Our 2019 Lectures - Season Finished
(Our 2020 Lectures will be available in Feb or Mar 2020)
​We will leave the 2019 lectures up until the new season information is ready.  That way you can see the wide variety of quality lectures we host.

Our 2019 adventure, something for everyone:
Scientific advances, social issues, general knowledge
 
The lectures will take place on alternate Thursday mornings from 10am to around 11:30am—12 noon commencing March 14, 2018, in the Trinity United Church Hall, 400 Stevenson St. N, Guelph

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March 14th - This is My Truth  (free season premiere)
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​Tauni Sheldon, shown with her son Albie, is an Inuit cultural advisor and activist who supports Inuit in foster care.  She has worked as an airline pilot in the Arctic and in the federal correctional services with incarcerated Inuit and Indigenous men.  A Sixties Scoop survivor, she shares her journey to her roots as an adopted Inuk.

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Mar 28th - Understanding Islam

How much do you know about the Muslim religion?  Brian Carwana, founder of Canadian World Religions, provides historical insights to a faith that is followed by a quarter of humanity
Brian Carwana left a business career to pursue a passion for studying religions. Through Encounter, Brian acquired a practical education in various traditions by listening to religious leaders, observing worship, and visiting houses of worship. In addition, he has a Masters in Religion and Culture and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto, studying religion and politics. 
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April 11th - Cataract Surgery, past and present

A common condition as we age, many of us look forward apprehensively to the day when we must undergo surgery. Gord. G. Kuder, M.D., F.R.C.S.(C),  A.B.O.,  F.A.A.O.O. retired, assures us that there is little to fear, and explains how modern cataract surgery has undergone dramatic changes resulting in fast recoveries and greatly improved results.
 

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​April 25th - Neither Sight nor Sound: Living with a Dual Disability​

Jim Sanders, Past President and Chief Executive officer of CNIB, recipient, amongst his many other recognitions, of the Helen Keller Award, joins us to explain his time working with the deaf and blind, and how these members of our society inspire us.
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Although advances in knowledge and technology enable deaf-blind persons to lead more enriched lives, 140 years later Helen Keller remains the role model and a beacon of hope and inspiration for deaf blind persons.

​May 9th - Animal Adventures

Jim Mottin, retired associate professor of Psychology, trained as a hunter at a very young age, but put down his gun at age 17 to take up photography. He shares some of his wild-life adventures and photography from the jungles of the world to North American canyon lands and beyond.
 

May 23th - The Fossil Record in Earth’s History
Our solar system and planet Earth were formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The earliest life forms are first recorded from the 3.5 billion year old Apex Chert in Western Australia. Geology professor emeritus Alan Morgan describes the procession of life through geological time from stromatolites to trilobites to dinosaurs and finally, to humans.
 
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June 6th - The NEURON, our magnificent biologic computer chip

University of Guelph Psychology prof. emeritus Thom Hermann will attempt to familiarize us with the most magnificent of cells ... the Neuron. Our walking, talking, feeling and thinking are due to these evolutionary marvels.
He observes ….“They weren't all that simple even in the worms of many millions of years ago, but today enable us to sing, dance and solve Rubik's Cubes, all while looking marvelous”.

 

June 20st - History of the Steel Drum

A story beginning with African slaves in Trinidad and ending with the recognition, acceptance and worldwide appreciation of the steel band, is related by Summer Lectures Club member Monica Skinner.
 



July 4th - South Africa: Wild flowers and Wild animals from the Cape to Kruger
​The Cape area is an area of tremendous plant diversity, while Kruger National Park remains a refuge for species that are rapidly disappearing through burgeoning humanity. Geology professor emeritus Alan Morgan will explore these two aspects of endangered wildlife in this illustrated talk that takes us through both regions. 


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July 18th  - What happens to worked out Quarries and Gravel Pits?

CRH/Dufferin Sustainable Development Coordinator Jessie Spasov, and Lands and Resource Manager Ken Zimmerman describe the Dufferin Aggregates Reclamation and Habitat Enhancement programs, including some local sites.
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August 1st - Psychological Concepts to Live By

Psychology professor emeritus John Theis provides a thoughtful consideration of what he has come to call the "F' word — Feelings and their implications for both women and men in their relationships.
 
 

 
August 15th  - In Flanders Fields: The Story of John McCrae
Pathobiology professor emeritus and author John Prescott discusses McCrae’s biography, set against a background of his poetry including the poem that makes the poppy inseparable from memories of war.  McCrae was recognised as one of the most talented Canadian physicians of his generation and remains one of Guelph’s most famous sons. His life represents in microcosm the Canadian changes of his era.

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August 29th Opera - Guys and Dolls, is there a connection? ​

In this highly competitive world we are often pulled in different directions as we make choices over an evening’s entertainment. For instance: should we attend an opera or see the latest Broadway Musical?  Professor emeritus Steven Henrikson will share his adventure as a professional singer to lead and illustrate the incredible journey beginning with the birth of Opera, ca.1600 A.D. through Grand Opera, Operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan to Guys and Dolls. Are these entertainments different, or are there strong connections showing a history of development fusing elements together?                        Come, hear, listen, see, find out!

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September 12 
Annual General meeting
followed by  Music Medicine: Sound at a cellular level 

How does music as sound and vibration impact your body and your brain? Dr. Lee Bartel, professor emeritus, University of Toronto, explores how sound can stimulate cells in your body and brain to reduce the impact of Fibromyalgia pain, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Depression, and even increase blood flow