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Salon: Past Events
Salon Information
Thu, 05/09/2024 - 12:00am — Daniel.CurtisSalon Program
Jefferson Center Salons present topics of interest to our community, and provide a forum for lively discussion afterward. Topics are selected by a committee of members. We serve refreshments contributed by volunteers and have a brief social time before the start of the program. Salons are typically held on the third Sunday of each month at 4pm at The Jefferson Center, 208 Oak Street, Suite 101 in Ashland. Guests of members and interested visitors are always welcome to join us. See the Future Salons list for information about upcoming events.
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| 06/10/2018 - 5:00pm | The Jefferson Center's Summer Solstice Party Sunday, June 10th |
The Jefferson Center's Summer Solstice Pot Luck Dinner Party will take place on Sunday, June 10th, 5pm at the Community Center. Please bring one of your special dishes to be shared by all. Pick either a main dish, a vegetable dish, a salad or desert (enough to serve 6-8). Wine, beer and water will be provided by the Jefferson Center. Please bring your own tableware and drinking cup, preferably non disposable, as there is a sink with running water to clean these items before returning home. This is a time to get to know your fellow Jefferson Center Members/Friends of the Jefferson Center. Please invite friends and family to join us as well. Please note time as this is one hour later than our usual Jefferson Center Salon time. The Community Center is located at 59 Winburn Way, Ashland. |
| 05/06/2018 - 4:00pm | Street Epistemology: Socratic Dialogue in Casual Conversation |
Join Roy Kindell on May 6th, 4-6 PM, at the Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland for a discussion of street epistemology. Roy will present a fun and engaging way to talk to people about their core beliefs. The technique makes use of informal Socratic questioning to explore what people believe and why. It can be used in casual conversation to foster a dialogue which is a more productive and positive alternative to debates and arguments. The goal is to guide people into engaging their critical thinking skills and applying them to their own beliefs about the world. (Note: date is first Sunday due to Mother's day.) |
| 04/08/2018 - 4:00pm | The United States Is Not A Christian Nation – And I Have The Proof! |
Guest speaker Rob Boston will share his thoughts on our secular nation at Pioneer Hall, 4-6 PM, Sunday April 8th, at 73 Winburn Way in Ashland. Religious Right activists often claim that the United States was founded to be a "Christian nation," and a surprisingly high number of Americans believe them. In this talk, Rob will pull together several strands of evidence from history and the law to show why the people who make this assertion don't have a leg to stand on. He'll also discuss why the "Christian nation" myth persists and the role it plays in contemporary debates over church-state separation. |
| 03/11/2018 - 4:00pm | Do Atheists Feel Awe? Experiencing Wonder without Religion |
Do non-believers experience a rich sense of awe? Some studies show that feelings of awe and wonder are associated with religious belief. In contrast, we think that awe is accessible to all people, as attested by research and the testimony of freethinkers. Join Richard LeVitt and Roy Kindell at the Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland, for an introduction to the topic and an opportunity to share personal experiences. Awe is diverse and rewarding, so please come and share your epiphanies and stories of things in nature, art, thought, or life that have moved you. |
| 02/11/2018 - 4:00pm | Israel and Palestine - One, Two or Three States? |
Join Len Eisenberg at the Ashland Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, for a discussion about Israel and Palestine. The recent declaration by the Trump administration on moving the US embassy to Jerusalem has refocused attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the debate on how to solve it. A two-state solution has been the most favored, but a one- or three-state solution are also possible. The civil war in Syria, the rise and fall of ISIS, and the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran make the picture vastly more complicated. We look at a short history of the conflict and new developments, and discuss possible solutions. |
| 01/14/2018 - 4:00pm | "What is Measure 101?" |
Join us on Sunday, January 14th, at 4pm at the Ashland Community Center for an educational program on Ballot Measure 101. The Official Title on the Ballot is: "Approves temporary assessments to fund health care for low-income individuals and families, and to stabilize health insurance premiums. temporary assessments on insurance companies, some hospitals, and other providers of insurance or health care coverage. Insurers may not increase rates on health insurance premiums by more than 1.5 percent as a result of these assessments." But what does all that mean? Join us and learn. Things to be covered: What is Measure 101? How does Measure 101 fund health care? If Measure 101 passes in the January Special Election, what happens? If the measure does not pass, what happens? Who pays for Measure 101? ....and more. Our guest presenter is Josh Bulloch. Josh Balloch is the Vice President of Government Affairs and Health Policy for AllCare Health. In 2011, Josh was part of the creation of the legislation that created Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs). Afterwards he help many of Oregon’s CCOs get started all across the state. From 2012-2015, was one of the leading health policy lobbyist on CCOs in the state helping with both public polices and budgets. Josh grew up in Newport, Oregon and graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Political Science. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AT ASHLAND COMMUNITY CENTER. Refreshments served prior to presentation. |
| 12/10/2017 - 5:00pm | The Jefferson Center Winter Solstice Pot Luck Party |
The Jefferson Center Winter Solstice Pot Luck Party will be during our usually scheduled Salon date on Sunday, December 10th at 5pm at the Community Center (please note NOT Pioneer Hall), 59 Winburn Way. Please bring a pot luck dish (pick either a main dish, a side vegetable dish, salad or dessert) which serves 6-8 that you wish to share with all. Also bring your own tableware (plate, cutlery, and beverage container, preferable non-disposable). Beverages (wine, water, or beer) will be provided by The Jefferson Center. Like last year we are planning a White Elephant gift exchange. For those of you who are not familiar with that concept please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exchange(link is external) (link is external). The gift should be suitable for either sex. Please bring the gift wrapped in a plain brown shopping style bag. You can decorate this bag if you like. We will also have a Tacky Christmas Sweater contest so dig into you or your family's vintage clothes and if you can find an old Christmas sweater. Don't have any...this is the time to be creative and make your own. We expect to see plenty of glitter and lights for those that try this option. This should be fun and there will be prizes!! This party, like our salons, are open to friends of the Jefferson Center as well. This is a good opportunity for friends of the Jefferson Center to get to know our members and for members to invite friends who might be interested in learning more about the Jefferson Center and possibly joining. Please invite someone and join us for an evening of fun and camaraderie. Please note starting time is 5pm. |
| 12/09/2017 - 3:00pm | Jefferson Center Program Planning Committee Meeting |
There will be a Jefferson Center Program Planning Committee Meeting on Saturday, December 9th, 3pm at the home of Diana Spade (email dianaspademd@gmail.com for directions). This is open to all members. |
| 11/12/2017 - 4:00pm | FIX IT: Healthcare at the Tipping Point |
Come see "FIX It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point" 4pm at Pioneer Hall, 73 Winburn Way in Ashland. The film will be presented by Jefferson Center members and Healthcare for all Oregon (HCAO) representatives Sandra Coyner and Joseph Graf. This documentary explores the crisis in healthcare from the perspective of business owners and employees. It examines how a dysfunctional health system can damage the economy, suffocate businesses, and discourage physicians while negatively impacting our nation's health and remaining un-affordable for a third of our citizens. Discussion will follow the film including discussion of HCAO, a promising solution to the crisis in Oregon. |
| 10/08/2017 - 4:00pm | Fake News: The Assault on Reality |
Richard LeVitt will speak Sunday, October 8th, 4-6 PM at Pioneer Hall, 73 Winburn Way, Ashland, on the growing problem of fake news in American life. Things have gotten worse since the old days of spin and propaganda. Fake news, enabled by online media, trolls, activists, politicians, and foreign agents, is undermining our trust in what we hear and our sense of shared reality. Richard will outline how fake news plays on our cognitive biases and what we can do to minimize the damage. |