All Freethinkers CLUB Meetings and Events are held at:
On Top of the World Hobby Building Event Room
9125 SW 98th Street, Ocala 34481
2025 Sunday Meeting Dates:
January 5th and 19th
February 2nd and 16th
March 9th and 23rd
April 6th and 20th
May 4th and 18th
June 8th and 22nd
July 6th and 20th
August 3rd and 17th
September 7th and 21st
October 5th and 19th
Novermber 2nd and 16th
December 7th
PROGRAMS FOR JULY
SUNDAY JULY 6, 1-3 PM
OTOW HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM
UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE OF IRAN
We will take a video journey to Iran, a country in the news here every day. But what do we really know about the diverse Iranian people? The colorful history of ancient Persian culture? The country’s cities, geography, and economy? This is not a political video but a travelogue that will familiarize us with more than just the headlines. While we won’t solve any world problems, we will spend time after the video discussing our impressions.f
Please reply to FreethinkersFlorida@gmail.com with Program Committee in the subject line to advise if you are able to attend, and bring a freethinking friend with you! We know you have some great ideas! You do not need to volunteer to be part of the program committee to attend this meeting.
SUNDAY JULY 14, 6:30-8 PM
OTOW HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM
PROGRAM COMMITTEE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
As you may know, Allie Gore has transitioned out of the position of Program Committee Chair. We thank Allie for making great inroads on our programming, and we know that there is still lots of work to be done. Let's get together to talk about what is already set up on the schedule for the remainder of 2025 and what we need to consider for next year.
Brenda Foster has already volunteered to coordinate the program hosts for the remainder of this year and will handle the scheduling of hosts for 2026. Thanks, Brenda!
Suzanne Scheraga, a member of our Steering Committee, will be taking the lead on this to ensure that the program committee has the resources and support that it needs to be successful. This is a call to our general membership to see if there are others who are interested in working to keep our programs interesting and inspiring. Suzanne is planning a meeting for Monday evening, July 14, from 6:30-8:00 in the Hobby Building Event Room to kick off this organizational effort. Please check your calendar!
Some questions to be considered are:
1. Which of our programs so far this year have been most popular?
2. How important is the variety of formats -- discussion, video, open forum, presentation?
3. Would a brief survey of attendees be helpful?
4. What subjects that we haven't covered should we cover?
5. Do you have speakers that you recommend? Topics?
6. Should we be doing programs like Meet & Greet on Sundays or should that be a separate Monday meeting?
7. How important are field trips and volunteer opportunities?
8. And so many more questions and suggestions that we know you have...
Please reply to FreethinkersFlorida@gmail.com with Program Committee in the subject line to advise if you are able to attend, and bring a freethinking friend with you! We know you have some great ideas! You do not need to volunteer to be part of the program committee to attend this meeting.
SUNDAY JULY 20, 1-3 PM
OTOW HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM
LIBRARIANS SPEAK OUT
SUNDAY JULY 20, 6:30-8 PM
OTOW HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM
LIBRARIANS SPEAK OUT
Mary Thompson, Branch Supervisor for the local Freedom Library, has been with the Marion County Public Library System since January 2018. She is a UF grad with a BA in Sociology and earned an MA in Library and Information Science from USF. As a former middle school teacher and coordinator for SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco), Mary is in a unique position to be able to evaluate governmental limitations on book availability to adolescents and as well as adults, and discuss how librarians are coping with new rules and banned books. Additionally, the Freedom Library’s expansion is underway, and it will triple the size of the original building. Libraries are not just for books anymore, so she will be able to fill us in on new programs and available resources. Time to get a library card if you don’t have one! Thanks to Freethinker (and Freedom Library volunteer) Pat MacMurray for arranging this presentation.
MONDAY JULY 21, 6:30-8 PM
OTOW HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM
OPEN FORUM INPUT MEETING
We are planning a round table meeting open to all Freethinkers at our usual meeting place in the Event Room in the Hobby Building. The subject of this round table is facilitating at Open Forums. We want to discuss what the facilitator's role is and how to fulfill that role. What do our participants want in this regard? What topics would you like to explore?
For those who have not yet attended an Open Forum, typically there are 5-6 tables, each with its own topic, where you can choose the one that is most interesting to you and then discuss the subject in a smaller group. General questions are provided to get the discussion off to a good start.
This is not a training session nor is there any commitment to facilitate. Just an opportunity for us to get feedback on the Open Forums so we can offer more interesting and better organized programs. If members learn a little bit about facilitating so much the better. Please plan on attending. Your input is important!
Please RSVP by replying to FreethinkersFlorida@gmail.com with Open Forum in the subject line. If you are away this summer but would like to provide some ideas for topics or ways we can streamline the groups, feel free to respond as well.
We hope you will come help us out with the open forums by giving us your input because our Freethinkers group belongs to all of us.
GOOD NEWS FOR OUT OF OTOW PARTICIPANTS
As you know, as a club governed by OTOW rules and regulations, Freethinkers is able to permit individuals who live outside of OTOW Central/Candler and those who live in Weybourne and Indigo without a gateway pass to participate in our group. We must, however, collect a standard fee for facility use.
Because of the way we are billed by OTOW, we project that we will have enough money in our account to cover gate fees for the remainder of the year. So beginning with our next meeting on July 6 out of OTOW fees will be waived until the first meeting in January 2026. This is the same procedure we followed last year. Please continue to sign in as Out of OTOW/No Gateway Pass because we are still required to submit a list of names each month, but no fee will be due.
LOOKING AHEAD
On August 3, Dr. Rod Broker will present God Talk: Thoughts and Theories on the Origin of Religion. Where, when and how did religion begin? What role did it play and what purpose did it serve?
And Open Forum returns on August 17. Six tables, six different topics. Topics and questions to start the discussion will be in the Freethinkers August Newsletter so that you can decide which table is for you.
t's time for Speed Meeting (like Speed Dating, but without the Dating part). Spend five minutes with ten someones you see regularly but don't really know —you might have a hobby, a Master the Possibilities class, or favorite local restaurant in common. It's a great way to connect with other Freethinkers on another level, and maybe even set up a coffee get-together at Sid's. It's easier than you think!
SUNDAY JULY 20, 1-3PM
HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM
LIBRARIANS SPEAK OUT
Thanks to Freethinker Pat MacMurray who is Freedom Library's most dedicated volunteer, a librarian or two from the Marion County Public Library System will be on hand to discuss our closest public library's growth and new building expansion, library programs (it's just not books anymore!), and, of great importance to Freethinkers, how librarians are dealing with the push toward banning books. Bring your questions...library card not required, but you might be prompted to get one!
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