Sunday, September 28th from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
University of Missouri Extension Center
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.
Sunday, September 28th from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
" If Not Nuclear Power, What?"
This Sunday morning's speaker is Mark Haim, Director of
Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, a Columbia, Missouri based,
grassroots membership organization.
He has been involved in sustainability and peace education for more than 30 years. He is a co-founder
of Missourians for Safe Energy, and helped coordinate two statewide safe energy ballot issue campaigns in 1980
and 1984. Mark is also co-founder of Peaceworks’ Center for Sustainable Living, the Peace Nook, and the
Columbia Peace Coalition. He helps coordinate the annual Columbia Earth Day Festival and Columbia’s annual
Sustainable Living Fair. He is also a talk show host on 89.5 KOPN, mid-Missouri's community radio station.
The general public is invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Saturday, September 27th from 10 AM to 12 PM (Noon)
Non Profit Development Center
425 Spencer Rd
Saint Peters, MO 63376
Crucial Conversations Class
Week Three
"Master Crucial Conversations – Power for Good"
A multi-year research group analyzed what real people
do in difficult situations to come out with more success and more wonderful
relationships. They discovered six skills, and they explain them
to everyone in their book Crucial Conversations. A "crucial
conversation" can make or break a career, a relationship, or
a life.
The general public is invited.
For more information, or to register, contact coordinator Bob Greenwell
636-284-0280.
Wednesday, September 24th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Jill & Bill
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"The Bill of Rights and Amendments"
There are 27 amendments to the Constitution. The first ten are known as the Bill of
Rights. We will start with number 1, read it aloud (it's short), then take comments and impressions from
the group.
Before we begin, Bob will ask the group's choice as to how to proceed. Do we want to get through all 27
amendments? That would have the merit of bringing all the amendments to mind in one sitting, something that
is rarely done. Or do we want to take as much time discussing each amendment as is needed by the comments
that come to mind? (We might only get through 3 or 4!)
If we choose the first option of getting through them all, we could do something like this: Average 6
minutes for each of the first ten amendments (the early ones more than 6, the later ones less than 6.
That's 60 minutes. Then 40 minutes on the remaining 17 amendments, with more time on the 3 or 4 of them
that are more substantial.
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, September 21st from 12:15 PM to ??
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
ESMR Society Council
Please submit reports and
additions to the agenda 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, September 21st from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Living by the Constitution:
The Bill of Rights"
Americans have agreed to live by the U.S. Constitution. This lecture will focus on the Bill
of Rights and other amendments. What do they actually say? What have we agreed to? What are
some of the major controversies that swirl around freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association,
and other rights?
This overview is intended to give a sense of the whole package, not to settle
specific points of interpretation. Knowing one’s agreements is a basic part of living an ethical life.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, September 21st from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
University of Missouri Extension Center
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.
Saturday, September 20th 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
"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:
Oct 18th, Nov 15th, & Dec 20th
For more information about the Ronald McDonald
House Charity, click
here.
Saturday, September 20th from 10 AM to 12 PM (Noon)
Non Profit Development Center
425 Spencer Rd
Saint Peters, MO 63376
Crucial Conversations Class
"Master Crucial Conversations – Power for Good"
A multi-year research group analyzed what real people
do in difficult situations to come out with more success and more wonderful
relationships. They discovered six skills, and they explain them
to everyone in their book Crucial Conversations. A "crucial
conversation" can make or break a career, a relationship, or
a life.
A small group is forming to study this book and practice the skills.
The cost of the 6-week course is $20. You can get the book
at the library or at your favorite book store:
Crucial Conversations:
Tools for Talking When Stakes are High (paperback)
by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, and Stephen
R. Covey
ISBN-10: 0071401946 and ISBN-13: 978-0071401944
The general public is invited.
For more information, or to register, contact coordinator Bob Greenwell
636-284-0280.
Friday, September 19th from
7 PM to about 9 PM
St. Charles Justice Center
1781 Zumbehl (at intersection with Hawksnest & Graystone roads)
Friday Nite Free Film Series
"Iron Jawed Angels"
Our film this month,
Iron Jawed Angels, is a highly reviewed 2004 HBO film starring Hilary
Swank. The film runs 2 hrs and 5 minutes.
This was recommended to us by our monthly women's group The Hildegard
Sisterhood.
It's about the dawn of equal rights for women in America, told with
comedy and dramatic seriousness. I (Bob Greenwell) have been doing
a Sunday series on the U.S. Constitution, so this movie fits right in,
being the story of how the country got up the nerve and gumption to
write and pass the 19th Amendment.
Here's the first paragraph of the review from reel.com. Some reviews
gave more praise, but this first paragraph gives you a good idea. For
brevity, I edited it down a bit:
"The extraordinary, galvanizing story of the American suffrage
movement is the subject of the stirring HBO film Iron-Jawed Angels,
now available on DVD. Oscar winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry)
heads an excellent cast as firebrand Alice Paul, whose single-minded
dedication to the cause helped spur passage of the 19th Amendment.
Although it initially appears to be a sketchily developed historical
pageant, the movie finds its dramatic footing in the second hour, when
Paul and her supporters put everything on the line for the right to
vote. All the more harrowing for being true, the film... has an
emotional gravity that makes it worth a look."
Invitation open to the general public.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
There's no charge to attend. Bring your own snacks.
Enjoy the big screen and the fairly comfortable seats of the Community
Room at the St. Charles Justice Center, 1781 Zumbehl Rd (NW corner of
Zumbehl and Hawksnest/Graystone), ZIP 63303.
Wednesday, September 17th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Jill & Bill
Last minute swap with Liz & Chris!
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"The Bill of Rights"
Last week we went through the original Constitution. It was a very satisfying experience.
This week, we enter the amendments to the Constitution, starting with the first 10, which are, of course,
known as "The Bill of Rights".
If you thought last Wednesday was interesting, wait till you see tonight, when we get into the really juicy
parts of the Constitution, our agreement about how we are to live.
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Tuesday, September 16th 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, September 14th from 12:15 PM to ??
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
ESMR Society Council
Cancelled due to high water from Tropical Depression Ike
Please submit reports and
additions to the agenda 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, September 14th from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
Cancelled due to high water from Tropical Depression Ike
"Taoism – Religion of Going with the Flow"
Taoism is a religion of great beauty and appeal.
It teaches "going with the flow" but not in a trivial sense
or noncommittal sense. It blends a kind of skeptical existentialism
with a rapturous love of nature and beauty. The classic text of
Taoism is Lao Tzu’s Tao
Te Ching, a bestseller in its English translations. This
lecture will explore Taoist teachings and practice. Does it believe
in God? Does it really work?
Other lectures to come in the series on world religions are Christianity,
Judaism, and Islam, with a look at Ethics as a Religion. Mr. Greenwell
will draw upon scholarly resources and personal experience to present
an appreciative overview.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, September 14th from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Delicious Pancake & Sausage Breakfast
Cancelled due to high water from Tropical Depression Ike
"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.
Saturday, September 13th from 10 AM to 12 PM (Noon)
Non Profit Development Center
425 Spencer Rd
Saint Peters, MO 63376
Crucial Conversations Class
"Master Crucial Conversations – Power for Good"
A multi-year research group analyzed what real people
do in difficult situations to come out with more success and more wonderful
relationships. They discovered six skills, and they explain them
to everyone in their book Crucial Conversations. A "crucial
conversation" can make or break a career, a relationship, or
a life.
A small group is forming to study this book and practice the skills.
The cost of the 6-week course is $20. You can get the book
at the library or at your favorite book store:
Crucial Conversations:
Tools for Talking When Stakes are High (paperback)
by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, and Stephen
R. Covey
ISBN-10: 0071401946 and ISBN-13: 978-0071401944
The general public is invited.
For more information, or to register, contact coordinator Bob Greenwell
636-284-0280.
Wednesday, September 10th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Craig
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"The U. S. Constitution"
What do you know about the constitution? What do
you want to know about it? What place does it have in an ethical
life?
Bob Greenwell will bring a copy of the Constitution and maybe we'll
read some parts aloud or refer to passages.
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, September 7th from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"The U.S. Constitution"
Our Constitution gives us freedom by restricting our freedom.
That is, it restricts the freedom of any one to tyrannize over others.
Absolute freedom leads to absolute tyranny. This is because there
will always be some who want to lord over others, and if they are given
room to do so (by an absence of enforced agreements), they will eventually
do so by deceit and force.
On the other hand, agreements to cooperate, well-thought out and protected,
create a cooperating community.
As an ethical act, Bob Greenwell will present our Constitution's structure,
its tone, and its import in our history as a nation and in the quality
of our lives.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Wednesday, September 3rd from 7 PM to 8:45 PM
Hosts: Beth & Roy
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"When To Punish, When to Let It Go"
When do you punish your child? When do you let something go?
When do you discipline employees? When do you let them off with a cautionary private word?
In our discussion tonight, it's important to share stories of our personal experience, but we can also delve
into national affairs. When should a nation with a constitution and a peaceful transition to a new group
of people in highest office take steps to punish crimes or near-crimes of the previous administration, and when
should it move on to change?
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, August 31th at 3:00 PM
Craig Smith's EcoVilliage
Wentzville
Party & Barbeque Picnic
"We Are Sustainable"
We've achieved the primary goal!
After the Start-up fund comes to its fore-ordained end, we, Ethical Society - Mid Rivers, have determined
that we will be financially sustainable!
We are celebrating this milestone with a party, picnic, BBQ, and games on Sunday, August 31st, from 3
pm to whenever, on the rolling acreage where Craig Smith is building his new home.
Chuck Fish is co-hosting, and if you RSVP to Chuck at theabacus@yahoo.com, he will bring enough chicken to
barbecue for you, compliments of Chuck! RSVP now, but at latest by August 28.
If you don't want BBQ chicken, bring your own main dish. If you want to barbecue something yourself, Craig
will be making available two grills. Also, everyone bring a side dish, and we'll set up a potluck buffet.
Craig put it all very succinctly:
"Its really Chicken by Chuck, and bring a side, and if Chicken aint your thing, BYOThing."
Guests: This invitation is going out to all members. Members are welcome to invite guests.
The general public is invited.
Wednesday, August 27th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Maureen & Brian
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"DNC Tonight"
There'll be watching of the Democratic National Convention rather than strict discussion of a
particular topic.
Enjoy and learn from the judicious and exuberant commentary spontaneously expressed by all of you!
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, August 24th from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
University of Missouri Extension Center
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.
Sunday, August 24th from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Buddhism – Going for Enlightenment"
Buddhism was the first religion to be a reform movement against an earlier religion, Hinduism.
Yet of course its roots and attitude lie in Hinduism.
What is Buddhism, its teachings and practice?
Does Buddhism worship no God? What creates the serenity and peacefulness that Buddhists seem to have?
This lecture is one in a series of lectures on "World Religions". Others to come will be
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Taoism, with a look at Ethics as a Religion. Mr. Greenwell will draw
upon scholarly resources as well as personal experience to present an appreciative overview.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Wednesday, August 20th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Dee
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"The Constitution--An Ideal in the Real World"
One theme from the talk Sunday was how the human animal struggled to find better ways to live
together in groups. For thousands of years, some people dreamed of an ideal that they called
"democracy"or "liberty" or "representation" or "law". Most
people resigned themselves to the thought that such a thing could never actually exist... It wasn't realistic.
But the U.S. Constitution is real. How far short of the ideal do you think it falls, or how much of the ideal
do you think it captures?
Related Questions:
How idealistic are you? How realistic (practical, pragmatic) are you?
Are you more idealistic than average? More practical/realistic than average?
Were you more idealistic when you were younger? More idealistic now?
What ideals do you hold that you believe have a chance of actually coming true in the future?
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Tuesday, August 19th 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, August 17th from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Living by Constitution – The Lead-Up Documents"
The U.S. Constitution is the overall framework of law by which Americans have all agreed to live.
Yet how many know what they’ve agreed to? This lecture is the first of a series of three lectures on the
Constitution.
It covers the preparatory documents that helped the Founders develop their thinking and gave
them the experience to believe they could write their own national law. These three documents were The
Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, and The Annapolis Convention.
Lecture Two in the series is on the text of the Constitution itself, and will be given September 7.
Lecture Three, on the Bill of Rights and Other Amendments, will be given September 21.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Saturday, August 16th 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
"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:
Sep 20th & Oct 18th
For more information about the Ronald McDonald
House Charity, click
here.
Friday, August 15th from 7 PM to about 9 PM
St. Charles Justice Center
1781 Zumbehl (at intersection with Hawksnest & Graystone roads)
Friday Nite Free Film Series
"Charlie Wilson's War"
Excerpted from a review at Rotten Tomatoes:
Charlie Wilson's War is the true story of how a playboy congressman, a renegade CIA agent and a beautiful
Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history.
Their efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with consequences that
reverberate throughout the world today.
Oscar® winners Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman team with Academy Award®-winning
director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin to bring George Crile's best-selling book to the screen...
Charlie's partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust
Avrakotos (Hoffman), a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of
them--Charlie, Joanne and Gust--travel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis,
Egyptians, arms dealers, law makers and a belly dancer.
Their success was remarkable. Funding
for covert operations against the Soviets went from $5 million to $1 billion annually.
Invitation open to the general public.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Wednesday, August 13th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Beth & Roy
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
" Nonviolence"
I (Bob Greenwell) spoke about Hinduism on Sunday. Hindu ethics essentially centers around
ahimsa or nonviolence. Some say that this is central because there's a Hindu belief that all beings
are really you, we are all the Self, and therefore whatever I do to anyone I actually do to myself.
Others say that this central doctrine simply echoes the fundamental belief in reciprocity.
Karma: what goes around comes around.
From ahimsa has developed the widespread acceptance of
vegetarianism. Gandhi developed ahimsa as a practice of political action and social action--nonviolence,
as in nonviolent civil disobedience.
Shall we talk about this? Not about Hinduism, but about nonviolence as a primary principle of ethics?
When is violence actually justified, if ever? Even if violence is ethically okay sometimes, would
nonviolence still be a preferable course?
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, August 10th from 12:15 PM to ??
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Society
Council
Please submit reports and
additions to the agenda 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, August 10th from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Hinduism – Religion as Technology for Living"
Hinduism is the first religion to be focused on in the series of lectures on "World
Religions" sponsored by the Ethical Society. Others will be Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam,
and Taoism, with a look at Indigeneous Religions as well as Ethics as a Religion.
Hinduism is the most
internally diversified of all major religions. But what holds it together? What do all Hindus have in
common? Anything?
Mr. Greenwell, Leader of the Ethical Society, will draw upon scholarly
resources as well as personal experience to present an appreciative overview.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, August 10th from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
University of Missouri Extension Center
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.
Friday, August 8th from 7 PM to ?? PM
Hosts: Maureen & Brian
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 Summertime 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, August 6th from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Sean
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"How do we know when to take care of self...
and when to attend to something else?"
In one sense, who else could my life be about? If someone wrote my autobiography, wouldn't
it be about me? Yet I like the dizzy sensation I get when I entertain the thought that my life is all
about Kathleen (my wife), and her life is all about me. Perhaps my life is all about the others around
me--other people, other things.
The something else might be a job, or it might be other people's needs. Your job--how do you attend to
with full attention and not simmer with resentment most of the time? If you're a Mom, how do you put
nearly all your attention on your children's needs?
Bring forward your own examples of tending to self and tending to others, and how to know when. Ethics
may depend on it.
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Tuesday, August 5th from 6 AM to 7 PM
Polling place should be indicated on your voter card
Primary Election
It is our civic duty.
As this all-important day approaches, frequently check for updates in the County websites linked below for
registration information, absentee ballot information, and the actual ballots.
Sunday, August 3rd from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Eckhart Tolle and The Power of Now"
Eckhart Tolle’s visionary books have captured a large following.
First came The Power of Now, and currently on the bestseller lists is A New Earth: Awakening
to Your Life’s Purpose. His message is a kind of religion, a kind of psychology, and a kind of
self-help set of meditative reflections. How much wisdom is in it?
Bob Greenwell, student of philosophy, psychology, counseling, and religion, and Leader of the Ethical Society,
will present his explanation of Tolle’s message and an analysis of where it fits into a common-sense and
open-minded worldview.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Wednesday, 30 July from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Craig
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"Politicking and Ethics"
Some people might suppose that to stay ethical a person needs to stay out of politics. In
politics you'll need to make deals with the devil. How true is this? Can we automatically distrust
politicians?
As a case study, we'll watch a half-hour interview of the author of an article in the New
Yorker that looked closely at the years in which Obama became political. His name is Ryan Lizza.
His article, July 21, is titled "Making It: How Chicago Shaped Obama". The interview was
aired on Democracy Now on LinkTV today, July 28.
Come prepared to talk about your experiences,
politicians who have inspired you, politicians who have disillusioned you, and overall your thoughts about ethics
and politics.
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, 27 July from noontime 'til about 1:00 PM
University of Missouri Extension Center
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.
Wednesday, 23 July from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Mary
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"Mindfullness"
Following up on Sunday's stimulating talk by Randal Blain, let's talk about mindfulness.
More than that, let's do the brief mindfulness exercise we did with him during the lecture, and then talk about
our direct experience.
How relaxing is it? How expanding? How refreshing? What would
be the place of such a practice in an ethical life? Do you have some kind of personal practice that relaxes
you or re-balances you or elevates you?
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Saturday, 19 July 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
"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 Jul, 16 Aug, 20 Sep, & 18 Oct.
For more information about the Ronald McDonald
House Charity, click
here.
Wednesday, 16 July from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Liz & Chris
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"What Is A Hero? What Is a Heroic Act?"
Do we overemphasize/underemphasize heroism in our culture?
Does heroism reveal
virtuous character, or a set of circumstances, or both?
Can heroism be developed as a quality?
Should it be?
What would a person be like who was always trying to act like a hero? Fun to be around?
Annoying to be around? Annoying to be around but good for us?
This topic was stimulated by an email received by Bill Aul from John McCain. Our discussion tonight is not
about McCain directly, but his example can serve as a good jumping-off point.
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Tuesday, 15 July 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 July from 12:15 PM to ??
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Society
Council
Please submit reports and
additions to the agenda 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, 13 July from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Peace Lessons from Disaster of Northern Ireland"
Terrorism, prisons, sabotage, spying, guerrilla warfare, religious hatreds—not in the Middle East
but in northern Ireland. It was a disaster.
Matt Morrison was in the
thick of the action, on the side of the Irish Republicans versus the Irish Loyalists and the British. Ten
years ago, 1998, the
"Belfast Agreement" aka "Good Friday Agreement" put an end to the overt
conflict, yet the people of Northern Ireland now live in a no man’s land, under a government neither wholly their
own nor wholly England’s, and there is still much to do to resolve the old enmities.
Now a St. Louis resident, Matt Morrison works for peace and unity. He is the national Chair of the
Political Action Committee of the Irish American Unity Conference.
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Sunday, 13 July from 10:00 AM 'til 10:30 AM
University of Missouri Extension Center
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.
Friday, 11 July from 7 PM to ?? PM
Hosts: Ginger, Kevin, & Lenora
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 Summertime 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, 09 July from 7 PM to 9 PM
Hosts: Jill & Bill
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, 06 July from 11:00 AM 'til Noon
University of Missouri Extension Center
260 Brown Road in Saint Peters.
(roadmap)
Sunday Lecture Series
"Celebration of Independence and Belonging"
No lecture(s) this holiday Sunday morning. Instead
we will celebrate with a variety of readings, poetry, and music to usher
us into a deeper meaning of independence and patriotism.
Join us for an uplifting time with friends.
If other activities require your presence elsewhere (it's a holiday
weekend afterall), may you be uplifted there as well!
The general public is
invited.
Questions? Comments? Contact Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
Wednesday, 02 July from 7 PM to 9 PM
Host: Hannah
Living Ethics Discussion
the topic is:
"Is the death penalty an ethical punishment for rape of a child?"
The Supreme Court decided death is unconstitutional as a punishment for the rape of a child, but
the court was sharply divided. Here's a link to the New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/washington/26scotuscnd.html
How do we even compare the evil of one crime to another? Rape compared to murder, murder
compared to torture, torture compared to genocide? How do we choose on what basis to compare? Is
punishment a necessary thing in general? Is it a good thing? How do we find a punishment that is
proportional to a crime? Does it have to be as bad as the crime, or does it have to be as good as the crime
is bad?
How big a part of morality is punishment?
Invitation open to members of the Society and
their guests.
If you wish, you may RSVP Mr. Bob Greenwell by email.
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