Cambridge Humanist Group Programme of events 2008

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 (not listed below), 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 lunches in a pub. From 2007 there is also a list of walkers, groups of whom go for country walks.

Here are the events so far organized for 2008

(Different pages show previous events for years 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
January	Sat 12^th Yuletide lunch 12 noon AGM 2.15 pm Panton Arms pub, 43 Panton Street	CHG Yuletide lunch followed by AGM	Organized by Gavin Moulton	The Panton Arms is a newly refurbished pub with a private room we can have to ourselves that can hold up to 40-50 people. It's within walking distance of the city centre (near the Catholic Church) and the railway station, and there's on-street car parking in the area. The cost per head is £12.50, with a meat and vegetarian option, dessert and tea/coffee, payable on the day at the Panton Arms. The AGM starts around 2.15pm. Please try to attend this meeting, as we seek input and ideas for events for 2008, plus we'd like to discuss ways the Group could be pro-active at a local level or beyond. We'd also like CHG members to ratify a constitution for our group.
February	Wed 13^th 7.45 for 8.00 Ann Docwra Room, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane	The Work of the Atheist Centre in Andhra Pradesh	Dr Christine Bondi	Dr Christine Bondi is the President of the Cambridge Humanist Group. She writes, "While most of the world has heard of Mother Theresa, very few have heard of the work of the Atheist Centre. That work has many aspects such as health, education, social work, in particular improving the lot of women in Andhra Pradesh, and very importantly breaking down the superstitions that have done a great deal of harm to the least privileged in that area. The Centre has earned great respect in India and speaks in the name of Atheism in a way seldom seen elsewhere. Not surprisingly, caste plays no part. The founders were colleagues of Gandhi although they differed from him on religious issues. It is time that we did more to make their work known."
March	Tue 18^th 7.45 for 8.00 Ann Docwra Room, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane	Human trafficking	Det Chief Insp Kevin Vanterpool	Det Chief Insp Kevin Vanterpool is Head of Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Serious and Organized Crime Unit Despite slavery being abolished 200 years ago, "Human trafficking" continues and increases year by year, particularly in this region and in Cambridgeshire. The majority of victims are women and children for sexual servitude, crime, forced labour and even the removal of organs for illegal sale. Cambridgeshire Constabulary has kindly agreed to our invitation to talk to our group on this issue.
April	Tue 15^th7.45 for 8.00 Ann Dowcra room, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge	Members' Meeting	Norman Rides	Norman Rides is a member of the CHG committee and is in charge of organizing the events.. This is an exciting time to be a Humanist. Atheist and Humanist books become best sellers and humanists present TV programmes on their beliefs. More members are finding their way to us and there is evidence increasing numbers of people think like us. At the same time, however, the Government seems hell-bent on promoting religion in schools, the voluntary sector and charities. How does the group address these issues and how should we get involved in them, if at all? The Committee will be presenting some ideas for discussion on the future of the Group. All members welcome to contribute.
April	Sun 20^th3 pm start Christine Bondi's house (see Newsletter)	Inaugural Reading Group meeting	Denby Liddelow	Denby Liddelow chairs the CHG and will chair this first reading Group meeting. Christine Bondi has kindly allowed us to use her house as the venue for this new idea of a CHG Reading Group. The first book to be discussed is Humanism by Barbara Smoker. Copies can be purchased for £8.50 through the BHA online shop, or by phone on 0207 079 3580, or through the Ethical Society on 020 7242 8037 / 8034. Or Robin Martlew has 2 copies to lend out, and Gavin Moulton has 1 copy. The purpose of this meeting is to give members an opportunity to read a chosen book prior to the meeting, then discuss the book's contents, merits, shortfalls, and so on in an informal setting. Please bring a plate of food or cakes for afternoon tea to share. Please note that attendees are expected to read the book in advance.
May	Wed 21^st Dining Room of the Cambridge Union Society (aka 'the Debating Society'), behind the Round Church, Bridge Street, just a stone's throw from the Friends' Meeting House	How the government is using faith groups to deliver public services	Naomi Phillips	Naomi Phillips is Public Affairs Officer at the British Humanist Association.
June	Sun 8^th 3 pm Christine Bondi's house	Reading Group Meeting		The Outsider by Albert Camus
July	Sat 12^th at Cam Sailing Club	12^th Annual riverside picnic at Cam Sailing Club & short sailing trip (weather permitting)	Organized by 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.
Postponed till November	Pepper Harrow's talk has been postponed and replaced (same day and venue) by the talk in the row below.	Inclusion in Local Authority Work	Pepper Harow	Pepper Harow is Local Development Officer at the BHA  She has kindly agreed to speak about the BHA's Local Development Project. As CHG looks at ways to become more active in local affairs, Pepper's talk will be particularly useful in pointing us in ways in which we could increase our impact at a local level.
July	Tue 15^th 7.30pm Friends' Meeting House (upstairs), Jesus Lane, Cambridge	Faith Schools	Alex Kennedy	Alex Kennedy was appointed in January as the BHA's Faith Schools Campaigner
August	Sun 17^th3 pm start Christine Bondi's house (see Newsletter)	Reading Group Meeting		The Trial, by Franz Kafka. These events give members an opportunity to read a chosen book prior to the meeting, then discuss the book's contents, merits, shortfalls, etc in an informal setting. Please bring a plate of food or cakes for afternoon tea to share. Please note that it is hoped that attendees will have read the book in advance.
September	Tue 23^rd 7.30 pm Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge	The importance of female education in development	Ann Cotton	Ann Cotton is Camfed's (Campaign for Female Education) Founder and Executive Director. Camfed International was founded in the UK in 1993 and now has branches in five other countries. Last year Cambridge University awarded Ann Cotton an Honorary Doctorate in Law.
October	Sun 5^th3 pm start Christine Bondi's house (see Newsletter)	Reading Group Meeting		A World to Build by David Kynaston. This book (which was recommended by Christine) is a recently-published social/political history of Britain in the immediate post-war years, c1946 - 1949.
October	Wed 15^th 7.45 pm Friend's Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge	Social Capital ...or Why organisations with vibrant staff communities deliver strong bottom line results and are great places to work	Anthony Stanton	Anthony Stanton is a CHG member. His talk will aim to show how three components of successful communities -- culture, teamworking and networking -- drive, organisational success and employee morale, for example how the 19th Century Quaker industrialists, and perhaps the Co-operative movement, achieved this.
November	Wed 12^th 7.45 pm Friend's Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge	Development meeting: charity work and the CHG		Many of our members already do voluntary work for a whole range of good causes. However, this work tends to be done 'anonymously', and not under the Humanist banner. Recently, an interest in bringing the two together has been expressed by several members of the group... At this meeting, we will discuss possible options and the issues they raise, and make plans on how to proceed. For more information, see text below. All welcome: bring your ideas and enthusiasm.
November	Tue 18^th 7.45 pm Friend's Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge	Inclusion in Local Authority Work	Peper Harow	Pepper Harow is Local Development Officer at the BHA  She has kindly agreed to speak about the BHA's Local Development Project. As CHG looks at ways to become more active in local affairs, Pepper's talk will be particularly useful in pointing us in ways in which we could increase our impact at a local level.
November	Sun 23^rd 2.30 pm Christine Bondi's house (see Newsletter)	Reading Group Meeting		The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. Set in war-time London, the book describes the doomed relationship between a Humanist writer and a married woman who, in a moment of crisis, rediscovers her Catholic faith. All welcome, but please try and read the book beforehand. The reading group discusses the contents, merits, shortfalls etc of the chosen book in an informal setting. Please bring a plate of food or cakes for afternoon tea to share.
December	Wed 10^th 7.45 pm Friend's Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge	Self Organizing in Nature	Professor Tom Blundell	Professor Sir Tom Blundell FRS (Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge). This talk will outline his research into how nature appears to organise itself, in particular using the example of the molecular structure of crystals. His research interests lie in explaining macromolecular structure using methods from biochemistry, protein crystallography, bioinformatics, and structure-based drug design. (from Wikipedia entry).
	Prearranged for 2009
January	Sat 3^th 12-4 pm Panton Arms Pub 43 Panton Street, Cambridge CB2 1HL	CHG Yuletide lunch & AGM		AGM starts at 2.15

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Page updated 4 November 2008