th for this event. More details to follow but to wet your appitite here are a few details about Chris DiCarlo if you have not had the pleasure of seeing him speak before:

Voted TV Ontario’s Big Ideas Best Lecturer and Canadian Humanist of the Year by Humanist Canada in 2008, Dr. DiCarlo presents highly insightful and lively discussions. He is a past Visiting Research Scholar at Harvard University and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

His new book, How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass is an incisive, engaging, and entertaining guide to critical thinking and its benefits. The overall purpose of this book is to provide readers with tools which will allow them to question beliefs and assumptions held by those who claim to know what they’re talking about. A really good pain in the ass is someone who is empowered with the ability to spot faulty reasoning and, by asking the right sorts of questions, hold people accountable not only for what they believe but how they behave. This book revolves around asking and answering five very important questions.

They are so important they are called the Big Five. They are:

1. What can I know?
2. Why am I here?
3. What am I?
4. How should I behave?
5. What is to come of me?

The way you answer these questions can tell you a lot about yourself. And if you ask others, their answers will tell you a good deal about them, how they think, and what they value. Of course, if you persist in asking these questions, others may think you’ve become a pain in the ass. But that’s not such a bad thing according to Dr. DiCarlo because it means you’ve learned to think critically.

This witty and incisive guide to critical thinking provides you with the tools to allow you to question beliefs and assumptions held by those who claim to know what they’re talking about – from politicians and lawyers to bankers, doctors, the divinely inspired, and even your boss. But be aware that many people do not like having their views and beliefs questioned and challenged. As a result, being a really good pain in the ass can be lonely; it can lose you friends, promotions, jobs, and marriages; it can get you hurt, beaten up, and sometimes even killed.

Copies of his book will be on sale at the Georgian College event. I will see you there!

October 17, 2011

AGM Announcement

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 1:25 pm

The Central Ontario Humanists are pleased to announce the 2011 Annual General Meeting and Winter Solstice Party. Both will take place the afternoon of Sunday, December 11th from 12 noon until 4:30 PM at the Flying Monkeys event room which is in Down Town Barrie:

Flying Monkeys
107 Dunlop Street East
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
L4M 1A6

Call for candidates: We are looking for people to run for executive positions. If you want to run for Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Secretary, Vice-President or President we really want you. Fresh ideas and fresh perspectives are welcome, no experience needed, and only 1 executive meeting per month is required. (A description of positions is available on our website.)

If you would like to run for any position, please contact Tom Cooke:

tom46@sympatico.ca
(705) 792-4217

AGM: The AGM will see our executive for 2012 voted it. It is free for all members to come and vote. Parking is also free.

Winter Solstice Party: The winter solstice party will be held directly after the AGM. More details to come.

October 12, 2011

October Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 1:06 pm

COHA Members and Guests,

Last months meeting provided me and my team of executives with great information about what you want from our winter solstice event, and we will move forward on that. If anyone has any new ideas please let me know.

This month: The Biology of Aging

On Wednesday, October 26th at 7PM the Central Ontario Humanists will have Dr. Monika Havelka telling us that aging is an inescapable fact of life — or is it?  This talk examines the biology of aging among a variety of organisms and explores mechanistic and evolutionary theories of why we age, raising questions about whether aging is inevitable, preventable or even reversible. We meet at the Barrie Public Library. Guests are welcome.

Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts promptly at 7 PM. As is our tradition, we will be meeting for dinner and discussion at 5 PM at Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. Anyone is welcome to come. If you have any questions about our pre-meeting dinner, please email me and ask. Guests may visit us 3 times for free before buying a membership or paying per event.

RSVP or invite your friends on our Facebook events page for The Biology of Aging.

Charity Beyond Belief

We are continuing to collect for our fellow humans:

  • We are taking food donations at every meeting for the Grocery Assistance Program at the Simcoe Elizabeth Fry Society.
  • We are collecting financial contribution to buy a Library in a Box through Plan Canada. (Already half way to our goal!)
  • We are going to hold a volunteer day where a group of us will go out into the community and make a difference. (If you know of an organization or event that needs more volunteers let me know and we can work together. If you are interested in being one of the volunteers, let me know!)

Upcoming Meeting Dates

  • October 26
  • Winter Solstice in December

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/COHumanists

Add this month’s event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=300413726642030

September 21, 2011

September Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 3:39 pm

COHA Members and Guests,

Summer is winding down, but I’m still enjoying the beautiful days we’ve been having this last week. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you Wednesday, September 28th at 7pm in the Barrie Public Library to kick off the second half of our 2011 meetings!

If you want a brief peek forward, we have Doctor Monika Hevelka returning in October to talk about the biology of aging and Doctor Chris DiCarlo will be promoting his new new book on skepticism and asking tough questions in November.

Also, remember to vote on October 6, 2011. (Better: advance polls are open now!)

This month: Humanist Perspectives

On Wednesday, September 28th at 7PM the Central Ontario Humanists will have will talk COHA image, branding and message; grapple with a moral dilemma activities and finish with a consideration of the collective humanist agenda.  Should be quite a night; be prepared to share your ideas.  We meet at the Barrie Public Library. Guests are welcome.

Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts promptly at 7 PM. As is our tradition, we will be meeting for dinner and discussion at 5 PM at Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. Anyone is welcome to come. If you have any questions about our pre-meeting dinner, please email me and ask.

Charity Beyond Belief

The Executive of the Central Ontario Humanists are pleased to tell you that we are going to be working harder than ever to make this world a better place.

  • We are taking food donations at every meeting for the Grocery Assistance Program at the Simcoe Elizabeth Fry Society.
  • We are collecting financial contribution to buy a Library in a Box through Plan Canada.
  • We are going to hold a volunteer day where a group of us will go out into the community and make a difference. (If you know of an organization or event that needs more volunteers let me know and we can work together.)

Winter Solstice Ideas

We often hold a winter solstice party to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We are looking for ideas about where we should host such a party. The executive is considering renting a space downtown and catering the event. Ideas, costs and pricing (if any) are being discussed, and your input is wanted. If you would prefer a pot a luck, have a suggestion for a location, or want to volunteer to host the event at your place, please let me know.

Upcoming Meeting Dates

  • September 28
  • October 26
  • Winter Solstice in December

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/COHumanists

June 13, 2011

2011-June Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 7:29 am

COHA Members and Guests,

It’s going to be a great June with your local Humanists, before all of your head off to your summer plans. This month we have our summer solstice BBQ and have a great video presentation lined up. I’m also excited to announce that we have tentatively scheduled the rest of the year’s presentations: a Naturopathic Doctor to come in and talk to us about his industry in September, Doctor Monika Hevelka will be returning to talk about the biology of aging in October and Doctor Chris DiCarlo will be promoting his new new book on skepticism and asking tough questions. Also, out presenter from last month has given me a special message to pass on to you!

Summer Solstice BBQ

The afternoon of Sunday, June 26th we will have a BBQ dinner. Running from 2-6 and located at a new location just outside of Barrie we have fun for the family. We will provider soft drinks with burgers and hot dogs. Please bring a chair to sit on, a small appitizer, dessert or snack to share, and be prepared to pay a parking fee. RSVP by Wednesday June 22nd! For details and to RSVP please contact Lindsay: lindsay@cohumanists.ca or (705) 456-1769.

Message from last month’s presenter, Wanda

Thanks everyone for coming last night – I hope you got as much out of the session as I did! Here’s a couple of things I forgot to mention:

1. Be a DWD Ambassador!
If you’re passionate about choice in dying, we have an opening in our upcoming speaker training day (Thursday June 2nd) and I would LOVE to have someone from Barrie join us. It will be at our offices (55 Eglinton Ave. East, Yonge and Eglinton) in Toronto from 9:00 – 4:30. Anyone interested can contact me for details.

2. Watch
In case you haven’t had a chance to watch the choice in dying videos yet, you can see them on our website at http://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/watch/index.php The videos I showed for Amy Doolittle and John Alan Lee are both there, as is the video of the great choice in dying debate between Don Babey and Margaret Somerville.

3. What does an atheist play?

I also posted a blog post on the session, it’s called “What does an atheist play?” you can see it on our website at http://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/resources/blog_news.php

Thank again to everyone for coming! If you have any feedback for me on the session – or other questions or ideas, please feel free to contact me.

Warmest regards,

Wanda Morris

This month: Living without the Sacred (Video Debate)

On Wednesday, May 29th at 7PM the Central Ontario Humanists will have a video debate with Peterson and de Sousa on Living Without the Sacred.  We meet at the Barre Public Library. Guests are welcome.

Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts promptly at 7 PM. As is our tradition, we will be meeting for dinner and discussion at 5 PM at Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. Anyone is welcome to come. If you have any questions about our pre-meeting dinner, please email me and ask.

Upcoming Meeting Dates

  • Wednesday, June 29

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/COHumanists

May 11, 2011

2011-May Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 5:28 pm

COHA Members and Guests,

It’s been quite a time change at home and abroad. From the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the upcoming anti-gay bill in Uganda and our own election here Canada things have been moving in all sorts of different directions.  But never fear: Your favourite local Humanist organization is here to constantly provide you with intellectual stimulation and new ideas.  For the first time in about a half decade we bring back Dying with Dignity to talk about end-of-life issues this month.  And be prepared for our announcement of our summer BBQ coming up in the next month or so.

Also next month, on Saturday June 4th, we will have a tent at Celebrate Barrie!  We will have activities for kids as well as information for adults. What we need is people to take shifts of 2 or 4 hours throughout the day to help out handing out literature, playing with the kids on our cool science activities, and making sure that the other people who will be there get time to take health breaks and eat their lunch!  Please reply if you’d be willing to help out for 2 to 4 (or more!) hours.

Have a great May!

This month: Dying with Dignity

On Wednesday, May 25th at 7PM the Central Ontario Humanists will have Wanda Morris of Dying with Dignity in to talk about end of life issues including advocating for medically assisted dying and what Dying with Dignity does to support people at the end of their lives. After her presentation she will take questions from the audience.  We meet at the Barrie Public Library. Guests are welcome.

Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts promptly at 7 PM. As is our tradition, we will be meeting for dinner and discussion at 5 PM at Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. Anyone is welcome to come. If you have any questions about our pre-meeting dinner, please email me and ask.

President’s Message

Gay rights is remarkably still an issue both in Canada and abroad.  Past president Paul Bassett sent me a link to a petition to stop Uganda’s Anti-Gay Bill that will include the death penalty for homosexual behaviour.  For more information on this bill you can see the first and second part of an interview with the Ugandan MP David Bahati.

Ponderāre

I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.

~ Unknown (But was falsely attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. in recent weeks.)

(Do you have a quote we can use in a future newsletter? Submit your quotes online. It can even be a quote that is disagreeable, so long as it’s thought provoking.)

Upcoming Meeting Dates

  • Wednesday, May 25
  • Wednesday, June 29
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/COHumanists

 

April 18, 2011

April Newsletter

Filed under: COHA News — admin @ 1:16 pm

COHA Members and Guests,

As we warm up in terms of weather, the other executive members and I have decided to warm things up socially. This Tuesday, April the 19th we will be having a cafe get together.  7PM at William’s Fresh Cafe at the south end of Barrie on Bryne’s Drive.  Please reply to this message if you plan to come buy so I can get a big enough table, or if you want to but can’t so we can gauge how many people are interested in this sort of activity for the future.

Also, a call to action: Over the summer I plan to personally redesign our website.  Please take a moment and visit a few pages on our websites that are about our organization and about Humanism and see if you detect any errors, omissions or things that just plain need updating.  I would love to have any suggestions, comments and criticism you have.

This month: Humanist Perspectives on Social Issues

After discussing with people who were and were not at last month’s meeting, everyone seems to want a continuation of last month’s discussion.  We didn’t get to half of the items on the discussion list.  We will continue where we left off and get more discussion on the issues.

So, again, for our meeting on Thursday, April 28th we will discussion social issues form a Humanist perspective.  If any of you have videos, readings, or quotes pertaining to the topics below please email them to me by Earth Hour on March 26th.  I encourage anyone who wants to give a 3 minute presentation on their views of their reading to contact me.

Here are the topics we are considering.  I hope and expect some of these to be controversial with people having different opinions on the subject.

Justice System

  • What should it look like?
  • Non-violent crime
  • Sex industry: Prohibition/Legalization
  • Recreational drugs: Prohibition/Legalization
  • Restorative justice

Political

  • Patriotism
  • Change “O Canada” to be more inclusive
  • Limits of free speech

Doors open at 6:30, and the presentation starts promptly at 7 PM. As is our tradition, we will be meeting for dinner and discussion at 5 PM at Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. Anyone is welcome to come. If you have any questions about our pre-meeting dinner, please email me and ask.

President’s Message

In a democracy a vote is power.  We have an election coming up in the next few weeks and I suggest we make the most of it.  ”Vote Early. Vote Often.”  With voter turn out continuing to hit record lows your vote practically counts for double. (Vote often.)  When you go to vote bring some neighbors or friends. (Vote often.) And why wait in line to vote? The advance polls are open on the 20th (Good Friday) and the 25th (Easter Monday).  Beat the lines. (Vote early.) With power come responsibility.  Do what people around the world are literally dying to do: vote.

Ponderāre

“To define twentieth-century humanism briefly, I would say that it is a philosophy of joyous service for the greater good of all humanity in this natural world and advocating the methods of reason, science, and democracy.”

~ Corliss Lamont

(Do you have a quote we can use in a future newsletter? Submit your quotes online. It can even be a quote that is disagreeable, so long as it’s thought provoking.)

 

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The Central Ontario Humanist Association (COHA) is a local Barrie/Simcoe county affiliate of the Humanist Association of Canada. We are a group for atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and freethinkers to explore the our society and world from a rational, natuarlistic point of view. This website is powered by WordPress Website design and hosting by Semantic Computing.