The Villages Humanist Club

Humanism

An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

What's the difference between Humanism and Religion?

The Villages Humanist Club discusses all topics of general human interest and encourages open minded conversations.  Speakers are Villages Residents or subject matter experts from outside the Villages.  

The Villages Humanist Club is a chapter of the American Humanist Association.

The Humanist Club meets on the first, second, third and fourth Sunday of the month at 10 AM at the Canal Street Recreation Center.  Social time starts at 9:30. The second and fourth Sunday of each month is a dedicated “social Sunday” which features mini-talks and focused small group discussion time.   Villages Resident or Guest ID is required to attend.

The Humanist Club collaborates with the Free Thinkers Club, which meets on the second Thursday of the Month at Bridgeport Rec Center at 2:30 PM and the fourth Thursday of the Month at Aviary Rec center at 3:30 PM. Go to the Freethinkers Club page for information on topics and speakers for Thursday meetings.

Humanists and Free Thinkers Club Board (in no particular order)

• Jim Laurent 

• Jim Bucko

• Steve Post

• Bill Womart

• Bo (George) Goldsmith

• Bud Webber 

• Peter Irwin  

• Karen Salzano

Contact us at villageshumanists@gmail.com

Presentations from the Humanists Club

Humanist Club Schedule

2026

• Aug 2 Sunday 10:00 Humanists

  • Hosting: Jim Laurent

  • Location: Canal Street Rec Center 1513 Canal Street

  • Speaker:  Dr. Robert Altobello

  • Title: AI And Consciousness 

  • Description: As AI systems get more fluent, more responsive, more human‑like, we’re bumping into a question that used to belong only to philosophers, science‑fiction writers, and The Twilight Zone but now belongs to neurology and real scientists.

  • Could an AI program develop (not just mimic) full human intelligence and consciousness?

  • Bio: Dr. Altobello earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from The City University of New York Graduate Center. He is Professor Emeritus from SUNY Empire State University where he taught philosophy and religious studies. His primary areas of study were ethics and Asian philosophy. 

• Aug 9 Sunday 10:00 Humanists Social Sunday

  • Hosting: Scott Roberts

  • Location: Canal Street Rec Center 1513 Canal Street

  • Speaker: Scott Roberts

  • Title: After Dobbs: How the Supreme Court ended Roe but not abortion.

  • Description

  • Bio: Scott majored in philosophy and religion at Ohio University and received a BA degree in the Humanities in 1973. He received a scholarship and earned a Master's degree in philosophy at DePaul University in 1975.  He then earned a JD degree at the Ohio State College of Law

• Aug 16 Sunday 10:00 Humanists No Meeting at Canal: Voting: Meeting moving to Bacall:

  • Hosting: Bo Goldsmith

  • Location: Canal Street Rec Center 1513 Canal Street

  • Speaker: Rod Broker 

  • Title: A Life Journey: From Christian Minister to Christian Humanist 

  • Description: Like many, Rev Dr Rod Broker has moved many times in the course of life from one physical location to another. But the more significant journey has been an interior one. The more life-changing odyssey has been an evolution in his thinking about himself and others and the world in which we live. This is a story of how one person's mind has changed from reflecting on and responding to the dominion of god and changed to focusing on the plight and possibilities of the world within the dominion of human beings.

  • Bio: Rod Broker is a retired academic and clergy-person with a background in communications, counseling, and non-profit management. He and his wife Doris have traveled extensively by RV in the US and Canada and via cruise ships to the shores of much of the rest of the world. Rod’s interests include lifelong learning, website development, the fight against Parkinson’s Disease, and the torment of being a fan of the Chicago Cubs. He holds a BA degree from Valparaiso University, an MA from University of Alabama, and both MDiv and DMin degrees from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

• Aug 23 Sunday 10:00 Humanists Social Circle

  • Hosting: 

  • Topic: TBD

• Aug 30 No meeting (Fifth Sunday)