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 Fall Agenda September-December 2011 PAST PROGRAMS, please click appropriate link below: |
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Daytime: Coffee, Tea, Water 9:30 a.m. Program 10:00 a.m. (promptly) until 11:30 a.m. Optional Lunch ($20) 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Evening:Optional Dinner ($45) 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Program 7:30 p.m. (promptly) until 9:00 p.m. |
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 Left to right, Joan Luise Hill, Katie Mahon, and Mary Beth (Meb) Phillips. |
Friday, September 9, 2011 | Morning Program The Miracle Chase, Three Women, Three Miracles and a Ten Year Journey of Discovery and Friendship, presented by Joan Luise Hill, Katie Mahon, and Mary Beth (Meb) Phillips. Who knows how many miracles happen on any given day…in The Miracle Chase, three women embark on a spiritual quest in search of answers: Why do some people get miracles and others don't? What do the voices of history and cultural traditions tell us? How can anyone believe in miracles in an age of science? And the most elusive question of all: What is a miracle anyway? Over time, The Miracle Chase becomes a tool for their own survival as the three women face personal crises and develop a new dimension to the friendship that sustains them. As their journey progresses, Joan, Katie and Meb make surprising discoveries, not only about God and miracles, but also about themselves. | |
Joan Luise Hill: 25 year career in Health Care and commended for her work in education. She lives in Pebble Beach, California. I want to mention these women’s credentials because their backgrounds lend credence to their observations. Pres Hill, Denver Eclectic member’s son is married to Joan so all three women will come into Denver for our Kick Off and stay with Pres. |
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Please let us know if you think you will be with us for our opening. |
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Monday, September 12, 2011 | Evening Program Where in the World Are We Going? Presented by veteran news correspondent, Greg Dobbs. Greg Dobbs lives in Colorado but for four decades, first living overseas for ABC News and now traveling from DIA for HDNet television’s documentary-style “World Report,” he has covered major news stories and many wars in more than 80 countries, including every Islamic nation on earth. What does the future hold in the Arab culture, in the U.S.-Russian relationship, in the Third World? Greg will give us a veteran’s perspective, although he’s fond of pointing out that any American journalist--- or intelligence agent, or diplomat--- who says he or she truly understands other cultures probably doesn’t, which is why America sometimes gets into trouble abroad. And he will color it with anecdotes about personal interaction with some of the world’s more bizarre leaders in some of the world’s stranger places. He has won three Emmy Awards and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Greg learned about Eclectics - and Eclectics learned about him - because his wife Carol is a member, who was recommended by Joan Manchester! THIS is how we network ladies, thanks Joan! Lee also went to hear Greg present and rushed over to him at the end of his talk and invited him to speak with us as I know a compelling, thoughtful presenter when I hear one. |
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Since this is an evening event you may invite a guest! |
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Thursday, September 15, 2011 Morning Program A story of survival, encouragement and lessons learned, presented by Susan Baker. As one who grew up on a ranch, moved through marriage, children, divorce, remarriage, blending and growing a family, politics, civic activism, tragic deaths and cancer, I've learned many things. My most important lesson is that with faith, family and friends we can make it through anything life has to offer! Denver Eclectic member, Barbara Rumsey, recommended Susan, a good friend, as Susan has an important and timely story. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, James A. Baker, III 61st Secretary of State. They are what I call a “blended family” and are the parents of eight children and the grandparents of seventeen . Please note her book Passing It On has been enthusiastically received by readers. We will be honored to learn from a woman who has truly lived an engaged life on the forefront of our history. |
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Monday, September 19, 2011 | Morning Program The Purse Chronicles: a documentary, presented by Coleen Hubbard. We have dealt with spiritual and political issues so far in our season. Now for a morning that, Claire Martin, writer for the Denver Post says, “treads the line between wry humor and sociological treatise.” Coleen Hubbard, director, writer, and narrator will teach us something about ourselves. The inventory of a women’s handbag can reveal her age, the roles she plays in her own life and sometimes a glimpse of her soul. “Your purse represents who you are in your life,” says one woman in the movie. I am sorry I missed an evening when The Purse Chronicles played in Denver to sold out crowds. One review said “The Purse Chronicles fully entertained and better connected to the universal sisterhood of women and their purses.” Let we “sisters” share this program together at Denver Eclectics. |
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Celebrate Our Mountains and Landmarks in Estes Park, presented by Bill Wachs, The Stanley Hotel, and more! We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Today we will explore and revel in an unforgettable fieldtrip. Thank you to Eclectic members and Estes Park residents, Gladys Van Drie and Karen Ericson who have helped arrange this fall trip. We will enjoy a scenic drive up to Estes Park, tour the area and then have lunch and a lecture at the historic Stanley Hotel. Park Ranger Bill Wachs will give us a moving commentary as the bus progresses through the park. Subjects will include: Park history, animals, trees, geology, and other points of interest. Weather permitting , we will go to the Alpine Visitor's Center. This is near the Continental Divide on this country's highest, continuous paved road. The highest point is 12,183 feet! Along the way we will see a variety of park animals, a changing panorama of trees and spectacular scenery. We will see the impact of the Mountain Pine Beatle and how it is changing the park. We will be above many of the park peaks and looking down at them. The date is during the annual Elk mating season (the rut) so we should see an abundance of elk and hear the males making their distinct bugling call. The talk will be informal with questions encouraged! |
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ITINERARY: 7:45 am – Please park at Calvary Temple located at 200 So. University Blvd., Denver 80209. Park in the Southeast corner of the Church. |
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Friday, September 30, 2011 | Morning Program The Stars Align, presented by Dottie Vennard Lamm & Jane E. Vennard. The Future of Feminism: Where Now Sisters? Presented by Dottie Vennard Lamm. Dottie Lamm received her B.A. in Psychology from Occidental College and her Masters of Social Work from the University of Denver. As first lady of Colorado from 1975 to 1987, as a delegate to two United Nations Conferences, as the 1998 Colorado Democratic nominee for the U.S Senate, and as a columnist for the Denver Post, Dottie has been a strong advocate for the goals and ideals of the Feminist Movement. In her presentation, Dottie will explore the Movement's triumphs, its failures, and its challenges for the future especially some of its “inconvenient truths.” For example: right now a political "war" rages against women's reproductive rights both at home and abroad. Women in some parts of the less developed world literally have no rights at all. American females are now "out performing" males from grammar school to graduate school, yet few women have entered the top echelons of business or politics. |
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Spiritual Practices for the Second Half of Life, presented by Spiritual practices are those attitudes and activities that wake us up to the present moment, help us pay attention to our inner lives, and provide a rhythm for our days. Spiritual practices are universal, and although often thought of in a religious context, they need not be associated with any specific religion or any religion at all. Basic spiritual questions of “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” take on different meanings in the second half of life. We often discover that the processes of self-discovery used in our younger years no longer work. We need new ways to explore the elder years and discover those spiritual practices that can lead to wholeness and healing and help us remain fully alive as we age. |
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| At 71, Jane Vennard is well into the second half of life and celebrating her advanced years. A lively and experienced presenter, Jane will explore and describe spiritual practices she has found helpful in her own life and in her ministry of spiritual direction. She is a graduate of Wellesley College, Stanford University and the San Francisco Theological Seminary. Jane returned at the end of March from a month long successful trip teaching and leading workshops in Australia. | |||
We welcome two of our special and favorite presenters challenging us with their continuing involvements and current endeavors. |
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Friday, October 7, 2011 | Morning Program The New World of The United States as a Debtor Nation, Presented by Hank Brown President Emeritus of the University of Colorado. Hank Brown is uniquely qualified to discuss the “painful” (my words) changes that will come about because of our debtor status. In addition to being President Emeritus of The University of Colorado, Hank was also Keep up the good questions Denver Eclectics! It helps us attract compelling speakers! |
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Friday, October 14, 2011 | Morning Program Nuclear Power: Exploring Myths, Risks and Benefits, presented by Bob Hanfling, Former Deputy Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy. The release of radiation from the Japanese nuclear installation, Fukushima Daiichi, is prompting an international review of all commercial nuclear power plants' safety, emergency procedures and capabilities. In addition, it has raised worldwide fear and anxiety. There are many questions to be answered: How dangerous is the release of radiation from this incident? What actually happened and why? Why is there so much fear? How safe are our nuclear power plants? Do we need nuclear power? Can we become "energy independent" without it? What is the future of commercial nuclear power in the United States and internationally? In answering these questions, Bob will explain the basic fundamentals of nuclear power, explore its risks and benefits compared to other forms of energy and discuss its role in US energy and environmental policy. He will also talk about its relationship to nuclear weapons proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Among many other leadership roles he is also a former member of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under three Secretaries; and a drafter of Energy and a drafter of the Energy Policy under President Carter. |
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As luck would have it, Bob’s wife is Denver Eclectic member. Phyllis Hanfling. It really is not a surprise that we get so many high powered presenters! |
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 Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre |
Friday, October 21, 2011 | Morning Program The Devil Made Me Do It! Reflections on the Problem of Evil: Presented by Dr. Albert Hernandez Academic Vice President and the Dean of the Faculty, and Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics both at Iliff School of Theology. The figure of Satan has for centuries embodied or incarnated absolute evil. Existing alongside more intellectualist interpretations of evil, Satan has figured |
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Dr. Albert Hernandez |
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Monday, October 24, 2011 | Evening Program How We Fight: Crusades, Quagmires, and the American Way of War, presented by Dr. Dominic Tierney, assistant professor of political science at Swarthmore College. Americans love war. We’ve never run from a fight. Our triumphs from the American Revolution to World War II define who we are as a nation and a people. Americans hate war. Our leaders rush us into conflicts without knowing the facts or understanding the consequences. Korea, Vietnam, and now Iraq and Afghanistan define who we are as a nation and a people. Award-winning author Dominic Tierney looks at the American experience of war from the Civil War to the present. Why are we so often at war? Do we fight conflicts in a uniquely American way? Why do we win and lose? Tierney has created a secret history of American foreign policy and a frank and insightful look at how Americans respond to the ultimate challenge. |
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Friday, November 4, 2011 | Morning Program Nurses: We Know What Nurses Do, But How Do They Deal With Their Feelings? Presented by Dr. Vicki Erickson and Dr. Gail Armstrong, with Terry Biddinger. We will have a nursing faculty professor Dr. Vicki Erickson from the Graduate Programs at the University of Colorado of Nursing who with |
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Dr. Gail Armstrong |
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| Terry Biddinger, our Denver Eclectic member whose son, Dr. Paul Biddinger, presented to us last year has recommended this program as an opportunity to “get inside” the practice and dedication of nurses. Terry knows as she is, in addition to being Director at External Affairs University of Colorado Denver, a nurse herself. | |||
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Monday, November 7, 2011 | Evening Program Barbecue: An American Favorite: presented by Adrian Miller, Culinary Historian and Certified Barbecue Judge. Last season we were enthralled and fed as we enjoyed Adrian’s presentation about Black Chefs of the White House. Denver Eclectics knows a dynamite opportunity when it emerges. |
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Because of space considerations we will need to limit our numbers to 80 people. You may invite one guest as this is an evening program. For those who attend, parking instructions will follow. |
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Friday, November 11, 2011 | Morning Program Who Was Anne Evans and Why Should We Care? Presented by Barbara Sternberg, Jennifer Boone, and Evelyn Waldron. Like so many women who made vital contributions to the development of Denver and Colorado, Anne Evans (1871-1941) has been largely forgotten. With background gained during the research for her recently-published book, Anne Evans, A Pioneer in Colorado's Cultural History: The Things That Last When Gold is Gone, author Barbara Sternberg will interweave the early history of Denver and Colorado and the creation of the state's cultural infrastructure. Born to a position of privilege in the young city of Denver, Anne Evans was the daughter of John Evans, Colorado's second Territorial Governor, and Margaret Patten Gray Evans, a highly-educated New Englander. Though trained to be a professional artist, Anne Evans devoted herself to volunteer efforts for the causes about which she cared passionately. These included the development of the Denver Art Museum, the blossoming of the Denver Public Library into a first-class institution, support for Mayor Speer in the creation of Denver's Civic Center, contributions to the flourishing of the University of Denver's Arts and Theater Departments, restoration of the Central City Opera House and initiation of the still-vibrant summer Festival there. Anne Evans was one of a small Denver group which had an early appreciation of the value of Native American Art as worthy of being collected by art connoisseurs and displayed in art museums. She donated her own collection to establish the Native American Art Department at the Denver Art Museum. |
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As Denver Eclectics we also are very passionate women dedicated to serving our families and our community. Barbara will be joined by Evelyn Waldron who works for the Denver Art Museum and is a candidate for a Masters Degree in Western History at the University of Colorado at Denver. Barbara’s daughter Jennifer Boone may also participate in our morning. It will be a day of remembrance of a Pioneer Great. |
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Friday, November 18, 2011 | Morning Program Uncovering Urban Foodprints: Exploring the intersection of design, technology, cities and food, presented by Sarah Rich. In this program, Sarah Rich, co-founder of the Foodprint Project and former senior editor at Dwell Magazine, will discuss the ways that food can be applied as a lens for understanding and shaping urban environments, and in how design can be used to transform and improve food systems. Whether tracing gentrification patterns according to the location of cupcake shops, or interpreting public health crises through the presence of liquor advertising, culinary cartography can reveal a lot about a city. We will look at how home gardeners can use robots for growing organic food, and what the future of eating would look like if we could print out our dinner with a 3-D printer. From small-scale product innovation to large-scale policy decisions, the program will be packed with new ideas about the influential connection between food and design. |
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Friday, December 2, 2011 | Morning Program Hospice Care, presented by Bev Sloan, President and CEO of The Denver Hospice. Bev will discuss everything from advance directives and the myths of hospice to the emerging field of palliative care for those not ready for hospice. In addition to showcasing some faces of hospice, she’ll candidly answer questions. I know a number of friends and families who have been helped to make this final transition because of hospice’s supportive work. Bev Sloan heads Colorado’s largest hospice, serving more than 800 patients and families each day in both hospice and palliative care. She is dedicated to improving end-of-life care in the region, across the nation, and globally through The Denver Hospice’s partnership with Selian Lutheran Hospice in Arusha, Tanzania. She oversees a staff of 400 and an annual budget of $44 million. Bev has more than 35 years of healthcare experience which includes hospital management and healthcare research. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in public health and health management from the University of Missouri and she is an excellent presenter. |
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Their new patient hospice opened at Lowry in January 2011. It is stunning. |
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Monday, December 5, 2011 | Evening Program Running Dry: Epic Colorado River Journey, presented by Jonathan Waterman. In the spring of 2008, Jonathan Waterman, a National Geographic Society grantee, Sonoran Institute Fellow, and an award-winning author, began a journey by foot and boat down the iconic mother of all western American rivers, the Colorado. Standing at over 10,000 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, he emptied his mother’s ashes into her headwaters and began a journey by foot and boat down the river, all the way to its last trickle in the Sonoran desert and down the parched Mexican delta to the Pacific Ocean. It would be the first time anyone had ever traveled from these headwaters 1,450-miles to the Gulf of California and it would be a compelling, complicated, and hugely informative journey. The river is the lifeblood of the American West, and as its waters dip to an all-time low, the economy, the wildlife, the people, and the very landscape of this vast region are in jeopardy. Jonathan Waterman has worked as a wilderness guide, magazine editor, park ranger, director of a small press, guard dog agitator, and freelance writer. He has authored ten books and four television documentaries. The recognition for his work runs the gambit from magazine awards, to a literary fellowship from the National Endowment for the arts, to an Emmy. Jonathan has presented this program to groups in Colorado and in other states. The response has been that this is an exciting and fascinating adventure tale. I especially wanted to have him come for an evening program so we could include adventurous men in addition to our own outstanding women. |
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Friday, December 9, 2011| Morning Program After the Crash: The Future of State Government in Colorado: presented by Dr. Jim Griesemer. In recent years, Colorado and other states have been living through a fiscal nightmare, with revenue declines and budget shortfalls at a level not seen since the Great Depression. What caused this perfect fiscal storm and what do we do to avoid another fiscal catastrophe in the future? Dr. Jim Griesemer, who chaired the University of Denver’s year-long Strategic Issues Panel on the Future of State Government will share the panel’s findings and recommendations for fundamental change in the way state government is operated. Last year Dr. Griesemer presented the thoughtful program on Immigration Reform which was the University of Denver’s Strategic issue in the 2009-2010 season. This year the focus is on the future of our state government and this program follows Hank Brown’s program in October on the United States as a Debtor Nation. Sadly, we have some difficult issues to deal with but we, Denver Eclectics, are all citizens that can help make a difference. |
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Monday, December 12, 2011| Evening Program The Holiday Musical Fest and Feast with the Colorado Children’s The Children’s Chorale inspires joy and unforgettable programs wherever they present. The full choir has 400 members between the ages of 7 and 14 and have performed all over the United States and across Europe and Asia. We will enjoy a very special evening at the Denver Country Club featuring talented young singers with our now traditional beef tenderloin dinner so I think this will be a December highlight and a magical evening. Vegans will also be accommodated! |
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Guests are encouraged for this program! |
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Friday, December 16, 2011 | Morning Program Eleanor Roosevelt: The Story Continues: presented by Susan Marie Frontczak. Last fall Susan presented Eleanor’s early years beginning in 1937 during her husband’s second term as president. The presentation was inspiring and amazing. I felt Eleanor had been cloned. This time Eleanor i.e. Susan, will be Eleanor during the year’s of the WWII era. War is a controversial topic any day of the week. The stakes are higher if you have been working for world peace for over twenty years - ever since the end of the first World War - and your husband is the |
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president of the United States while your country is embroiled in the largest war the planet has ever known. How does one stay true to one’s ideals in the midst of war’s mayhem? How can we build the world we want while surrounded by tumult? It is December 1942. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt has just returned from England where she visited with soldiers, generals, royalty, and the working people. Find out how the First Lady feels about the individual’s role in a world torn by war, hardship, and uncertainty. The Program will be a monologue in-character, followed first by a question and answer period with “Mrs. Roosevelt” and then by a question and answer period with the scholar/presenter, Susan Marie Frontczak. I know all members who saw Susan’s first presentation will not miss this sequel. All My Children will no longer be running as a daytime soap but Denver Eclectics will keep offering stimulating educational series such as Eleanor Roosevelt’s life. |
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Eclectics offers high-minded “Soaps!” |
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Happy Hanukkah - Merry Christmas - Eid Mubarak - Happy Kwanzaa |
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largely in Christian practices, devotions, popular notions of the afterlife, and fears of retribution in the beyond. Satan remains an influential reality today in many Christian traditions and in popular culture. But how should Satan be understood today? De La Torre and Hernandez's volume probes the murky origins of the satanic legends and beliefs back to their pre-Christian roots in the Middle East. They unearth the Satan's roots in Egyptian and Babylonian understandings of evil. They also show, however, that the ancient Satan has some characteristics we would hardly recognize, especially his appearance in most ancient cultures and survival in many traditional religions as the "trickster" figure. While a minor tradition in historic Christianity, the authors argue, seeing Satan as trickster is historically accurate and holds real promise for Christian rethinking in "theology, philosophy, and practice of evil" and how it can be dealt with. This is a fascinating story that helps us to reframe basic elements of our worldview of good and evil.
Dr. Gail Armstrong a Medical Surgical Nurse, whose practice and teaching are focused on adult care nursing, present a multi media program that will give an inside look at nurses’ challenges, their dedication to their patients and sometimes the heart breaking work they do. Both of these women have been leaders in the nursing field of educating nurses and serving as mentors. Dr. Erickson will show excerpts of a film that she produced, “Legacy of Innovation."
