Cambridge
Humanist
Group

Programme of events 2009

Monthly meetings
Monthly meetings are held in and around Cambridge, sometimes at the Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane, sometimes in members' homes, usually in the evening. Typically there's an invited speaker and always an opportunity for conversation and discussion.

Visitors are welcome at meetings. Please enquire about time and location from the appropriate contact.

Informal social gatherings
Informal gatherings, are currently at held at the Free Press pub in Prospect Row at 8 pm, (currently the first Tuesday of the month)

Other social events
As well as the monthly informal gatherings, two or three social events are held each year. Recently these have been picnics, garden parties and winter weekend country walks and lunches in a pub.

Here are the events so far organized for 2009

(Different pages show previous events for years 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000)

Month	Day, time & venue	Title, topic or activity	Speaker or organizer	More about the speaker, organizer or event
Every month	First Tuesday of each month 7.45 for 8.00 pm Free Press pub, Prospect Row (behind Cambridge main police station)	Informal gathering
January	Sat 3^th 12-4 pm Panton Arms Pub 43 Panton Street, Cambridge CB2 1HL	CHG Yuletide lunch & AGM
February	Mon-Wed 9^th -- 11^th 7.45 at Cambridge Regional College	CHG Darwin Week event	Robin Martlew	Robin is a CHG member & CRC Humanist Chaplain CHG will have a display on Darwin and Humanism. On Tuesday there is to be a discussion with as many Tutor groups as possible, on "Where does God fit in to evolution?" On Wednesday morning, Robin and Paul will be visiting tutor groups presenting Darwin from a Humanist perspective with Nigel Cooper, the Chaplain from Ruskin putting a Darwinian Believer's perspective
February	Mon 23^rd 7.45 for 8.00 Ann Docwra Room, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane	The gargantuan growth of Cambridge: mysteries and myths of the planning process	Dr Alan Baker (A double-booking prevented Dr Baker from giving this talk, but Robin Martlew, a CHG member with long local council experience, stepped in to give the talk)	Since 2003 Dr Alan Baker (the Liberal Democrat Councillor for Queen Edith's ward) chairs Cambridge City Council's Planning Committee He is a former Head of Geography at the University of Cambridge, and is a respected historical geographer, particularly in the field of social, economic and cultural change in 19^th Century France. Alan's talk is particularly relevant, as Cambridge considers how its further expansion can be achieved while accommodating competing expectations and demands.
March	Sun 1^st3 pm start Christine Bondi's house (see Newsletter)	Reading Group meeting	Paul Ewans	Main book for discussion: • Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys (suggested by Denby Liddelow) If there's time discussion will move on to • The Human Story by Robin Dunbar (suggested by John Harris) These events give members an opportunity to read chosen books prior to the meeting, then discuss the books' contents, merits, shortfalls, etc in an informal setting. Please bring some biscuits or cakes for afternoon tea to share. Please note that it is hoped that attendees will have read the books in advance.
March	Wed 25^th, 7.45pm Ann Docwra Room, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane	Why are civil liberties so unprotected, and why can't we preserve them?	Professor Stuart Weir	Professor Stuart Weir has kindly agreed to talk to our group about his "preoccupation" with civil liberties, in relation to current hot topics such as privacy, equality, the threat of terrorism, surveillance, ID cards, free speech and protest. He is Visiting Professor with the Government Department at Essex University, working closely with the University of Essex Human Rights Centre and is Director of Democratic Audit. He has authored and edited books on human rights and democratic audit reports. He is a former editor of New Statesman magazine, a former editor of New Socialist, and a founder member of Charter 88, the UK campaign group for democratic change.
April	Sun 19^th, 2.30pm Christine Bondi's house (see Newsletter)	Debate on Humanist Ethics	Paul Ewans	In response to members requests, this event will be a discussion on whether a belief system dedicated to uniting and facilitating all human beings can be a universally agreed Humanist creed or whether there ought to be a more individually centred approach to ethical behaviour.
May	Sun 3^rd, 2.30pm Paul Ewans's house (see Newsletter)	Reading Group meeting	Paul Ewans	Andre Gide's The Immoralist follows the protagonist's inner journey from a constrained, respectable individual to a man of passion, energy and carelessness, through becoming seriously ill with tuberculosis, changing him from a moral self to a living self. He loses interest in work and his wife, fixed on the antithesis between culture and nature, to rebel against social and sexual conformity. These problems exercised Gide in his life — how deep is the veneer of civilization and should a man follow his own desires when they conflict with society?
May	Man 18^th, 7.45 for 8.00pm Chris Davies's house (see Newsletter)	The Tingle Factor		Members are invited to bring along a clip or excerpt of their favourite song, piece of music, or poem, on any format; vinyl (45/33rpm), MP3, CD, audio cassette, computer video clip or even a personal recital. Following the showing each person will be asked to give a brief explanation of how and why this song or piece came to be important and significant to them. Clips should be in the region of 3 - 4 minutes long with explanations around about the same duration.
June	Wed 10^th, 7.45 for 8.00pm Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane	Jesus: history or myth?	Dr David Carter	David Carter will survey the evidence from both the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, and suggest that it points to Christianity having very different origins from those usually assumed. Since last summer he has worked for a Cambridge software company, writing software to improve automatic speech recognition. The previous five years he spent at the Sanger Institute, and co-authored a paper on yeast evolution published in Nature.
June	Sat 27^th at Cam Sailing Club	12^th Annual riverside picnic at Cam Sailing Club & short sailing trip (weather permitting)	John Harris	John is a member of both the CHG & Cam SC. Members receive an information sheet about this event. If you'd like to come and don't receive one with the newsletter that mentions the event, please contact John Harris. If you are intending to come, please let John know.
July	TBA	Talk TBA	TBA
July	Sun/Mon, 12^th/13^th Parker's Piece	Stall at Big Weekend event
August	Sun 16^th, 12.30 pm Pam & Hugh Manning's garden	Garden party	Pam & Hugh Manning	CHG members Pam & Hugh have very kindly offered their hospitality for this year's summer garden party. Please bring a favourite dish suitable to share with others, such as a pasta dish, a salad, or a dessert, and perhaps something you'd like to drink. Members will be circuated nearer the time with more information, including a request to let Pam & Hugh know the numbers planning to attend.

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Page updated 10 May 2009