Category: Utah Humanist

Chapter Happenings

Community Partnership Announcement

At our Annual Banquet and Chapter Business Meeting on Thursday, December 8, we will be pleased to welcome a presenter from the Volunteers of America’s Youth Resource Center—they will give a presentation to our group about the impact our donations and volunteer time have had in past years, and will continue to have in the coming years, on the Homeless Youth they serve in and around Salt Lake City. Please join us to learn more about the incredible work they are doing, and how we can all help more by serving hot meals once a month throughout the coming year! Beginning in January, our group will either join forces with the Atheists of Utah to provide meal prep for the Youth Resource Center, or, if there are a great enough number of our members interested, we will be able to plan an additional meal prep day for the Humanists of Utah. All donations received at our Annual Banquet this year will benefit the Youth Resource Center. Please come to enjoy wonderful food and company, and make a huge impact on the lives of these youth!

Darwin Day 2017 Update and Invite

We are pleased to announce that the 10th Annual Darwin Day Celebration with the Humanists of Utah will be held at the University of Utah’s Officer’s Club (150 Fort Douglas Blvd) on Saturday, February 11, 2017 from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. Please save the date! Also, as you, our members, will be our honored guests, please let us know if you know of a local scientist specializing in climate change, who would enjoy being on our panel of scientists that evening from about 7-8 p.m. Send nominations for panelists to board@humanistsofutah.org.

Thanks!

—Elaine Stehel

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President’s Report

I want to finish my little series about my personal experiences with people of color. It also comes to an end because after my years in the Air Force, I have had only minimal contact with blacks or other people of color a “white boy” gets living in Sugarhouse. I want to finish with two thoughts, one the Black Lives Matter movement and the other a thought about diversity.

Regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, I think stupid white people should keep their mouths shut, rather than making statements like “all lives matter.” Because on its face, the statement is an attempt to diminish the fact that Black folks do have a problem with being more likely to be shot by police than other races do. It is an unfortunate fact these shootings happen and are one of the results of poverty, as are poor health care, poor nutrition, etc.

My thoughts on diversity begins with how wonderful it is that the universe is as diverse as it is, including the part of it we call humanity. But in our dealings with other races we humans tend to use diversity to divide us. We see this tendency throughout history and we see it played out daily in the present. It really is too bad that we humans don’t embrace this diversity better. Imagine how boring it would be if we humans, for some weird evolutionary reason, could only be one shade of grey. But then if human nature stayed the same, I guess we would find some other “difference” in “some” people in order to have someone to dislike. The shape of your ears perhaps. Whatever. I’ll have more to say, but later.

Our December Social is coming up on the 8^th and I hope you will, as I always say, join us for some good food and good conversation. One item that I plan to talk about a little bit at the dinner is our plan to start a book club series. In discussing ways to make our meetings more appealing we (board members) decided to make some of our second Thursday general meetings into book club meetings rather than having a speaker. With that in mind, I hope you will give some thought to the idea and come to the social with a few suggestions for books you like. I think we can consider some periodicals also. I think our general meetings should also have more forums on current affairs. So again, think about some books and forum subjects for us to consider. I’m excited about these changes because I have always enjoyed discussion groups and forums where we can all get involved and have our say.

I suppose I should say something about the election. First, I can say I am so sick of politics I could just…you name it. But in my sixty-eight years I have seen the back and forth nature of power and politics. The good times the recessions, wars and presidential resignations. I kind of hate it when people say we must move on, but the clock does keep on ticking so we do have to start planning, together and as individuals. I think for me I am going to be putting more of my time, energy and donation to help and advocate for causes that will be needing support considering the fight that the new administration will bring. I also plan to personally get more involved and donate more to organizations that appeal to me, such as the The Planetary Society, the American Humanist Association, and our chapter. I think we should all remember that our favored organizations need funds and support now more than ever.

See you at the social.

—Robert Lane President, HoU

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Thomas Paine

We screened The Life of Thomas Paine, a film produced by the Thomas Paine Society at our October general meeting. Their web site says, “Thomas Paine was the one truly radical Founding Father of America, a man who changed the face of the world with his pen. Common Sense inspired the American Revolution, Rights of Man defined the French Revolution, and The Age of Reason called on us to use our ability to reason as the basis for our beliefs and morality. He is a man largely forgotten and greatly misunderstood, yet ironically quoted by all and every political faction in the world today. Moreover his ideas about democracy, equality, slavery, pensions, healthcare, and education and morality would have created a very different kind of world if they had been acted on. The man who ignited revolutions would die largely ignored and distained, yet when he was writing his books and pamphlets he was at the epicenter of world events, literally transforming nations through the power of his words. We are determined to write Paine back into the pages of our history and make sure that the true meaning of his work reaches as many people as possible. Thomas Paine’s vision was a call to action. As he said ‘we have it in our power to begin the world over again.’ ”

Our audience was unanimous in the opinion that Paine’s ideas are pertinent to societal issues we face today. Individual rights should be more important that corporations’ desires.

The film has a long segment where Paine bemoans that he is called an atheist but he passionately defends the notion of Deism and his belief in a personal God. It is this writer’s opinion that this position is consistent with Paine and many of his contemporaries, consider text from the Declaration of Independence: “…to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God…” That is God is Nature. Our current language and diction are a little different, but to me, it saying the same thing, we, the earth and all of it’s inhabitants and features, and indeed the universe are all products of natural processes.

—Wayne Wilson

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President’s Report

Greetings everyone. As we head into the holidays I want to say how excited I am about upcoming events. Next week we have Kate Kelly, founder of the Ordain Women movement scheduled, then in December our business meeting and banquet. Soon after that, in February, we will be hosting our tenth annual “Darwin Day with Humanists of Utah.” I hope you will look at our schedule and plan to join us, and bring a friend.

I want to continue writing about my experiences with people of color I started in last month’s newsletter. My next experiences came when I entered the United States Air Force. As I was leaving for basic training, some neighbors in the “Ward” advised me to “stay with my kind.” But at basic training my squadron had men from all over and of several ethnicities. So, staying with your kind was stupid and totally impractical, even if you wanted to. There weren’t that many young white Mormon boys around. Plus, the military pretty much lets you know to pack your prejudices away. But I did learn what real prejudice is when I was stationed at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. I was stationed there for temporary duty as extra security for an aircraft that was being tested there. Twice, while in the 90 days I was there, groups of GI’s were harassed or confronted. Once at a pizza parlor and once at a picnic ground.

At the pizza parlor, I learned that the problem was that the local boys couldn’t understand how us “white boys’’ could be hanging out with n—-rs. They were as mad at us as they were hateful toward the people of color in our group. This was in 1970, but when they learned that we were all trained security police officers they backed off.

At the picnic grounds, we were having a BBQ with blacks and whites but this time with women too. You know wives and dates. This caused a couple of locals to call the police who came flying out to our location. But this was a squadron party and our commander happened by to say hi and have a good time as this was happening. He talked to the police officer in charge and they went away.

I’m not saying that everything was always calm among GI’s on base but I did not many racial problems. In the two fights that I got into that were memorable, one guy was from North Carolina who was always drunk and the other a short little guy who couldn’t stop talking about how much greater Italians were than everyone else. But neither was black. Next month I’ll finish with how I feel about current issues like the black lives matter movement.

I want to end my message with a little rant about a term or phrase I think is lame and useless. The phrase I’m referring to is, “we’re all immigrants.” It seems to me to be a silly exercise. My great grandparents brought my grandmother with them to the United States. They were immigrants, but I’m not. I haven’t moved anywhere. Also, if we were to go with this notion, we would have to call Native American immigrants, as they did migrate here thousands of years ago. Anyway, just a little rant.

—Robert Lane
President, HoU

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Retiring

Hi Ho everyone!! I have been a longtime board member and am the current Vice President of the Humanists of Utah Board. I will not be running for another two-year term and would like to invite any of you to volunteer to serve on the board. Elections will be held in December with the winners announced at our December meeting.

I would like to thank you for the faith you have shown in me over the years and to say it has been a good run. We’ve had a many fine speakers and events during my tenure and certainly will have many, many more in the times ahead. I think 12 to 15 years (I forget how many) is enough, it is time to move on to other things and for some new blood on the board. Please consider yourself as a candidate or look to your friends here at HoU to nominate.

Thank you all. Ciao.

—Bob Mayhew

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HoU Happenings

Seeking New Board Members:

As you all may have read already, it’s that wonderful time of year again when we ask our members to step up, take the baton, and run with it! As one of our group’s newer Board Members, serving officially since January 2016, I want to say to anyone who might be considering nominating themselves or someone else in our group, please do not hesitate! We need your ideas, enthusiasm, and happiness to be furthering the reach of our mission. Thank you and we look forward to working with you!

HYRC Partnership:

At this year’s December Banquet and Chapter meeting, Elaine Stehel will be unveiling a new partnership between our group and the recently renovated Youth Resource Center in Salt Lake City, which provides myriad services and support for the homeless youth in our state. A friend of mine recently told of her visit to the Resource Center to learn more about their services, and right then, in the middle of the day, she watched a teen enter, heartbroken because his mother had just pulled up and told them to get out of the car, saying, “If you’re choosing this gay lifestyle, you’ll just have to get help here from some other gay people, because you’ll never again be welcome in our home.” Situations like these are happening every week, every month, and we can help these teens! Please join us at our banquet on Thursday, December 8th with your open, generous hearts as we invite these teens to dine with us, and unveil to them and to our group members all the ways we plan to help throughout the coming year!

Darwin Day Planning Committee:

Our 10th Anniversary Darwin Day Planning Committee still needs your help in planning our spectacular celebration! We are currently in discussions with the Leonardo Museum, the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, the Natural History Museum, the Officer’s Club at the University of Utah, and the Glendale branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library about where (and at what cost) we will be holding our event on Saturday, February 11, 2017. The biggest thing you can currently do to help, if you are able and willing, is to send your generous donations (100% tax-deductible) to The Humanists of Utah, with ‘Darwin Day’ written in the memo line, to P.O. Box 1043/West Jordan, Utah/84084—this will help to ensure that we can reserve a fabulous location that will serve the greatest number of people possible! Thank you for considering the Humanists of Utah in your end-of-year philanthropic giving!

—Elaine Stehel
Humanist Minister
HoU Board Member

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The Changing Roll of Religion in Modern Society

George Pyle, editorial writer and columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune was guest speaker at our September monthly meeting. He began the discussion by describing the situation in which the Salt Lake Tribune finds itself, how it arrived here and what are the plans for its future.

After the paper changed hands several times, and there was even consideration given to just letting the paper fold, Paul Huntsman stepped forward to try to save the Tribune. Huntsman doesn’t expect to make a lot of money by owning the Salt Lake Tribune. “We need two voices in our city”, he said and somehow a deal was struck. 40% of the print revenue came back. Alden Capitol gave up control.

Currently, Paul Huntsman is the publisher and on the editorial board. e facilitates getting the visiting politicians to speak to the Tribune editorial board.  The staff talk to Mr. Huntsman 2-3 times per week. He wants the paper to be beholden to no one external to itself and stay independent.

Mr. Pyle then described the changing role of religion in modern society. In the last 7 years, the number of people who admit to having no religious affiliation has gone from 12% to over 30% in the 18-34 year old demographic. When Pew researchers asked the 30% if they are looking for an organized religion, 88% said they were not. Having internet at home and less religious observance have curves which match.

One misty night in London, Mr. Pyle went to Westminster Abbey, and ended up in a service. There were about 20 people there. There he was, in one of the most famous Christian churches in the world on Easter and the great cathedral was empty. It’s happening all over Europe. The support and congregations aren’t there anymore. Religion no longer speaks to people today.

Mr. Pyle sees freedom of religion coming to the fore which means people don’t push their religion on others. He expects that the way thought is moving, there is probably going to be a peaceful change to freedom from religion and towards secular thought. He believes that time is on the side of free thought and personal choice.

There will be more to come from him on the subject of religion in modern society when the book he is writing is published.

We are grateful to George Pyle for taking time to share his brilliant mind with us. We anticipate with pleasure his columns and editorials in the Tribune.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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Cleveland Quarry Field Trip

The trip by motor coach down a dirt road to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry was as intriguing as it was hot. In a late Jurassic, three-foot layer, of hard sandstone capped with limestone, lie bones so dense and intermingled that local ranchers found them easily while searching for their lost cows.

The environs of the quarry near the town of Cleveland, Utah and promulgated by William Lloyd (hence the name Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry) hold many dinosaur digs. The CLDQ is one of the more mysterious. In modern animals and other quarries, 5-10% of the fossils are from predators. Of the bones in CLDQ (six species of carnivores and five herbivorous species) 75% were meat eaters. The paleontologists ask, “Why so many carnivores in this bone bed? Did they hunt in packs? Did they all come attracted to the only water during a drought and get stuck in the mud? Did they prey on infected herbivores and die of the same infection? Did they die upstream and get washed into a spring run-off pool that became the quarry?”

One of the paleontological investigators working in and near the CLDQ rode with us to the quarry and answered our every question. His name is Brian Switek. He notes, in his latest book, My Beloved Brontosaurus, that “The Mesozoic span of the dinosaurs ran for more than 160 million years the world over. The dinosaurian heyday fell across three different geological periods—the Triassic (250 to 200 million years ago), the Jurassic (199 to 145 million years ago), and the Cretaceous (144 to 66 million years ago).” Brian has written for National Geographic, Smithsonian, Nature, Scientific American, among other publications.

Here is Brian in the clutches of an Allosaurus skeleton surrounded by models of modern day theropods, or more in the common vernacular: chickens.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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President’s Report

Those of you who joined us for our trip to the Cleveland-Lloyd quarry were treated to a fun and interesting excursion. I won’t go into detail here, as there is a write up elsewhere in the newsletter. But I wanted to say that I think this kind of HoU event is a great idea and should be repeated as often as possible. Along with the educational aspect of the trip and the scenery, you also get a chance to meet and talk with people. And I mean converse rather than just a hello and a hand shake.

Other trips to geologic or geographic excursions could be planned. Perhaps an emphasis on a trip could be to give sort of a basic traveling course in Utah geology. As a University of Utah Geography student, the classes I took that included “Field Seminars” were the most instructive. Going to and studying the actual features you study in the books is most instructive.

We should also consider trips that are just for the fun of it. Wendover now has a really nice concert/theater hall, where Amy and I recently saw a comedian. Perhaps even an overnight trip. Let’s talk about it.

Sometimes it is hard to cover a subject a person writes about in the 500-word article. So I’m going to write about a subject that will need to be continued for a couple of issues.

The issue is race and racism. Or, more specifically, my experiences with people of color in my life. I was born and raised in SLC (Holladay) Utah. Attended Skyline High School where there were no black people at the school and none in my neighborhood. So my contact with black folks was nonexistent. That is until I attended a military school for my junior year in high school. That’s where my first real contact with African Americans occurred. As I recall, even at this California school there was only one black kid. This black student behaved horribly and was gone in a short time. I remember some talk among the students about this kid, mostly negative. But I remember my roommate asking “How would you feel if you were the only white boy at an all-black school?” Makes you think.

When I attended this school in 64-65, I would take the train home for holidays. It was cheap and in that era, while it was a passenger train, it was also known as a mail train, so it stopped everywhere. It was there on the train that at 16, I first shook the hand of a black man.

The train’s restrooms had a lounge area for sitting and smoking. The porters on the train were all black as far as I could tell. While sitting in the lounge area, a couple of porters came in and we shook hands. After a moment, I told the two porters that they were the first black men I had ever met. They were friendly and chuckled at my questions and I believe entertained by my interest.

I think even back then, and probably before I was becoming a rational thinker and started wondering why someone’s skin color mattered, or as I might express it today, “Why would you judge someone or instantly have disdain for a person you don’t even know based on skin color?”

It may seem strange to you that I write about my experiences with black people as events, but it helps show that for many of us we may have had little or no real experiences with other ethnicities and thus have only what we see and hear to make judgements.

My next experience was during four years in the U.S. Air Force. But I will leave that for next month.

In parting I just want to remind you to attend or October meeting where we will present a new video of the life of Thomas Paine. Because this will similar to a movie night, refreshment will be served at the beginning so you can munch while we watch and then discuss the video and Thomas Paine after.

—Robert Lane
President HoU

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Whose Ground?

Excerpted from Patricia Williams’ article in The Nation (Aug. 29/Sept.5, 2016) of the same name because rational thought should supersede a panic response for all of us, especially humanists.

He looked dangerous. He looked like a suspect. He looked like he was reaching for a weapon. The officer feared for his life.

This familiar litany was recited on the news more than once in this vexed summer—a time weighted with foreboding, anxiety, and grief. We are all afraid of something: terrorism, random outlaws with PTSD, ominous political forces. As a result, gun sales have soared. Paradoxically, rising gun sales mean that it’s increasingly reasonable to suspect that someone pulled over by police to the side of the road will have one. Writes Ted Shaw, director of the Center for Civil Rights at the University of North Carolina, “in a society that worships gun culture and advocates the right to carry weapons, it cannot be that the fact that an individual has a gun automatically justifies shooting him.”

Caroline Light (whose excellent book Stand Your Ground: A History of America’s Love Affair With Lethal Self-Defense is forthcoming from Beacon Press next spring) asserts that current policies, including defunding basic public services, have led to a situation in which “the state’s retreat from protection of its citizens creates a perceived need for (do-it-your)self-defense.”

But “stand your ground” laws are a sub-species of self-defense. The idea is that “ground” is jurisprudentially defined as a space from which one has the reasonable expectation of excluding others—i.e. one’s property. What makes the idea of standing one’s ground so troubling is precisely the question of whose ground it is anyway–yours or mine? What indeed of “our” ground?

If mere experience of fear justifies violence anyplace, anytime, we have set a dangerous precedent regardless of race, gender, or occupation—but especially in the case of police. There are at least some who, in the absence of training, experience, self-restraint, and proper support, may fill that void with assumptions and panic–who would place self-protection so far ahead of the duty to protect the community that they succumb much too easily to an ethic of “Shoot first, ask questions later.”

Nikki Giovanni’s poem “Allowables” bears repeating as a counter-litany in these times of edgy stand-off:

I killed a spider
Not a murderous brown recluse
Not even a black widow
And if the truth were told this
Was only a small
Sort of papery spider
Who should have run
When I picked up the book
But she didn’t
And she scared me
And I smashed her
I don’t think
I’m allowed
To kill something
Because I am
Frightened

—Lauren Florence, MD

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President’s Report

In recent conversations with Humanists of Utah board members and regular chapter members the subject of de-baptism events has come up. These happenings have occurred more often lately in part due to the recent pronouncement by the LDS Church concerning children of gay parents needing to reject their parent to become members. You know, that good old Biblical notion of suffering the sins of your father. Since that pronouncement, thousands of members have undergone this ritual to remove themselves as members of the LDS church.

I think it is about time for HoU to host one of these events. I am also willing to be first to undergo this ritual. For quite some time I hav maintained that I am the one who decides whether I am a member or not. But a couple of people point out that regardless of what I say, I am still on the roles and considered a member by the church. This is true of course, because the LDS home teachers stop by every fourth Sunday to say hi and see how we’re doing. They’re nice people and they are actually aware of my humanism and our group, as they are related to former member and one of HoU’s founders Martha Stewart. They will be disappointed, but I can’t let that stop me. So if there are any of you who still need and want to free yourself from the LDS church, let us know, and let’s make plans to do this soon.

Moving to another subject, I want to say something about gun violence. I know I have visited this subject at least a few times in the years I have been writing my report. But sometimes something gets me going again. Actually I don’t want to write about gun violence so much, but more about some statistics.

Gun violence is certainly a horrible problem in this country and I think stricter laws should be written. But recently in the comments thread of an article about gun violence, I got in an exchange with a woman who was so upset that Americans weren’t more outraged about this violence and working to ban guns. What I pointed out was that our society is a little strange to me in that we are outraged about gun violence and rightly so, but not very outraged about other “more deadly” aspects of our society. I then pointed out that while guns had caused 33,000 deaths in a recent year, tobacco cigarette smoking alone accounted for 480,000 deaths in a year. That’s about 15 times more deaths than from guns. So where’s the outrage. They’re both products sold legally in the U.S.

The woman I had the exchange with also felt that the gun manufacturers were criminals and partly responsible for the deaths. So I asked her if tobacco growers and their employees were criminals also, because after all, they are in the business of selling poison. I got no response to that.

I know statistics can be boring and used improperly they can be misleading. But they can also shed light on a subject and cut through some of the emotional response we have to issues such as gun violence and the like. Cold hard facts sometimes in comparison, sometimes in charts, columns, graphs and maps help broaden our perspectives on issues where emotions and media hype fail.

—Robert Lane
President HoU

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How We Almost Lost the Salt Lake Tribune

Ted McDonough spoke to us in July. He is on the Board of the Utah Newspaper Project (dba Citizens for Two Voices) Ted was born and bred in SLC. He started with the Tribune in 1990, when he was recruited from the City Weekly.

At our July meeting, Ted related the story of the origins and growth of the Salt Lake Tribune and how we almost didn’t have the newspaper. Brilliantly depicted, a timeline and details of the history of our beloved paper are on the remarkable website www.utahnewspaperproject.org.

By 2013, the deal to obliterate the Tribune was very nearly done. The Deseret News paid close to $25 million to the Tribune’s then-New York owner for new partnership terms that endangered Utah’s dominant, independent, journalistic voice.

The deal, which decreased the Tribune’s income by 50% and violated Federal anti-trust law was brought to local awareness during at least two years of hard work and lobbying by the Citizens for Two Voices. They filed a public-interest lawsuit in U.S. District Court under the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust acts in June 2014.

Two Voices argued that changes to the Tribune’s operational and financial structure resulting from revisions in the 65 year old Joint Operating Agreement with the Deseret News, heralded an intolerable consolidation of news media control in Utah. The U. S. Justice Department agreed and looked into the deal.

Slightly later in 2013, Salt Lake Tribune columnist, Paul Rolly, received an anonymous letter written in elaborately disguised block letters:

“Church and John Payton are renegotiating JOA. Tribune will be left with very little. Deal is Tribune interest for cash.”

Investigative reporters Robert Gehrke and Tom Harvey also received the same cryptic note. Because the mysterious whistleblower sent this note, the subsequent investigation gave the Tribune time to find a buyer which was not the Deseret News.

Citizens for Two Voices filed a lawsuit and won all pre-trial motions. But, the suit never made it to court. The deal with Paul Huntsman allowing him to purchase the Tribune went through at the last minute negating the need for a lawsuit.

So, we have come full circle. In 1901, a Park City mining magnate, Thomas Kearns, who wanted local influence, bought the Tribune. Now again, in 2016, a powerful man in town wants to own a newspaper and so buys the Tribune.

Ted McDonough believes that Paul Huntsman will allow The Salt Lake Tribune to have independent, hard-hitting news coverage which he tempers with “although time will tell.”

We are grateful to Ted McDonough for his fast-paced and densely packed history of our own paper of record, the Salt Lake Tribune.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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Gun Violence

Through the Current Events Discussion Group at the Sandy Senior Center, I became acquainted with Dee Rowland representing “Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.”

They have sent me a lot of alarming information, I would like to present them in a series.

The first is below. “TEDDY BEARS HAVE TO MEET CONSUMER STANDARDS”

This image made me bolt upright in my chair. I hope that seeing  it alarms you, too!

—Sally Jo Fuller

<click image to link to gun violence website>

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President’s Report

Hello Fellow Freethinkers

I have been pretty busy this summer so I shouldn’t be surprised that August has snuck up on me, but it did. I don’t know about you but this record breaking heat is getting old. I always look forward to the fall season and the cooling that will be coming. It is also a little troubling though to contemplate the knowledge we have that hundred plus temperatures are part of climate change. The drought in the west continues to be a problem and is one of the long term manifestations of climate change. As the drought starts to span several years it becomes less a weather phenomenon and more a climate indicator. Being a Geomorphologist as a hobby I keep track now and then on a few indicators that are rather telling. One of the most obvious data points is that for some time we have been able to judge and quantify the amount of ice on the planet. It is shrinking and has been for the most part for some time. As the reflectivity (albedo) changes more energy is absorbed, ice diminishes. Quite a simple concept really. But even when there is photo evidence as proof of glaciers retreating over the years many still refuse to see the obvious.

Well anyway, I was talking about the nice fall weather so I could plug our BBQ but got sidetracked bitching about climate change. I know it’s a busy time for everyone, with vacations and all, but I hope you will try to find the time to come to our August BBQ on the 11^th at John Young’s home. As usual board members will bring pot luck like items and the chapter will supply the rest. As I always say, come join us for good food and good conversation.

Before I go I want to mention one other thing. A couple of weeks ago several board members and I had dinner with Fred Edwords of the American Humanist Association. He contacted me and said he was on a speaking tour and as he was traveling through Utah, he offered to meet with us. Fred has been “doing humanist stuff” for over forty years. At the dinner, we got a lot of good suggestions for ways to improve our chapter. We discussed things from fund raising to the use of social media. At a recent board meeting we agreed that we should move forward on some of his suggestions. This will mean making some changes. As we begin this process we will be looking for your opinions on proposed changes and new projects. I’m excited about working to get more people involved with our group and have our chapter get more involved in the community. At our next board meeting I hope to have us decide on a couple of these suggestions from Fred and take action on them soon. I’ll keep you informed.

That’s it for now friends.

—Robert Lane
President HoU

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