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Rationalists of East Tennessee Newsletter April 2026 |
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Blount County First Wednesday Meetup Wednesday, April 1, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
LOCATION: Peaceful Side Brewery,106 Everett Avenue, Maryville, TN 37804
Check out the menu at https://peacefulsidebrewery.com/taproom-menu/
This will be a monthly event on the First Wednesday. All are welcome to join in. |
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April First Sunday Meeting
April 5, 2026 10:30 - 12:30 Eastern Daylight Time
In Person + Zoom
Our speaker for this meeting is Gordon Burghardt. Dr, Burghardt is an Alumni Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Tennessee. He has published several books. Dr. Burghardt has spoken to RET in the past and was previously involved in Darwin Day at UT. He will be speaking on "Evolution and the Scopes Trial."
Coffee and other warm beverages will be served. Bring a snack to share if you wish.
We meet in the Cafeteria Annex at the rear of the Goins Administrative Building. Please enter from the back of the building where there is direct access to the cafeteria annex. This avoids disturbing other groups using the building. |
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April 12, RET Book Club
Sunday, April 12, 4-6 pm
Zoom
by Liliana Doganova |
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Forest fires, droughts, and rising sea levels beg a nagging question: have we lost our capacity to act on the future? Liliana Doganova’s book sheds new light on this anxious query. It argues that our relationship to the future has been trapped in the gears of a device called discounting. While its incidence remains little known, discounting has long been entrenched in market and policy practices, shaping the ways firms and governments look to the future and make decisions accordingly. Thus, a sociological account of discounting formulas has become urgent.
This book is rather deep into the subject and those of you with limited time would be better off to read two short articles which are more readable and more focused on climate change. Here are the links:
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Third Sunday Zoom Only Meeting
Sunday, April 19, 2026 4:00 - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
This will be a lively "Bring Your Own Topic" discussion.
We never seem to be at a loss for things to talk about.
Zoom only meeting (our meeting room at PSCC was not available): |
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April 26 Reflections Meeting
Sunday, April 26, 2026 4:30 - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
Zoom only meeting
Is Socialism Back?
As you have seen in the recent elections in NY, a democratic socialist was elected. Is a new and improved version of socialism coming back? Has capitalism burned too many bridges and dumped too many people into the gutter? Or are the rules of game rigged by the rich so that the little guy can never win? Systems or rules, or maybe buy the rules? Dust off your bust of Karl Marx and join us for a conversation. Some background to jog your memory:
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March Field Trip Change Up National "No Kings" Event
For March, instead of having a group field trip, the Outreach Committee encourages all RET members to participate in the National No Kings Event on Saturday, March 28. Events will be held in Knoxville, Maryville and Oak Ridge, as well as other regional locations. For more information visit: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/792129/ |
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July 4 Farragut Parade
In order to participate in the Saturday, July 4 Farragut Parade, as we did last year, RET needs to apply on April 1. Before doing that, we need to make sure we have enough people willing to participate in the parade. Participants assemble at Farragut High School Parking lot no later than 8:30 AM and we are finished around noon.
Please RSVP to outreach@rationalists.org no later than March 31 if you are interested in participating. |
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RET Secular Scholarships RET will be awarding 10 scholarships of $2200 each to future secular leaders. We will be accepting 100 applications. The applicants are narrowed down to the final ten by means two rounds of evaluation by randomly assigned readers, also referred to as “judges”.
The RET Scholarship Committee is looking for readers, people willing to read, evaluate and score the scholarship applications. The applicants are required to answer several questions about themselves as well as to choose and answer 3 essay questions. There is a pre-established scoring system to guide and help standardize the evaluation process.
You will find it interesting and rewarding to read about the opinions, ideas and aspirations of these young secular people as well as to learn of their educational and personal goals. These are young people of differing ages and from varied locales and walks of life, all of whom we hope will be shaping the future for the better.
RET members, we are looking for volunteers! The more readers we have the easier the task will be for each individual reader.
The applications are coming in now and will be accepted until May 1st. During May and June all applications must be evaluated so that the 2026 scholarships can be awarded by July 1st.
If you are willing to help out, please contact anyone on the RET Scholarship Committee at scholarship@rationalists.org.
We need you! |
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Message from our President, Norm Barrett The Rationalists of East Tennessee is now accepting tax deductible donations for a Speaker's Fund, to offset the increasing cost of procuring prominent speakers representing the national stage. Please make checks payable to "Rationalists of East Tennessee" and give to Elliot Specht, Tresaurer.
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Copyright © 2020 {Rationalists of East Tennessee, Inc.}. All rights reserved. Please request use of any material at contact below.
Contact email: info@rationalists.org
Edited by Sharron King: newsletter@rationalists.org.
Opinions expressed are those of authors and/or editors and are not necessarily the opinions of RET | | |
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