H.H. 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje

Mt. Vernon offers free admission on the 16th. We could also go either to Huntley Meadows or Belle View marina for a walk. It will be up to the attendees. [Dishes of India |Order Online Food| Catering Services in Alexandria, VA](https://www.dishesofindia.com/) ## [Mon2/16](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/alexandria/22314/daily-weather-forecast/331249?day=10) [48° /30°](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/alexandria/22314/daily-weather-forecast/331249?day=10) [0%](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/alexandria/22314/daily-weather-forecast/331249?day=10) Mostly cloudy in the morning followed by sun through high clouds in the afternoon **Real Feel® 53\***

Let's try out a new venue that just started playing the District Trivia game! True Food Kitchen is a restaurant in the Mosaic District of Merrifield serving lots of healthy food, with some of it actually being palatable. It it a mellow and relaxing place to play! Parking is available in the adjacent "Market Garage" (that also houses Target). Team limit for this event is FOUR people. Try to arrive a little early to grab a table and get all set up. See you there!

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“George Washington Never Declared Independence,”** an exploration of our first president’s evolving American identity, with Denver Brunsman, associate professor of history at George Washington University and scholar of the American Revolution and early American republic. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-washington-never](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-washington-never) .] With our nation’s 250th anniversary approaching, it’s time for a fresh assessment of one of the key figures who got the ball rolling. Trace the unconventional steps that George Washington took in embracing American citizenship, separate from his status as a British colonial subject, with historian Denver Brunsman, a Profs and Pints fan favorite and the author of the forthcoming book *George Washington and His World: Enslaver, Revolutionary, President.* It will be the ninth time Professor Brunsman has given an annual talk tied to Presidents’ Day and George Washington’s Birthday, and each has been a blast, featuring odes to America’s first president and ending in historic toasts. You’ll learn how George Washington missed the fiery debates that marked the political process culminating in Congress approving independence on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence two days later. That’s because he had been leading the Continental Army against British forces for the past year. As a result, Washington never signed the Declaration or, for that matter, formally declared independence. Instead, Washington had followed a more evolutionary path to an American identity. The process began during the Seven Years’ War from 1756 to 1763 and continued during the Imperial Crisis of the 1760s and 1770s, when he traded tobacco for wheat as the primary cash crop at Mount Vernon. It crystalized in his command of American forces. The upshot was that Washington embraced a separate American identity months, even years, before most of his fellow revolutionaries. You’ll embrace learning history after hearing Denver Brunsman discuss this founding father’s fight for freedom. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “Washington Taking Command of the American Army–At Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 3rd, 1775,” an 1876 Currier & Ives lithograph (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Let's return to one of our favorite spots to play - William Jeffrey's Tavern! WJT is a real good venue for playing the popular Pour House Trivia game. This place is less noisy than many trivia venues, and they have real good food! It is a 7:00 pm game, but you should try to arrive at least 15 minutes earlier to find us and get settled. There might be some street parking available, but there is also a parking garage for the building around back with free validated parking. The place is also on a frequent bus line from Pentagon City metro. This event is limited to seven people, so sign up now to save your spot for this fun trivia option!

Presidents Walking Tour of Historic Alexandria, Virginia, Monday, Feb. 16! Take a stroll around Alexandria’s cultural & historic core, with a focus on the U.S. Presidents who've had a mark on the place. These include, most prominently, Washington and Lincoln, but many others as well. Take in the GW parade, perhaps, then walk in Washington's footsteps. Old Town drips with an astonishing dense array of famous persons and historical events, and eye-catching architecture. Immerse yourself in one of America’s most fascinating locales. Meet at the Lyceum, 201 S Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314 Fee: Prices start at $22. About 2 hours in length. Pre-register and Pre-pay at-- Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/presidents-day-tour-of-historic-alexandria-virginia-monday-feb-16-tickets-1982938054099?aff=oddtdtcreator Or PayPal, sending $22 to: paypal.me/EMoser460 Or pay $22 in cash at the start of the tour. Fun itinerary will select from: • Hometown of Presidents, Generals, Admirals, Musicians, Educators • Schools founded by George and Martha • The noted architects behind its stunning architecture • Locale of a famous Confederate, and Union Army, sculptor • The worst peacetime accident in Navy history • How the town started a world war • Locale of the biggest slave escape in U.S. history • Historic churches and cemeteries from revolutionary days • George and Martha’s home away from Mt. Vernon • Civil rights sit-downs and Underground rails • The site of the first six Presidential inaugural balls • The nation’s narrowest houses • Where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were hatched • The first fatalities of the Civil War • The ghostly Mysterious Stranger • World-famous "Captain's Row" • The floating mansion • An in-town Civil War battle • A presidential fistfight • The Curse of the Black Cat • The family that got Pierre L'Enfant fired • Graves of the Civil War and the "Second American Revolution" • The horrific attack on a Revolutionary War hero And more! Your guide is a former “Tonight Show” writer, an ex-Presidential speechwriter, & author of the new adventure novel rooted in Alexandria's rich history, The Old Town Horror-- https://www.amazon.com/OLD-TOWN-HORROR-Americas-Historic/dp/B0BW2WR85N/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= And this book on D.C.’s history, The White House’s Unruly Neighborhood: Crime, Scandal & Intrigue in the History of Lafayette Square: https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette/dp/1476674868/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555118270&sr=1-1-catcorr And a book of fun essays on U.S. history & culture: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Things-American-Should/dp/1596525495 Also a book on the history of Congress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvJoCU6LsCM And his latest, a spy thriller set in Georgetown: https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalité-Lizzy-Thorne-Novel-ebook/dp/B0F4945MR5 The Guide's tours are rated 5 stars on TripAdvisor!: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html Think history’s dull? Think again! Lots of free street parking on the side streets south of King St. Nearest metro stop is King St., with a free trolley bus from there. Take with a lovely, informative walk through America's most historic town.

* In these turbulent times, it is crucial that we develop peaceful minds to enable the emergence of a more harmonious world. The format of this class was designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche so that people have a special method to create the causes for world peace. Classes include a short teaching and advice for life, two guided meditations, and inspiring prayers for world peace. After the class, join us for a pancake breakfast, coffee, tea and other delicious treats! Feel free to browse our bookstore for unique items. Everyone is welcome. Prayers for World Peace is free, you are welcome to make a donation. The pancake brunch following Prayers for World Peace is $7 a person. **Advice from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, 2001** “World peace is very important; we cannot ignore this now. Once something happens, it will be too late. This world is now, as you know, very delicate, very fragile, and very sensitive. It is almost as delicate as the life of a single person; the world situation is so delicate. This is because there are so many disagreements. Political leaders are ready to fight; everybody is preparing weapons ready to fight, and are challenging each other. So we religious practitioners need to offer prayers because prayers are very powerful. This is because of our pure motivation, the powerful words of the prayers themselves, and especially at such times enlightened beings will bestow their blessings upon us, our environment and other living beings. So we should pray for world peace. We have had two world wars. If there is a third world war this will almost destroy the world because every country has very powerful weapons, and it is very easy to destroy the world. So I would like to suggest that every center organizes prayers for world peace at any time when local people can gather and pray for world peace.” **Cost** Free – Donations Accepted Optional Brunch $7 * Event Schedule Sun., Feb. 22 10am-10:45am Meditation & Prayers for World Peace 10:45am: Pancake Breakfast

Join us for all or part of our weekly program to practice and study the dharma together - In-Person or Online. All experience levels welcome. Schedule was: 10:00 am - 10:30 am Chenrezig practice\* 10:30 am - 10:45 am Break 10:45 am - 11:30 am Silent Meditation *Two 20min sessions with a 5min break* 11:30 am - 12:00 pm Study & Discussion \*Chenrezig practice is led via video by HH the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. The practice is recited in Tibetan with English subtitles. For text and information go to: [https://www.kibi-edu.org/news/chenrezig-sadhana-now-available-for-download/](https://www.kibi-edu.org/news/chenrezig-sadhana-now-available-for-download/) **In-Person** Fellowship Hall at the [Unitarian Universalist Congregation](https://www.uucr.org/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExa0ZQVFBCdmJ3MzNOWEJoRwEeSoPXSHNPf_pRRTPn-UbSRXubgBfGor06l14v9_Z1cMfvxShmdngQDTcV-ao_aem_4x2F8VhluNx_5QC2unwCkw) of Rockville (UUCR), 100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 ([[https://www.uucr.org/](https://www.uucr.org/) **Online via Zoom** (for Zoom information, click on the relevant tile for that Sunday’s meeting): [https://bodhipath.org/centers/dc/#events](https://bodhipath.org/centers/dc/#events) BodhiPath Washington DC is supported by donation.

**Life** Blaise Pascal was born in 1623 in the Auvergne region of France. His father was an expert mathematician and member of the *noblesse de robe* (a designation for high-level bureaucrats). His mother died when Pascal was only three. Under his father’s anti-scholastic and modern approach, Pascal read widely but idiosyncratically in law, the Bible, Church Fathers, science, and, eventually, mathematics—but relatively little in literature. By his teens, his father had introduced Pascal to the group of intellectuals associated with Père Marin Mersenne. He suffered medical issues from a young age and throughout his life and was for some time under the care of one of his sisters. He was, for example, too ill personally to conduct his famous experiment on Puy-de-Dôme that provided evidence that air pressure differs at different elevations. He had a deeply mystical or religious experience (“Night of Fire”) on the evening of November 23, 1654, after which he renounced his mathematical and scientific pursuits in favor of religious pursuits. He had notes from the Night of Fire sown into his jacket. He died at only 39 in 1662. **Themes** While Pascal did not invent the triangle named for him (it had been known not only to Chinese, Indian, and Islamic scholars but also European ones), he studied it and showed some of its properties. In physics, he did experiments with mercury demonstrating that air pressure varied with elevation and studied hydraulics, giving us what is now called Pascal’s law. He was one of the first to devise a working calculating machine, several of which still exist, creating three versions for different uses. As might be expected from someone of such evident skill in math and science, he did not care much for Aristotelian approaches, such as essences, form, and matter. Pascal as philosopher presents some problems. In the first place, his non-scientific writings had the avowed purpose of promoting Christianity and, at times, Jansenism. His most famous work, *Pensées*, was not published in his lifetime but rather arranged by family and associates after his death based on written notes supposedly but not definitively intended for a work of Christian apologetics. But the psychological insights of the Pensées, and its clear and sharp style, have perhaps against his own wishes established Pascal as some sort of philosopher, if not a proto-(Christian) Existentialist. His attacks on the power and utility of reason are ironically almost coeval with the start of the European Enlightenment. Among his more famous ideas is that the heart has its reasons that the mind knows not of and discussing belief in God in terms of a wager. Is Pascal’s Wager a joke, taking to humorous extremes techniques of probability he had had a hand in developing? Or is he serious, aiming to show that reason fails when it comes to life’s most consequential decisions? Or is the Wager meant to offer reasoned support for a prior, non-rational embrace of God? We’ll discuss these and other questions to try to understand Pascal’s contributions to philosophy and what insights he can offer today. **Reading** Our readings for this month are *Pensées* and selections from *Discussion with Monsieur de Sacy*, the *Art of Persuasion,* and *Writings on Grace*. These can all be found in an edition from [Oxford University Press](https://global.oup.com/academic/product/penses-and-other-writings-9780199540365?cc=us&lang=en&). **Optional** * [Blasie Pascal, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://iep.utm.edu/pascal-b/) * [Pascal's Wager, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/) * [Lettres Provinciales, Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Lettres_Provinciales) * [Prayer, to Ask of God the Proper Use of Sickness, Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal/Prayer,_to_Ask_of_God_the_Proper_Use_of_Sickness) **References for Pascal's Contributions to Math and Science** * [Pascal's Triangle: What It Is and How to Use It, Science Notes](https://sciencenotes.org/pascals-triangle/) * [Pascaline (Calculator), Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascaline) * [Pascal's Law, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_law) * [Pascal's Theorem (Geometry), Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_theorem)

Willkommen zum deutschen Stammtisch in Washington DC! Wir treffen uns regelmäßig an verschiedenen Orten, um Deutsch zu sprechen und Spaß zu haben. Egal, ob Anfänger oder Muttersprachler, jeder ist herzlich eingeladen, sich uns anzuschließen! Welcome to the German Stammtisch in Washington DC! We gather regularly at different locations to speak German and have fun. Whether you're a beginner or native speaker, everyone is welcome to join us!

**Living Lightly with Meditation** **with Kadam Peter** January 26; February 2, 9 and 23rd \*\*\*NO Class Feb 16\*\*\* Life's problems can feel heavy and insurmountable. However Buddha taught that problems are rooted in the mind and its misapprehension of how things exist. In this series, we will explore this liberating wisdom through meditation. This understanding and practice helps us to move more gracefully through life. **REGISTRATION** Standard: $12 \| Financial Hardship: $6 \| Free for [Members](https://meditation-dc.org/membership/) [Pre-Register Here](https://meditation-dc.org/monday-evening-meditation/) Each class is available by drop in. Everyone is welcome to attend, no previous experience is required. **LOCATION** Kadampa Meditation Center DC 1200 Canal St\. SW \| Washington\, DC 20024 **Metro Stop:** Waterfront or Navy Yard

We are Metro Voices, the treble chorus associated with the Alexandria A Cappella Collective (The Collective). On Tuesday, February 17th from 7-9pm we will be rehearsing at the Fairlington Presbyterian Church at 3846 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302. Please visit and sing with us or just listen to our rehearsal...we love guests. We rehearse at the same time and place as The Harmonizers, the lower voiced chorus associated with The Collective. Here's an article about our success in a barbershop style convention. https://www.alxnow.com/2025/03/27/notes-alexandria-singers-win-top-honors-at-regional-contest/ Hope to see you soon.

● Are you looking for a moment of peace in the middle of a busy world? ● Would you like a simple way to reconnect with divine love, clarity, and inner guidance? ● Curious about spirituality—but not sure where to begin? You are warmly invited to a spiritual gathering. Join us from the comfort of your own home or in person and experience the sacred sound of HU. HU helps to open the heart and bring a sense of peace, comfort, love, and inner guidance. Please invite friends, family, or anyone who has an interest in spirituality. Free to attend, with no obligation or commitment. What to Expect: ● A short reading ● Gentle singing of HU (or you may simply listen) ● Quiet reflection ● Spiritual Conversation Join us in-person at the Central Maryland ECK Center, 1738 Elton Rd., Suite 104, Silver Spring, MD 20903. Or Online at [THE SOUND OF SOUL EVENT](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89597899210?pwd=reKwx1zJtFNylttx8N4LKs3zYJN7a3.1) Meeting ID: 895 9789 9210 Passcode: 978196 Phone: 301-715-8592 For local information, call: 301-439-2120 Presented by the MD & DC Satsang Societies, Inc., Chartered Affiliates of Eckankar. Copyright © 2026 ECKANKAR. The terms ECKANKAR, ECK, EK, MAHANTA, SOUL TRAVEL, and VAIRAGI, among others, are trademarks of ECKANKAR, PO Box 2000, Chanhassen, MN 55317-2000 U.S.A.

We are recruiting new group leaders for virtual men's groups! Our primary groups are outdoor movement groups, but we are launching virtual groups for the state of Ohio and beyond and the groups will move outside in the spring, creating room for men's groups, women's groups and coed groups all over the country. Read below to learn about our groups and click the links at the bottom to apply. ### **What is an Outdoor Empowerment Group?** Our Outdoor Movement & Community Empowerment Groups are simple, guided experiences designed to help people reconnect with nature, themselves, and others. We combine some form of movement (hike, walk, run, bike, yoga, workout) and meaningful conversation within a simple community circle to create a space where individuals can support each other while prioritizing mental and physical well-being. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, personal growth, or community, our groups offer everyone a unique and welcoming environment. ## **Why Join?** * **Improve Mental & Physical Well-Being** – Movement, nature, and supportive conversations reduce stress and promote balance. * **Feel Less Alone** – Build genuine connections with like-minded people in a safe, welcoming space. * **Gain Clarity & Perspective** – Step outside daily routines and into a space designed for personal growth and reflection. ## **The Ideal Group Leader** The ideal group leader * Has a born-in passion for mental health, movement, connecting with nature and building community. * Has 5 extra hours per week to dedicate to a meaningful cause for at least one year. Yes, you can leave any organization at any time and we can also ask you to leave, but we are building with legacy in mind and we need people who can commit and be ALL IN on this mission to build with us. * Is independently financially stable with the ability to volunteer with no expectation of pay. This is a deeply beautiful journey of service that all participants commit to at Speak Your Mind. * An ability to manage groups with high emotional intelligence and desire for human connection. * An ability to self-motivate and market/promote their group on Facebook and other social platforms. * Nature informed therapy or clinical therapists/psychologists a plus. ## **Our Impact**  Since launching, we have helped thousands find support, connection, and healing through our Outdoor Movement Groups. 100% of participants surveyed have reported: * A noticeable improvement in mental clarity and emotional well-being. * An increase in social connection and a sense of belonging. * Said they would return again. We believe mental health should be accessible, community-driven, and rooted in nature. Join us and take the first step toward a more connected, grounded, and supported version of yourself. ### **Why Our Groups are Donation-Based** Our Outdoor Movement Groups are made possible through a donation-based model. This approach allows us to keep our events accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances, while also ensuring that we can continue expanding our reach. It’s a great way to pay it forward and support the growth of this beautiful mission! Every contribution helps us: * **Cover Essential Costs** – Donations allow us to pay essential legal, marketing, insurance, and admin costs as well as nourish the important people who run the organization. * **Grow Our Mission** – With your support, we can bring these healing experiences to thousands more people in the future and execute our long term plan to expand across the USA, affecting up to 500,000 people per year. By choosing to contribute, you’re not just leading an event—you’re helping build a mental health movement that supports long-term well-being and connection for all during a severe mental health epidemic. ## **Come Join Us!** We’d love to have you be part of this growing community of people prioritizing their mental health, movement, and connection. 🔹 **Visit Our Website to Learn More:** https://speakyourmind.men/joinusoutside 🔹 **Apply Here to Lead Your Own Group!** – https://form.jotform.com/taketimespeakyourmind/sym-group-leader-application 🔹 **Support the mission**: If you resonate with the mission and want to support, feel free to join a group before applying or donate to help us reach our goals to help more people! You can donate here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/angels-for-angels/speak-your-mind Please text Mario with any questions: (808) 855-8831

Come check us out! You will have a wonderful time! The music and friendships are life-changing!

This meeting will be an open discussion about the book "an Immense World" by Ed Yong

Join us for The Fisherman by John Langan. In upstate New York, in the woods around Woodstock, Dutchman's Creek flows out of the Ashokan Reservoir. Steep-banked, fast-moving, it offers the promise of fine fishing, and of something more, a possibility too fantastic to be true. When Abe and Dan, two widowers who have found solace in each other's company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumors of the Creek, and what might be found there, the remedy to both their losses, they dismiss it as just another fish story. Soon, though, the men find themselves drawn into a tale as deep and old as the Reservoir. It's a tale of dark pacts, of long-buried secrets, and of a mysterious figure known as Der Fisher: the Fisherman. It will bring Abe and Dan face to face with all that they have lost, and with the price they must pay to regain it.

As you may or may not know--I didn't until late last year--Aristotle wrote extensively on "friendship" in the Nicomachean Ethics. After 69 years the concept of friendship still creates questions and uncertainty. I had close friends in high school and for a few years after high school but our interests diverged and people moved all over the country so it was hard to maintain connections. * So if I/you haven't talked with a friend for several years, are you still friends? Are we friends who meet at Drunken Philosophy or Omnipresent Atheists? * Can you be friends with someone with whom you have virulently divergent political views? Sartre and Camus could not. * Aristotle regarded friendship as essential to a good life, not merely an added "bonus." Do you agree? * In the Nicomachean Ethics (Books VIII and IX), he claims that wealth and power are meaningless without friends. Trump has wealth and power but seems to have no real friends, but wealth and power seem meaningful to him in perverted ways. Can you have meaning in your life without friends? * Do men and women view and maintain friendships in different ways? * Aristotle categorizes friendship into three types, based on what forms the bond: * **Utility**: Based on mutual benefit, but this type is fragile and ends when the usefulness ceases. * **Pleasure**: Based on shared enjoyment (e.g., humor, hobbies). Common among youth but fades as interests change. * **Virtue (The "Complete" Friendship)**: Based on mutual respect for each other's character and goodness. You wish good for the other for their sake, not yours. * **Key Principles of "True" (Virtuous) Friendship:** * **Permanence**: Virtuous friendships last a lifetime whereas those based on utility and pleasure are fleeting. * **Reciprocity**: Requires mutual goodwill; secret or unreciprocated affection does not qualify. * **The "Second Self"**: A true friend is "another self"—their virtue helps you understand and improve yourself. * **Time and Intimacy**: Deep ("complete") friendships are few, built on time and shared experiences. * **Self-Love and Friendship:** * Good friendship starts with being a friend to yourself. * They distinguish shallow egoism (chasing honors) from real self-love (pursuing virtue). * A virtuous person’s pleasant self-company allows them to be a stable, good friend to others. * Aristotle argues that one's social circle ultimately reflects one's character—a view with striking relevance today. Well--the Drunken Philosophy social circle certainly reflects good character!

The aim of this group is to get together and practice our German. Doesn’t matter if are a beginner or a native speaker. The goal is to speak and improve our German. Everyone is welcome! If the weather is good, look for us in the Biergarten. Pro Tip: Get there before 6:00 for happy hour pricing.

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.