DIRECTIONS VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:Directions: Q train to 7th Av station in Brooklyn; F train to 7th Av; 2 or 3 train to Grand Army Plaza; B69 bus to 2nd St; B75 bus to Prospect Park West; B41 or B71 bus to Grand Army Plaza; B67 bus to 2nd St. ____________________________________________________________________________
PLATFORMS
Sunday Platforms are a long-standing tradition within Ethical Culture to bring light and heat to matters of ethical concern in a formal setting. Every Sunday, platforms examine major ethical issues and explore the personal and social aspects of living an ethical life.unday Platforms are a long-standing tradition within Ethical Culture to bring light and heat to matters of ethical concern in a formal setting. Every Sunday, platforms examine major ethical issues and explore the personal and social aspects of living an ethical life.
Food Glorious Food!! We all need it to survive, so won't you please consider bringing a can or two of nourishing protein food (tuna, sardines, spam, beans), vegetables, fruit each week to Sunday Platform to help stock the Gethsemane Food Pantry? BSEC's Ethical Action Project for this season is to support the efforts of our sister congregation, The Church of Gethsemane, which is not only feeding their congregants - incarcerated and recently released folks and their families - but also neighbors in need. Thank you for joining this effort.
UPCOMING EVENTS @ BSEC
The Brooklyn Forum for Ethics & Justice An initiative of the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture 53 Prospect Park West bet. 1st and 2nd Streets 718.768.2972
By Car: Grand Army Plaza (intersection of Flatbush Avenue, Eastern Parkway, and Union Street) and turn South onto Prospect Park West. BSEC is on the right side of the street, six blocks down. By Public Transportation: 2 or 3 train to Grand Army Plaza , Q train to Seventh Avenue (and Flatbush Avenue), F train to Seventh Avenue (and Ninth Street) _________________________________________________________________
Both newcomers to BSEC and its members are welcome to join us for a lovely supper, complete with wine. Reverend Sekou will be our invited guest facilitator. This is an opportunity to mix, mingle and learn more about BSEC in a savory and friendly atmosphere, Please R.S.V.P. to Tasha 917 613 4207 or <tashapal@gmail.com>. We will provide child care if requested. _________________________________________________________
10AM Sunday Sharing Circle- ALL WELCOME! (both members and non-members of BSEC)We gather in a circle. in BSEC's library, and, through the process of go-arounds, share in turn around a chosen theme. Each participant may opt to pass when their turn comes. Circle is from 10-10:50 A.M. . The Sunday Sharing Circle provides an opportunity to develope connections in a supportive way.
Consultative Services Available Diane Kirschner, past BSEC President, board member and newsletter editor is also a skilled administrator, writer, organizer, and Humanist celebrant. She is available for consultative work in the arenas of organizational development, newsletter writing, ceremonies and office organization. Please contact her at kirschnerconsulting@gmail.com.
CONSTANCE FORTE PIGOZZI: HIGHLIGHTS OF A LIFE AS AN ETHICAL CULTURE HUMANIST BY JOAN DONNEN KLIPS Submitted 01/10/10
What would you say if I told you that BSEC has a longtime member who has worn many hats during her membership with us, including serving as President of the Board of Trustees for three terms, serving as Vice President and Treasurer of the Board, leading the Platform Committee, and being in charge of the music and musicians hired to play at Sunday Platforms? Impossible?
Well it isn’t. Let me introduce Constance Forte Pigozzi, a BSEC member since 1988, who has done all these activities and more! Over the years, Constance has been an opera singer, a teacher, an ardent feminist, and a volunteer at the Brooklyn Public Library, where for many years she has been reading to groups of pre-school children and conducting ESL groups for people from many countries.
You may wonder how Constance came to us with such well-developed leadership skills. When asked about this, she replies that she developed many of these skills in her years as an opera singer and a teacher. She had to develop patience and persistence especially in her career as an opera singer. That career spanned over 25 years, and though she was happy as a performer with opera companies for all those years, she decided it was time to retire from the stage, and get a college degree, and pursue a new career in teaching.
Again, Constance showed versatility in her interests, this time in her choice of teaching jobs. At first, she taught early childhood education. Then she branched out into bilingual education, teaching a newly arrived Italian-speaking population in the 1970’s. Finally, she expanded her teaching career into a more diverse ESL population. She retired from this career in 1987, after completing 16 years of teaching.
For some time, Constance had been searching for a religious group that suited her desire to find one which did not preach doctrines and dogma and which had respect for the individual’s freedom of expression. She soon discovered the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture after listening to weekly talks on radio from The New York Ethical Culture Society. In 1988, Lois Kellerman was our leader, and Constance avidly embraced the Eight Commitments of Ethical Culture, as defined and described by Lois. She was attracted to the warm and like-minded people she found at BSEC meetings and soon became a member. Almost immediately she was invited to become a member of the Platform Committee and soon became the Chair, a position she remained in for almost twenty years.
During her long tenure of serving as President of the Board of Trustees, she was very organized, considerate of all Board members and courageous in her leadership. As a Board member myself, I remember the gentle way she would keep order during the long meetings, reminding us to stick to the agenda. She maintained a soft-spoken manner, keeping her dignity and composure during many a debate involving “hot topics” for the board. She was a great believer in strong committees and maintaining democracy at all times.
You may know Constance from one of her several roles at BSEC but do you know that she is also a passionate feminist? Yes, she has been an active participant in the NOW organization since the 60’s and she was the Treasurer of the Brooklyn-Queens Chapter for ten years.
When I asked Constance to recall a favorite memory of hers involving her activities with NOW, she described how she joined in the 50th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage Day March on August 26, 1970 which also happened to be her birthday. She decided to take the train to Fifth Avenue to join her fellow feminists. As she sought to find a place in the march she suddenly realized the she had found a spot behind such feminist leaders as Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan among others. No words can ever be found to describe such an exhilarating experience.
“That was the happiest and best birthday celebration of my life!!” she says. In summation, whether marching, teaching or leading a group of BSEC members, Constance Pigozzi exemplifies, to a high degree, Felix Adler’s precept to put “ deed above creed.” Surely, her many activities embody a life of service and good will that has resulted in improvements in the lives of thousands of New Yorkers.
LUNCH with the BUNCH: Are you interested in assiting with set-up of refreshments after the Sunday Platform, please contact the BSEC Office @ bsecdirectror@yahoo.com or 718.768.2972. Your help is needed and appreciated!
GOOD COFFEEHOUSE:Are you interested in assiting with set-up for the Good Coffeehouse? Please contact the BSEC Office@ bsecdirectror@yahoo.com or 718.768.2972. Your HELP is needed and appreciated.!
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Park Slope Christian Help, Inc. (C.H.I.P.S.)
Volunteers Needed: 9:00am-3:00pm Monday-Saturday Call 718-237-2962 between 8:00am and 1:00pm for an appointment/interview and more information
HOME SHARING Interested in finding out more information? Contact the New York Foundation for Senior Citizen' free Home Sharing Service @ 212.962.7559 or e-mail: aleven@nyfscltcop.org or visit www.nyfsc.
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EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
“ THE ORGANIZATIONAL HOUR ” at the Clifton Corner Saturday mornings 11am-12pm
→ Confused where you put that important assignment? → Frustrated when due dates that pass you by? → Wondering why others have free time? → Feeling a bit behind or lost?
* It’s all about getting ORGANIZED!!! *
Join us for help to get your backpack, binder, folders and other school supplies systemized to support your efforts at school, impress your teachers, and earn better grades!
Learn how to:
√ Create new methods to help track your work, √ Follow-through on steps to success, √ Effectively budget your time!
Contact Sandra Teacher with 17 years experience Certified Academic Coach www.cliftoncorner.com
Sessions has already begun With affordable rates at $35/hr
Space is limited!!!!
Park Slope United Methodist Church 6th Ave at 8th Street, Brooklyn, 11215 http://www.parkslopeumc.org
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Support Group for People Caring for Aging Family and Friends meets the first Sunday morning of every month At 9:30 am in the church basement classroom
Anyone in the church and the surrounding community who is caring for or is concerned about an elderly parent, relative or friend is welcome to come to any meeting. ________________________________________
You are cordially invited to view an exhibit of Calligraphy including an art print and poem by Jovie, letters by me - a collaboration - her Art my Calligraphy, being displayed by members of
The Society of Scribes at: The National Arts Club 15 Gramercy Park South, NY, NY (20th St. bet. P'rk Ave. Sth & Lex.) Open: M - F, 10 - 5 pm, Sun. 1 - 5 pm, Tele: 212.475.3424 I t might be a good idea to call before a visit as private events often close the galleries to visitors. And what a wonderful venue for art! This Victorian building, Historic Tilden Mansion designed by Calvert Vaux, a famed architect & one of the designers of Central Park, has been designated both a New York Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
So...if you find yourself anywhere in the Gramercy/Flatiron area, I invite you to stop in and have a look. I believe the calligraphic pieces on display, varied in letters, color and design, are a lovely enhancement to the walls they grace in this magnificent townhouse.
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The MAAT SERIES @ Covenant House Presents: BECOMING BETTER AT WORK AND IN LIFE TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS SERIES
Participants in this highly interactive full day workshop will examine the how and why's certain children get placed into Special Education classes along with alternatives to such placement and strategies for inclusion into mainstream classes.
ALL WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS TAKE PLACE from 10:00am-4:00pm @ Covenant House Training Institute 460 West 41st Street (10 Ave.), Room 501 New York, NY To RSVP or register for any of these trainings e-mail us at: the maatseries@mail.com _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Food Glorious Food!!
Newcomer Supper 
Consultative Services Available
Building History Productions
Park Slope United Methodist Church
You are cordially invited to view an exhibit of Calligraphy including an art print and poem by Jovie, letters by me - a collaboration - her Art my Calligraphy, being displayed by members of 
