HAT Meeting 1.20.08

We had a very good turn out at today's HAT meeting with 19 present. Randy even pondered what we might do should our remarkable growth continue. Pictured here you see Marilyn Clarke who spoke about the article "Hot Air Gods" from a recent issue of Harper's magazine.

Randy read a poem by Thomas Hardy entitled "The Dance Continued", and I read "An Overdue Visit from Old St. Nick" which appeared in the December issue of The Oklahoma Observer.

I mentioned the two remaining events of the month: the Food & Fellowship gathering at The Local Table on Saturday, January 26, and the Atheists Meetup on Sunday, January 27 at The Hideaway.

I mentioned that a calendar of our activities can be found at www.atheists.meetup.com/477/calendar. If you lose the monthly list of activities I send out by e-mail, you can always go to this calendar.

Randy asked the group if they had any objection to telling jokes as the program for the February HAT meeting. Most people were in favor of the idea, so come prepared with your favorite jokes next month.

Barbara mentioned that Stan had been in hospital, but he was expected to be discharged today. Howard just had his 90th birthday last Friday and is now under hospice care.

Marilyn related some personal experiences, including the influence of an uncle. We later learned that Richard had had a similar experience in his formative years. The subject of atheism versus agnosticism arose once again. The usual defenses for each position were voiced. Discussion was lively, ranging from national economic policy to where people get their concept of God. We continued on past our normal ending time of 3 pm. Randy checked to make sure no one was outside waiting to use the room.

This was our first membership meeting of 2008, and, being the treasurer, I was in a dues collecting frame of mind. By the end of the meeting I had collected $72 in membership dues.