Skip to main content

Santa Ana Kiwanis 90 yrs. Strong


The Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana has an outstanding monthly bulletin. It's full of news, projects, planning, and sometimes even a column by Amazing Clint.  Because it is such a good communicator I want to use it to start a converstation about membership. Churches, Service Clubs and other Non-profit charitible organizations have experienced membership problems recently. Their influence has gradually eroded and for some the result is not good. The reasons why this is happening are not crystal clear but there is one characteristic that appears common to the problem: 

A DECLINE IN RELEVANCE.

Such organizations usually have  dwindling but committed core of ageing members. As they get older they find it increasingly difficult to participate and contribute, and  realize that their organization is not attracting new and younger members, and at some point they find themselves with a serious membership problem. 


IT'S AN OLD PROBLEM
I read somewhere that when Plato founded his academy (about 387 BC) it encouraged in the broadest possible way the intellectual pursuit of politics, philosophy, religion and science. When Plato died his student Aristotle  continued as head of the Academy and continued it's work. Ultimately the collected works Plato and his successors formed the basis of modern philosophical thought. You probably wonder why I've included this little paragraph.

Plato's work developed encouraged a close relationship between Religion and the Sciences.  It gained strength during the dark ages and reached a high point during the middle ages. Interestingly, though distinctly separate, church and state worked together. The dominant Catholic church was very powerful.  Any head of state that dared disobey papal directives risked excommunication, seizure of properties, confiscation of wealth or worse. He (or she) also faced the attack of enemies fired with the "love of God" and the promise of wealth and  power once the "enemy of the church" had been crushed.

Something is familiar there isn't it?

At some time point prior to the dark ages, science had been introduced through religion. The main alchemist's objective was the changing of base metals into gold.  The objective of Religion at that time became the improvement of man. The church with it's  monasteries and other institutions provided the centers of learning and research. A very few  individuals were supported by the royal courts of the time, who in turn were generally under the close influence of the church.

Time passed and three things happened that changed the balance between Church and State. They were:
  • The Reformation (1517)
  • The French Revolution (1789-99)
  • The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850)
**************************
I've not finished this and yes there is a point. I'm just having trouble getting to it. 11-01-10

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Blackwater Mercenaries

Over some years the name Blackwater shows  up in the news. It is, by their own estimation, the largest mercenary group in the world. I think I first noticed it when reports from Iraq mentioned they were employed (by whom?) to escort and protect members of the Iraqi government from place to place. Then I became aware that they had joined several of the firefights between our marines and Iraqi enemies. I wondered just how these mercenaries (that supposedly came from the United States) were  hired by someone (who?) to fight? That led to the question of just who would be responsible if a situation involved the accidental killing of an innocent bystander? It  might be a little sticky for an unauthorised mercenary contracted by the United States but not a member of our military forces.  Or suppose a Blackwater type killed a military Iraqi combatant and was then captured by the enemy. Would he be treated as a spy, or as a American combatant, or whatelse...
18 comments
Read more

Gloves Off

. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS BETRAYED OUR TRUST AGAIN. Whether we are Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, makes no difference at all. Our legislators voted according to "what's best for them". It was clear that the people want to reduce the costs and improve access to our overall health care system. It was also VERY CLEAR that they did not want the 2000 page legislative monstrosity that was produced by a small number of far left liberal Democrats, who worked behind closed doors to fashion a pork filled blunderbuss that virtually no one has been able to read, or discuss, or debate, or offer alternatives to specific unreasoned clauses. It is (now) a BAD BILL , passed by BAD POLITICIANS, that compose a BAD MINORITY segment of America's out-of-control government. AND WE HAVE NO LOGICAL WAY TO PAY FOR IT EITHER. The far left liberals like to point at  SOCIAL SECURITY   as a text book success. They are wrong and will not admit it despi...
20 comments
Read more

Peter Arnett Visits The Geezers

PETER ARNETT 7-22-2010 Yesterday our guest at the  Geezer's Book Club meeting was the intrepid journalist, Peter Arnett.  Ray Herndon, one of our regular members, has known Peter Arnett for over  40 years. They were friendly competitive reporters during the war in Viet Nam, and the friendship has survived several wars since.  Peter began speaking with an overview of his time in  Viet Nam, and then briefly related a few highlights of the first 1st and 2nd war in Iraq.  After taking a deep breath, Peter focused on the intended subject of the day, China and the Chinese people.   CHINA Peter is now teaching journalism at a college about 400 miles north of Hong Kong, near the Chinese coast. Peter is 76 years old, in good health, full of energy and enjoys his job as an educator. In that capacity he is able to travel unhindered (not everyone can) throughout China. He has personally observ...
14 comments
Read more