It is the middle of our summer recess and things are somewhat quiet with Humanists of Utah. However, on Thursday, July 10, we will be hosting another "Movie Night", showing Waking Ned Devine in the little theater at the University of Utah Student Union Building. We will again have the usual goodies--popcorn, candy, and beverages--for moviegoers. Please join us for a fun evening to enjoy each other's company, and to view a movie delightful and funny movie. Special thanks go to Julie Mayhew, for securing the little theater for us for our screenings.

Another item for your calendars is our August Potluck BBQ, which is not that far away on Thursday, August 14. Last year's BBQ was quite enjoyable. We had a very good showing of members and friends, with lots of delicious food to sample. We plan to follow last year's model, with the chapter providing items such as hamburgers and fixings, and asking our board members to bring some of their favorite dishes. I hope that you will reserve this evening to join us in formally ending the summer recess with good food and good company. Watch for further details in the next newsletter.

This month I want to use some of my space in the Utah Humanist to plug another organization that I belong to, The Planetary Society. I have been a member for many years and always look forward to receiving my copy of their bi-monthly publication, The Planetary Report. It consistently has excellent articles and photographs about planetary sciences, general astronomy and space exploration. The July/August 2008 addition is dedicated to planet Earth, with four wonderful articles, any one of which would be excellent as a discussion group topic. I've suggested to our discussion group that we address some or all of the articles in the months to come. I contacted The Planetary Society and they are sending me 15 free copies of this special issue. For those of you who would like to participate in the discussion of these articles, contact me for a copy-I think you will find it interesting and informative. And if, like me, you enjoy Astronomy, planetary sciences, and space exploration, then you should also take a look at Planetary.org to see what they are involved in and promoting. They are a "scientific minded" organization that deserves support for all they do in their endeavors.

I hope your summer will be a good one, and look forward to seeing you all soon.

--Robert Lane
President, HoU