Sunday, August 31, 2008

September 2008 Calendar

Sat., Sept. 6, 7:00pm
Movie Night at the Bradleys, 6705 E. 54th St.
Gail and Dan will perform a duet at the piano by Eugenie Rocherolle. Feature presentation to be selected that evening.

Wed., Sept. 10, 7:00pm
Atheists Meetup Mid-month Social Gathering at The Royal Dragon in the Fontana Center.

Sun., Sept. 14, 1:00pm
Humanist Study Group at the Bradleys, 6705 E. 54th. We will listen to and discuss a Point of Inquiry podcast.

Wed., Sept. 17, 11:15 am
ALGAE luncheon at White River Fish Market, 1708 N. Sheridan. This month and next we revive our luncheon at White River. Come have a bowl of gumbo or red beans and rice with us.

Sun., Sept. 21, 1:00pm
HAT Monthly Membership Meeting at Hardesty Library, 93rd and Memorial. Brain Hill will review the book The Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America and How We Can Get More of It by Arthur C. Brooks.

Sat., Sept. 27, 11:30am
Food & Fellowship at The Royal Dragon in the Fontana Center.

Sun., Sept. 28, 1:00pm
Atheists Meetup at Agora Coffee House, Fontana Center.

Secular Singers will not meet this month. Same goes for the Liberal Action Network.
Both of these events should be back on the October calendar.

Questions? Call Randy at 622-6975 or Dan at 798-3629.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

HAT happenings

Our humanist chapter met twice this week. On Sunday, August 17, we met at Hardesty Library for our third Sunday membership meeting. There were 14 people in attendance at this meeting. Randy spoke about purchasing a tent for tabling purposes, but no action was taken on the matter.

Randy next read a poem by William Blake: "Auguries of Innocence." We don’t hear the word “auguries” used much anymore. It means “omens” or “portents.”

For my part as Secretary and Treasurer, I reported that we have $1588.61 in the treasury, and the membership total is now 27.

I read two selections for my contribution to our literary reflections time. The first was written by Kenneth C. Davis and was from his recent book American’s Hidden History. The second was written by comedian Lewis Black and is found in his book Me of Little Faith. It seemed that many of the fourteen present had much they wished to talk about this day. We were engaged in lively conversation until someone made the observation that Brian had a program to present. Brian showed a portion of a 4-hour PBS special on Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis.

On Saturday, August 23, once again 14 people showed up for Food & Fellowship at Helen of Troy on South Lewis. (It was the same gang of 14, with the exception of four.) We had Greek/Mediterranean food. Some of us were surprised to learn that Bob N, had a new tattoo on his upper left arm. I say some of us, because with 14 people lined up at one long table, those on the north end of the table might have missed out on what was going on down on the south end.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Library dedication, fitness center, drumming

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I did three things: attended the dedication of the new Kaiser Library; joined the fitness center at Tulsa Community College (West campus), and attended the drum circle at the Price house.



The library dedication lasted 45 minutes – not quite the two hours Jan had predicted. The event was larger than I had expected. It was held in the gymnasium of the new community center. The library/community center is all under on roof. One strange aspect of the dedication was the tree watering. A small tree (maybe six feet high in a planter) which is normally at the entrance of the library was moved into the gym. Inasmuch as it is associated with a library, the tree was referred to as “the tree of knowledge.” In the story of Adam and Eve, there is also a “tree of knowledge” (of good and evil), from which grows the forbidden fruit. The symbolic watering of the tree was a way of indicating a hope for the nourishment of the tree. Someone remarked that the complex was to serve the whole person: the library will serve the mind; the community center the body. Did anyone else, I wonder, think of the connection to the Garden of Eden story?



There were many people at the dedication, maybe two to three hundred. I recognized many people at the gathering. Tulsa mayor Kathy Taylor was there, along with former Tulsa mayor Bill LaFortune. (The library was built on the grounds of LaFortune Park.) Speaking at the event were Richard Bales (park director), Fred Perry (chairman of the county commission), Bob Dick (a former county commissioner), LaVerne Ford Wimberly (chairman of the library commission), Bonnie Henke (president-elect of the Tulsa Library Trust Board), Bill LaFortune, and Linda Saferite (head of the Tulsa City-County Library).



Funds for building the Community Center came from the Vision 2025 tax; funds for building the Kaiser Library came from private donations. Among the donors contributing to the building of the library is the Humanist Association of Tulsa. The words “Humanist Association of Tulsa” appear on a plaque near the entrance to the library.



Entertainment at the dedication was provided by a band featuring a steel drum. Steel Around is the name of the band. They played several songs including “Yellow Bird,” and “Brown-Eyed Girl.” Refreshments were served, also.



In the afternoon, we went to the TCC campus and joined the fitness center there. We had to have a picture ID made and then pay the fee to use the facility. We then returned home and I took a nap. We returned to the fitness center later in the afternoon and walked for thirty minutes. The walking track is above the basketball court and circles the court. Several exercise machines are available to use. Down on the basketball court were several people attending a lecture of some kind with a powerpoint presentation.



In the evening I attended my drumming group at the Price house. Craig (former drum circle member) called while we were there, saying he may be back with more stories of his adventures.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Movie Night report

There were just seven members who showed up for Movie Night last night. Present were Randy and Dawn, Jan and myself, and Marilyn, Gail, and Steven. After Gail and I played our duets, we viewed the movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Gail brought some lemon bars, and we had the usual popcorn and soft drinks.

Friday, August 01, 2008

August 2008 Activities of Interest to Freethinkers

Sat., August 2, 7:00pm
Movie Night at the Bradleys, 6705 E. 54th St.
Gail and Dan will perform duets at the piano by Wohlfarht and Mozart. Feature presentation to be decided that evening.

Sat., August 9, 2:00pm
Secular Singers at home of Gail Storey, 4630 S. Victor Ave. There will be a whole lot of hootin’ and hollarin’ going on. All welcome.

Sun., August 10, 1:00pm
Humanist Study Group at Randy’s, 6705 E. 54th St. Topic: TBA

Sun., August 17, 1:00pm
HAT Monthly Membership Meeting at Hardesty Library, 93rd and Memorial. Yes, we are still meeting at Hardesty. Brian Hill will be showing selections from the PBS special “The Question of God.”

Sat., August 23, 11:30am
Food & Fellowship at Helen of Troy, 6700 S. Lewis.

Sun., August 24, 1:00pm
Atheists Meetup at Agora Coffee House, Fontana Center.



Questions? Call Randy at 622-6975 or Dan at 798-3629.