Our Sunday services at 11:00 a.m. feature a different guest speaker each week, either a member of our congregation or someone from the surrounding community. We address a variety of topics, from literature and history to politics, religious thought and social issues. We welcome suggestions for speakers, please contact Ray Ables fairhopeunitarianfellowship@gmail.com

​OCTOBER PROGRAMS

October 6, 2019

 Presenter: Phil Strniste
 
Title: What “Reparations” Mean for Me
 
Summary: H.R. Bill 40 "Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African American Act" was proposed to the U.S. Congress by former Representative John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) in 1989, and every year since until his resignation in 2017. In Jan/2019 H.R. 40 was sponsored and introduced by Representative Sheila Jackson (D-TX). This summer a House Judiciary subcommittee has been holding hearings on it. If passed by Congress, the bill would establish a commission to study the impact of slavery and recommend remedies to these impacts to Congress. I believe this national discussion is long overdue. My talk will focus on what I have learned.
 
Bio: Strniste was born and raised in the town of Westfield in western Massachusetts. While growing up he did not distinguish himself academically, but he did manage to earn a B.S. degree in Mathematics from what was then Lowell Technological Institute in 1976. From there he spent three years in the Peace Corps in Swaziland (southern Africa) teaching math (and English) in a small and isolated secondary school.
 
Upon returning to the States he began his second life stage by helping his in-laws Bayne and AnnaBelle Snyder build their retirement house in Fairhope. Together with Gwen, whom he had met while in the Peace Corps, they worked hard, lived well and set roots by joining this fellowship in 1982.
 
By 1984 the house was built, and the couple moved to Auburn and enrolled in the university. In 1987 Strniste was awarded a M.S. degree in Horticulture. Upon moving back to Fairhope and facing the daunting task of establishing a livelihood, Phil and Gwen became self-employed, and established 'Bee Natural Farm' -an organic enterprise which was based on the Community Supported Agricultural model (there were over 1000 in the U.S. then, and more in Europe and Japan). The couple retired in 2012 after more than 20 years of working the land (& eating well) -a pleasant conclusion to this second life stage.
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Phil and Gwen now reside in Fairhope proper in the house they helped build in the 1980s. Strniste's third life stage is characterized by activities such as participating in the Back Porch Folk Singers (as a singer, guitar player, & booking agent); singing duets with the talented Kay Seymour; playing games(bridge, chess & Scrabble) and helping out where needed (Friends of the Fairhope Public Library, this fellowship, & Theater 98). Strniste considers himself a generalist-by-nature and enjoys discovering his own potential through the sharing of his life energy with others.

October 13, 2019

 
​Presenter: Christopher Satterwhite
 
Title: The Rhetoric and Philosophy of Punk Rock
 
Summary:  Many see Punk Rock as simply loud music, played by kids who do not know how to play their instruments. While somewhat true, the rhetoric and philosophy behind punk offer values the rest of society could learn from, including resourcefulness, community, respect, equality, and radical inclusivity. In his talk, Satterwhite will describe how he found punk rock in the military and how he still sees it as a means to positively change the world.
 
Bio: Christopher Satterwhite is an educator and writer who lives in Pensacola. Satterwhite is a founding member of the 309 Punk Project, a collective dedicated to preserving regional counterculture. He teaches English at the University of West Florida.

October 20, 2019

​Presenter: Fairhope Unitarian Children's Fellowship

Title: Mythology and Religion
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Summary: Mythology refers to systems of concepts that are of high importance to certain communities, making statements concerning the supernatural or sacred. Both mythology and religion involve cycles of creation and origins of human life. Some believe mythology is the basis and main component of religion. The members of the Children's fellowship will explore this idea and explain specific mythological origins, including Greek, Roman, Nordic, Egyptian and Chinese

October 27, 2019

​Presenter: Freya Sonenstein
 
Title: “Saving Social Security past 2034”

​Summary: Last year, the Trustees of Social Security indicated that the trust funds would run out in 2034 if benefits are not cut or revenues are not raised. New legislation, the Social Security 2100 Act, has been introduced.  What does it propose?  How big is the problem that it is intended to address?  How did we get here?  The talk will address the history of the program, the various reforms that have already been implemented, and the new proposals that are on the table.
 
Bio: Freya Lund Sonenstein is a Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Prior to her tenure at Johns Hopkins, she spent 20 years at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC., a think tank established in the Johnson Administration to generate research that would inform domestic federal policy.  For the past 8 years she has received social security benefits after contributing for 45 years.