May 9, 2014 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings Fellow WPA Chestertonians and Friends,

For our May and June meetings we will read selections from Chesterton’s biographical essay compilation The Twelve Types / Varied Types. The Twelve Types was compiled and published in 1903. The extended edition of the book, which was retitled Varied Types was published in 1908 and consists of the same original 12 essays with the addition of nine more biographical essays.

At our Friday, May 9 meeting we will read "Charles II", "Tolstoy and the Cult of Simplicity", and "The Position of Sir Walter Scott". These selection can be found both The Twelve Types, and in Varied Types. 

For our Friday, June 13 meeting we will read "Stevenson", and we will expand our selection to include two of the titles that appeared only in Varied Types, "Bret Harte", and "Queen Victoria".

All of the selections for both the May and June meetings can be viewed or printed at the link below:

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/GKC_VariedTypes.html

Many readers of Chesterton have found that it is helpful in understanding G.K.Chesterton's essays if they start with at least a basic historical/biographical context for his insights. In light of this, I would suggest that any preparation time you invest in exploring information about the personalities we will be reading about will be worth your while. Bring notes of any of your the interesting background discoveries to share at the meeting!

(Remember, in July we are planning an undoubtedly rollicking discussion of the entire novel The Ball and the Cross.)

As usual...

Our meetings are held in the Village of Middle Lancaster, at the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, and just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) The doors open at 7:00pm for pot luck refreshments, with the discussion beginning at 7:30. The meeting wraps up sometime around 9:30pm.

Please consider bringing something for the refreshment table, and as always, feel free to email me at wpachesterton@gmail.com if you have and questions or comments.

FRIDAY April 11, 2014 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings WPA Chestertonians and Friends!

At our Friday April 11 meeting we will be concluding our discussion of G.K. Chesterton's book Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized Society. The  chapters remaining for discussion are chapters 10-17. Although this is a little larger reading section than we usually select, please give it your best try. Reading the chapters before the meeting is strongly encouraged, but please don't stay away from the meeting just because you haven't gotten through them!

(For information about the book and where to find it see the January entry of this blog page.)

A Lenten kind of Chestertonian conviviality:

This year as we journey through the great season of Lent, a particular paradox has gotten my attention. Affluent emptiness is everywhere. Our materialistic culture is increasingly impoverished of what is authentically Good, True, and Beautiful. Our powerful, successful country is full of people suffering from profound, spiritual destitution.

Of course, Chesterton saw this coming, and points us to the remedy. 

He once wrote, "...Christ is not merely a summer sun of the prosperous but a winter fire for the unfortunate.” 

You may have noticed that when people encounter G.K. Chesterton, he often leads them to a life-giving encounter with Christ and the richness of His Church.

This Lent, as a local Chesterton Societies we have been asked, along with local Chesterton Societies all over the country, to make a Lenten alms giving donation to the American Chesterton Society. As you may be aware, the American Chesterton Society is a non-profit apostolate, completely dependent on the charity of others for its existence. 

In order to make our WPA Chesterton Society alms giving effort a truly Lenten and penitential practice, we will not have our customary refreshment table at the April 11 meeting. Instead there will be a collection box. In lieu of our usual contributions of food and beverages, we each will have an opportunity to make charitable contributions of alms designated for the American Chesterton Society. I will consolidate the money, and send it to the ACS as a donation of alms from our Western Pa Chesterton Society. If you miss the meeting and would like to participate, you can make your donation directly to the American Chesterton Society on their website www.chesterton.org, or mail it to me and I will add it to the collections from the group.

In doing this, our Western PA Chesterton Society will support the American Chesterton Society's mission to bring Christ to people around the world by introducing them to Chesterton. Imagine the good that would be accomplished if every local Chesterton society member were to give something, no matter how small a gift. If, by our alms giving, we charitably present G.K. Chesterton to the world in the midst of this “wintertime" of western civilization, we will be privileged to watch as he leads the unfortunate out of the cold and into the warmth and light of Christ's fire.

As usual...

Our meetings are held in the Village of Middle Lancaster, at the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, and just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) 

The doors open at 7:00pm, with the discussion beginning at 7:30. The meeting wraps up sometime around 9:30pm.

Please consider bringing alms in lieu of contributions to the refreshment table, and as always, feel free to email me at wpachesterton@gmail.com if you have and questions or comments.

FRIDAY March 14, 2014 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings WPA Chestertonians and Friends!

..."What is a week end?"... This question was artfully posed by Lady Violet in an early episode of the popular Brit TV drama "Downton Abby". The best answer I could give her (in my best American accent) would be, "It's the couple of days that follow Friday."  Here in the WPA Chesterton Society we are switching our meetings from the second Thursday to the second Friday of each month. It is our hope that the Friday time slot will result in a more relaxed evening, heading into the week end for the working folk amongst us, many of whom travel a distance to attend the meetings. 

Our March meeting marks the second Friday of Lent and the beginning of our new meeting schedule. Hopefully, these two things will have little to do with each other besides their common time slot in the week!  We will be continuing our discussion of G.K. Chesterton's book Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized Society. 

The schedule of chapters remaining for discussion follows:

March 14: Chapters 5-10

April 11: Chapters 12-17

Information about the book and where to find it are posted in the January entry of this blog page.

Reading the chapters before the meeting is strongly encouraged, but please don't stay away from the meeting just because you haven't gotten through them!  

May 9, June 13 and July 11, 2014

For our May and June meetings we will read selections (to be announced) from Chesterton’s biographical essay compilation Varied Types.  In July we are planning an undoubtedly rollicking discussion of the novel The Ball and the Cross.

July 31-August 2 

These are the dates for the American Chesterton Society's annual conference. This year's event will take place at Mundelein University, in the Chicago area. Below is an announcement that appeared on the ACS Facebook page earlier this week.

The American Chesterton Society

**ATTN LATE REGISTRANTS** In the past some attendees have elected to wait and register for the conference as we approach the date of the event. Due to capacity restrictions at Mundelein, seating is limited this year, so make sure to register as soon as possible. Registration for the 33rd Annual Chesterton Conference is on a first come, first served basis. There will be no walk-in registrations this year and we expect to be at full capacity within the next 30 days.

Full conference information is available on the ACS website, www.chesterton.org 

As usual...

Our meetings are held in the Village of Middle Lancaster, at the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, and just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) The doors open at 7:00pm for pot luck refreshments, with the discussion beginning at 7:30. The meeting wraps up sometime around 9:30pm.

Please consider bringing something for the refreshment table, and as always, feel free to email me at wpachesterton@gmail.com if you have and questions or comments.

February 13, 2014 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings WPA Chestertonians and Friends!

Our Thursday, February 13 meeting is just days away... 

As usual, the meeting will be held in the Village of Middle Lancaster, at the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, and just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) The doors will open at 7:00pm for pot luck refreshments, with the discussion beginning at 7:30. The meeting will wrap up around 9:30pm. 

We will continue reading and discussing Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized Society. At our last meeting we discussed the first two chapters and part of the third, along with a good amount of background and contextual information. This week we will begin with a recap and finish of the third chapter, and make our way through as much as we can of Chapters 4-7. Check the January post on this blog for information about where you can find the text. Reading as much as possible before the meeting is encouraged!

Change of Meeting Day, Starting with our March 14th meeting...

I am happy to report that in light of overwhelming support from our group members in favor of  meeting on Fridays, I was able to obtain official approval for the change from the Township Supervisors. This means that starting in March, we will be meeting on the second Friday of each month instead of the second Thursday. The meeting time and place will stay the same. 

The 33rd Annual Chesterton Conference ...
"The Democracy of the Dead"
University of Saint Mary of the Lake 
Mundelein, Illinois
July 31-August 2, 2014

Full conference information and registration is NOW available at the link below. Check out the great speaker line-up! Please note that registration and housing arrangements are limited and are expected to sell out. It is advised that if you would like to attend, you register and book your lodgings soon.

http://www.chesterton.org/33rd-annual-chesterton-conference/

Winter Weather Reminder...

In the event that we need to cancel a meeting, I will post on the Facebook pages and here on our blog at wpachesterton.blogspot.com. I will also try to send a group email around if a cancellation occurs. 

As always, feel free to share any of this information, and email any questions you might have to me at wpachesterton@gmail.com. 

Hope to see you on Thursday!

Blessings,
Vicki Darkey

January 9, 2014 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings WPA Chestertonians and Friends!

As we have just celebrated Epiphany, I hope that your Christmas season was full of Incarnational Joy, and that you are ready for the gifts that 2014 holds!

Schedule of upcoming WPACS readings and discussions

From January through April we will be reading and discussing Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized Society. 

In this book Chesterton tackles many of the foundational anti-life philosophies and heresies that are unraveling our society today with his usual charity and wit. When this book was first published in 1922, even his opponents acknowledged the power of his argument. Before our eyes, he masterfully wages battle with his pen.  Hopefully, by observing his mind and heart in action, we will hone our own skills in defending Truth and Life. We need this as much now as ever!

If you intend to purchase a copy of the book, I recommend the edition edited by Michael W. Perry and available from the ACS website bookstore. This edition, published by Inkling Books, includes an extensive appendix of articles written by Chesterton’s Eugenics and Pro-Birth Control opponents. The contextual insights to be gained from these appendices definitely contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of Chesterton’s brilliant arguments.

The basic text is viewable and printable on the internet if you search the title, and is available (possibly for free) in an e-reader format.

Reading the chapters before the meeting is strongly encouraged!

We will discuss about one fourth of the book (about 30 pages in the print edition) for each of the following meetings. 

Jan. 9: Chapters 1-3

Feb. 13: Chapters 4-7

March 13 or 14*: Chapters 8-12

April 10 or 11*: Chapters 13-17

* (see the “change of meeting schedule” section below)

Looking ahead further into 2014…

For May and June, we will read selections (to be announced) from Chesterton’s biographical essay compilation Varied Types.  In July we will have an undoubtedly rollicking discussion of the novel The Ball and the Cross.

Mark Your Calendars… The American Chesterton Society annual national conference will be held on July 31-Aug. 2, at Mundelein Seminary in the Chicago area. Registrations will open on the ACS website some time in January, and are expected to fill up quickly, as there is a limited number that the seminary can accommodate.

Possible change of meeting day

There has been some discussion about changing our meeting times from the second Thursday of each month to the second Friday of each month.  We could begin our once-a-month Friday night meetings as early as March 14, once I have gotten the final approval for the change from the township supervisors.

The original thought behind this is that Friday evening meetings may afford some of the working folk amongst us a more relaxed evening without the need to work the next day.  Please email me with your thoughts on this proposed change. I realize that there may be a range of opinions, but I’d like to hear from you so I can gauge a general consensus as to whether or not we make the switch.

StAR subscriptions

It is time to renew our group bulk subscription to the St. Austin Review (StAR) magazine. If you would like to participate in this bi-monthly subscription, the cost is $30.  This is a savings of 25% off the regular subscription price. We need a minimum of 6 subscribers to qualify for this bulk pricing.

If you want to subscribe, please bring $30 to the Jan meeting, or snail mail me a check made out to Victoria Darkey. My street address is 104 Hazel Lane, Harmony PA 16037. (Send me an email if you are mailing a check, so I can keep track of the number we have participating. If we don’t get the 6 subscriptions we need, I will return your money to you. If we meet the minimum, I will consolidate the funds and send them into the publisher.) In order to not miss the Jan/Feb issue, the deadline for turning in the subscription money will be our Jan. 9 meeting.

Lastly, a resolution and an invitation…

In the coming year, I will be attempting to communicate with the group more with email and less with Facebook. If you are reading this letter on the blog site linked from one of our Facebook pages and didn’t see it in your email inbox, it means I don’t have your email. If you’d like to be included in the group email list, or removed from it, please email me. As always, feel free to pass this onto anyone you know who might be interested in the Western PA Chesterton Society. Email me

(wpachesterton@gmail.com) if you have any questions.  I hope to see you at the meeting. Meanwhile… keep warm!

Many Blessings,

Vicki Darkey

December 12, 2013 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings WPA Chestertonians and Friends!

Mark your calendars on Thursday December 12th for the next gathering of the Western PA Chesterton Society. Since today marks the last weekday of “Ordinary time” in the liturgical calendar, December 12th will find us squarely into Advent. This will be our traditional December meeting… which means conviviality, festivity and Chestertonian reflection on the Incarnation of our Lord… but definitely not your typical “Christmas Party”.

We will meet at the Community Center in the Village of Middle Lancaster at 7:45 PM for after-dinner refreshments and beverages along with readings, poetry, and possibly the reading of a brief drama. the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) Please plan to have had your dinner before coming to the meeting.

For any who wish to meet locally for dinner before the meeting, I have made a reservation at the Log Cabin Inn on Rt.19, which is less than a quarter of a mile from the Community Center. We will gather at the Log Cabin at 5:30pm. Our reservation is for 5:45pm. Please send me an email confirmation by Sunday Dec. 8 if you will join the group for dinner. 

The refreshments at the meeting will be a potluck of fruits, cheeses, desserts and festive beverages. We will each need to bring contributions to the refreshments and beverages. Paper products and coffee/teas will be provided. Please let me know by email no later than Dec. 8, what items you will plan to contribute. 

The December meeting agenda is as follows.

We will read and discuss a short piece by G.K.Chesterton titled “Christmas Books”. This was published as a chapter in Chesterton’s book Criticisms and Appreciations of the Works of Charles Dickens which is viewable on the internet here. (Please do not feel that a you need any extensive knowledge of Dickens to enjoy this selection. Chesterton reference to Dickens in “Christmas Books" is primarily to Dickens' very popular tale “A Christmas Carol”.) If you are able, please print a copy of “Christmas Books" to bring along. There will be a limited number of copies available at the meeting.

The poetry reading will consist of "Incarnationally themed" poems that we will each bring along to share. Poetry by Chesterton (or others that are associated with him) is encouraged.

If time permits, we will read a play called “The Christmas Gift" written by Frances Chesterton and published in the book How Far is it to Bethlehem: The Plays and Poetry of Frances Chesterton , edited by Nancy Carpentier Brown. This very “pro-life” little play was originally written to be performed by the young children befriended by Frances Chesterton in the Chesterton home at Beaconsfield. There will be parts to be read. Copies of the script will be provided, but if you have a copy of the book, please bring it along.

We will wrap up our festivities around 9:45 PM. 

In closing, has anyone you know ever wondered, "Just what do you do at the monthly meetings of the WPA Chesterton Society?” The obvious answer to the questions is “We have fun”, but if your friend or family member needs more proof of how reading and discussing G.K.Chesterton can be so much fun, then please bringing them along. 

 

Hope to see you on Thursday, December 12!

Vicki Darkey

wpachesterton@gmail.com

November 14, 2013 Meeting of the WPA Chesterton Society

Greetings Friends of G.K.Chesterton,

I hope that you will consider joining us on Thursday November 14, 2013 for our WPA Chesterton Society meeting.

 As usual, the meeting will be held in the Village of Middle Lancaster, at the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, and just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) The doors will open at 7:00pm for pot luck refreshments, with the discussion beginning at 7:30. The meeting will wrap up around 9:30pm. 

 The two pieces for discussion this month are selections from the book In Defense of Sanity. 

The first is the essay titled "On Shakespeare", originally published as a piece in the Illustrated London News and then it was published in 1928 as part of the essay collection Generally Speaking. This book is viewable as a pdf. download which can be found here. The essay "On Shakespeare" is on page 238 of that edition.

Admittedly, our discussion of this essay will be only brushing the surface of Chesterton on Shakespeare. There is a wealth of resources for those looking to broaden or deepen their understanding on the subject. One example is the website www.christianshakespeare.com. (If you take a quick look at the list of contributors to this site you will recognize some well known Chestertonians in the group.) Another resource would be the book written by Dale Ahlquist entitled The Soul of Wit. It is available here, from the American Chesterton Society as well as in numerous places on the web. 

The second essay for our discussion is "Mary Queen of Scots". I have not been able to find this one anywhere outside of the In Defense of Sanity book. If you find it, please post the info on our Facebook group page or send it in an email to me, so others who need it can find it.

Please read the readings before the meeting, and consider bringing a contribution to the refreshment table.

Feel free to email me at wpachesterton@gmail.com if you have any questions about the readings or anything else.

Hope to see you on November 14th!