Minutes of 2013 AGM

AGM Minutes 2013

1. ATTENDANCE
Nine members attended and two sent apologies for absence.

The Minutes of the 2012 AGM
(http://hastingshumanists.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/minutes-of-2012-agm.html)
were read and agreed to be correct.

2. REPORTS
A message from the Chair was read by the Secretary.

The Secretary's Report reviewed the year's meetings, which were generally well attended, apart from the extra Skeptics meeting on 26 November.

3. FINANCES
The financial report, provided by the Assistant Treasurer, showed that the group's finances are in good order.

It was decided to make no changes to the current subscription rates.

It was noted that communications with the BHA had improved and our Affiliaton had been renewed.

4.ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The following positions were confirmed
*Stephen Milton: Chair
Leonard Sterling: Deputy Chair
Mike Lynott: Treasurer
*Duncan Cleverley: Assistant Treasurer
George Jelliss: Secretary
*Steve Berks: Social Secretary
(*Three appointed in absentia)

Thanks to the two new appointees for taking on the roles
of Treasurer and Deputy Chair.

The responsibilities for the Programme, Publicity, Blog, and Twitter were not discussed, but it is assumed the same people as before will share responsibility for these.

5. CAMPAIGNS
Involvement with the East Sussex SACRE was debated, but no-one was willing to volunteer to attend meetings. In part this is because of the time and travel involved, as well as the opposition encountered by previous Humanist observers.

Involvement with the Hastings Inter-Faith Forum was mentioned. But their website is down at present.

Details of these to be posted on the blog when available.

6. PROGRAMME
There was a good discussion of ideas for meetings in 2014.
The following topics were suggested (in no particular order). This doesn't rule out other subjects being proposed if they become topical or speakers are available:

1) A meeting to decide what questions of a Humanist nature to put to our local political representatives.
2) A Question Time with local politicians such as Amber Rudd and Sarah Owens.
3) A Debate: This house believes that in the future, world changing events will be driven more by the power of cooperation and mutual support, rather than those of hatred and dictatorship. Proposer Stephen Milton. Opposer to be decided.
4) A talk on Consciousness by Leonard Sterling
5) A talk on History of Humanist views on Eugenics and Racism by George Jelliss
6) Genetically Modified Foods: scientifically justified or a danger to the environment?
7) How do, or should, we treat our children?
8) Science and Moral Responsibility
9) Population control. Hans Rosling's ideas versus David Attenborough, and others.
10) Female Genital Mutilation and Male Circumcision. Why no prosecutions?
11) How Medicine became Scientific by Leonard Sterling

There may have been other suggestions I forgot to note down - please remind me if I've missed yours! (Or any other omissions.)

Annual General Meeting 2013

Thursday 14 November at the White Rock Hotel is our Annual General Meeting.

We need volunteers for the posts of Treasure and Assistant Treasurer.

There will be the usual elections for these and other posts, Secretary, Chair, Vice-Chair,
Publicity Officer, Social Secretary.

Anyone can attend, but only paid-up members can vote.

Some points for discussion may be:
Should we get more involved with the Skeptics in the Pub movement?
Are there particular speakers we should seek to engage?
What about the East Sussex SACRE? We have largely given up on it this year.
What about involvement with Hastings Inter-Faith Forum?
If you have particular issues to bring up please raise them, preferably in advance.

David Pollock on Threats to Humanism in Europe

Our next meeting: Thursday 10 October: David Pollock
(http://david-pollock.org.uk/)
a past president of the European Humanist Federation
(http://humanistfederation.eu/)
and head of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) delegation to the Council of Europe
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Humanist_and_Ethical_Union)
talks to us on the clash of Humanism and fundamentalist Christianity in Europe.

“Reactionary religion is well organised and well financed in its work of opposing gay, women’s and non-religious rights in the UN and the European institutions. Working across boundaries - Catholic/Protestant, Christian/Muslim - its organisations are well connected and influential. Humanists are just beginning to work in opposition, forming and joining alliances with liberal religious people and other interested parties. But there is a long struggle ahead!”

As usual we are at the White Rock Hotel from 7 to 9 pm.

Skeptics in the Pub Roadshow

On Thursday 26th September at White Rock Hotel we are linking up with the local Skeptics in the Pub group run by Simon Clare to put on a Hastings Skeptics meeting. The entry fee is £3.50. Tickets can be bought via Eventbrite, or on the day. The actual talk starts at 8 pm and will be followed by a question and answer session.

The speaker is Robert Llewellyn the actor who will be talking on the theme "Electric Cars: They're Rubbish Aren't They?" How sceptical he is we will find out on the night.

Robert Llewellyn is probably best known for playing Kryten in the comedy science fiction TV series "Red Dwarf". The Hastings Observer, in their version of the press release I sent to them, gave it the headline "Kryten to make guest appearance" but I don't think Robert is coming as Kryten! (The costume and make-up probably take hours to fit.)

Video Links for your Instruction and Entertainment

We only got round to showing two videos at our meeting. I give links to those, and also to others by Richard Dawkins and A. C. Grayling, and a number of others that I have found of interest recently.

Militant Atheism by Richard Dawkins
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_militant_atheism.html

What's Next for Atheism by A. C. Grayling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGrqZXI2LiY

There are numerous other TED talks (put a name in the search box):
http://www.ted.com/talks

RD interviews creationist Wendy Wright (1 hour)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AS6rQtiEh8

The unofficial Richard Dawkins Channel (lots of videos)
http://www.youtube.com/user/dawkinschannel

The Official Richard Dawkins Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/richarddawkinsdotnet

Think Week: RD with Stephen Law talking philosophy (1.5 hour)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvkbiElAOqU

"Rare Interview" about religion in america
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaH8_Omskxg

Peter Boghossian: Street Epistemology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mEJcABKtXE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0mEJcABKtXE&app=desktop

Sam Harris: Science can Answer Moral Questions
http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html?

Daniel Dennett on "deepity"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg-4fmbpZ-M

School Segregation taken to the limit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcVGW1-mm28&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1

Robert Spencer controversy on Hate Speech
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/09/video-robert-spencer-speaking-on-hate-speech-toronto-september-17-2013.html

The following are more science-based

Murray Gell-Mann: Beauty Truth and Physics
http://www.ted.com/talks/murray_gell_mann_on_beauty_and_truth_in_physics.html?

Higgs Boson explained??
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/september-2013/famous-higgs-analogy-illustrated

The lost codex of Archimedes
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2P3mDm/:1tMoo$IUj:Q!zUNjcK/www.ted.com/talks/william_noel_revealing_the_lost_codex_of_archimedes.html/?

A YouTube video about Fractals (nearly an hour):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk6QU94xAb8
It includes interviews with Benoit Mandelbrot himself (about 8 minutes in).

George Monbiot: For more wonder rewild the world.
http://www.ted.com/talks/george_monbiot_for_more_wonder_rewild_the_world.html

There are many others I could have linked to: search for yourself.

Video Update

Our first meeting after the summer break.

Thursday 12 September: 7 to 9 pm at the White Rock Hotel as usual

 

Stephen Milton presents a video update on the activities of the 'New Atheists'

in particular Richard Dawkins and A. C. Grayling.

update:

At the last meeting when we were discussing books there was a lot of interest in the works of A. C. Grayling and Richard Dawkins, so for this month’s meeting I have chosen several of their speeches from the internet for us to listen to and discuss. They are two of the most fluent , knowledgeable and enthusiastic advocates of atheism and humanism, both from the philosophical and scientific  points of view. I can assure you that they are thought provoking and I have no doubt will generate the normal interest and debate.

In addition, as a topical question, let’s take 15 minutes to discuss the Syria question. Do we support intervention or not?

 

Stephen Milton

 

A Great Debate

I'd like to recommend this debate. Can Science tell us Right from Wrong:

http://365daysofphilosophy.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/july-21st-the-great-debate-can-science-tell-us-right-from-wrong/

The answer is Yes, provided we interpret "Science" widely enough to include Reason, perhaps as in the German concept of Wissenschaft.

The speakers are: Sam Harris, Patricia Churchland, Peter Singer, Lawrence Krauss, Simon Blackburn and Steven Pinker, with Roger Bingham in the chair. It's quite a long listen, 2 hours including the questions at the end, but well worth devoting the time to.

Simon Blackburn provides the dissenting voice, as an old-style philosopher. For instance he argues that someone living in a drugged haze, or a deluded fool's paradise, could be said to be living a happy life, so who is to say their values are wrong?

Incidentally Lawrence Krauss cites a number of books and writers who could well be added to our book list: E. O. Wilson on Sociobiology, Franz de Waal on Reciprocity in Chimpanzees, Jacob Bronowski on Science and Human Vales, Philip K. Dick on Reality, Richard Feynman on the Habit of Truth, Aldous Huxley on Brave New World.