[news] Not just chess: Atheists are organizing high school clubs, too

source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/not-just-chess-atheists-are-organizing-high-school-clubs-too/2012/06/29/gJQAaBPmBW_story.html


High school kids can join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Jewish Student Union, the Muslim Students Association and, in some schools, a Hindu or a Buddhist club.
Now they can join the young atheists club, too.
In another sign of the emergence of nonbelievers in American society, the Secular Student Alliance, a national organization of more than 300 college-based clubs for atheists, humanists, agnostics and other "freethinkers," is helping to establish clubs for high school students to hang out with other teens who share their skepticism about the supernatural.
"I am hoping that atheist students having their clubs and religious students having their clubs will promote dialogue," said JT Eberhard, director of SSA's high school program. "I also hope it will let the atheist students know that you can be an atheist and its okay. You are still a good person. We want to say: Here is a place where you can feel that."
There were about a dozen such clubs at the beginning of the 2011-2012 academic school year, a figure that rose to 39 in 17 states by summer break. The clubs are student-led, with SSA providing information and guidance only upon a student's request.
Some clubs are in states with high levels of "nones" — people who claim no religious affiliation — such as New York, Washington and California. But some are in the buckle of the Bible Belt: North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas all have at least one high school with a club for atheists.
And more are forming. Students at 73 different high schools have requested "starter kits" since January of this year, according to SSA.
Eberhard attributes the growing interest in atheism among high school students to several factors, including disenchantment with organized religion amid recent scandals and the rise of the Internet, which gives young doubters a safe forum to ask questions.
Two recent studies show religious doubt rising among "Millennials," those Americans born after 1980. In April, the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life reported 68 percent of Millennials "never doubt the existence of God," down 15 points since 2007. And in June, the Public Religion Research Institute found that one in four Millennials report no religious affiliation.
Still, launching an atheist club is not always a smooth process. Some sail through a school's approval process once they have met the school's criteria, which usually means obtaining a faculty sponsor and demonstrating student interest.
Trevor Lynn, 17, said he faced no administrative resistance when he started an atheist club at his Eureka, Calif., high school in 2010.
"The administration of our school really prides itself on being able to have a club for everybody," Lynn said. "They saw no reason to stop us."
Now, his group — about seven members — meets to discuss philosophy and ethics and stage special events. In September, the club will host joint lectures on evolution and creationism by a prominent freethought author and a local pastor.
"I think it is important, especially in high school where people are coming into their own beliefs, that we have a space where people can feel kind of secure in their nonbelief and have a meeting where they know there are other people like them," Lynn said. "That is the big reason I started the club."
Others have a harder time.
Administrators at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Fla. rejected an atheist club twice on the grounds it was "too controversial." Students at another Florida high school were told by administrators that no religious clubs were permitted — despite the existence of a school Christian club. And at Houston's La Porte High School, the principal denied students the use of the word "atheist" because "it could disrupt the educational process."
In these cases, Eberhard usually calls administrators and reminds them that the Equal Access Act gives the the students the right to form a club.
That law says if a federally funded secondary school permits even one extracurricular club, it must permit them all, providing "equal access" to school property. It was passed in 1984 with the support of religious groups who wanted to establish after-school Bible clubs.
"The irony is that same act allows secular students a place in the classroom for their club," Eberhard said.
Others are more measured in their support. Dave Rahn, chief ministry officer for Youth For Christ/USA, said a pluralistic society means his group, which oversees 1,100 middle and high school clubs, "will often co-exist on campus with groups promoting worldviews with which we simply disagree."
"When we faithfully communicate the truth of the gospel we expect it will be fruitful among young people, no matter what other ideas compete for their allegiance," he said.
Steve Gerali, dean of the theology department at Grand Canyon University and an expert on ministry to youth, said he is concerned that some administrators favor nonreligious clubs over religious ones.
"My perception is that an atheistic club is a little bit more welcomed than a Christian club," he said. "I think administrators need to understand that to speak about no God is
similar to speaking about a God. So it is, in fact, a religion even though it is anti-religion."
Not so, said Robert-Cole Evans, 16, who started an atheist club at his Spring Branch, Texas, high school. His group includes Christians, who, like many members of his club, are interested in discussing matters of belief.
At a recent fundraiser, Evans said, a woman approached him and asked if he was a Christian. When he said no, he was an atheist, she said that was "OK" because "it was good to see kids with energy and passion for what they care about."
"You can't say anyone is amoral or evil until you have talked with them," Evans said.
Copyright: For copyright information, please check with the distributor of this item, Religion News Service LLC. 

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[news] Indian atheists seek recognition in the land of a million gods

source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Indian-atheists-seek-recognition-in-the-land-of-a-million-gods/articleshow/14527853.cms 

NEW DELHI: Question 7 in the 2011 Indiacensus form asked respondents to disclose their religion and if it fell in the list of six major religions, then write a corresponding code. Most atheists and agnostics found this to be a closed question that compelled a religious response.

Though the union ministry of statistics and programme implementation had asked enumerators to record 'no religion' for the respondents who said so, yet technically, only the coded answers in the Indian census form were tabulated as classifiable data. In this scheme of things, a lot of minor or tribal religions as well as atheists and agnostics got lumped together in an unclassifiable category of 'Others'. In the 2001 Census, 0.1% (727,588 people) were reported as 'Religion not stated' and 0.6% as 'Others'. Neither categories logically accommodate atheists.

As far as administrative data goes, the state requires an enumeration of people born under certain communities and does not concern itself with individual beliefs. However, the complete lack of any official data regarding the number of atheists poses a larger concern. As Akshat Rathi, a doctoral student at Oxford University, UK, asks, "Given that the government doesn't do the job of counting atheists, who does?"

In most other countries, academic research and government funded social surveys is what estimates the number of atheists. "Unlike other countries, religion has a great political and social bearing in India," said Raghu De Souza, an atheist.

Tarika Seth, a student of sociology at Lady Sri Ram College says, "As a secular country, India ought to officially recognize its atheists . But the lack of data can be a hurdle for sociologists who want to do a demographic survey or carry out any research on atheists."

Legally, atheism is a grey area. Recently, Shrirang Balwant Khambete, a practicing advocate, pleaded in a Thane sessions court that he wished to abandon all religious beliefs and be declared non-religious. His plea was struck down by Justice SS Todkar who said that though being non- religious is a personal choice, should the court sanction it legally, it could complicate matters for his family members as after his death, they would be caught in a legal trap on several issues like heir to the property or rituals etc.

While apostasy (renouncing religion) is allowed under the right to freedom of religion and the Special Marriages Act of 1954 allows the marriage of people with no religious beliefs and non-religious and non-ritualistic marriages, there are no specific laws catering to atheists and they are largely considered as belonging to their religion of birth and caste for administrative purposes.

This casual approach of the state, atheists say, is deplorable. Most of them feel very uncomfortable filling official forms, like hospital and gratuity forms, that require them to mention their religion. "Part of this discomfort stems from not being considered a 'serious category' in a country that celebrates religion like no other. Official recognition would go a long way in letting society know that atheism is not a 'phase' but an alternative way of life," said Debarati Roy, a research scholar and sociologist.

Challenging as it may seem, but the idea of an alternative way of life drove a group of young Indian atheists to set up Nirmukta, an organization dedicated to promoting science, free thought and secular humanism in India. Nirmukta, to begin with, was founded as a website in 2008 but as of today, it is a national organization with regional groups in eight major Indian cities ."As atheists, we want to promote a naturalistic and scientific life philosophy as a moral and fulfilling alternative to religion and blind faith. But officially, we need to be acknowledged as people without any religion. We insist that all forms should carry the category of 'No-religion' instead of pigeon-holing people into some sort of religion," said Lalit Mohan Chawla, one of the Nirmuktaadministrators.

"In our society, children are labelled as a Hindu child, Muslim child etc. without realising that they are just children born to Hindu or Muslim parents. It is a form of child abuse," he added.

Socially, atheism is still seen as unacceptable by many. "Some Census takers refused to record 'atheism' as an answer; some wrote down a religion corresponding to the person's surname. When I insisted that he put down 'atheist', my census taker left it blank and said sir baad mein bhar denge (Sir, will fill it up later)," said Debarati Roy.

Nirmukta administrators said, "This prejudice prevents many people from openly coming out as atheists. We hope to create a climate where people can easily profess atheism without getting a raised eyebrow in response. Most of us who have 'come out' are assumed to be either too conceited to believe in god, or rebels who just want attention, or some pitiful people who lost someone close and lost their faith." 

The 10,000 member strong Indian Atheists community, the activist wing of Nirmukta, onFacebook has members engaging in active debate. Elsewhere on the web, there exists an exclusive atheist matrimonial website. There has been a great output of atheistic literature where writers adopt a critical stance against most practicing Indian religions. Bertrand Russell's Why I'm Not A Christian has inspired Ramendra Nath's Why I'm Not A Hindu. Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion has been translated into Malayalam as Nasthikanaya Daivam by Ravichandran.

While the niche that Indian atheists are creating for themselves in society can be seen as a positive sign of a free-thinking culture, a large number of Indian theists feel atheism is an insult to the agency of god and the rich religious tradition of India. "I find the concept difficult to accept. How can you put anything above the existence of God and call it humanism? Humanity wouldn't have existed without God!" said Radha Maheswari, a school teacher.

Debarati Roy said, "While belief in god and/or religion is a matter of personal belief, and everyone is guaranteed that freedom as a fundamental right, religion is such a sensitive issue in India that atheists debunking popular religious notions can be met with a lot of resistance. However, social acceptance and government recognition for atheists seem like a requisite for a secular state." 

Read More :- "[news] Indian atheists seek recognition in the land of a million gods"

[news] FSU embraces diverse religious - and nonreligious - beliefs

source:

http://www.fsunews.com/article/20120629/FSVIEW/120629012/FSU-embraces-diverse-religious-nonreligious-beliefs?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7Cfrontpage 

If you walk through Florida State's campus, it's likely you'll see church groups handing out fliers to passersby, students joining hands in prayer or maybe the occasional student meditating on Landis Green.

You might see advertisements for the Muslim Student Association or the Freethinkers scrawled out in chalk along the sidewalks or hear the sound of Christian music outside of Moore Auditorium during an Illuminate meeting.

And if you're one for speculation, you might begin to wonder, among the fusion of so many perspectives, what the state of faith is at FSU.

According to the results of a survey released earlier this month by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans 30 and younger who foster some doubt about the existence of God is quickly increasing.

The study found that while most American Millennials—the generation born into the twenty-first century—still claim to never doubt God exists, the number has decreased from 83 percent to 68 percent, a 15 percent decrease since the last time the survey was conducted in 2007.

The survey was part of the Pew Research Center's 2012 American Values Survey, a study conducted every five years that focuses on American attitudes concerning a range of subjects from political partisanship to religious beliefs to moral issues such as gay marriage and abortion.

The rise in skepticism among young people has sparked movements and campaigns nationwide, including the formation of a number of student organizations at colleges and universities, such as Florida State's own Freethinkers.

The Freethinkers, an affiliate of the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry on Campus, describe themselves as "a student group of atheists, agnostics, humanists, skeptics, and many more."

John Paul Kulcan, a member of the Freethinkers and a self-described atheist, said he attributes the increase in skepticism among Millennials to new developments in science and technology, which Kulcan claims promotes skepticism and the search for empirical knowledge.

"The Millennials are really the first generation to come of age under the full influence of science and technology," Kulcan said. "We have things like internet forums to discuss our beliefs and to encourage doubt rather than blind acceptance. Science has found natural explanations for things like thunder, so there's no longer a reason to attribute it to a god. I think this definitely leads people to question their beliefs."

While the number of Millennials who doubt the existence of God may be on the rise, many young people and students continue to maintain faith. Among these individuals is Emily Singer, a sophomore at FSU and a member of the Florida State Wesley Foundation, a campus ministry backed by the United Methodist Church. Singer said while many young people may drift toward skepticism, she feels her belief in God has helped her find order in an otherwise hectic life.

"College is a really turbulent but exciting time in a lot of people's lives and we're exposed to so many new ideas, it's not always easy maintaining faith," Singer said. "But I've met so many great people through a mutual belief in God and the idea that there's something greater to the universe, it's really given me a sense of structure and order in my life, especially when life seems too chaotic and fast-paced."

FSU religion professor, Amanda Porterfield, however, said she believes the growth in doubt in God's existence stems from the rise of increasingly vocal religious diehards and fundamentalists.

"Media and technology have grown exponentially in the recent years, and it provides people with a new outlet to share ideas," Porterfield said. "With these new outlets we've seen religious extremists preach rigid models of faith, religion, God and the like. I think a lot of young people see these fundamentalists and are often turned off by the idea of religious faith, and it leads them to doubt faith in God."

Despite the increase in doubt, Porterfield said she views the modern day not as the most skeptical period in American history, but as what she calls a "wave of doubt."

"A lot of people will say the United States has always been a very religious nation, and whereas that may be true now, that doesn't necessarily hold true throughout all of U.S. history," said Porterfield. "Rather, our country has gone in and out of periods of belief and skepticism. The past several decades have been mainly times of faith, and right now it looks like we're moving back to disbelief. It doesn't mean that this skepticism is permanent."

Still, the 15 percent drop in Millennials who don't question God's existence presents a new reality that hasn't been seen since the Pew Research Center began conducting its American Values Survey in 1987, prompting many to question the future of religion and faith in American society.

"I don't think it can be said that we're witnessing a so-called 'end to religion' and the idea of God," Porterfield said. "Rather, I think we might be seeing a drift away from organized religion to a more personalized and intimate belief in God. Just because some individuals have doubted a belief in God's existence in the past doesn't mean they don't believe. We live in a society that values individualism, and I think we're seeing that principle move into the realm of faith."

Read More :- "[news] FSU embraces diverse religious - and nonreligious - beliefs"

[news] Atheist billboard takes on Catholic bishops in Texas

source:

http://www.examiner.com/article/atheist-billboard-takes-on-catholic-bishops-texas 

"Quit the Church" says the large billboard alongside Interstate 30 east of Highway 360 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "Put women's rights over Bishops' wrongs." The 14x48 foot billboard was erected by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.-based state/church watchdog with 18,500 nonreligious members nationwide, including about 860 in Texas. It's part of their answer to the Catholic Church's June 21st to July 4th "Fortnight for Freedom" campaign, a multi-million dollar "political inquisition," as FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor calls it, designed to pressure the Obama administration into rescinding that part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that, with the exception of churches themselves, requires religiously affiliated institutions such as hospitals and schools (along with every other employer in the country) to offer employees the option of contraceptive care in their insurance policies. The Church's position is that requiring them to provide such a choice to their employees is an infringement against their (the Church's) religious freedom. Dozens of Catholic dioceses have filed lawsuits against the HHS mandate because of it; the dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth among them.

That was, in fact, the reason the FFRF chose the Interstate 30 location. The billboard will remain up for a month. It's having an effect in the Dallas-Fort Worth area too, as you can see in the Fox video link from a June 30 article on Huffington Post).

Dallas diocese employee Annette Gonzales Taylor statedthat, "the women we have heard from today, the callers have said that they were offended, they were insulted, they were angry, all of those emotions."

Speaking about the FFRF, Taylor said, "we're very offended that an entity that has no knowledge, no understanding of the Church would erect a billboard of this nature."

Whether or not that's true, the FFRF does think they understand the meaning of religious freedom and the nature of the Church's problem with the HHS healthcare mandate. Here's the contents of a 30 second TV spot they recorded that features comedienne/actress/playwright Julia Sweeney:

"Hi, I'm Julia Sweeney, and I'm a cultural Catholic. I am no longer a believer and I even wrote a play about it called "Letting Go of God." But I wanted to let you know that right now Catholic bishops are framing their opposition to contraceptive coverage as a religious freedom issue. But the real threat to freedom is the bishops, who want to be free to force their dogma on people who don't want it. Please join the Freedom From Religion Foundation and help keep church and state separate.."

The ad will be played over a large variety of national television stations through July 4th.

n new ones are published.

Read More :- "[news] Atheist billboard takes on Catholic bishops in Texas"

[SCOW] ChaNNels, June 2012

Hello members, I hope you are enjoying the summer... and the heat!

Attached is the June issue of our club newsletter, ChaNNels. Read about what our club and members have been up to.

This month features the state of SCOW as reported by Commodore Chris McGraw and the latest Chart Desk by Skipper Director Jonathan Thron (this will make you stop and think!). Also, many thanks to Thomas Vaughan, our training director, for his story of a blue water delivery experience.

All members are encouraged to share your experiences, pictures and helpful web links that you may stumble upon. (See page 2 for a great link from Richard!) Your contributions help make ChaNNels a more interesting and valuable monthly. Please send me your content, editor@scow.org.

Enjoy your Fourth of July celebrations, and be safe!

Barbara.

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Re: [SCOW] Volunteer needed

Chris, 

I in fact have experience in such roles and would be happy to do the job. I am interested to learn more so let me know the next steps. 

Thanks, 

Joe Bonanni

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 29, 2012, at 9:14 PM, Chris McGraw <chrislmcgraw@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi friends!

Are you good at accepting checks, depositing them in the bank, and writing checks to reimburse SCOW volunteers? Well, we need your help! SCOW has awesome volunteers to make our club run and we have a really nice board, but we are missing one position: a Treasurer. Let me know if you might be interested in helping.

Cheers and fair winds,

Chris

Chris McGraw

202 455-8256

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[SCOW] Volunteer needed

Hi friends!

Are you good at accepting checks, depositing them in the bank, and writing checks to reimburse SCOW volunteers? Well, we need your help! SCOW has awesome volunteers to make our club run and we have a really nice board, but we are missing one position: a Treasurer. Let me know if you might be interested in helping.

Cheers and fair winds,

Chris

Chris McGraw

202 455-8256

Read More :- "[SCOW] Volunteer needed"

[SCOW] The dawn sail is full! Thanks!

Vana on Bali Dancer

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 29, 2012, at 4:49 PM, kevin longenbach <kflongenbach@gmail.com> wrote:

The crew has been filled. Thanks to all of  you who responded. 

 
Regards

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kflongenbach@gmail.com

571-309-6705

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Read More :- "[SCOW] The dawn sail is full! Thanks!"

[SCOW] Dawn sail tomorrow anyone?

Need two crew for Bali Dancer from 5 am to 9 am tomorrow sat WSM before the heat and the crowds show up. Vana
Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 29, 2012, at 4:49 PM, kevin longenbach <kflongenbach@gmail.com> wrote:

The crew has been filled. Thanks to all of  you who responded. 

 
Regards

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kflongenbach@gmail.com

571-309-6705

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[SCOW] Crew Closed for National Harbor Fireworks cruise

The crew has been filled. Thanks to all of  you who responded. 

 
Regards

--
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kflongenbach@gmail.com

571-309-6705

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[SCOW] Crew Call- Saturday night Fireworks cruise to National Harbor

I have Rebecca reserved for this coming saturday evening with the thought of sailing down to national harbor to watch the  fire works show at 9:30 ( and either tie up at the docks or just drop anchor). There appears to be a day long fesitval going on as well with live music etc.http://nationalharbor.com/?s=FIREWORKS

 

Tentative schedule

Leave marina between 6:30 and 7:00pm for some sailing fun on the way down to national harbor.

watch fire works sceduled for 9:30

Head back to marina 10:00pm - 10:30

Return to marina, stow boat and head home by 11:30

 

5 crew spots open ( at least two individuals with some sailing experience required

 

Please drop me a line or give me a call if you are interested. 

 

Regards

Kevin L
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kflongenbach@gmail.com

571-309-6705

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[SCOW] Selling One of our Cruisers

Spread the word; SCOW is selling a Catalina 25

SCOW has decided to put one of our cruisers, Topaz, a 1983
Catalina 25 up for sale. The NADA List Price for a 1983 Catalina 25 is
$7,070 (boat) + $1,095 (motor) = $8,165. Topaz has a roller-furling
headsail, a mainsail and mainsail cover, depth finder, VHF, Stove and
dual batteries. So, if you are interested in owning your own Catalina
25, let me or one of the club's Executive Board members know.

Fair Winds,
Tom Vandenbosche
202-609-9844

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[SCOW] 2012 Cantina Cup

Hi sailors!

For those of you wanting to participate in this year's Cantina Cup the Notice of the Race is now out and available.  See the text below and attached.  You can join a fun regatta and support a good community sailing mission.

Here's a video of some of the Cantina Cup races from last year in which you can see some cool unidentified guys from SCOW who took home the cup last year in the non-spin keelboats. (It's at minute 2:50). 

http://vimeo.com/29974261

Cheers!

Chris

Commodore Chris McGraw

Sailing Club of Washington

Join @ www.scow.org

Get the email burst

(202) 455-8256

 

The Fifth Annual Cantina Cup
August 11, 2012
Washington Channel, Washington DC

NOTICE OF RACE

 

1. RULES

1.1  The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 2009-2012.

1.2  Appendix S, Sound-Signal Starting System, of the RRS will be used for Flying Junior and Laser fleets. The 5 minute flag sequence will be used for PHRF spin, PHRF non-spin, Lightning and Flying Scot fleets in addition to one-design fleets. PHRF boats will be using DISC North Course.

 

2. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY

2.1  The regatta is open to all DC Sail members and non-members.

2.2  The regatta is open to DC Sail owned Flying Junior (2 people) and Flying Scot (3-4 people).

2.3  The regatta is open to all boats carrying a PHRF certificate, and all non-DC Sail-owned one-design fleets in the following classes: Lightning, Flying Junior, Laser and Flying Scot.

2.4  Classes of fewer than 5 boats maybe combined with another class.

2.5  All participants must register online prior to the day of the race to be eligible to race.

 

3. FEES

3.1  Racers using DC Sail boats must pay a $50 boat usage fee. Racers using their own boats are encouraged to make a $20 minimum donation. All participants, including those using non-DC Sail boats, must pay a $20 entry fee per person. This fee permits entry to the Cantina Cup After Party at Cantina Marina.

3.2  All racer entry fees include one ticket to after party. All DC Sail boat usage fees include breakfast and lunch.

 

4. SCHEDULE

4.1  Registration: Participants should register prior to the regatta by filling out the form available at http://dcsail.org/register-to-race

4.2  A Skippers meeting will occur on Friday, August 10 from 6-8 pm at the DC Sail facilities, 600 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024.

4.3  Racing will occur on August 11, 2011 from 10:00 am EST to no later than 4:00 pm EST. Raindate will be Sunday, August 12, 2012 from 10:00 am EST to no later than 4:00 pm EST.

4.4  An After Party / Awards Ceremony will take place at 5:00 pm EST at Cantina Marina.

 

5. VENUE

5.1  The racing will take place in the Washington Channel and Potomac River.

5.2  An after party will take place at Cantina Marina.

5.3  Space is available for boats that want to dock at Gangplank Marina for the After Party.

 

6. THE COURSES

6.1  The courses to be sailed by FJ, Laser, Flying Scot fleets will be selected by the race committee from the following: Modified Olympic, Modified Windward-Leeward and a Modified Triangle.

6.2  The PHRF course to be sailed will follow DISC's North Course.

6.3  Refer to the Sailing Instructions for official course description.

6.4  Sailing Instructions will be available during the Skipper's Meeting.

 

7. PENALTY SYSTEM

7.1  For one-design classes, Rule 44.2 may be changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty.

 

8. SCORING

8.1  The Low-Point Scoring System will be used.

8.2  No races will be excluded from scoring.

 

9. PRIZES

9.1  Trophy awards will be given to the winner of each participating class in addition to a Top Female Skipper Award, a Rookie Cup, and a Broken Tiller Award.

 

10. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See Rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta.

 

11. FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information please contact:

Emily Rodegast (erodegast@dcsail.org) for Registration

Brian McNally (bmcnally@dcsail.org) for General Information

Nicole Didyk (ntdidyk@gmail.com) for Race Details

 

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Read More :- "[SCOW] 2012 Cantina Cup"

[Unicum] Pet/House sitting

Dear Members:

I'm a single, 35 year old Hungarian lady with lots of pet sitting experience. I offer pet/house sitting services (either to sleep over or visit within 5-8 miles from zip code 20818), short or long term does not matter.

I do have a day time job in downtown Bethesda, M-F 9-5 and live in Cabin John (close to Glen Echo Park, off MacArthur Boulevard).

I have a medium size, non-shedding, non-barking, housebroken dog, low-key, 8 years old (Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier); depending on your dog, I may or may not take him with me.

Please spread the word.

Thank you very much.

PS: I speak Hungarian :)

Szilvia Mongelos
szilviatakacs@hotmail.com
Cell: 301-250-8922

Read More :- "[Unicum] Pet/House sitting"

[Unicum] munka keresés

Felvidéki származású, Budapesten tanuló egyetemi hallgató lány vendégem ittléte alatt (augusztus közepéig) szívesen vállal gyermek vagy idős gondozást tömegközlekedéssel megközelíthető helyen. Némi angol tudással is rendelkezik és szociális munkában, családvédelemben van gyakorlata.

 
Elérhetősége: klarcsi2@gmail.com

 

Read More :- "[Unicum] munka keresés"

[SCOW] Watch the America's Cup this Sunday!

Hi friends,
Thought you might like to watch some great America's Cup sailing this Sunday at 2:30 on NBC! I haven't seen yet, but I bet our friend Gary Jobson will be commentator.

Chris

AMERICA'S CUP WORLD SERIES FINALE COMES TO NBC
The decisive final day of dramatic racing at the America's Cup World Series Newport will be shown coast to coast in the USA on NBC television on July 1, signaling the return of live America's Cup racing to network television in the United States for the first time in 20 years.

The final day of racing on Sunday will determine not just the winner of the Newport event, but will also decide the 2011-12 AC World Series Championship. Currently, ORACLE TEAM USA's Jimmy Spithill holds a narrow four-point lead in the overall series.

Televised action, including both the match racing and fleet racing finals, is scheduled to start at 14.30 EDT on Sunday July 1st. The 90-minute program will be available across the United States on the main NBC network.

Championship Racing in the AC World Series in Newport consists of four full days of match and fleet racing from June 28-July 1 with the AC Village in Newport open from June 23 through July 1.

In the Newport area, NBC 10, the AC World Series Newport Official Television Partner, will bring viewers special programing, including a showing on June 23 of America's Cup Uncovered followed by a live special, 'America's Cup: The Races Return'. This live special will touch on the history of the America's Cup races in Newport since 1983, preview the races and let local fans know how they can enjoy the Newport event, on TV and on web and mobile platforms. Me-TV, the digital tier station of NBC 10, will be showing live racing on Thursday June 28 to Saturday June 30, before NBC takes over on Sunday July 1.

Coverage is also available live and on-demand worldwide on YouTube.com/AmericasCup, subject to territorial broadcast agreements. In the United States, the broadcast agreement with NBC means there will be no live coverage on Sunday July 1 on YouTube. Replays, highlights and on-demand are unaffected however and will be available on YouTube in the USA throughout all four days of the AC World Series in Newport.

Eight crews from six countries are competing in the 2011-12 AC World Series, including: Artemis Racing (Sweden), skipper Terry Hutchinson; Emirates Team New Zealand (New Zealand), skipper Dean Barker; Energy Team (France), helmsman Loïck Peyron; Luna Rossa Challenge (Italy), with two boats, helmsmen Chris Draper and Paul Campbell-James; ORACLE TEAM USA (USA) with two boats, skippers James Spithill and Russell Coutts; and Team Korea (Korea) with skipper Nathan Outteridge.

Chris

Commodore Chris McGraw

Sailing Club of Washington

Join @ www.scow.org

Get the email burst

(202) 455-8256

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Read More :- "[SCOW] Watch the America's Cup this Sunday!"

[SCOW] Racing Tonight

Thanks for those who showed up tonight for racing. It was fun.

 

 

One rule clarification, if you are sailing upwind, and you are getting near shallow water, and you must tack to avoid running aground, but there is another competing boat next to you preventing your tack, you can call for room to tack due to shallow water, and the other boat must tack and give you room to tack. Just give them warning you are reaching shallow water so they have time to get out of your way.

 

This situation we encounter all the time in our shallow cove.

 

 

Jim

Read More :- "[SCOW] Racing Tonight"

[SCOW] Racing Update

Hello,

 

If' winds settle down, we'll still attempt to race tonight. There is an SCA until 9 PM, but they are only calling for gusts up to 20. Right now it is gusting to 24, which is too much wind.

 

I will be there no matter what. If you decide to come down, we'll have to see that winds settle down below 20 before putting any boats in the water. If things go like last night, it will settle down a bit by 6  or 7 PM.

 

Sorry I can't be more definitive. I'd cancel, but then it might turn out to be a nice night, so come down if it's not too much trouble and at the worst, you'll get to watch the PRSA races off the docks in high winds.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

Read More :- "[SCOW] Racing Update"

[SCOW] Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Hauptman <gphauptman@yahoo.com>
To: discsailing <discsailing@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jun 27, 2012 10:44 am
Subject: Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning

Carl Schaefer (Cadence) sent us this valuable article about recognizing the signs of drowning.  (They may not be what you expect.) 

Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning

by Mario on May 3, 2010

in Boating Safety,Water Safety

Translations: – 汉语 - tiếng Việt – Español – Italiano -  Français – Português – română – Deutsch – Suomi – Svenska -  Čeština – Русско -Íslenska – Audio Version

The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. "I think he thinks you're drowning," the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. "We're fine, what is he doing?" she asked, a little annoyed. "We're fine!" the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. "Move!" he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, "Daddy!"

How did this captain know – from fifty feet away – what the father couldn't recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that's all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, "Daddy," she hadn't made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn't surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard's On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:

1. Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.
2. Drowning people's mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people's mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
3. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water's surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
4. Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
5. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people's bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

(Source: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006 (page 14))

This doesn't mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn't in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn't last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Not using legs – Vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder.

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK – don't be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don't look like they're drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, "Are you alright?" If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

(See a video of the Instinctive Drowning Response)

 

 

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Read More :- "[SCOW] Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning"

[SCOW] Flying Scot Racing Tonight 6 PM

Come to racing tonight. It looks to be a beautiful cool and dry (very rare) summer evening with 5 - 10 kts. The SCA is over at 6PM. We will put the boats in the water around 5:30 and have a brief skippers' meeting at 6. We will be racing in the cove, and I'll try to get off as many short course races as possible, to emphasize starting and close boat handling, and to exercise our knowledge of right of way rules. Racing in the cove will also be the usual assortment of PRSA boats (Lightnings, Buccaneers, Albacores and Lasers), so there will be no lack of excitement when it comes to close boat handling. Please come out, have a good time, learn, and of course be vigilant.

 

 

Jim (Substitituing for Deepak this week)

Read More :- "[SCOW] Flying Scot Racing Tonight 6 PM"

[Unicum] Hungarian Roma Ensemble ROMANO KOKALO at Fenton Street Market, Silver Spring Saturday June 30th and Smitshsonian Festival in DC Sunday July1st

Dear List Members,

Please find the invitation below to two events featuring Romano Kokalo with cimbalom (dulcimer) virtuoso Kalman Balogh, one in Silver Spring, the other one at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in DC.

1.      2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, July 30, in the Fenton Street Market of Silver Spring, Maryland, http://www.fentonstreetmarket.com/calendar/

 

2.      6 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 1, at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, http://www.festival.si.edu/visitor/evening.aspx

 

Kind regards,

Embassy of Hungary

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Silver Spring Town Center Inc and Fenton Street Market in collaboration with the  Smithsonian FolklifeFestival  proudly present ROMANO KOKALO! Join us for a special performance of Hungarian Roma Ensemble ROMANO KOKALO at the Fenton Street Market on Veterans Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring Saturday June 30th at 2.30pm!     Romano Kokalo Romano Kokalo unites the musical traditions of Eastern-Central European Romas. All the complexity is there while the passion adds up. Their performance is based on a regular Hungarian gypsy string band (violin, viola, cimbalom and double bass). The improvising and soloist strength of the musicians is expressed in every piece, be it on the double bass or the violin and particularly by Kálmán Balogh's phenomenal virtuoso mastery on the cimbalom. (Wikipedia)   They represent the authentic percussion and vocal style (mouth percussion and pounding on tin cans or anything at hand) and a rousing rendition of genuine harmony and solo vocals. The singers not only sing: they pour oil on the fire they light on stage....metaphorically speaking, of course. Any minute they jump to dance, or take a water can to give extra beat; a flamboyant accompaniment to the percussion, cimbalom and double bass. No wonder the show is explosive - it features musicians with a wide range of musical repertoire, who have played in the best Hungarian bands and have travelled all around the world.   The spirit of Hungary in the heart of Silver Spring:  See Romano Kokalo at Fenton Street Market on Veterans Plaza Saturday, June 30th at 2.30pm.  This is a FREE performance and everyone is welcome.   Some musical samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p00fJi1jgT8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzBwWexxCMM%20%20  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sWdB-XBwHQ&feature=related    Kalman Balogh   Kálmán Balogh is one of the foremost Hungarian cimbalom players, descending from a famous dynasty of Hungarian Gypsy musicians. His virtuosity is matched only by his understanding and respect of his heritage.. A graduate of Franz Liszt Academy of Music of Budapest, he completed his studies in 1980 under supervision of Ferenc Gerencsér[2]. Balogh has studied Gypsy music for many years in Europe and Asia. He has completed many successful tours throughout the world with various ensembles, including five tours through North America.. He has performed and toured with many of the best folk bands and has recorded dozens of albums with them and as a solo artist. He was a featured performer in numerous major European festivals and venues featuring Gypsy music. Balogh has performed on concerts in North America. He has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Austin Symphony and the Band, Oregon Festival Orchestra.   Balogh was musical director of the "Magneten Gypsy Show" of Andre Heller and also performed on a CD with the Budapest Festival Orchestra playing Brahms Hungarian Dances. In 1997, he performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra and also with the Miami Philharmonic Orchestra. On March 10-11 2010, Balogh presented his musical project The Other Europeans at the EU conference "Projects in Favour of Roma Culture", in Brussels, Belgium.      Also see ROMANO KOKALO perform live Sunday, July 1st at 6pm at The Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall.    The Folklife Festival is taking place June 27th - July 1st and July 4th - July 8th.    For more info on the Folklife Festival visit: http://www.festival.si.edu/.   The visit of Romano Kokalo is made possible by The Trust for Mutual Understanding The Embassy of Hungary in Washington DC, and The Balassi Institute - Hungarian Cultural Center n New York.   Fenton Street Market Every Saturday 10am-4pm at the corner of Fenton and Ellsworth in Downtown Silver Spring!   On Saturdays from May to October, the Fenton Street Market transforms Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring into a bustling marketplace full of crafts, antiques, fine art, imported goods from across the globe, and community programming ranging from English classes to local musical acts. The open-air market operates directly across the street from the  farmers market, so market-goers pick up locally-grown foods on one side of Fenton Street and locally-sourced wares on the other.   For more info, visit: www.fentonstreetmarket.com.

 

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Read More :- "[Unicum] Hungarian Roma Ensemble ROMANO KOKALO at Fenton Street Market, Silver Spring Saturday June 30th and Smitshsonian Festival in DC Sunday July1st"