Volume 4, Issue 6, June 1, 2012

June 3

"Recent Developments on Protests at the Democratic National Convention"
Lynn DuPree, Coalition to March on Wall Street South

Lynn is actively involved with the Occupy movement. Her organization plans to hold a peaceful march at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. This march is to raise awareness of the economic disparity in America.The group ran into difficulties getting a march permit, but a permit was finally issued. She will speak about her group's activities as well as others that plan to demonstrate at the convention. It should be a very interesting talk.

IFC Food Pantry

On the first Sunday of each month, EHST members donate food items to the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service. One of its missions is maintaining a food pantry for community people in need of groceries. IFC's impact on food distribution in this area is impressive. The economic recession resulted in a loss of donations to this important social service agency, and it relies on organizations like ours to help its clients. Please contribute generously.

June 10

FILM: "Facing Death"
PBS FRONTLINE, Aired November 10, 2010
Moderator: Fran Schindler, EHST Member

"How far would you go to sustain the life of someone you love, or your own? When the moment comes, and you're confronted with the prospect of "pulling the plug," do you know how you'll respond?

"In Facing Death, FRONTLINE gains extraordinary access to The Mount Sinai Medical Center, one of New York's biggest hospitals, to take a closer measure of today's complicated end-of-life decisions. In this intimate, groundbreaking film, doctors, patients and families speak with remarkable candor about the increasingly difficult choices people are making at the end of life: when to remove a breathing tube in the ICU; when to continue treatment for patients with aggressive blood cancers; when to perform a surgery; and when to call for hospice."

June 17

"Documenting Decisions about Our Lives"
Timothy Nordgren

Tim joined the firm of McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson and Nordgren, PLLC on January 1, 2009. Since he first began practicing law, he has focused exclusively in the areas of wills, trusts, estate planning and probate. He also specializes in elder law as it relates to these areas. The North Carolina State Bar has designated Tim as a Board Certified Specialist in estate planning and probate law. He is licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and Tennessee. He is a frequent speaker on estate planning and probate related topics.

June 22

IFC Cook and Serve

Our scheduled cook and serve project is this Thursday from 4:00 to 7:15 p.m. Contact Amy Piersma, amypiersma@yahoo.com, to sign up. The food is donated from the community and anyone who is hungry can eat. Our entire membership participates. On the fourth Thursday of each month, January through October, members cook from 4-6 p.m. and serve from 6-7:15 p.m. It's great fun and a worthy endeavor!

June 24

"End-of-Life Considerations"
Group Discussion

What end-of-life decisions should we make about medical treatment for our loved ones and ourselves? What factors are involved with drawing up estate plans that protect our assets from being siphoned to cover medical costs? Why is a will necessary to ensure our assets are distributed as we choose and not contested after death? The platforms presented on June 10th and 17th raised many issues we face when making these decisions. Our discussion will focus on what is involved and how the choices impact our lives.

 

The Geography of Bliss

For a group discussion in July, the society will read The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. This book is part foreign affairs discourse, part humor, and part a twisted self-help guide. It takes the reader from America to Iceland to India in search of happiness, or, in the crabby author's case, moments of "un-unhappiness." The book uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science and humor to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? With engaging wit and surprising insights, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

John Holmgren will check out the book kit from the Chapel Hill Library on Saturday and bring the copies to our meeting on June 3.  The copies can be held until July 19th.

 

Deepening Circles

To expand our program offers, EHST will be conducting a small group format called a "Deepening Circle." Some members have expressed interest, but we encourage others to explore this avenue for creating more intimate, personal relationships.

The meetings will take place once a mouth outside our usual meeting times, and focus on a given topic and allow everyone to speak. The purpose is to be able to listen to each other and share experiences, not to discuss or debate. Participants gain insight in to other group members and increase common understanding.

We encourage you to attend. Please contact Randy Best with your questions and if you would like to attend. rsbest@fastmail.fm

 

 

IFC Good Neighbor Plan

"The IFC believes that the creation of a Good Neighbor Plan (GNP) will foster understanding and mutual respect among neighbors, congregations, businesses and other groups near the proposed building site for Community House. The GNP process will also be helpful for program residents who also want to be part of GNP communications and events, want to break the cycle of homelessness and want to become independent stakeholders in the community." The contents of this plan can be reviewed at GNP.