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
- Humanist Book Club: One Hot Summer
Sunday, November 17, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Marlene and Isiah’s house in Traverse City
Grand Traverse Humanists will discuss One Hot Summer by Rosemary Ashton for our next book read and discussion.
Horizon Books provides a 10% discount (15% if you are a Horizon Member) for our Humanist Book Club readers. One Hot Summer is now available at Horizon Books in paperback for $16 ($14.40 with our discount). Our local library system also has copies of the book.
A Brief Summary:
A unique, in-depth view of Victorian London during the record-breaking summer of 1858, when residents both famous and now-forgotten endured “The Great Stink” together. While 1858 in London may have been noteworthy for its broiling summer months and the related stench of the sewage-filled Thames River, the year is otherwise little remembered. And yet, as historian Rosemary Ashton reveals in this compelling micro-history, 1858 was marked by significant, if unrecognized, turning points. For ordinary people, and also for the rich, famous, and powerful, the months from May to August turned out to be a summer of consequence.
We will meet at Isiah and Marlene’s home on November 17 at 4 p.m. To get directions, RSVP to Marlene at marlene.smith8@gmail.com. Bring a potluck dish to pass, if you like!
- Hungry Humanists: Red Mesa Grill
1544 US Highway 31 N, Traverse City, MI 49686
Monday, October 28, 6:30 p.m.
Join the Grand Traverse Humanists for dinner out! Meet at Red Mesa Grill at 6:30 p.m. for a delicious meal with friends both old and new. RSVP to Heather at heather.kingham@gmail.com or by texting 503-422-6515.
- Meeting at the Library: “Cuba: Why Can’t We Just Move Forward?”
Traverse Area District Library, 610 Woodmere Avenue
Monday, October 14, 7 p.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists present a talk with Karen Puschel Segal on U.S.-Cuban relations. For sixty years, the relationship has been plagued by distrust and antagonism. Hoping to thwart Fidel Castro, successive U.S. administrations have tried to isolate the island country economically and diplomatically. In fact, the U.S. has sanctioned Cuba longer than any other country. Hopes were raised under President Obama that maybe it would be possible to put the past behind and start again to find ways to cooperate. Alas, President Trump has put those nascent hopes to rest by exerting “maximum pressure,” including further limits on U.S.-Cuban contacts.
Why is it proving so difficult to overcome the legacy of U.S.-Cuban relations? And what might we expect looking ahead?
Join Karen Puschel Segal for a lively discussion of this most interesting – and thorny – relationship! Karen and fellow diplomat (and husband) Jack traveled to Havana recently as part of a World Affairs Council trip, led by a former U.S. Ambassador.Karen Puschel Segal began her career as an analyst of Soviet affairs at the State Department and later served in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, Russia and in Geneva at the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks. Karen is a Council on Foreign Relations scholar and the author of U.S.-Israeli Strategic Cooperation in the post-Cold War Era, as well as various articles. Karen has always been an ardent volunteer, heading various charitable organizations while living in the Netherlands. She recently stepped down as co-chair of the International Affairs Forum in Traverse City.
- Meeting at the Library: Culinary Medicine
Traverse Area District Library, 610 Woodmere Avenue
Monday, September 9, 7 p.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists present Dr. James Fox with a talk entitled “Culinary Medicine.” Dr. Fox is an Interventional Cardiologist at Munson Medical Center as part of their structural heart team. He has a strong interest in nutrition and its role in heart health. Dr. Fox will talk about the science behind which foods are best for us, and which are just hype. He’ll discuss specific diets such as the Keto Diet, as well as explore which types of food preparations are the healthiest.
- Humanist Book Club: Creating Change Through Humanism
Sunday, September 29, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
4813 N Indian Lake Rd, Traverse City, MI 49696
We’ll discuss American Humanist Association executive director Roy Speckardt’s book “Creating Change Through Humanism.” The address is Scott and Suzette Blair’s home. Bring a dish to share if you like.Read more about the book here: Creating Change Through Humanism
- Meeting at the Library: Skeptical Medicine with Dr. John Byrne
Traverse Area District Library, 610 Woodmere Avenue
Monday, August 12, 7 p.m.
Grand Traverse Humanists present Dr. John Byrne, a doctor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in Warren, Michigan, who will talk about quackery and pseudoscience in healthcare.
Dr. Byrne’s website, Skeptical Medicine, tackles many issues related to critical thinking in the medical field. For example, which, if any, “alternative” medical treatments have any basis in science? Why do people pursue treatments that haven’t been proven to work? What is “Integrative Medicine” and how does it promote unproven practices such as homeopathy and reiki? What exactly is the “placebo effect”?
Hear about all this and more at our monthly meeting with the Grand Traverse Humanists on August 12th at 7:00 in the Traverse Area District Library Woodmere Branch.
