Conference
Baggini - reluctant, part-time Humanist - left us perhaps puzzled, maybe frustrated... but he surely gave a convincing demonstration of the value of reasoned argument
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different ways and the range of practices. Cutting up Bunnies was Steve Chinn’s way of showing that issues like vivisection can and must be open to debate because we are not dogmatic, and whereas some are instinctively opposed to the practice it is not essential to be so. STREET INITIATIVE The afternoon session of Conference began with what was ostensibly an account of the efforts of some Glasgow members who take part in a night time street initiative shared with other charities to help the homeless and rough sleepers in the city. Catalytic Converters was a droll but witty slide show given by Bob Scott, who had us chuckling about soup kitchens and the Golden Rule! The inaugural Bob McKay
Award was a moving part of the proceedings when Clare Marsh presented Mrs McKay with a wonderfully crafted shield to be displayed in schools in honour of the memory of Bob and spoke of his impact on the HSS, in particular for his educational work as Convenor of our Society. Beside her son Marc, Norma replied, explaining the
design of the shield and its symbolism as a device for locating secular values in Scottish schools and to inspire young people in their moral and philosophical studies. The shield’s first recipient was Balerno High School in Edinburgh where Jack Gold is their Humanist chaplain. NO TRUE HUMANIST The highlight lecture of the afternoon was given by Julian Baggini entitled No True Humanist. Through a combination presentation of slides and urbane exposition, Julian set about dissecting our Humanist principles and beliefs one by one, using the Amsterdam Declaration and other milestone ideas to disarm and render less convincing the thinking and reasoning which we Humanists apply to our everyday activities. Quietly taking no prisoners in his gentle assault this prominent philosopher held up to the light of reason the deficiencies and contradictions in what we consider to be sound doctrine. Julian demonstrated deftly and with at times a twinkling smile how easily Fortress Humanism can be mined and its foundations shaken. The
Great Baggini, reluctant Humanist, part-time, doubting Humanist, left us perhaps puzzled, maybe frustrated, certainly had some of us on the ropes with his Socratic left hooks. He surely gave a convincing demonstration of the value of reasoned argument, teasing out the inconsistencies and pitfalls in our taken-for- granted secular safeguards. It felt as if our intellectual pockets had been picked by this light-fingered and artful philosopher. His latest series of articles in this magazine are testimony to the value of a healthy Humanist scepticism. The formal part of Conference closed with a Special General Meeting. Members voted unanimously to reconstitute the HSS as a Charitable Limited Company for our own protection against risk and liability under Scottish law. In conjunction it was agreed that a new management group be constituted to run the day- to-day work of the Society leaving the Board freed up to focus its energies on overseeing the long-term interests of the HSS.
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