Welcome to the Grand Traverse Humanists. If you value science, reason, and compassion and believe that humans are responsible for their own destiny, you have come to the right place. We are a community for the non-religious in the Grand Traverse area, offering a forum for discussing and advancing a secular worldview based on our common humanity. Our programs include monthly speakers and discussions, film and book groups, and various volunteer and social events. All are free and open to the public. Check out Upcoming Events below, or click on the calendar. Nontheists, agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, rationalists, humanists, and more…we welcome you to join us!
Grand Traverse Humanists Main Meeting
Second Monday of each month, 7 p.m.
Traverse Area District Library main branch, 610 Woodmere Ave., TC
Upcoming Events
- Meeting at the Library: Deb Lake from American Waste
Traverse Area District Library, 610 Woodmere Avenue
Monday, February 10, 7 p.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists present Deb Lake from American Waste with a talk on recycling in 2020. Learn all about the state of the recycling industry and American Waste’s part in it. What can be recycled these days? How should we prepare our recyclables? What happens to our recyclables when they leave the material recovery facility? It was recently announced that American Waste is being acquired by GFL Environmental: what does this mean for AW’s waste and recycling operations? These questions and more will be answered during a presentation that includes video of the recycling machines in action.
Deb Lake is the Marketing Representative for American Waste. She conducts tours of their facility, gives public presentations, and manages their website and other communications.
- Volunteering at Safe Harbor
517 Wellington Street, Traverse City
Wednesday, February 12, 5:30 p.m. to Thursday, February 13, 8:30 a.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists are on the schedule to volunteer at Safe Harbor the evening of Wednesday, February 12 through the morning of Thursday, February 13. It’s not hard work, and it directly helps people in our community. Paid, trained staff members are on site the whole time to assist.
To sign up, please email Scott Blair at scott.blair@jacobs.com, or text 231-313-7214.
- G.T. Humanists Book Club: Here We Are
7670 East Shore Road, Traverse City
Sunday, February 16, 4 p.m.
Join us at the home of Heather Kingham and Mark Elliott for a potluck and conversation about Aarti Shahani’s book “Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares,” featured recently at the National Writers Series. “Here We Are” is a heart-wrenching memoir about an immigrant family’s American Dream, the justice system that took it away, and the daughter who fought to get it back.Please RSVP to Heather by emailing heather.kingham@gmail.com, or texting 503-422-6515.
- Hungry Humanists: Minerva’s
Minerva’s Restaurant, 300 E. State St., Traverse City
Monday, January 27, 6:30 p.m.
The fourth Monday of most months, Grand Traverse Humanists meet to eat at a local restaurant. This month, we’ll gather at Minerva’s Restaurant in the Park Place Hotel. Please RSVP to Marlene at marlene.smith8@gmail.com. Hope you can join us!
- Meeting at the Library: Bill Rapai on the Kirtland’s Warbler
Traverse Area District Library, 610 Woodmere Avenue
Monday, January 13, 7 p.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists present Bill Rapai with a talk called “The Kirtland’s Warbler: From the brink of extinction to a secure future.”
In October 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially removed the Kirtland’s Warbler from the Endangered Species List. Ironically, even though the warbler’s population is healthy and sustainable at about 5,000 individuals, humans will still need to intervene on its behalf to ensure its survival for as far as we can see into the future. Learn about the fascinating history of this iconic species, recent breakthroughs in knowledge, new ways of approaching Kirtland’s Warbler conservation, and the challenges that need to be overcome as we move forward.
Bill Rapai is chair and acting executive director of the Kirtland’s Warbler Alliance. He has traveled across North America and to Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Iceland, Europe and Asia to view and research birds. He was an award-winning reporter and editor for the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, the Detroit Free Press, and the Boston Globe and is the author of three books.
- Meeting at the Library: Isiah Smith on Patriotism
Traverse Area District Library, 610 Woodmere Avenue
Monday, December 9, 7 p.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists present Isiah Smith with a talk examining patriotism through the lens of history and music, using personal anecdotes and social commentary.
Historically, patriotism has been used as both a shield and a cudgel by more than a few politicians and aspiring politicians. But what does it really mean? Can patriotism be fairly defined? Does it require blind fealty to an ideal that may or may not actually exist? This presentation will attempt to answer those and other vexing questions.
