Bid Whist

### Join us at the Secular Assembly! Secular Assembly by Humanist Society Singapore is a monthly gathering of humanists, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other like-minded people.This month's Assembly is held in collaboration with Harmony in Diversity Gallery (HDG). Before the Assembly, there will be a optional 45mins tour of HDG. Registration is required, please do so at our website event page. https://humanist.org.sg/events/secular-assembly-27dec25/ ## Schedule of Assembly on 27 Dec 2025 (Sat) * 10:00-10:45am: optional HDG gallery tour. Please arrive 10mins early to find your way to the gallery, instructions below. * 10:30-11:00am: we invite participants not attending the HDG gallery tour to bring their books to our open library / book exchange outside the seminar room and mingle. * 11:00am – 12:30pm: Assembly session. Please arrive early for registration * 12:30pm: End of Assembly, optional lunch (out of pocket) at Lau Pa Sat. Follow our Telegram channel to see what we sit. ### Topic/speaker of the month: Topic of the month: Embracing Your Protagonism As the year draws to a close, communities around the world turn to story, symbolism, and shared traditions to make sense of the year gone by. For freethinkers and the non-religious, the Winter Solstice and secular Christmas season offer a meaningful moment to gather, reflect, and reconnect. At this December Secular Assembly, we explore how narratives—ancient, modern, festive, or personal—shape the way we see ourselves and our place in a complex world. In a warm and welcoming community setting, we celebrate the light returning after the longest night, and the human capacity to create meaning through reason, compassion, and imagination. In Embracing Your Protagonism, Melvin Lim, President of the Society, invites us to consider: if life were a game, what kind of lead character would you be? Drawing on storytelling traditions, year-end mythologies, and even lessons from narrative games, Melvin will guide us through practical ways to understand our strengths, “buffs,” and “debuffs,” and how to take intentional steps toward becoming the protagonist in our own stories. Join us for an uplifting morning of reflection, music, and humanistic community as we close the year together and look ahead with renewed agency and purpose. #### Assembly brief During the Secular Assembly, there will be: short sing alongs, a short talk, sharing of personal stories, moments for reflection and gratitude, and more. Light refreshments (packet drinks) will be provided. Assembly will start on time, please arrive 10-15mins early. **\*\*Collaboration with Harmony in Diversity Gallery (HDG)\*\*** The Harmony in Diversity Gallery (HDG) was developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with community partners and organisations like the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO). The Gallery aims to promote an appreciation of Singapore’s rich religious diversity. It hopes this will foster a spirit of give and take, mutual respect and understanding, necessary to nurture and strengthen the religious peace and harmony we enjoy today.

Free entry to the christmas market. Lets soak in the Xmas spirit together!

CHANGED to WEDNESDAYS COLUMBUS RECREATION CENTERS require membership fee to play. Register & Pay at the desk when you arrive. $5 day pass is available. I have some extra pickle ball paddles and balls if you don’t have one. Definitely bring your own paddle if you have one and bring some balls if you have them. Legal Stuff: The event hosts/Organizers are just fellow member volunteers. By participating in any event, you assume all risks of liability and injury inherent in these activities. You are responsible for your own safety and for determining if you are in condition fit to participate. You are also responsible for knowing and abiding by all laws and rules during your participation in any event.
 Photos & or Video: by attending these events you acknowledge photos and or video may be taken and used on this and other platforms.

Jimmy V's Grill & Pub in Grandview Heights. You are responsible for your own meal/drinks. We usually don't have any agenda other than eat, drink and talk. :) If the weather is nice we will be on the back patio, otherwise we are in the cigar room. This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us. COTA bus #5 comes to W. 5th and Wyandotte Rd. And it's a minute walk to the restaurant.

######## NEW LOCATION ####### We are going to be at The Forge on Bethel Rd this week and until further notice! The Forge does have a full bar and kitchen. There is no cover charge but they do request all attendees to purchase a minimum of ~$20 per person. Soft drink refills are $1 each. Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area! Parking can be challenging. There is a parking lot behind the building that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

Our January program is privileged to have Kristen Tregar as our speaker. Ms. Tregar is the co-author with John de Lancie (the actor who portrayed the character Q on Star Trek next generation) of a radio play depicting the events surrounding the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial. The trial decided the issue of some of the Dover school district board members attempting to insert creationism disguised as "intelligent design" into the 9th grade biology curriculum. She will discuss the trial and the process of writing the play. (Bob Leonhard has seen the play and it is riveting and tense). Ms. Tregar's bio is below: Kristen Tregar is a dramaturg, director, playwright, and theatre teacher. She earned her Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre from the UC San Diego and UC Irvine joint program. In addition, she has a MS in Forensic Science from City University of New York- John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a MA in Educational Theatre from New York University- Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. In 2013, in collaboration with Irish colleagues, she founded *The Ireland Project*, an intercontinental devised theatre work with high school students in New York and Tallaght, Ireland. Her original short story "Far From Here" was recently published in *Stay Awhile Longer: More Scenes From Temecula Valley*. She has two rescued dogs (Kira and Harry) and she rides, competes, and foxhunts with her horses, Andromache and Baker Street Irregular. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Meditation practice with short sutra service, dharma talk and discussion.