Victorian Seniors Festival | Card Making & Dried Floral Arrangement with Fay Marshall
04/10/2023
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Victorian Seniors Festival | Allow your creativity flourish. More Information Views: 0
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Current Affairs Dialogue | Discussion Group
29/09/2022 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
NEXT CAD:
Subject will be “Russia’s War on Ukraine: Whys, Wherefores and Global Implications”. Keep it in mind in your viewing, listening and reading over the next few weeks. Come along and contribute; leave more aware and thoughtful.
(Hey, Thursday 29th is just four days after THE major current affair of September, the Grand Final!! We might spare 5 minutes to discuss Geelong’s premiership win. Go Cats!)
Review of 25 August Session:
CAD had its first discussion session on Thursday 25 August.
Subject, as advertised, was “The (Dis) United States”.
Discussion ranged over personal experience and observations from time living in or visiting the USA and focused on three socially and politically divisive current issues:
- The US Supreme Court’s recent decision over-turning constitutional rights to abortion (Roe v Wade in shorthand reference).
- Recurrent mass shootings in the USA and their context of cultural attitudes to gun ownership, racial and geographic divisions and partisan political stances on gun reform.
- The ongoing fall-out from the November 2020 Presidential election and 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. In this third issue, the group ranged over the US electoral system, conspiracy theories, the prospect of a Trump or other “Trumpist” Republican Presidential victory in 2024, whether Trump might be prosecuted or not – with pragmatic considerations of avoiding deeper division, even the risk of civil war and collapse of democracy, and strategic/economic implications for Australia
of various alternative USA scenarios.
Wow! All that in 90 minutes. Bet you wish you were there! Too late, but look on the bright side – you can be at the next monthly CAD session.
The Process:
1pm for 1.30pm start
Interested in current affairs? Welcome to a new initiative at the BMI designed for you.
Current Affairs Dialogue (CAD) at the BMI:
CAD will launch in The Reading Room 1-3 pm on Thursday 28 July 2022. CAD at the BMI is designed for members and friends who are interested in joining with similarly interested people as listeners and contributors in respectful, informed, analytic and interpretive conversations on issues of significant current public interest. The goal is to have all participants enjoy stimulating discussion and to leave CAD at the BMI sessions feeling their horizons have been extended and their understanding of current affairs deepened.
Dates, place & format:
A light-touch, flexible structure is proposed to launch the initiative. Program and practice will evolve in line with participant consensus. Meetings will be in the Reading Room. We will start meetings with a cuppa and welcome/introduction of new participants. Intention is to meet on the last THURSDAY of each month February through November. Topics will be nominated by agreement of participants a month ahead. Participants will be encouraged to identify
insightful written and spoken media pieces that they encounter pertinent to the coming sessions topic, to reference or share these pieces with other participants in advance of the next meeting where appropriate – in other words, do some purposeful and, hopefully, stimulating reading, listening and thinking before each meeting. Subject to participants’ agreement, contact details will be shared. Mark Potter, BMI Cultural Development & Services Manager will provide communications assistance and follow-up. Frank Hurley, former President and Patron of the BMI will act as convenor/ facilitator for the first few meetings. The idea is that this role be rotated among participants as CAD at the BMI finds its feet.
Some sample current issues to set us thinking…
Below is a selection of substantial, wide-ranging current issues some or all of which might be a meeting focus over coming months. Indicatively, the discussion framework for a topic would be to look at and discuss ( order depending on the topic)
Discussion framework:
- how did the issue arise, what are its roots/background/history,
- what is the situation as it stands,
- how might it unfold/ effect change in its own, locale, at national and global levels.; what significance for us.
Suggested topics:
- The troubled (Dis)United States: Roe V Wade overturn, guns, continuing fall-out from 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. ( N.B. It is proposed to make this the topic to get us started at the first meeting on Thursday 28 July)
- Russia’s ongoing military attack on Ukraine
- The pervasive “Culture “ problem: bad behaviour in Parliament House, football clubs, corporations like Crown and Star Casinos , banks etc. etc.
- Census 2021: What has changed ? Will keep changing? Advance Australia Where?
- Problems and possibilities of our town: Bakery Hill/Bridge Mall proposals, hollowing out of the CBD, Fed Uni’s announced vacating of Lydiard/Camp St buildings complex, all those Council “strategy” plans
- Your suggestions?
If this outline engages your interest, come along. Help make this initiative a success. Spread the word among friends you think would be interested. Looking forward to a good representation BMI members and supporters gathering in The Reading Room for the inaugural CAD at the BMI on Thursday 28 July at 1 p.m.
Enquires to:
Mark Potter at the BMI on most Wednesdays and Thursdays. Tel: 0439 141722; email: mark@ballaratmi.org.au or complete the Expression of Interest below.
This event is a BMI Community Cultural Project – Ballarat’s Oldest Cultural Institution
Our Library | New Releases & Recommendations October 2023
02/10/2023
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Go to the Library webpage to view all New Releases and Book Summaries Our Library Why not become a member Views: 0
Rosemary’s Book of the Week | 2 October 2023
02/10/2023
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Rosemary’s Book of the Week Night Train to Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies. Vicky Baudin steps onto the train through Morocco looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption decades before. Clemence Petier lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, her background shrouded in mystery. BUT THE PAST HOLDS SECRETS THAT THREATEN THEM BOTH. A face Clemence’s childhood threatens to expose everything she has built a life to hide. AND DANGER
BMI Spring Book Sale | Calling for pre-loved books
01/10/2023
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If you are having a spring clean and clearing your book shelves for your summer reading, then we would like to take delivery of them so that we can move them through the booklovers world and help the BMI raise all important funds on 2 – 8 October. Book Sale We can take delivery of these at the Library during our usual operating hours. Contact Views: 0
Newsletter – October 2023
01/10/2023
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In this issue learn about: Rosemary’s Library New Releases and Recommendations | Spring Book Sale | BMI Events | Tours | Twilight Talks 2024 | BMI Snipits from Rex Bridges | From the Curator | Author Talks | Victorian Seniors Festival – BMI | Ballarat Film Society | BMI Fundraisers | Fashion Parade | Golf Day | Melbourne Food & Wine Festival | Awards nominations | Past Truths/Bright Futures | Conservation Prof. Barry Golding
Past Truths/Bright Futures
30/09/2023
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An evening of history and hope with local historian Dr Marguerita Stephens and local documentary film-maker James Freemantle. More Event Listing The Years of Terror, Banbu-Deen: Kelin and Colonists at Prot Philip 1835-1851 | Marguerita Stephens with Fay Stewart-Muir Film-maker James Freemantle, with Narrator, Deborah Mailman. Views: 0
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