This month we will continue the discussion we started last month about Humanist community. What are we looking for, personally? Is there more that Concord Area Humanists could do to deliver the kind of community we want? How do the UU congregations some of us belong to relate?
We meet on the third Tuesday (with the exception of November, 2014 because of scheduling problems), in the Trustees Room of the Concord Public Library. We usually have eight to a dozen people attend to discuss the month's topic in a smaller setting and to get to know one another better.
It was eye-opening for me to hear you recount the various organizations in Greater Boston that you have had a look at; that led me to understand that I should experience these other organizations to learn about and from them. Another eye opener was the glimpse into what I will call "institutionalized altruism" in the UU Proposed CSAI on inequality which Patrick brought to the meeting; seeing that suggests there is a large and time-tested mechanism for good operating there, which it might be pointless to try to replicate any time soon in a strictly Humanist organization.
December 23
Meetup is broken, won't let me reply to Chip's message below, but I wanted to say I love "humanitarianist"! And thanks for the links.
December 21
Enjoyed a productive and interesting discussion with friendly people, new viewpoints.
1 · December 19
A Wonderful CAH Meetup discussion group meeting!
I'd misremembered the founder of the "Lend A Hand Society" -- It wasn't Benjamin Franklin, it was Edward Everett Hale: http://www.lend-a-hand-society.org/ -- http://www.lend-a-hand-society.org/about-edward-everett-hale/ -- "Five years out of Harvard, after several successful interim ministries Hale settled as pastor of the Unitarian church in Worcester, MA."
Now I've got more "required reading" for the next meeting!!!
Today I found this website intriguing: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/
With Wonder Lands, White Rabbits, Rabbit Holes...and remembering what the Dormouse said: "Feed Your Head..." --- I had to subscribe to their newsletter!
I also stumbled upon "Humanitarian(ism)" -- I'm more comfortable thinking of myself as a Humanitarian than a Humanist... perhaps as a Humanitarianist;-)?
December 18
My initial response is that this is a group of remarkably knowledgeable, intelligent, and good-hearted people. As I today do some reading to follow up on things mentioned last night (notably, communitarianism) I have to add that the group was kindly patient with my expansive ignorance.
1 · December 17
David Markun, Thank you for your gracious comment. But I think I can speak for the others and say that rather than being held up to a loft height where someone such as yourself would feel "ignorance", we would rather be seen as a pool of collective water/wisdom to be used as a resource for anyone who thirsts. I, for one, really appreciated your input and was thinking to myself, "I'm sorry I'm about to leave as I think I would like to develop a friendship with this David Markun."
1 · December 17
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It was fascinating to discuss what would be the difference between Concord Area Humanists and the Humanist Community of Concord. Not that we would chose to go in that direction, but interesting to do the thought experiment. Thanks for a great conversation!