Scroll down to listen to recent speakers:

Julie Smith, Webster University
JANUARY 4, 2020  |  JULIE SMITH  |  ​ 26 THINGS ADULTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA
Guest speaker Julie Smith presented "26 Things Adults Need to Know About Social Media.” A balanced, informative, fast and fun exploration of the digital world in which we are attempting to navigate. Julie Smith is on the faculty at Webster University and is the author of "Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World". She travels extensively helping students, teachers and parents understand the media and their effects
Morris “Arthur” Shenker, Jr.
DECEMBER 8, 2019  |  ARTHUR SHANKER  |  SMART RECOVERY
Guest speaker, Arthur Shanker discussed SMART Recovery, an international non-profit organization that provides assistance to individuals seeking abstinence from addiction. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. The SMART approach is secular and science-based, using cognitive behavioral therapy and non-confrontational motivational methods. 

From 1975 to1986 Arthur was president of Dunes Hotels and Casinos and owner of The Dunes Hotel and Country Club. Arther served on the boards of United Way, The Arthritis Foundation, and Boy Scouts. He raised money for the State of Israel, and was awarded The Spirit of Life award from The City of Hope. Arthur also recovered from a cocaine problem and is in his 28th year of being Recovered. He started facilitating Rational Recovery groups in 1993 and has been facilitating SMART recovery groups since 2016.

​Visit the SMART Recovery website to learn more.
Ashton Kuehnel
NOVEMBER 24, 2019  |  ASHTON KUEHNEL  |  MEDICAID EXPANSION
Guest speaker Ashton Kuehnel spoke about Medicaid expansion in Missouri, why it is needed, and the plan for getting it on our ballot. Ashton is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Missouri Sierra Club Chapter, one of the organizations working to make Missouri the 37th state to expand Medicaid. The Sierra Club, and several other diverse groups, officially launched a campaign in September, 2019 to put the question on the 2020 ballot. ​Ashton Kuehnel will discuss what Medicaid Expansion could mean for all Missourians.
Kate Lovelady, Ethical Culture Leader
NOVEMBER 10, 2019  |  KATE LOVELADY  |  IS HUMANITY BAD FOR THE EARTH
Guest speaker Kate Lovelady, senior leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis gave a talk titled, "Is Humanity Bad for the Earth? Ethical Humanist Stewardship". 
Many religions have a concept of environmental stewardship that says humans have been given responsibility for the environment and other animals by a creator. Ethical Humanism embraces the theory of unguided evolution. Yet many Ethical Humanists are strong environmentalists. What is the basis for the Ethical Humanist environmental ethic? How do we decide ecological ethical questions? Some people argue that humans have been so harmful to the environment that the earth would be better off without humans; is this really true?
Sarah Gleason, RD LD CEDRD
NOVEMBER 3, 2019  |  SARAH GLEASON  |  OUR DIET CULTURE
Certified eating disorders dietitian, Sarah Gleason discussed how diet culture negatively affects us all, especially women.  Eating a balanced diet can be challenging at times. The rules that are created through years of unbalanced eating can make it hard to believe how to eat in a simplistic, intuitive way.
OCTOBER 27, 2019  |  ROSE THOMSON GASTLER  |  YUWA
Guest speaker Rose Thomson Gastler gave a beautiful and inspiring talk about the work she has done with the amazing organization, Yuwa. ​ Watch this informative YUWE video and Visit the YUWE website to learn more.
Yuwa, which means “youth,” in Hindi, works specifically with girls from impoverished families in rural Jharkhand, India-a place where girls are at risk of child marriage and human trafficking. It is a program that uses team sports and education to build character, confidence and courage. It is a place where girls who don’t yet know their worth can meet to compete, achieve goals, and create brighter futures. Yuwa prepares girls to break the cycle of poverty-permanently. ​​
Mary Wallace
SEPTEMBER 22, 2019  | MARY WALLACE  |   WORKING FOR BAYER AS AN ETHICAL HUMANIST
Guest speaker, ESMR member Mary Wallace discussed, “What It’s Like to Work For Bayer as an Ethical Humanist.”​ Monsanto was acquired by Bayer as part of its crop science division in 2018. Monsanto developed Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, in the 1970s, and became a major producer of genetically engineered crops beginning in 1983.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2019  | ANDY STANTON  |   ELIJAH LOVEJOY: FREEDOM'S CHAMPION
ESMR member Andy Stanton presented on Elijah Lovejoy.  The death of the American newspaper editor and abolitionist Elijah Parish Lovejoy (1802-1837) at the hands of a mob in Illinois gave the antislavery cause its first martyr.
Kalen McAllister
AUGUST 11, 2019  |  KALEN McALLISTER  |  LAUGHING BEAR BAKERY
Our guest speaker, Kalen McAllister, spoke about her experiences as a Buddhist prison chaplain, and the program she started, Laughing Bear Bakery, to create jobs for released felons. Kalen’s talk was entitled, “Prison Isn’t for Everyone.”

We also had items from the Laughing Bear Bakery for sale. They sold out and they WERE DELICIOUS!
Randy Best, Ethical Culture Leader
AUGUST 4, 2019  |  RANDY BEST  |  QUESTIONING MY OWN ASSUMPTIONS
Our guest speaker, Randy Best, is the clergy leader at the Northern Virginia Ethical Society. His talk entitled, “Questioning the Authority of My Own Assumptions” is described by Randy this way:

What assumptions to I make as I move through the world?  How do my assumptions influence my interactions with others?  Are my fundamental assumptions about myself too narrow and self-limiting?  To what extent is my experience of the world generalizable to others?  These thoughts intrigue me.  I will unpack these ideas and reflect on how they contribute to my ethical consideration of others and help bridge the gap of understanding.
JULY 28, 2019  |  JUNKO IKEDA  |  PEACE FROM A BOWL OF TEA
At ESMR, we value learning about cultures that may differ from our own. This is the basis of peace and tolerance, and we need more of that in the world. We hosted some very special visitors who performed a Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration for our members and visitors.
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The way of tea is a part of Japanese culture which cherishes human relationship through hospitality.
Hounsai, the previous grand master of the tea school of Urasenke, has been striving to appeal the world peace with a slogan "peace from a bowl of tea".  He spread the way of tea to all over the world by exercising its spirit, "Wa, Kei, Sei, Jaku" which means to harmonize with others, to respect each other, to purify not only one's appearance but one's mind, and to be calm and cool amid confusion.

​Junko Ikeda, a certified instructor from the Urasenke school who leads the Chado Society of St. Louis, performed the tea ceremony with her students to show the beauty and spirits of the way of tea. ​
Donald C. Miller
JULY 12, 2019  |  DONALD C. MILLER  |  COMING OF AGE IN POPULAR CULTURE
Don Miller is a local author, playwright and Webster University professor, who shared fascinating insights from his new book by the same title as his talk, "Coming of Age in Popular Culture". He shared various examples from pop culture media that are tied to ethical issues, spanning six decades of recent history. ​​​
Dr. Robert Waldinger
MAY 12, 2019   |  DR. ROBERT WALDINGER'S TED TALK  |  WHAT MAKES A GOOD LIFE?
​TED talk, “What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness” by Robert Waldinger. Robert J. Waldinger is an American psychiatrist and Professor at Harvard Medical School. He is known for a TED talk about his findings from the Grant Study, a 75-year-long Harvard study on adult happiness.
Tom Stevenson, Former US Army, Retired Registered Nurse
MAY 5, 2019   |   TOM STEVENSON   |   A BRIEF HISTORY OF GUNS AND GUN LAWS
ESMR member Tom Stevenson. Tom will gave some history about guns and how they work, along with information about the Brady Bill and other gun laws, the NRA and the explanation of some of the terminology we hear in the news.
Stephen Ritz, Not a Farmer
APRIL 7, 2019  |  TED TALK:  STEPHEN RITZ  |  THE POWER OF A PLANT
Globally acclaimed teacher, author and TED Talk speaker, Stephen Ritz showed us how, in one of the nation’s poorest communities, his students thrive in school and in life by growing, cooking, eating, and sharing the bounty of their green classroom. Watch his TED Talk and buy his book ​to learn more about Stephen's inspirational, energetic and FUNNY story.
Dr. Ed Weisbart, MD, CPE, FAAFP
MARCH 24, 2019  |  DR. ED WEISBART  |  MEDICARE FOR ALL: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T
Most Americans across the political spectrum say they want Medicare for All, but what does that mean? The language itself has been getting increasingly confused. Is that the same as a Medicare Buy-In? How about a Medicare Option? How about Medicare Advantage? Just what are we talking about, and how much sense does this make? Dr. Weisbart answered these questions, and others, during this important discussion.

Dr. Weisbart,  MD, CPE, FAAFP is the chair of Physicians for a National Health Program, MO chapter, a 32 year-old non-profit research and education organization in support of providing an improved form of Medicare to all Americans. He is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Washington University in St. Louis MO. He volunteers in a variety of safety net clinics and other non-profits across the St. Louis area, and serves as vice president of Consumers Council of Missouri. He received his medical degree at the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1979, completed his family medicine residency and a fellowship in family medicine education at Michigan State University in 1982, and practiced family medicine at Rush Medical Center in Chicago for twenty years. He served as chief medical officer of Express Scripts from 2003 to 2010. Dr. Weisbart has had several articles published in both national medical journals and local media regarding the healthcare needs of the uninsured.

It's easy to learn more and stay informed on this important issue!  Become a member of Physicians for a National Health Program, MO chapter, and like their Facebook page. 
Christine Woody
MARCH 10, 2019  |  CHRISTINE WOODY  |   EMPOWER MISSOURI 
Empower Missouri is a citizen membership organization founded in 1901 and formerly known as the Missouri Conference on Corrections and Charities. The organization began as a statewide professional forum for philanthropists, government employees of human services agencies, and private charity professionals. Empower Missouri became a more activist organization in 1910, with its first legislative committee under the of leadership of Roger Baldwin, subsequent founder of the American Civil Liberties Union. They began advocating for changes in public policy to improve social conditions. Christine and Chris will be talking about the many social justice activities that Empower Missouri is involved with, and promises to be a fascinating presentation.

Christine spoke about the history of Empower Missouri, social welfare issues, and state level legislative bills that they are currently working on pertaining to hunger, health, housing and criminal justice.  Additionally, she discussed how to be an advocate.
Andy Stanton
FEBRUARY 24, 2019  |  ANDY STANTON   |   ULYSSES GRANT, AN UNLIKELY SUCCESS STORY 
Ulysses S. Grant was the most successful Union general during the Civil War and eventually commanded all the Union armies.  He later became a two-term President.  But he did not have an impressive appearance.  He was short, slight, and always looked rumpled.  He was soft spoken - not a self-promoter.  He was never an outstanding student.  How did this seemingly ordinary man achieve so much?  Andy’s presentation was augmented with excerpts from an excellent PBS video.
Martha Gallahue,
​Ethical Culture Leader
FEBRUARY 10, 2019  |  MARTHA GALLAHUE  |  SPIRITUAL ACTIVISM - A HUMANIST PERSPECTIVE  
Martha’s spiritual activism began with her mother’s engagement in human rights in the 40’s in Zanesville, Ohio. It was nurtured for eleven years in a Roman Catholic Convent where she taught religion, literature,  creative writing,  Latin and Journalism. She completed her theological studies at Union Theological Seminary/Columbia University with special focus upon Alfred North Whitehead and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. In an eclectic psychoanalytic practice, she learned all forms of emotional derailment that take place in the context of materialist competitive and dysfunctional culture. She became an ethical culturalist in 1997,  her first service as Main Representative at the UN for National Service Conference now known as National Ethical Service.

In 2007,  after 4 years  training,  she was certified Leader and worked at Essex Society in Maplewood, NJ,   2011-2016 while continuing at the UN. She now represents United Rellgions Initiative at the UN,  a group of over 1 million activists in over 100 countries (uri.org)  The AEU endorsed URI in a national Assembly (2004). Martha’s  pleasure is with her three grown children and their families including 3 grandchildren. 
Jessica Kruse
JANUARY 27, 2019  |  JESSICA KRUSE   |  WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A FOSTER CHILD 
Jessica and her brother grew up in the foster system. She was adopted at age 10, yet her brother aged out of the system, so seeing how not having a family and feeling like no one cares is in stark contrast to having a loving family support and nurture a child. She has given multiple speeches and led discussion platforms on the nitty gritty and sometimes difficult to hear experiences of being taken from her biological family, living in foster homes and orphanages, and the life changing turn of events when a loving family chose her to be theirs.
Dr. Jeanie Thies
NOVEMBER 4, 2018   |  DR. JEANIE THIES   |  MYTHS, MISCONCEPTIONS AND CHALLENGES IN CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS 
Dr. Jeanie Thies has more than twenty-five years of professional experience in criminal justice. She holds a PhD in Political Science, with an emphasis on crime control policy analysis, as well as a M.A. in Psychology. Dr. Thies has taught Criminal Justice and Political Science at Lindenwood University since 2007 and is currently Chair of the Master’s in Public Administration program and coordinates the Hammond Institute Criminal Justice Reform Initiative. She was a prison psychologist for nine years, and directed Missouri’s state sex offender program. Her areas of expertise include program and policy development and evaluation, offender risk assessment, criminal thinking errors, and treatment of sex offenders and antisocial offenders.
Chuck Parson/Brady Hardin
OCTOBER 14, 2018  |  BRADY HARDIN & CHUCK PARSON   |   THE LIFE AFTER PODCAST SERIES 
Brady Hardin and Chuck Parson, hosts and creators of The Life After podcast discussed the history behind their reasons for creating the series. 

The Life After podcast series holds space for those leaving their faith:  Brady Hardin and Chuck Parson interview special guests with diverse, life-changing exoduses away from oppressive forms of Christianity.  Their online community connects individuals deconstructing their faith with others experiencing the same conflicts and victories. Learn more about The Life After.
Margaret Placentra Johnston
SEPTEMBER 23, 2018  |  MARGARET PLACENTRA JOHNSTON   |  OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL MYOPIA
Margaret Placentra Johnston, author of the book Faith Beyond Belief; Stories of Good People Who Have Left Their Church Behind. Margaret’s topic related to her latest book, Overcoming Spiritual Myopia, a book meant to offer a broader perspective about the meaning behind the spiritual quest. Many factors have led people from various cultures to believe only their religion is right. Overcoming Spiritual Myopia discusses how those factors are weakening in today’s world, and how a bigger story is necessary, and guess what? It doesn’t include a literal “sky god!”.

Learn more about Margaret on her website.
Nanette Trax
SEPTEMBER 9, 2018   |   NANETTE TRAX   |  GLOBAL COMPETENCY IN EDUCATION
Fort Zumwalt North Middle School teacher, Nanette Trax will discuss her experience as the Missouri, 2018 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow.
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Through the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship, educators develop the knowledge and skills to integrate global competency into their daily classroom instruction, advocate for global competency in their schools and districts, and help students to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world. Fellows transform their classrooms to give students a global perspective. ​
Kate Lovely, Ethical Culture Leader
AUGUST 12, 2018  |  ETHICAL CULTURE LEADER, KATE LOVELADY  |  WHY IS COMMUNITY IMPORTANT
Ethical Society of St. Louis Leader Kate Lovelady delivered an excellent Platform talk entitled “The Ethical Society vs. NPR.” Why is community important? Where do we find hope and joy, with so much overwhelming negativity all around us? ​
Terry Jones, PhD
AUGUST 5, 2018  |  UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ST. LOUIS PROFESSOR EMERITUS TERRY JONES, PhD  |  RACIAL DIVIDES IN THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA
Local expert and University of Missouri St. Louis Professor Emeritus Terry Jones, PhD, spoke about the racial divides that exist throughout the metropolitan area. Dr. Jones has authored three books, including the celebrated Fragmented by Design, as well as dozens of scholarly articles focusing on metropolitan governance, urban public policy, state government and public opinion. He has been a consultant to more than seventy governmental and non-profit organizations and has held office in many professional and community organizations.
Erica Williams
JULY 22, 2018  |  ERICA R. WILLIAMS, FOUNDER OF A RED CIRCLE
Our guest speaker was Erica Williams from A Red Circle, a non-profit focusing on ways to combat racism in north St. Louis county, our neighbors to the east. As Executive Director Williams states, ”The best way to visualize A Red Circle is to consider north St. Louis County, its primary demographic, and its economic health.  Where do you start?  With schools that need funding, with vacant homes that need purchasing for tax revenue to fund the schools?  With adults who need jobs and income to purchase the homes that fund the schools?  With healthier food options to attract new businesses to hire the people who need jobs to buy the homes to fund the schools?  With increasing the arts availability which adds flavor to everything?  It's a circle, with no true beginning and no end.  These disparities are the product of systemic and structural racism, but all blood is red."

Learn more at A Red Circle. 
Randy Best,
Ethical Culture leader
JULY 1, 2018  |  ETHICAL CULTURE LEADER, RANDY BEST |  HOW FRAGILE IS OUR DEMOCRACY?
Ethical Culture leader Randy Best, who serves the Northern Virginia Ethical Society, delivered his talk, How Fragile is American Democracy?

American Democracy, with three independent branches, was designed to withstand all threats, domestic and foreign.  Is American Democracy robust enough to withstand the challenges that it faces today?  Will it be able to be faithful to its principles?  What events are required for American Democracy to collapse?  Randy will address these challenges and his fears about the future of American Democracy.
Dr. Daniel Pieper
JUNE 24, 2018  |  DR. DANIEL PIEPER |  FUMBLING TOWARD PEACE: A HISTORY OF THE NORTH KOREAN CRISIS AND THE PROSPECT FOR REUNIFICATION
Dr. Daniel Pieper, a Korea Postdoctoral Fellow at Washington University presented his talk, Fumbling Toward Peace: A History of the North Korean Crisis and Prospects for Reunification. He discussed a brief history of how thoughtless geopolitical division by superpowers resulted in war, ideological dictatorships, and now the surreal juxtaposition of a hyper-modern model democracy and the last Stalinist state on earth. Dr. Pieper will also discuss the recent diplomatic breakthroughs between North and South Korea and the United States and the prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Dr. Pieper is a lecturer at Washington University whose research focuses on the cultural history of modern Korea, including linguistic and cultural divergence between North and South Korean speech varieties since division. A native of O’Fallon, Missouri, Dr. Pieper spent seven years living in South Korea, most recently as a Fulbright Junior Researcher in Seoul from 2016-2017 where he witnessed the massive peaceful protest movement that removed the right-wing Korean president Park Geunhye from power.
Dr. James Croft,
Ethical Culture leader
MAY 6, 2018  |  ETHICAL CULTURE LEADER, DR. JAMES CROFT  |  WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
Dr. James Croft, leader at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, crossed the river to visit us. He beautifully spoke of wonder — a much needed reflection anytime, but especially now.

James described his talk this way:
Wonder is often associated with religious experiences, with astral revelations and spiritual visions. But wonder isn’t exclusive to traditional religious ways of looking at the world – we can experience wonder regardless of our religious beliefs, drawing inspiration from the natural world and from our relationships with each other. In this Platform we’ll explore what wonder is, why it’s important, and how we can all live lives more wonderful.
MARCH 4, 2018  |  TOUR OF THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & LEARNING CENTER
Visit to the Saint Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center for a guided tour, and presentation by holocaust survivor, Siegfried Adler. Mr Adler discussed his experiences as a child in 1935-1941 Germany. Please visit the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center website to read more about this important facility.
Dave Fiedler
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FEBRUARY 25, 2018  |  DAVE FIEDLER  |  WWII POW CAMPS IN MISSOURI
We welcomed local author, speaker and history enthusiast, Dave Fiedler. Dave is the author of four books to date, including a history of Missouri’s WWII prisoner-of-war camps called The Enemy Among Us: POWs in Missouri During World War II, for which he received the Governor’s Award for the Humanities, plus a newly-released counterpart novel, My Enemy, My Love.

Dave has written for more than a decade with hundreds of articles to his credit. He has worked as a correspondent for the Associated Press, and his writing has been carried by the New York Times Syndicate and the Wall Street Journal Online.

Dave graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with majors in German and Political Science, and served eight years as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2017  |  SHARON CAMPIONE  |  MOMS DEMAND ACTION 
Sharon Campione is a retired special education teacher who simply wants to leave the world a little better; a little kinder. She currently volunteers for the League of Women Voters, the St Charles Democratic Party and Moms Demand Action-Missouri as the local legislative lead.

The emphasis of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA) is to fight gun violence through sensible gun legislation. Moms (and other concerned citizens) work to close deadly loopholes in our background check system, promote gun safety, safe storage of guns, support reasonable limits on where guns are carried and promote enforceable laws to keep illegal guns off of our streets. MDA is not "anti-gun", just "anti-gun violence". Responsible gun ownership is one of thier goals. They believe in sensible limits within the 2nd amendment. Much like Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to reduce drunk driving, MDA was created to advocate for stronger laws and policies that will reduce gun violence and save lives.