October through December - 2007 Upcoming Events Archive

Sunday, 27 January from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Pot Luck Dinner

It's Pot Luck Sunday!

After the lecture, please stay and join us for lunch. First-time visitors are invited to attend and bring no food item for the table. Others: bring a dish, any dish, from soup to salad to sandwich to entree to side dish to dessert. Bring an item that doesn't require your attention from 11 to noon, since any sound in the kitchen is magnified into the room where our 11:00 a.m. program is in progress. The oven is available to keep things warm, and a large 'fridge to keep things cool, and there are lots of outlets for crockpots, etc.; and the microwave is available right after the Lecture ends. Even if you don't bring a dish or beverage, at least bring your appetite! See you then!

The general public is invited.

Saturday, 19 January starting at 4 PM
Convene at 260 Brown Road in Saint Peters for carpool at 4 PM,
arrive at Ronald McDonald House about 5 PM to begin cooking,
serve din-din at 6 PM, & depart at 7:30 PM
4381 West Pine Blvd, STL, MO, 63108

Ronald McDonald House

MickyD jpeg

"Nothin' Beats Home-Cookin'!"
...especially when family must be with hospitalized loved-ones.

Heads UP!!! One or two more volunteers are still needed!
Contact Kathy R. to volunteer and/or if you have questions.

Mark your calendar for these Saturdays:
19 Jan 2008, 16 Feb, 15 Mar, 19 Apr, 17 May, 21 Jun, 19 Jul, 16 Aug, 20 Sep, & 18 Oct.

For more information about the Ronald McDonald House Charity, click here.

Wednesday, 16 January from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Patti & Rob-Bob

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
to be announced...

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Tuesday, 15 January from 7 PM to about 9 PM
Non-Profit Development Center
Spencer Road at Boone Hills Drive
(building is adjacent to, and just East of, Spencer Road library)
Saint Peters

PFLAG

A support group for anyone who has a gay family member or friend
and would like to meet others in the same situation.

Please plan to attend!

Regularly meets the third Tuesday of every month.
The general public is invited
Phone (636) 928-5639 and/or email StCharlesPFLAG@aol.com

Sunday, 13 January from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Practice Seeing Worth In Others!"

The book The Humanist Way, which is about our Ethical Movement, starts off with a chapter titled "The Greatest Idea in the World". This is the attitude to have! Our greatest idea, as I've been thinking lately, is that people can obtain deep reassurance (Adler called it "conviction") about the rightness of their relationship with reality without any of the dogmas that have set people against people.

The way to reach this soul-satisfying gladness of being, this conviction, is not by becoming convinced (convicted, conviction) of this or that doctrine about reality and self, but by exercising ethical action toward other beings. The root of the capacity to act ethically toward others is to see them as having worth.

I (Leader, Bob Greenwell) will briefly present some of Adler's writings, then have you talk in small groups in the room, in a way designed to bring out multiple perspectives and insights. My hope is you will leave feeling energized by the feeling that yes, we do have the greatest idea in the world.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 13 January from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Delicious Pancake & Sausage Breakfast

"A Fun-Raiser Extraordinaire"

This Sunday we will be having another yummy all-you-can-eat pancake & sausage breakfast. Volunteers who are helping to cook need to be at the Brown Road building at 9:00. We will serve at 10:00 and stop serving at 10:30 so we can get ready for the meeting at 11:00.

$5 for adults, $1 for kids under 12.

Thanks so much for supporting our last breakfast, and we look forward to seeing you at this one!

The general public is invited.

Wednesday, 09 January from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Liz & Chris

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Unbalance to Balance"

What do you do to restore your personal sense of rightness with reality even when the world seems a madhouse?

How do you use the Ethical Society to accomplish this? Perhaps it happens for you without your needing to think about it, and so if asked on the spur of the moment you couldn't say. But if you do think about it, perhaps you will be able to put some words to it.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 06 January from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Jesus as Ethical Hero"

Jesus is not so much the founder of Christianity as he is its idol. The institution came more from Paul and other later organizers of the church. Much attention is paid to stories about Jesus, such as the Christmas story, and to teachings about Jesus, while less attention is paid to teachings of Jesus.

An outsider’s take, and a very personal take, on Jesus the man and his teachings and his radical prescriptions for humanity, will be presented. Ethics transcends particular religions, and Jesus was an ethical hero.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Friday, 04 January from 7 PM to ?? PM
Host: Hannah

KnitWits

Par-Tay !!!

As always, lively conversation obliterates the sound of clicking knitting needles!

And nearby, there's a boisterous game or two, stimulating and challenging your brain-stuff.

Bring appetizer or snack or dessert, and something to drink, and maybe a game to play, and enjoy a warm & festive winter's evening with Society friends.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 02 January from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: John

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Gambling"

There was a roaring time at casinos last night (so I've heard). What about it? Is gambling a vice? Or can it sometimes be entertainment? Is its entertainment value only a surface attraction, while its real appeal is that it touches an addictive nerve? Is it like sports, with winners and losers, but worthwhile regardless? Or just competitive, vicious, worthless?

This is not a psychological research project! We're not seeking answers in this time together as much as questions that open up our perspectives. We simply want to share our experiences with one another, in an ethical frame.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 30 December from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Pot Luck Dinner

It's Pot Luck Sunday!

The general public is invited.

Sunday, 30 December from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Ethical Culture to Heal Humanity"

The end of one year, the start of another: it’s time to think cosmically. The human race began some 100,000 years ago, and by the time it started developing language and arts, tools and culture, it had developed the terror of human anguish. There went forth from the souls of men and women the cry "I am suffering; what should I do?; help me". As groups of humans grew larger, cultural institutions arose to address this cry.

The various responses to this cry down through history will be described, from VooDoo to the cosmic dualism of good versus evil, to Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. All these promise some form of salve, salvation, or healing of people in spiritual anguish. All have proven to have good and bad points. The lessons learned indicate a new turn is needed for humanity.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 26 December from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Lesa & Erik

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
" Top Ten Things To Save the Planet"

Plus: Any holiday horror stories you need to share!

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Tuesday, 18 December from 7 PM to about 9 PM
Non-Profit Development Center
Spencer Road at Boone Hills Drive
(building is adjacent to, and just East of, Spencer Road library)
Saint Peters

PFLAG

A support group for anyone who has a gay family member or friend
and would like to meet others in the same situation.

Please plan to attend!

Regularly meets the third Tuesday of every month.
The general public is invited
Phone (636) 928-5639 and/or email StCharlesPFLAG@aol.com

Sunday, 16 December from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Six Strategies for Reducing Defensiveness"

Our guest speaker is Kathy Ratino, adjunct professor & Ethical Society Mid Rivers member.

"Defensiveness: we've all felt it, we've all caused it. Either way it's unpleasant, and it can shut listening down cold. But do we know what creates it and how to avoid provoking it."

Kathy Ratino discusses six communication behaviors that are almost guaranteed to create defensive responses and six alternative behaviors that reduce defensiveness.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Saturday, 15 December starting at 4 PM
Convene at 260 Brown Road in Saint Peters for carpool at 4 PM,
arrive at Ronald McDonald House about 5 PM to begin cooking,
serve din-din at 6 PM, & depart at 7:30 PM
4381 West Pine Blvd, STL, MO, 63108

Ronald McDonald House

MickyD jpeg

"Nothin' Beats Home-Cookin'!"
...especially when family must be with hospitalized loved-ones.

Heads UP!!! One or two more volunteers are still needed!
Contact Kathy R. to volunteer and/or if you have questions.

Mark your calendar for these Saturdays:
15 Dec, 19 Jan 2008, 16 Feb, 15 Mar, 19 Apr, 17 May, 21 Jun, 19 Jul, 16 Aug, 20 Sep, & 18 Oct.

For more information about the Ronald McDonald House Charity, click here.

Wednesday, 12 December from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Liz & Craig

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Evolution of a Relationship"

Can marriage be a middle stage of a relationship? Might some relationships, having started outside marriage and grown into marriage, next need to grow beyond the married state? Can divorce be a positive step in a couple's continuing relationship?

What has been your experience of divorce? Did you stay friends with your former spouse, become better friends, decrease your enmity, become incommunicado? What has been your experience of staying in a marriage? Have you observed others in a marriage who may have benefitted by divorce?

Craig and Liz seek a higher-quality relationship. They are planning on separating. They envision this process as a kind of "de-coupling" or "re-singling". The word "divorce" sounds too much like a "break" and they don't want to break but to remain whole, and to remain friends and grow as friends. They desire to hear your perspectives and your personal experiences.

I salute them for their courage in opening up their personal lives to us, and wanting to hear what we have to say.

(We will resume our discussion of the top 16 things that will save the planet next week.)

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 09 December from 12:15 PM to ??
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.

Society Council

This afternoon's Council Meeting has been postponed until next Sunday, 16 December.

Please submit additions to the agenda and reports well in advance.

Council Members, please notify if you will not be attending.

For members of the Society Council.
Other ESMR members may attend as observers.

Sunday, 09 December from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Racism's In Our Bones"

Due to the icy weather, this morning's lecture has been postponed indefinitely; and the Society is closed for this morning & afternoon.

Leader Bob Greenwell ponders & declares, "I thought I was pretty much conversant with racism, the kind in the U.S. of whites against blacks (or, if you prefer, Anglos against Afros). I've felt the racism in myself, an Anglo, and I've felt the racism directed against me, a person with Afro children. I've studied the history and the socioeconomic analyses. But I've learned something new.

By this I mean a little bit that racism's in our psychological makeup, our psycho-physiological constitution. But more than that, I mean that racism was built into our nation's Constitution. And this has had huge repercussions on our politics and cultural attitudes since.

I will try to trace them out for you. Racism was built into our bones, and even though I and maybe you would prefer to imagine that we have largely handled racism in our country and that we should move on, it's not far below the surface, and still has effects. Despite amendments to the Constitution, the original wave of racism still rolls through our body politic. Knowing this helps to see the situation much more clearly."

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 09 December from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Delicious Pancake & Sausage Breakfast

"A Fun-Raiser Extraordinaire"

This morning's Pancake Breakfast has been postponed until next month... Due to the icy weather.

$5 for adults, $1 for kids under 12.

Thanks so much for supporting our last breakfast, and we look forward to seeing you at this one!

The general public is invited.

Friday, 07 December from 7 PM to ?? PM
Hosts: Chris & Dave

KnitWits

Par-Tay !!!

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 05 December from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Jill & Bill

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Things That Will Save the Planet"

The Environmental Agency in England recently published a list of "50 Things That Will Save The Planet". We are working our way from 50 to # 1. Last week we got down to #30, and we discovered that the list is great fodder for our conversation. We'll resume tonight, maybe get to #1, maybe not.

This list was compiled by asking a range of "leading environmentalists" from business to academia to nonprofits. The result is "a genuine mix of the political, technological, philosophical, social and domestic. There are plenty of things you’d expect to see in there, but not necessarily where you’d expect to see them. And there are some surprises, too."

Bring questions, thoughts, and your own experiences.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 02 December from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Communicating Good"

Behind the particular techniques in communicating well, one of my guiding thoughts is this: "Caring Communicates". Caring is a precondition for honest and heartfelt communicating, and it is a skill that can be improved.

Not only that, but "Ethical Caring" starts where natural caring leaves off. Ethical caring takes natural caring as its foundation, then builds higher, reaching a sweeter and longer-lasting kind of satisfaction.

People tend to assume that they already know that caring, of course, is essential in relationship. They tend to be unaware that it is also a key in communication. When you care, you not only communicate well, you communicate good.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 28 November from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Jane

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Things That Will Save the Planet"

The Environmental Agency in England recently published a list of "50 Things That Will Save The Planet". We are working our way from 50 to # 1. Two weeks ago we got to #34, and we discovered that the list is great fodder for our conversation. We'll resume tonight, maybe get to #1, maybe not.

This list was compiled by asking a range of "leading environmentalists" from business to academia to nonprofits. The result is "a genuine mix of the political, technological, philosophical, social and domestic. There are plenty of things you’d expect to see in there, but not necessarily where you’d expect to see them. And there are some surprises, too".

For an overall look at the environment -- the crisis and what needs to be done -- you might check out this appearance of Tim Flannery, Australian scientist, on Democracy Now: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/23/1514207

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 25 November from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Pot Luck Dinner

It's Pot Luck Sunday!

The general public is invited.

Sunday, 25 November from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Lives of Ethical Saints - Galileo"

Most traditions have figures who serve as exemplars of their values. In Ethical Culture, the words of people such as Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and the founder, Felix Adler, are often quoted to help inspire the quest for ethical living.

Kate Lovelady will explore an "Ethical Saint", the scientist Galileo, who famously proved Copernicus’s theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun, and not the other way around. Galileo’s story illustrates the ongoing struggle between faith and science, but there are many lessons, both good and bad, that can be learned from Galileo’s life, since humanist "saints" are, by definition, only human!

Kate Lovelady has been Leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis for the past two years. Her blog may be read at http://www.ethicalstl.org/blogs/.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 21 November from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Sean

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Holidays and Ethics"

Bring: Something Thanksgiving-ish (not food, but a thing).

Option: If one or two of you have the inkling, bring a short Thanksgiving reading, serious or humorous.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Tuesday, 20 November from 7 PM to about 9 PM
Non-Profit Development Center
Spencer Road at Boone Hills Drive
(building is adjacent to, and just East of, Spencer Road library)
Saint Peters

PFLAG

A support group for anyone who has a gay family member or friend
and would like to meet others in the same situation.

Please plan to attend!

Regularly meets the third Tuesday of every month.
The general public is invited
Phone (636) 928-5639 and/or email StCharlesPFLAG@aol.com

Sunday, 18 November from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Love and the Government"

If there’s an ethical value above love, it’s hard to bring to mind. How far people can love, how widely, is therefore a crucial question.

Loving those near and dear is challenging enough (really loving). Loving those far and strange approaches the impossible. Yet as people grow in ethical stature, they tend to realize the need to extend love in wider and wider circles, in spite of the seeming impossibility.

Here’s where government may come in. "Government" and "love" may be two words not ordinarily spoken in the same breath, yet there may be an unsuspected function that each plays for the other, or can play, or should.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Saturday, 17 November from 7 PM to 9 PM
Non-Profit Development Center
Spencer Road at Boone Hills Drive
(building is adjacent to, and just East of, Spencer Road library)
Saint Peters

Art Nite

"Let those creative juices flow...
express yourself on canvas"

Just show up with your imagination and perhaps an apron (or your artist's smock). Adam will bring in prepared canvases in a wide variety of sizes, plenty of brushes of varying sizes, a huge selection of paints, and an assortment of materials you wouldn't normally associate with a painted canvas. If you'd like, bring snacks and/or beverages. Perhaps we will prepare-in-advance an inspirational (CD format) playlist of musical accompaniment?

Limited to 15 canvases/painting stations.
$15.00 fee to cover cost of materials.

RSVP to is required.
(A sign-up sheet is available Sunday mornings at 260 Brown Rd).

Saturday, 17 November starting at 4 PM
Convene at 260 Brown Road in Saint Peters for carpool at 4 PM,
arrive at Ronald McDonald House about 5 PM to begin cooking,
serve din-din at 6 PM, & depart at 7:30 PM
4381 West Pine Blvd, STL, MO, 63108

Ronald McDonald House

MickyD jpeg

"Nothin' Beats Home-Cookin'!"
...especially when family must be with hospitalized loved-ones.

Heads UP!!! One or two more volunteers are still needed!
Contact Kathy R. to volunteer and/or if you have questions.

Mark your calendar for these Saturdays:
17 Nov, & 15 Dec.

For more information about the Ronald McDonald House Charity, click here.

Wednesday, 14 November from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Liz & Chris

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Things That Will Save the Planet"

The Environmental Agency in England just published a list of "50 Things That Will Save The Planet". We will take our time going through this list and commenting on each one.

If we get through all 50, fine. If we get through ten, fine, we'll do more another night.

The list was compiled by asking a range of "leading environmentalists" from business to academia to nonprofits. The result is "a genuine mix of the political, technological, philosophical, social and domestic."

There are plenty of things you’d expect to see in there, but not necessarily where you’d expect to see them. And there are some surprises, too.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 11 November from 12:15 PM to ??
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.

Society Council

Sunday, 11 November from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"From Fundamentalism to Freedom"

Our speaker will be Mr. Marc Adams. Mr. Adams was aware that he was gay by the age of seven. But, as he describes, he was reared in a cultish, fundamentalist Baptist Christian home. He weaved his way through religious schools, including Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and through reparative therapy techniques, and only started his journey to self-acceptance at age 23.

He founded HeartStrong in 1998 to provide support to GLBT students in religious schools, and to educate the public about what can happen there. The HeartStrong team has driven over 340,000 miles, making it the most extensive grassroots outreach in the history of the GLBT movement.

Marc, who now lives in Seattle, is the author of eight books including his award-winning autobiography, Preacher's Son, five collections of poetry, and The Do's and Don'ts of Dealing with the Religious Right.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 11 November from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Delicious Pancake & Sausage Breakfast

"A Fun-Raiser Extraordinaire"

Extra this month: Adam is bringing some of his own home-made apple butter, pear-raspberry preserves, and plum jam! Make your pancakes shine!

$5 for adults, $1 for kids under 12.

Thanks so much for supporting our last breakfast, and we look forward to seeing you at this one!

The general public is invited.

Wednesday, 07 November from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Sara

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
to be announced...

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 04 November from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Iraqis in Crisis"

Kathy Kelly, a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, spent four months of 2007 living among Iraqis who fled violence in their country. Using anecdote and analysis, Kelly helps amplify the voices of people who've borne excruciatingly harsh consequences of a U.S. "war of choice".

Kelly has visited Iraq twenty-six times since 1991 and lived in Baghdad during the 2003 Shock and Awe attack and invasion. In 2006, she received the annual Elliott-Black Award of the national Ethical Societies (www.aeu.org).

Iraqi Ghada Kunter, an M.D. now working in St. Louis, also spoke briefly with Kathy Kelly on Oct. 14 and will speak live on Nov. 4 and be available for questions.

Note: Dr. Kunter plans to join us, contingent only upon her medical obligations not requiring her services this Sunday morning. So far, she is free to come. Mostly, we will watch the video, but hope that Dr. Kunter can attend and also speak briefly.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 04 November
2:00 AM

Daylight Saving Time!

Sunday, 04 November, at precisely 2:00 AM (CDT),
the time will instantly become 1:00 AM (CST).

It's time to 'Fall Back' one hour

So don't forget to set your clocks, 'k?
Otherwise you'll be showing up a bit early to our Ethical Society events.

Friday, 02 November from 7 PM to ?? PM
Hosts: Mary

KnitWits

Par-Tay !!!

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 31 October from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Frank N. Stein

Living Ethics Discussion

Omigosh!
It's Halloween! No L.E.D tonight!

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 28 October from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Pot Luck Dinner

It's Pot Luck Sunday!

The general public is invited.

Sunday, 28 October from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Political Crisis - Moral Crisis - Our Response"

Are we truly in a crisis, and if so, what is our best ethical response? Bob Greenwell states, "I don't pretend to have definitive answers. I do have questions and perspectives to bring to those questions which may tickle or provoke your own best thinking."

As a side note, speaker & Ethical Society Mid Rivers Leader, Bob Greenwell comments, "The ads I sent earlier to the papers gave this Sunday's topic as "What Distinguishes Republicans and Democrats - A New Theory" but the more I pondered this question, and fiddled with my "new theory", the more I was pulled to a broader issue that is both more compelling and more immediate. So I turned my thinking to this new but related topic of crisis.

In succeeding weeks, I will get back to the original topic. My idea is to involve all of you in together thinking out the question of the difference between Democrats and Republicans, liberal ethics and conservative ethics, perhaps in an online discussion (or maybe some kind of "homework" exercise) followed by a Sunday-morning mini-presentation by me with time for an open discussion."

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 24 October from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Mary

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Core Conservative Values"
...with a sub-topic of:
"Nonprofit Political Stands"

We are alternating weekly between lighthearted looks at ethics and seriously focused looks. This week it's our turn for serious.

How would you characterize what's good about conservative values? What are the quintessential conservative virtues? Which of them do you try to encourage in yourself, your friends, your children? Think of conservative friends you have and what qualities in them you admire.

Regarding the sub-topic of NonProfit Political Stands, Bob Greenwell queries, "On Sunday, I approvingly presented the views of John Dean, a conservative who strongly urges voting Democrat in the next several elections. Yet I am Leader of a nonprofit and technically religious organization. What's the ethics of this?"

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 21 October from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"How Broken Our Government?"

Conservative Republican John Dean, chief counsel for President Nixon, courageous whistleblower in the Watergate scandal, has written a scathing description of how the lessons of that era have not been learned, and that the present crisis in government is not only worse than Watergate but "much, much worse than Watergate." His most recent book is Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches.

The speaker, Bob Greenwell, Leader of the Ethical Society in St. Charles County, will describe John Dean’s main ideas and present an overall ethical perspective.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Saturday, 20 October starting at 4 PM
Convene at 260 Brown Road in Saint Peters for carpool at 4 PM,
arrive at Ronald McDonald House about 5 PM to begin cooking,
serve din-din at 6 PM, & depart at 7:30 PM
4381 West Pine Blvd, STL, MO, 63108

Ronald McDonald House

MickyD jpeg

"Nothin' Beats Home-Cookin'!"
...especially when family must be with hospitalized loved-ones.

Heads UP!!! One or two more volunteers are still needed!
Contact Kathy R. to volunteer and/or if you have questions.

Mark your calendar for these Saturdays:
20 Oct, 17 Nov, & 15 Dec.

For more information about the Ronald McDonald House Charity, click here

Friday, 19 October from 7 PM to about 9 PM
St. Charles Justice Center
1781 Zumbehl (at intersection with Hawksnest & Graystone roads)

Friday Nite Free Film Series

movie gif

"All Quiet on the Western Front"

" Perhaps the greatest antiwar film ever made..."
"A gripping, disturbing, emotionally affecting movie about the loss of innocence and idealism."

Unlike most "message" films which date themselves almost immediately, Lewis Milestone's low-key, unpolished, and deeply-felt screen adaptation of the Erich Maria Remarque anti-war novel has lost little of its original impact.

Years after its release it was still being banned in countries mobilizing for war. The plot follows a group of young German recruits in World War I through their passage from idealism to disillusionment. As the central character Paul Baumer ( Lew Ayres) declares, "We live in the trenches and we fight. We try not to be killed -- that's all."

All Quiet is an anthology of now famous scenes: Ayres trapped in a shell crater with a man he has killed; the first meeting of the recruits and the veterans; infantrymen being mowed down to machine-gun visual rythms; a moonlight swim with French farm girls; Ayres pacifist speech to his astonished schoolmates; and the final shot of the soldier's hand reaching for a fatal butterfly.

Tons o'reviews at the Rotten Tomatoes website

Invitation open to the general public.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 17 October from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Liz & Craig

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Good luck. The experience in your life of luck."

How has good luck affected you? How has it affected your ethical attitude? A big component of living ethically would certainly be effort and intention, but has luck played a role?

Since we're veering toward the lighter side of discussion this week, the story of luck you recall may initially seem to have nothing to do with ethics. But tell us anyway. Then let the story simmer and perhaps surprisingly gain ethical meaning as the stories call to each other and bring out new lights.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Tuesday, 16 October from 7 PM to about 9 PM
Non-Profit Development Center
Spencer Road at Boone Hills Drive
(building is adjacent to, and just East of, Spencer Road library)
Saint Peters

PFLAG

A support group for anyone who has a gay family member or friend
and would like to meet others in the same situation.

Please plan to attend!

Regularly meets the third Tuesday of every month.
The general public is invited
Phone (636) 928-5639 and/or email StCharlesPFLAG@aol.com

Sunday, 14 October from 12:15 PM to ??
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.

Society Council

Sunday, 14 October from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America and the Middle East from 1776 to the Present"

The US occupies Iraq with its military. It threatens Iran. It supports Israel. It tries from time to time to broker a peace between Israel and Palestine. It coddles up to Saudi Arabia and Egypt and Kuwait. These are headlines that have made us familiar with the Middle East. We have some sense that all these situations trace back to World War II agreements among the victors. But few of us know the long and fascinating involvement of the US with the Middle East. Awareness of this history adds a rich dimension to our knowledge of current states of affairs, and can sharpen and improve the judgments we make and appreciations we form.

Mr. Greenwell will present a video of Michael Oren talking about his new book Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America and the Middle East from 1776 to the Present.

Bob Greenwell chose this because Oren is not only an expert scholar in the field but also has an entertaining style. Afterwards, we should have a little time for comment and discussion after the video.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 14 October from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Delicious Pancake & Sausage Breakfast

"A Fun-Raiser Extraordinaire"

$5 for adults, $1for kids under 12.

Thanks so much for supporting our last breakfast, and we look forward to seeing you at this one!

The general public is invited.

Wednesday, 10 October from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Jill & Bill

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"Generosity"

We will use the format for Colloquy given in Arthur Dobrin's book, Spelling God with Two O's, including the two short readings he gives for this virtue.

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Sunday, 07 October from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters. (roadmap)

Sunday Lecture Series

"Eighty-Year-Old Nuggets of Wisdom"

John Hoad, Leader Emeritus of the St. Louis Ethical Society, recently traveled from his retirement home in South Carolina, to share his maturing thoughts on living life well.

His thoughts have clarified and simplified: Move your body! Watch what you put in your mouth! Don’t ignore your subliminal mind, use its potent power. Be a friend.

An audiotape of John’s delightful words will be played, while, for visual edification, a slideshow of landscape photos by artist Kevin Shults will be projected.

The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Friday, 05 October from 7 PM to ?? PM
Hosts: Kathleen & Bob

KnitWits

Par-Tay !!!

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.

Wednesday, 03 October from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Beth & Roy

Living Ethics Discussion

the topic is:
"How Body Affects Mind, How Disease Affects Our Ethics"

Does being under the weather make it harder for you to make good, noble, decisions? Does having an illness give you a larger perspective on life, and perhaps increase your compassion for others? I'm sure it can go both ways.

What is your personal experience? What guidelines or rules of thumb can we generate and tentatively hold for times we are sick?

Invitation open to members of the Society and their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.