BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Merlin CCC - ECPv6.15.15//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Merlin CCC X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://merlinccc.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Merlin CCC REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Denver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20230312T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20231105T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20240310T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20241103T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20250309T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20251102T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241212T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241212T210000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20241210T175010Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241210T175404Z UID:10000091-1734030000-1734037200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Think & Drink - Cancelled DESCRIPTION:**Well\, it seems to be that time of year. Due to both of our facilitators — Marisa & Mitch — being sick\, we are cancelling this month’s Think & Drink. ‘Tis the season for sharing and caring\, but not when it comes to colds. To make up for this month’s cancellation\, we’ll be firing back up our T & D in January (instead of February). AND…..we’ll be doing a little something special for that one! Stay tuned for more details!**\nFun Gatherings that Stimulate the Mind!\nOur Philosophy Think & Drinks are casual\, community-oriented gatherings that are intellectually stimulating and fun.  You don’t need a background in philosophy to enjoy & participate.  An open mind & desire to engage in thoughtful dialogue (whether from a listening or contribution standpoint) is all that’s needed!  For those who love philosophy but prefer not to partake in the libations side of things\, don’t let that stop you from participating in the fun.  We emphasize the think over the drink!\nWhen\n2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-9pm \n\nWhere\nReeder’s Alley — If the weather is conducive\, we meet outdoors in the pavilion.  If it’s cantankerous\, we meet indoors in the Conference Center. \n\nOther\nLight snacks provided.  BYOB. \n\n\nHow Do They Work?\nStep into the dojo!  Our Think & Drinks are monthly gatherings that consist of a “meeting of minds” over libations.  After nabbing goodies and seats\, getting acquainted & settling in…the eve begins.\n\n No topics are off-limit; no questions are too broad\, narrow\, abstract\, or concrete.  Questions are posed by participants in a “round-robin” fashion\, clarified\, and then voted upon collectively.\n Once our “avenue of philosophical pursuit” is in place\, we’re ready to dive into a fun night of facilitated philosophical discussion. URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-think-drink-2/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Think & Drinks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Philosophy-Think-Drink.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241204T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241204T203000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20241106T022726Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241106T030030Z UID:10000115-1733337000-1733344200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Workshop: Aristotle on Friendship DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\n\nThe virtue of friendship was highly valued in ancient Greek philosophy\, from the early Pythagorean fellowships\, through nearly every major philosophical school and tradition\, down to the final synthesis of these various schools in the Athenian Academy\, more than 1\,000 years after Pythagoras.  In between\, Aristotle devotes two out of the ten books of his Nicomachean Ethics entirely to the topic of friendship — far more space than he gives to any of the other virtues. \n\nIn this evening’s program\, we’ll explore some of the core concepts in Aristotle’s account of friendship.  We’ll consider the various goals toward which friendship might be directed\, the need for true friends to be of good ethical character\, and the conditions under which friendship can flourish.   \nFinally\, we’ll follow Aristotle in asking whether friendship can arise only among equals\, or whether it’s possible for people of very different status to be friends as well.  Can a parent truly be a friend to her child\, a teacher to his students\, or a ruler to her subjects?  Rather than a mere all-or-nothing account\, we’ll be able to consider the question in terms of what it would take for genuine friendship to exist amidst such disparities of power\, authority\, or other human differences. \nAnd throughout all these themes\, we’ll be building a robust picture of what it takes to become\, and to remain\, a true friend. \nWorkshop Discussion Structure\nOur discussion will be centered around some short extracts from Aristotle’s writings on friendship in Books VIII and IX of the Nicomachean Ethics\, which we’ll read aloud together during the session.  These should\, in turn\, provide the springboard for robust reflection\, critique\, and self-examination as we examine Aristotle’s arguments and their applicability to our own lives. \nWhen\nWednesday\, December 4th from 6:30pm-8:30pm \nWhere\nReeder’s Alley Conference Center (101 Reeder’s Alley\, Helena MT 59601) \nRSVP\nSign up here! \nCost\nFREE (Donations appreciated) \nDiscussion Leader\nDavid Nowakowski is a philosopher and educator in the Helena area whose professional work is dedicated to helping people of all ages and backgrounds access\, understand\, and apply the traditions of ancient philosophy to their own lives.  David began studying ancient philosophies and classical languages in 2001 and has continued ever since.  A scholar of the philosophical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean (Greece\, Rome\, and North Africa) and of the Indian subcontinent\, reading Sanskrit\, Latin\, and classical Greek\, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 2014.  His work has appeared in a variety of scholarly journals\, including Philosophy East & West\, Asian Philosophy\, and the Journal of Indian Philosophy\, as well as in presentations to academic audiences at Harvard\, Columbia University\, the University of Toronto\, Yale-NUS College in Singapore\, and elsewhere. \nAfter half a decade teaching at liberal arts colleges in the northeast\, David chose to leave the academy in order to focus his energies on the transformative value of these ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions in his own life and practice\, and on building new systems of education and community learning that will make this rich heritage alive and available to others. \nA hermit by nature and by committed choice\, he balances contemplative solitude with his active work in teaching\, counseling\, and the healing arts.  David can be reached at david@merlinccc.org or via his personal website. \n \nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-workshop-aristotle-on-friendship/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Workshops & Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Aristotle-on-friendship_Dec-2024.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241203T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241203T235900 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240822T002249Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241111T043755Z UID:10000109-1733184000-1733270340@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Giving Tuesday 2024 DESCRIPTION:WHAT IS GIVING TUESDAY?\nGivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then\, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give\, collaborate\, and celebrate generosity. \nWhen: Tuesday\, December 3rd (Starting @ 12am for 24-Hours) \nHow to give: On-line by clicking here! \nGive by check: Make out to ‘Merlin CCC’\, write ‘GivingTuesday’ in the memo line\, and mail to 119 Reeder’s Alley\, Helena MT 59601 \n\n\n\n\n\nWHY GIVE TO MERLIN?\nImagine a world where thoughtful dialogue & community co-exist.  Where differing perspectives break bread.  Where understanding\, truth\, and wisdom is a goal.  Imagine you live in that world\, that city\, that neighborhood\, that community. \nBe part of that vision.  Invest in that community.  Support philosophy. \nYour contributions on GivingTuesday will help to support our Winter & Spring philosophy in the community programming\, critical\, creative thinking\, the exchange of ideas\, and the application of philosophy to everyday living.  Our programs are free to the community and are opportunities for people of all backgrounds and ages — from children to elders — to gather\, to learn from and with one another\, and to uniquely cultivate their personal and civic selves. URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/giving-tuesday-2024/ CATEGORIES:Fundraiser Events,Giving Tuesday ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Giving-Tuesday-2024.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org LOCATION: END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241114T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241114T210000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240719T213250Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060956Z UID:10000090-1731610800-1731618000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Think & Drink DESCRIPTION:Fun Gatherings that Stimulate the Mind!\nOur Philosophy Think & Drinks are casual\, community-oriented gatherings that are intellectually stimulating and fun.  You don’t need a background in philosophy to enjoy & participate.  An open mind & desire to engage in thoughtful dialogue (whether from a listening or contribution standpoint) is all that’s needed!  For those who love philosophy but prefer not to partake in the libations side of things\, don’t let that stop you from participating in the fun.  We emphasize the think over the drink! \nWhen\n2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-9pm \nWhere\nReeder’s Alley — If the weather is conducive\, we meet outdoors in the pavilion.  If it’s cantankerous\, we meet indoors in the Conference Center. \nOther\nLight snacks provided.  BYOB. \n\nHow Do They Work?\nStep into the dojo!  Our Think & Drinks are monthly gatherings that consist of a “meeting of minds” over libations.  After nabbing goodies and seats\, getting acquainted & settling in…the eve begins. \n\nNo topics are off-limit; no questions are too broad\, narrow\, abstract\, or concrete.  Questions are posed by participants in a “round-robin” fashion\, clarified\, and then voted upon collectively.\nOnce our “avenue of philosophical pursuit” is in place\, we’re ready to dive into a fun night of facilitated philosophical discussion.\n\n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-think-drink/2024-11-14/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Think & Drinks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Philosophy-Think-Drink.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241030T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241030T203000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240720T023916Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241014T235002Z UID:10000108-1730314800-1730320200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reading & Discussion Series: Jewish Environmental Wisdom DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nThis reading series will be guided by the following central question: What wisdom might Jewish traditions offer for our current environmental crises? Philosophy\, as the love of wisdom\, should be open to wisdom wherever it embeds itself. The Tanakh\, the textual source of Judaism\, arose from within a largely agrarian society with deep connections to particular lands and places. It seems reasonable\, then\, to start with the assumption that the traditions of thought and practice that have grown out of the Hebrew Bible (and inspired it!) might offer environmental wisdom for our pressing times.  \nThe French and Jewish philosopher\, Emmanuel Levinas\, had something similar in mind for his own philosophical project\, which has been described as an attempt to translate Hebrew into Greek—that is\, to express a Hebraic way of thinking within a Greek\, or philosophic\, context. Following in Levinas’s tracks here\, we will also consider larger\, contextualizing questions about the possibility of “translating” non-philosophical ideas into philosophical terms. \nTogether\, over 4 every-other-Wednesday sessions\, we will closely read and discuss the contemporary import of essays from a variety of Jewish authors including Abraham Joshua Heschel\, Jacob Howland\, Daniel Delgado\, James Hatley\, and others.  Sessions will be discussion-based\, facilitated by Kaleb Cohen and Mitchell Conway\, with one additional guest facilitator joining along the way. \nWhile each session will be self-contained (such that you can attend a stand-alone session and still benefit)\, participating in as many sessions as possible will allow more time to make and experience larger connections between readings\, ideas\, and questions explored. \nFREE & open to the public. Donations appreciated. \nWhen\nEvery Other Wednesday \nSeptember 18th - October 30th\, 2024 \n7pm - 8:30pm\n\nWhere\nReeder's Alley Conference Center (101 Reeder's Alley)\n\nRSVP\nSign up here! (Seats limited)\n\nOther\nReadings will be e-mailed upon sign-up\n\nCost\nFREE (Donations Appreciated)\nSession Readings & Focus Questions\n\n9/18 — Judaism\, Philosophy\, and Translation \n\nReadings:  Jacob Howland\, “Plato and the Talmud”\nCore questions:  How might Hebraic ideas inform philosophy? Are they philosophical or solely religious ideas? Can those ideas have any meaning outside of their cultural context?\n\n10/2 — Between Home and Exile  \n\nReadings:  Daniel Delgado\, “You are but Tenants and Settlers” (supplemental/optional: Susannah Heschel\, “An Exile of the Soul”)\nCore question:  What role might the Jewish notion of exile hold for an environmental ethic?\n\n10/16 — Jewishness and Montana: Bison and the Soul (with guest scholar James Hatley) \n\nReadings:  James Hatley\, “Living with Ghosts”\nCore question:  In Montana\, how ought we respond to a history of violence against buffalo and Indigenous peoples and what could Jewish traditions teach us about these responses?\n\n10/30 — Shabbat and Sh’mitah: Rest\, Release\, and the Land \n\nReadings:  Abraham Joshua Heschel\, “Architecture of Time” and Nigel Savage\, “Resetting the Planet through Sh’mitah”\nCore Question:  What is the meaning of rest in an age of industrialization and unrelenting resource extraction?\n\n\n\nSeries Facilitators\n \nKaleb Cohen’s work sits at the intersection of philosophy\, environmental studies\, and critical theory. He has presented and published papers on various topics\, including the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas\, settler colonialism and environmental responsibility\, and the importance of oral traditions. He holds an MA in Environmental Philosophy from the University of Montana. His graduate work culminated in developing a distinctly Jewish and anti-colonial relationship with land. He also has a background in farming\, gardening\, ecological restoration\, and conservation. Kaleb lives in Missoula\, where he teaches for the Wild Rockies Field Institute\, makes bread\, and hibernates during the winter. \n\n  \n \nMitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC\, an adjunct philosophy instructor at Carroll College\, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization. A student of philosophy\, a theater maker\, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners\, his work has often been an interweaving of education\, story\, and inquiry.  He also relishes walking in the forest.  Mitchell has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College\, Columbia University. \n\nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reading-discussion-series-jewish/2024-10-30/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Workshops & Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Reading-Discussion-Series-Jewish-Environmental-Wisdom.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241017T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241017T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240925T154520Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241113T193126Z UID:10000110-1729189800-1729195200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:How Did We Get Here?: Ghost in the Machine DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nUntil roughly the 16th century\, nearly everyone in Western Europe — from common farmers and laborers\, to highly educated scholars and clerics — took for granted that they lived in a cosmos teeming with a wide range of spiritual beings: living yet discarnate powers who occupied various intermediate positions between God and human beings\, and who were a good and necessary part of the smooth operations of the world.  These beings were known as ghosts or spirits (terms which were interchangeable in this period: the English word ghost\, German geist\, and Latin spiritus were all used to translate one another)\, or by various more specific names for their different kinds.  In its broad outlines this was\, as anthropologist Marshall Sahlins notes\, a view Europeans shared with “most of humanity.”\nThen\, the story goes\, everything changed\, as the Scientific Revolution cast out all these intermediary spirits\, leaving a cosmos that resembles a collection of inanimate machines\, rather than an ecology teeming with living agents: a process which the pioneering sociologist Max Weber famously termed “the disenchantment of the world.”\n\nAnd yet.\n\nEven within Europe and its diaspora\, large numbers of people still believe in — and interact with — angels\, demons\, and other ghosts and spirits.  And this doesn’t have to be a “religious thing” — as indeed\, for most of European history\, it was not a religious thing.  Just consider the popularity of “ghost hunting\,” or how many of us name our automobiles\, and talk to them to encourage them in challenging conditions.  Maybe the Revolution was not quite so total as we’ve been told\, and some vestiges of these spirits live on amidst the mechanized cosmos: ghosts in the machine\, as it were.\n\nIn this evening’s program\, we’ll consider this process of disenchantment within its historical context\, and its consequences for ourselves and our modern Western worldview.  We’ll examine the older\, pre-Revolutionary world-picture\, which historian C.S. Lewis has famously termed “the discarded image\,” as it appears in history\, literature\, and the “natural philosophy” that would be supplanted by the modern physical sciences.  We’ll consider the context in which the intellectual battles of the Scientific Revolution were fought\, including the political and theological polemics of the Protestant Reformation and its aftermath\, as well as the craze for witch-burnings that swept Europe and the Americas during this period.  And we’ll observe some of the impacts of the disenchanted\, mechanistic worldview in the development of the new social sciences\, especially sociology and anthropology.\n\nFinally\, we’ll reflect on the consequences of the mechanistic worldview\, however fully or partially it has been adopted:  What has all of this done\, to the ways that we’re able to interact with the wider world and its inhabitants?  What has it done to our own self-understanding\, both as individuals and as societies?  And what does it mean\, that the ghosts in the machine seem to live on\, however awkwardly and uncomfortably\, in everyday life and discourse?\n\n \nWhen\nThursday\, October 17th from 6:30pm-8pm \n\nWhere\nReeder’s Alley Conference Center \n\nRSVP\nSign up here! \n\nCost\nFREE (Donations appreciated) \n\nOther\nHot tea & lights snacks provided.  BYOB. \n\n\n \nEvent Facilitator\n\n\nDavid Nowakowski is a philosopher and educator in the Helena area whose professional work is dedicated to helping people of all ages and backgrounds access\, understand\, and apply the traditions of ancient philosophy to their own lives.  David began studying ancient philosophies and classical languages in 2001 and has continued ever since.  A scholar of the philosophical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean (Greece\, Rome\, and North Africa) and of the Indian subcontinent\, reading Sanskrit\, Latin\, and classical Greek\, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 2014.  His work has appeared in a variety of scholarly journals\, including Philosophy East & West\, Asian Philosophy\, and the Journal of Indian Philosophy\, as well as in presentations to academic audiences at Harvard\, Columbia University\, the University of Toronto\, Yale-NUS College in Singapore\, and elsewhere.\n\nAfter half a decade teaching at liberal arts colleges in the northeast\, David chose to leave the academy in order to focus his energies on the transformative value of these ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions in his own life and practice\, and on building new systems of education and community learning that will make this rich heritage alive and available to others.\n\nA hermit by nature and by committed choice\, he balances contemplative solitude with his active work in teaching\, counseling\, and the healing arts.  David can be reached at david@merlinccc.org or via his personal website.\n\n \nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community. \n\n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/how-here-ghost-machine/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:How Did We Get Here?,Philosophy Shorts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Merlin_Ghost-in-the-Machine_Witches.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241016T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241016T203000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240720T023916Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241014T235002Z UID:10000107-1729105200-1729110600@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reading & Discussion Series: Jewish Environmental Wisdom DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nThis reading series will be guided by the following central question: What wisdom might Jewish traditions offer for our current environmental crises? Philosophy\, as the love of wisdom\, should be open to wisdom wherever it embeds itself. The Tanakh\, the textual source of Judaism\, arose from within a largely agrarian society with deep connections to particular lands and places. It seems reasonable\, then\, to start with the assumption that the traditions of thought and practice that have grown out of the Hebrew Bible (and inspired it!) might offer environmental wisdom for our pressing times.  \nThe French and Jewish philosopher\, Emmanuel Levinas\, had something similar in mind for his own philosophical project\, which has been described as an attempt to translate Hebrew into Greek—that is\, to express a Hebraic way of thinking within a Greek\, or philosophic\, context. Following in Levinas’s tracks here\, we will also consider larger\, contextualizing questions about the possibility of “translating” non-philosophical ideas into philosophical terms. \nTogether\, over 4 every-other-Wednesday sessions\, we will closely read and discuss the contemporary import of essays from a variety of Jewish authors including Abraham Joshua Heschel\, Jacob Howland\, Daniel Delgado\, James Hatley\, and others.  Sessions will be discussion-based\, facilitated by Kaleb Cohen and Mitchell Conway\, with one additional guest facilitator joining along the way. \nWhile each session will be self-contained (such that you can attend a stand-alone session and still benefit)\, participating in as many sessions as possible will allow more time to make and experience larger connections between readings\, ideas\, and questions explored. \nFREE & open to the public. Donations appreciated. \nWhen\nEvery Other Wednesday \nSeptember 18th - October 30th\, 2024 \n7pm - 8:30pm\n\nWhere\nReeder's Alley Conference Center (101 Reeder's Alley)\n\nRSVP\nSign up here! (Seats limited)\n\nOther\nReadings will be e-mailed upon sign-up\n\nCost\nFREE (Donations Appreciated)\nSession Readings & Focus Questions\n\n9/18 — Judaism\, Philosophy\, and Translation \n\nReadings:  Jacob Howland\, “Plato and the Talmud”\nCore questions:  How might Hebraic ideas inform philosophy? Are they philosophical or solely religious ideas? Can those ideas have any meaning outside of their cultural context?\n\n10/2 — Between Home and Exile  \n\nReadings:  Daniel Delgado\, “You are but Tenants and Settlers” (supplemental/optional: Susannah Heschel\, “An Exile of the Soul”)\nCore question:  What role might the Jewish notion of exile hold for an environmental ethic?\n\n10/16 — Jewishness and Montana: Bison and the Soul (with guest scholar James Hatley) \n\nReadings:  James Hatley\, “Living with Ghosts”\nCore question:  In Montana\, how ought we respond to a history of violence against buffalo and Indigenous peoples and what could Jewish traditions teach us about these responses?\n\n10/30 — Shabbat and Sh’mitah: Rest\, Release\, and the Land \n\nReadings:  Abraham Joshua Heschel\, “Architecture of Time” and Nigel Savage\, “Resetting the Planet through Sh’mitah”\nCore Question:  What is the meaning of rest in an age of industrialization and unrelenting resource extraction?\n\n\n\nSeries Facilitators\n \nKaleb Cohen’s work sits at the intersection of philosophy\, environmental studies\, and critical theory. He has presented and published papers on various topics\, including the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas\, settler colonialism and environmental responsibility\, and the importance of oral traditions. He holds an MA in Environmental Philosophy from the University of Montana. His graduate work culminated in developing a distinctly Jewish and anti-colonial relationship with land. He also has a background in farming\, gardening\, ecological restoration\, and conservation. Kaleb lives in Missoula\, where he teaches for the Wild Rockies Field Institute\, makes bread\, and hibernates during the winter. \n\n  \n \nMitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC\, an adjunct philosophy instructor at Carroll College\, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization. A student of philosophy\, a theater maker\, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners\, his work has often been an interweaving of education\, story\, and inquiry.  He also relishes walking in the forest.  Mitchell has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College\, Columbia University. \n\nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reading-discussion-series-jewish/2024-10-16/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Workshops & Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Reading-Discussion-Series-Jewish-Environmental-Wisdom.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241013T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241013T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240720T021923Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241010T154243Z UID:10000095-1728813600-1728824400@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Walk: Re-Indigenizing Public Lands (Registration Full) DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nIn this walk led by Dr. Shane Doyle (Apsáalooke nation) we’ll reflect on the significance of public lands as both the nexus point & the dividing line between ancient ways of life and the post-colonial world.  Some of the questions we’ll consider include together: \n\nPublic lands belong to everyone\, and no one; how do we most appropriately honor those lands in perpetuity? And what variables should be considered when thinking about how best to protect (all or parts of) those landscapes?\nDid wilderness exist before white people came to Montana\, and if it didn’t\, how would we know?\nHow do Tribal oral traditions inform our understanding of wilderness from an Indigenous perspective?\n\n\n  \nWhen\nSunday\, October 13th from 10am-1pm \nWhere\nTen Mile Creek Park (1505 Williams St.\, Helena MT 59602) \n~ As you are head west out of Helena\, turn right (North) onto Williams Street and follow it around until you see the fenced parking area on the east side of the road. ~ \nRSVP\nOur walk is at max capacity. If you’d like to be placed on a waiting list please e-mail us at marisa@merlinccc.org & we will contact you if someone cancels to see if you’d like to join us. \nCost\nFREE (Donations appreciated) \nOther\nWear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes \n\n  \nWalk Leader\n \nShane Doyle\, Ed.D (Independent Educational & Cultural Consultant\, Native Nexus Consulting) is a Crow tribal member who grew up in Crow Agency\, and currently resides in Bozeman\, MT.  A singer of Northern Plains tribal style of music for 30 years\, Shane also holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction\, and completed a post-doctoral appointment in genetics with the University of Copenhagen\, Denmark\, in 2016.  With 20 years of teaching experience\, Shane is a full-time educational and cultural consultant\, designing American Indian curriculum for many organizations\, including Montana public schools\, the National Park Service\, and the Museum of the Rockies.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Bozeman-based Extreme History Project\, Hopa Mountain\, and the Archaeological Conservancy\, as well as serving on the Montana Arts Council culture and aesthetics committee and the Governors Parks in Focus Committee.  Shane was a founding member of the Montana Wilderness Association’s Hold Our Ground Campaign in 2017\, and speaks throughout the region on the topics of northern Plains Tribal culture and the importance of public lands in Montana.  He was instrumental in the repatriation of the Anzick Clovis Child\, and worked as a consultant and actor for the History Channel’s “Lost Treasure of the Little Bighorn Battle.” \n\n  \nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-walk-reindigenizing-public-lands/ LOCATION:Ten Mile Creek Park\, 1505 Williams St.\, Helena\, MT\, 59602 CATEGORIES:Philosophy Walks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Re-Indigenizing-Public-Lands.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241010T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241010T210000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240719T213250Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060956Z UID:10000089-1728586800-1728594000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Think & Drink DESCRIPTION:Fun Gatherings that Stimulate the Mind!\nOur Philosophy Think & Drinks are casual\, community-oriented gatherings that are intellectually stimulating and fun.  You don’t need a background in philosophy to enjoy & participate.  An open mind & desire to engage in thoughtful dialogue (whether from a listening or contribution standpoint) is all that’s needed!  For those who love philosophy but prefer not to partake in the libations side of things\, don’t let that stop you from participating in the fun.  We emphasize the think over the drink! \nWhen\n2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-9pm \nWhere\nReeder’s Alley — If the weather is conducive\, we meet outdoors in the pavilion.  If it’s cantankerous\, we meet indoors in the Conference Center. \nOther\nLight snacks provided.  BYOB. \n\nHow Do They Work?\nStep into the dojo!  Our Think & Drinks are monthly gatherings that consist of a “meeting of minds” over libations.  After nabbing goodies and seats\, getting acquainted & settling in…the eve begins. \n\nNo topics are off-limit; no questions are too broad\, narrow\, abstract\, or concrete.  Questions are posed by participants in a “round-robin” fashion\, clarified\, and then voted upon collectively.\nOnce our “avenue of philosophical pursuit” is in place\, we’re ready to dive into a fun night of facilitated philosophical discussion.\n\n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-think-drink/2024-10-10/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Think & Drinks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Philosophy-Think-Drink.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241002T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241002T203000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240720T023916Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241014T235002Z UID:10000106-1727895600-1727901000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reading & Discussion Series: Jewish Environmental Wisdom DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nThis reading series will be guided by the following central question: What wisdom might Jewish traditions offer for our current environmental crises? Philosophy\, as the love of wisdom\, should be open to wisdom wherever it embeds itself. The Tanakh\, the textual source of Judaism\, arose from within a largely agrarian society with deep connections to particular lands and places. It seems reasonable\, then\, to start with the assumption that the traditions of thought and practice that have grown out of the Hebrew Bible (and inspired it!) might offer environmental wisdom for our pressing times.  \nThe French and Jewish philosopher\, Emmanuel Levinas\, had something similar in mind for his own philosophical project\, which has been described as an attempt to translate Hebrew into Greek—that is\, to express a Hebraic way of thinking within a Greek\, or philosophic\, context. Following in Levinas’s tracks here\, we will also consider larger\, contextualizing questions about the possibility of “translating” non-philosophical ideas into philosophical terms. \nTogether\, over 4 every-other-Wednesday sessions\, we will closely read and discuss the contemporary import of essays from a variety of Jewish authors including Abraham Joshua Heschel\, Jacob Howland\, Daniel Delgado\, James Hatley\, and others.  Sessions will be discussion-based\, facilitated by Kaleb Cohen and Mitchell Conway\, with one additional guest facilitator joining along the way. \nWhile each session will be self-contained (such that you can attend a stand-alone session and still benefit)\, participating in as many sessions as possible will allow more time to make and experience larger connections between readings\, ideas\, and questions explored. \nFREE & open to the public. Donations appreciated. \nWhen\nEvery Other Wednesday \nSeptember 18th - October 30th\, 2024 \n7pm - 8:30pm\n\nWhere\nReeder's Alley Conference Center (101 Reeder's Alley)\n\nRSVP\nSign up here! (Seats limited)\n\nOther\nReadings will be e-mailed upon sign-up\n\nCost\nFREE (Donations Appreciated)\nSession Readings & Focus Questions\n\n9/18 — Judaism\, Philosophy\, and Translation \n\nReadings:  Jacob Howland\, “Plato and the Talmud”\nCore questions:  How might Hebraic ideas inform philosophy? Are they philosophical or solely religious ideas? Can those ideas have any meaning outside of their cultural context?\n\n10/2 — Between Home and Exile  \n\nReadings:  Daniel Delgado\, “You are but Tenants and Settlers” (supplemental/optional: Susannah Heschel\, “An Exile of the Soul”)\nCore question:  What role might the Jewish notion of exile hold for an environmental ethic?\n\n10/16 — Jewishness and Montana: Bison and the Soul (with guest scholar James Hatley) \n\nReadings:  James Hatley\, “Living with Ghosts”\nCore question:  In Montana\, how ought we respond to a history of violence against buffalo and Indigenous peoples and what could Jewish traditions teach us about these responses?\n\n10/30 — Shabbat and Sh’mitah: Rest\, Release\, and the Land \n\nReadings:  Abraham Joshua Heschel\, “Architecture of Time” and Nigel Savage\, “Resetting the Planet through Sh’mitah”\nCore Question:  What is the meaning of rest in an age of industrialization and unrelenting resource extraction?\n\n\n\nSeries Facilitators\n \nKaleb Cohen’s work sits at the intersection of philosophy\, environmental studies\, and critical theory. He has presented and published papers on various topics\, including the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas\, settler colonialism and environmental responsibility\, and the importance of oral traditions. He holds an MA in Environmental Philosophy from the University of Montana. His graduate work culminated in developing a distinctly Jewish and anti-colonial relationship with land. He also has a background in farming\, gardening\, ecological restoration\, and conservation. Kaleb lives in Missoula\, where he teaches for the Wild Rockies Field Institute\, makes bread\, and hibernates during the winter. \n\n  \n \nMitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC\, an adjunct philosophy instructor at Carroll College\, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization. A student of philosophy\, a theater maker\, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners\, his work has often been an interweaving of education\, story\, and inquiry.  He also relishes walking in the forest.  Mitchell has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College\, Columbia University. \n\nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reading-discussion-series-jewish/2024-10-02/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Workshops & Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Reading-Discussion-Series-Jewish-Environmental-Wisdom.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240928T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240928T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240720T020914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240912T013505Z UID:10000094-1727517600-1727528400@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Walk: On Travel DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nAccording to urban legend\, some famous novelist (maybe Tolstoy or Dostoyevski?) once quipped that there are only two stories: “A stranger comes to town” and “Someone goes on a journey.”  \nRegardless of who first said it\, there’s something to the notion that travelling is essential\, both to the ways we live\, and to the stories we tell to help make sense of those lives. \nIn this walk\, we’ll explore some of the ways that travel can be a space of encounter\, transformation\, and meaning.  We’ll compare modern experiences of travel with traditional theories and practices\, including: \n\nthe deliberate\, mindful walking of philosophers across the ages\, from Aristotle (whose school became known as the “Peripatetics\,” literally\, “the people who walk around”) to Henry David Thoreau\nthe practice of pilgrimage in literature and in human life\, from Chaucer and the traditional travels that inspired the Canterbury Tales\, to contemporary spiritual journeys to shrines\, temples\, and other numinous sites around the world\nthe traditional account of human beings as “self-movers\,” in that we’re choosers and initiators of action and motion\, not just passively getting bounced along by external forces.\n\nAs we walk and talk together throughout the morning\, we’ll think through what each of these three case studies can illuminate for us\, regarding contemporary practices of travel: \n\nHow might different approaches to travelling enhance (or impede) our fundamental human capacities and abilities?\nHow can travel create (or obstruct) opportunities for meaningful\, transformative encounters?\nIn what ways can the journey itself — or the even the mode in which we travel — be just as significant as the destination\, or even more so?\nAnd when we travel — whether close to home or to exotic destinations\, whether as a vacation or as part of our daily routine — how can we dance between purposeful planning & mindful openness to the unexpected?\n\n  \nWhen\nSaturday\, September 28th from 10:00am-1:00pm \nWhere\nSpring Meadow Lake (Our group will meet in the main/North side of the lot at the far end of the entrance) \nRSVP\nSign up here! \nCost\nFREE (Donations appreciated) \nOther\nWear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes \n\n  \nWalk Leader\n \nDavid Nowakowski is a philosopher and educator in the Helena area whose professional work is dedicated to helping people of all ages and backgrounds access\, understand\, and apply the traditions of ancient philosophy to their own lives.  David began studying ancient philosophies and classical languages in 2001\, and has continued ever since.  A scholar of the philosophical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean (Greece\, Rome\, and North Africa) and of the Indian subcontinent\, reading Sanskrit\, Latin\, and classical Greek\, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 2014.  His work has appeared in a variety of scholarly journals\, including Philosophy East & West\, Asian Philosophy\, and the Journal of Indian Philosophy\, as well as in presentations to academic audiences at Harvard\, Columbia University\, the University of Toronto\, Yale-NUS College in Singapore\, and elsewhere. \nAfter half a decade teaching at liberal arts colleges in the northeast\, David chose to leave the academy in order to focus his energies on the transformative value of these ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions in his own life and practice\, and on building new systems of education and community learning that will make this rich heritage alive and available to others. \nA hermit by nature and by committed choice\, he balances contemplative solitude with his active work in teaching\, counseling\, and the healing arts.  David can be reached at david@merlinccc.org or via his personal website. \n\n  \nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-walk-on-travel/ LOCATION:Spring Meadow Lake\, 2715 Country Club Drive\, Helena\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Philosophy Walks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Philosophy-Walk_On-Travel.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240924T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240924T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000012-1727193600-1727208000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-09-24/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240918T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240918T203000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240720T023916Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241014T235002Z UID:10000105-1726686000-1726691400@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reading & Discussion Series: Jewish Environmental Wisdom DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nThis reading series will be guided by the following central question: What wisdom might Jewish traditions offer for our current environmental crises? Philosophy\, as the love of wisdom\, should be open to wisdom wherever it embeds itself. The Tanakh\, the textual source of Judaism\, arose from within a largely agrarian society with deep connections to particular lands and places. It seems reasonable\, then\, to start with the assumption that the traditions of thought and practice that have grown out of the Hebrew Bible (and inspired it!) might offer environmental wisdom for our pressing times.  \nThe French and Jewish philosopher\, Emmanuel Levinas\, had something similar in mind for his own philosophical project\, which has been described as an attempt to translate Hebrew into Greek—that is\, to express a Hebraic way of thinking within a Greek\, or philosophic\, context. Following in Levinas’s tracks here\, we will also consider larger\, contextualizing questions about the possibility of “translating” non-philosophical ideas into philosophical terms. \nTogether\, over 4 every-other-Wednesday sessions\, we will closely read and discuss the contemporary import of essays from a variety of Jewish authors including Abraham Joshua Heschel\, Jacob Howland\, Daniel Delgado\, James Hatley\, and others.  Sessions will be discussion-based\, facilitated by Kaleb Cohen and Mitchell Conway\, with one additional guest facilitator joining along the way. \nWhile each session will be self-contained (such that you can attend a stand-alone session and still benefit)\, participating in as many sessions as possible will allow more time to make and experience larger connections between readings\, ideas\, and questions explored. \nFREE & open to the public. Donations appreciated. \nWhen\nEvery Other Wednesday \nSeptember 18th - October 30th\, 2024 \n7pm - 8:30pm\n\nWhere\nReeder's Alley Conference Center (101 Reeder's Alley)\n\nRSVP\nSign up here! (Seats limited)\n\nOther\nReadings will be e-mailed upon sign-up\n\nCost\nFREE (Donations Appreciated)\nSession Readings & Focus Questions\n\n9/18 — Judaism\, Philosophy\, and Translation \n\nReadings:  Jacob Howland\, “Plato and the Talmud”\nCore questions:  How might Hebraic ideas inform philosophy? Are they philosophical or solely religious ideas? Can those ideas have any meaning outside of their cultural context?\n\n10/2 — Between Home and Exile  \n\nReadings:  Daniel Delgado\, “You are but Tenants and Settlers” (supplemental/optional: Susannah Heschel\, “An Exile of the Soul”)\nCore question:  What role might the Jewish notion of exile hold for an environmental ethic?\n\n10/16 — Jewishness and Montana: Bison and the Soul (with guest scholar James Hatley) \n\nReadings:  James Hatley\, “Living with Ghosts”\nCore question:  In Montana\, how ought we respond to a history of violence against buffalo and Indigenous peoples and what could Jewish traditions teach us about these responses?\n\n10/30 — Shabbat and Sh’mitah: Rest\, Release\, and the Land \n\nReadings:  Abraham Joshua Heschel\, “Architecture of Time” and Nigel Savage\, “Resetting the Planet through Sh’mitah”\nCore Question:  What is the meaning of rest in an age of industrialization and unrelenting resource extraction?\n\n\n\nSeries Facilitators\n \nKaleb Cohen’s work sits at the intersection of philosophy\, environmental studies\, and critical theory. He has presented and published papers on various topics\, including the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas\, settler colonialism and environmental responsibility\, and the importance of oral traditions. He holds an MA in Environmental Philosophy from the University of Montana. His graduate work culminated in developing a distinctly Jewish and anti-colonial relationship with land. He also has a background in farming\, gardening\, ecological restoration\, and conservation. Kaleb lives in Missoula\, where he teaches for the Wild Rockies Field Institute\, makes bread\, and hibernates during the winter. \n\n  \n \nMitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC\, an adjunct philosophy instructor at Carroll College\, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization. A student of philosophy\, a theater maker\, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners\, his work has often been an interweaving of education\, story\, and inquiry.  He also relishes walking in the forest.  Mitchell has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College\, Columbia University. \n\nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reading-discussion-series-jewish/2024-09-18/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Workshops & Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Reading-Discussion-Series-Jewish-Environmental-Wisdom.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240917T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240917T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000154-1726588800-1726603200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-09-17/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240917T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240917T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000011-1726588800-1726603200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-09-17/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240912T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240912T210000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240719T213250Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060956Z UID:10000088-1726167600-1726174800@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Think & Drink DESCRIPTION:Fun Gatherings that Stimulate the Mind!\nOur Philosophy Think & Drinks are casual\, community-oriented gatherings that are intellectually stimulating and fun.  You don’t need a background in philosophy to enjoy & participate.  An open mind & desire to engage in thoughtful dialogue (whether from a listening or contribution standpoint) is all that’s needed!  For those who love philosophy but prefer not to partake in the libations side of things\, don’t let that stop you from participating in the fun.  We emphasize the think over the drink! \nWhen\n2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-9pm \nWhere\nReeder’s Alley — If the weather is conducive\, we meet outdoors in the pavilion.  If it’s cantankerous\, we meet indoors in the Conference Center. \nOther\nLight snacks provided.  BYOB. \n\nHow Do They Work?\nStep into the dojo!  Our Think & Drinks are monthly gatherings that consist of a “meeting of minds” over libations.  After nabbing goodies and seats\, getting acquainted & settling in…the eve begins. \n\nNo topics are off-limit; no questions are too broad\, narrow\, abstract\, or concrete.  Questions are posed by participants in a “round-robin” fashion\, clarified\, and then voted upon collectively.\nOnce our “avenue of philosophical pursuit” is in place\, we’re ready to dive into a fun night of facilitated philosophical discussion.\n\n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-think-drink/2024-09-12/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Think & Drinks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Philosophy-Think-Drink.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240910T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240910T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000153-1725984000-1725998400@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-09-10/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240910T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240910T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000010-1725984000-1725998400@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-09-10/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240903T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240903T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024532 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000152-1725379200-1725393600@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-09-03/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240903T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240903T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000009-1725379200-1725393600@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-09-03/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240827T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240827T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000151-1724774400-1724788800@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-08-27/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240827T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240827T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000008-1724774400-1724788800@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-08-27/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240822T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240822T203000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240720T014730Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240816T182046Z UID:10000093-1724349600-1724358600@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Walk: Conversations with the World DESCRIPTION:What We’ll Explore\nQuite often\, discussions of ethics circle around lists of rules to follow.  What happens if we take a different approach altogether\, and think of our ethical lives as a series of conversations with the world\, with the communities we inhabit\, and with our neighbors?  In this evening’s walk and discussion\, we’ll reflect on what it would mean to focus our ethical lives around dialogue\, relationship\, and conversation.  \nWe’ll begin with a suggestion from Aristotle\, who notes a close link between ethics and habits.  Here\, we can examine ethics as a conversation between ourselves and the families and communities in which we’re brought up\, where our characters are formed — as well as ongoing adult conversations with those same societies\, or with other communities that we choose for ourselves. \nThen\, drawing from Plato’s Phaedrus and Matthew Crawford’s work on communities practice\, we’ll move on to consider the deeply transformative place of love\, and its associated vulnerability\, in our moral lives.  Here\, we’ll reflect on the difference between ethical judgments based in abstractions\, and those that spring from relationships with individuals and communities. \nFinally\, we’ll reflect on what it would mean to expand the frame of our ethical conversations in various directions.  How might we include what ecologically-informed thinkers in recent decades have called the “more than human world” of other animals\, plants\, and ecosystems?  Or conversations across the years and the generations\, with our ancestors (something like Chesterton’s “democracy of the dead”) and our descendants? \nThroughout our own conversation\, we’ll examine specific strategies for\, and implications of\, organizing our ethical lives as conversations.  And we’ll reflect on some of the ways that approaching ethics as a series of conversations with the world might help us to celebrate and embrace the diversity of individual human lives\, of communities and cultures\, and of the more-than-human world. \n  \nWhen\nThursday\, August 22nd from 6pm-8:30pm \nWhere\nSpring Meadow Lake (Our group will meet in the main/North side of the lot at the far end of the entrance) \nRSVP\nClick here to let us know you’re coming! \nCost\nFREE (Donations appreciated) \nOther\nWear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes \n\n  \nWalk Leader\nDavid Nowakowski is a philosopher and educator in the Helena area whose professional work is dedicated to helping people of all ages and backgrounds access\, understand\, and apply the traditions of ancient philosophy to their own lives.  David began studying ancient philosophies and classical languages in 2001 and has continued ever since.  A scholar of the philosophical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean (Greece\, Rome\, and North Africa) and of the Indian subcontinent\, reading Sanskrit\, Latin\, and classical Greek\, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 2014.  His work has appeared in a variety of scholarly journals\, including Philosophy East & West\, Asian Philosophy\, and the Journal of Indian Philosophy\, as well as in presentations to academic audiences at Harvard\, Columbia University\, the University of Toronto\, Yale-NUS College in Singapore\, and elsewhere. \nAfter half a decade teaching at liberal arts colleges in the northeast\, David chose to leave the academy in order to focus his energies on the transformative value of these ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions in his own life and practice\, and on building new systems of education and community learning that will make this rich heritage alive and available to others. \nA hermit by nature and by committed choice\, he balances contemplative solitude with his active work in teaching\, counseling\, and the healing arts.  David can be reached at david@merlinccc.org or via his personal website. \n\n  \nMake a Donation Here\nOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community.  While donations are never expected\, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums\, implementation\, and resource archiving\, and more!  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances\, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.  \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/ethics-as-conversations/ LOCATION:Spring Meadow Lake\, 2715 Country Club Drive\, Helena\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Philosophy Walks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Philosophy-Walk_Conversations-with-the-World.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240820T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240820T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000150-1724169600-1724184000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-08-20/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240820T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240820T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000007-1724169600-1724184000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-08-20/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240813T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240813T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000149-1723564800-1723579200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-08-13/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240813T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240813T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240719T205044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060536Z UID:10000006-1723564800-1723579200@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nNestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, a beer garden\, food trucks\, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours\, living history demonstrations\, lawn games\, and more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this Summer?! \nCheck out the Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series/2024-08-13/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RASS-Logo.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240809T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240809T213000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240719T222724Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T061215Z UID:10000092-1723226400-1723239000@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Summer La Mesa - *NO MORE SEATS* DESCRIPTION:What are Las Mesas?\nOur “Las Mesas” are intimate\, salon-style gatherings where friends come together to explore philosophy and ideas over hand-crafted meals & wine.  Each season\, a different community member(s) hosts a “La Mesa” dinner at their house\, opening up their home for community members to gather and enjoy the fun of philosophy\, the beauty of rich and meaningful conversation\, and the joy of good food & friends (old and new). \nLa mesa translates to “the table” in Spanish.  It’s where people come together & break bread!  It’s where stories & laughter & ideas are shared. It’s where toasts are made & moments honored.  There’s something special about this — something worth cherishing & pursuing.  That’s the basis & inspiration for our Las Mesas — gathering ’round a table with friends\, over good food & good conversation….and\, of course\, philosophy! \nSummer La Mesa Details\n \nWhen: Friday\, August 9th from 6pm-9:30pm \nHosts: Barry & Hetti Louise Ferst \nWhere: 712 Holter Street\, Helena MT 59601 \nRSVP: THERE ARE NO MORE SEATS LEFT! \nOther: Total guest count for our Las Mesas are limited to 10 people. \nDonation: $100 per guest (includes dinner\, drinks\, facilitated conversation structured similar to our Philosophy Think & Drinks & good cheer!) \nProceeds from seat donations are tax-deductible\, benefit Merlin CCC & go toward our free philosophy in the community programs. You can bring a check with you the night of or make a donation on-line. (If you opt for the latter\, if you would please be so kind as to check the box to include the payment platform processing fee in your contribution so that the Merlin is able to apply the entire $100 donation to our programs.) \n\n  \nAbout Our Summer La Mesa Hosts\n  \nHarriet Louise Porzig Ferst spent the past 75 years trying to figure out what she wants to be called; not really a nickname\, (that had been Harri-Lou when she was little)\, but maybe a call name\, (not really liking any of those given to her by life).  Recently she settled on “Hetti”\, for Harriet\, having learned that Social Security cares only about first and last names and a person can have as many or as few middles as she likes. \nHetti and Barry came to Helena in 1980 and she soon discovered that\, as someone whose interests range broader than deeper\, she might rather have earned a degree in ag (encompassing eco-diversity\, food\, geopolitics\, mechanics\, genetics\, soil\, health etc.) instead of her honors philosophy BA and MA from Tulane University with a concentration in aesthetics of theatre. \nHaving purchased a double lot with what was once the “gardener’s cottage” for the house next door\, she has been kitchen gardening and food preparing ever since\, exploring the lush horticultural and culinary traditions encountered on numerous drives through southern Europe\, North Africa and the near Middle East hunting Roman sarcophaguses for Barry’s encyclopedic project. \nHetti served as (then) Montana Committee for the Humanities first Scholar in the Schools bringing garden plans\, mosaics\, fresco\, Philosophy for Children\, and a home-ec class Roman dinner to White Sulphur Springs schools.  She also earned National Endowment teacher fellowships to explore the landscape tradition in early Renaissance Sienese fresco and to consider how Persian construction of walled gardens influenced European garden tradition and illustration. \n  \nWhen we moved to Helena\, wondering how long that first\, non-tenure track professorship at Carroll would last\, we joked about how\, if it didn’t\, we’d hang out a shingle for public\, street-side philosophy.  We remain in awe\, and grateful\, that under Marisa’s guidance and extraordinary energy Merlin has succeeded so mightily in that improbable enterprise. — Hetti & Barry \n  \nBarry Ferst grew up on Chicago’s south side and earned a doctorate in philosophy from Tulane University.  He began teaching at Carroll College in 1980 and leaves there a legacy including the Honors Scholars program\, a thriving philosophy department\, an established speakers series\, and a collection of unique community-campus programs that integrated thought\, science and the arts around timely issues. He often encounters one of his 9\,000 or so former students when travelling or on the streets of Helena\, where he exchanged his classroom for a curiosity shop filled with his own 3D collages and a universe of the most unusual and bizarre curios internet suppliers and second-hand shops have to offer. \nIn addition to making his visual art he writes short stories that explore fantastical alternate realities peopled with idiosyncratic human characters.  And an approximately fifteen-year quest to document all the extant Roman stone sarcophaguses led him from Moscow to Marrakech and from Copenhagen to Cairo\, photographing in museums and along ancient decumani.  The resulting volume is the definitive documentation of that sculptural body. \nBarry’s philosophical concentrations include ancient philosophy\, aesthetics\, and philosophy of mind.  His popular culture interests include American religious history\, fashion and evolving lifestyles.  All appear in his several publications. URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/summer-la-mesa-2024/ LOCATION:Residence of Barry & Hetti Louise Ferst\, 712 Holter Street\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Fundraiser Events,Las Mesas ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Summer-La-Mesa.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240808T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240808T210000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20240719T213250Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240815T060956Z UID:10000087-1723143600-1723150800@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Philosophy Think & Drink DESCRIPTION:Fun Gatherings that Stimulate the Mind!\nOur Philosophy Think & Drinks are casual\, community-oriented gatherings that are intellectually stimulating and fun.  You don’t need a background in philosophy to enjoy & participate.  An open mind & desire to engage in thoughtful dialogue (whether from a listening or contribution standpoint) is all that’s needed!  For those who love philosophy but prefer not to partake in the libations side of things\, don’t let that stop you from participating in the fun.  We emphasize the think over the drink! \nWhen\n2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-9pm \nWhere\nReeder’s Alley — If the weather is conducive\, we meet outdoors in the pavilion.  If it’s cantankerous\, we meet indoors in the Conference Center. \nOther\nLight snacks provided.  BYOB. \n\nHow Do They Work?\nStep into the dojo!  Our Think & Drinks are monthly gatherings that consist of a “meeting of minds” over libations.  After nabbing goodies and seats\, getting acquainted & settling in…the eve begins. \n\nNo topics are off-limit; no questions are too broad\, narrow\, abstract\, or concrete.  Questions are posed by participants in a “round-robin” fashion\, clarified\, and then voted upon collectively.\nOnce our “avenue of philosophical pursuit” is in place\, we’re ready to dive into a fun night of facilitated philosophical discussion.\n\n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/philosophy-think-drink/2024-08-08/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley Conference Center\, 101 Reeder's Alley\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Think & Drinks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Philosophy-Think-Drink.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240806T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240806T200000 DTSTAMP:20260409T024533 CREATED:20250130T075247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T075654Z UID:10000148-1722960000-1722974400@merlinccc.org SUMMARY:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) DESCRIPTION:Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!\nJoin us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series!  Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley\, this fun\, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music\, tasty eats\, a beer & wine garden\, historic Pioneer Cabin tours\, living history\, games & more. \nDog-friendly and laid-back\, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn.  Roam the alley\, share stories\, play games\, eat food\, sip brews or wine\, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?! \nCheck out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!\n \n  URL:https://merlinccc.org/calendar-event/reeders-alley-summer-series-rass/2024-08-06/ LOCATION:Reeder’s Alley\, 200 S. Park Avenue\, Helena\, MT\, 59601\, United States CATEGORIES:Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://merlinccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RASS-logo-2025.png ORGANIZER;CN="Marisa Diaz-Waian":MAILTO:marisa@merlinccc.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR