Meeting Minutes
Torch Club of the Fox Valley
13 February 2020
Touchmark
Notes taken by: Mary Flanagan
Attendees: Sue Bennett, Nancy Bodway, Mary Flanagan, Paul Freiberg, Erik Hanson, Barbara Kelly, Bill Kelly, Mary Poulson, Richard Schoenbohm, Jan Smith, Kris Stahl, Bob Swain, Peter Thiel
Guest: Dr. Reed Taylor
BUSINESS MEETING
Paul called the meeting to order at 6:18 pm.
Peter introduced his distant (from Buffalo, NY) relative, brother-in-law, Reed Taylor.
Meeting minutes from 1/9/2020 were motioned, seconded, and approved.
Barb gave the treasurer’s report:
Balance in account as of 1/3/2020 - $3828.74
Payments
Touchmark Dinners Dec. $216.00
IATC dues for 2020 $1025.00
Receipts
Dues Payments $70.00
Meal Payments $210.00
Balance as of 2/7/2020 - $2867.74
NEW BUSINESS
Paul gave a further introduction for Dr. Taylor who came to advise us on club membership growth. Reed is a 38-year member of Torch, past International Association of Torch Clubs (IATC) President, past Editor of the Torch magazine, and current IATC Director at Large.
At a Torch conference 21 years ago, Reed met with then-president, Ed Buss, and discovered they had mutual connections in Appleton. Ed’s sister and brother-in-law, Leota and Lee Ester, and Reed’s sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Peter Thiel. Reed helped organize the first meeting of the Torch Club of the Fox Valley.
Reed encouraged us to bring in potential new members who are a generation younger, “Each one, teach one.” The Torch Club feeds the life of the mind by encouraging civil discourse, critical thinking, and the joy of discovering the enlargement of live. This is a dimension that is not served by other clubs. Involve potential new members by inviting them to give a talk.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kris Stahl received notice that both of her presentation papers will be published in a future issue of the Torch Magazine.
Mary Poulson brought the full schedule of Noon hour philosopher speakers. Jan Smith will be speaking on March 18 on, “A Pictorial Journey of How Did We Get to Now.”
The business meeting adjourned at 6:43 pm.
PRESENTATION
At 7:24 pm Jan Smith began her presentation by asking attendees, “What art encounter has inspired you?”
Some of the art encounters members shared included:
- Painting of a woman trapped in a tree trunk surrounded by barbed wire seen in a restaurant in Holland after World War II. Peter thought it might have represented Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands during the German occupation.
- Performance of Appalachian Spring with dancing by Martha Graham.
- A beautiful garden
- The giant Clothespin sculpture in New York City by Claes Oldenburg
- Great photos
- Student artwork
Jan noted that viewers bring their own meaning to a work of art. No one’s impression is more important than another.
“A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.” Samuel Johnson
Jan has recently focused on bringing the voices of artists of color to the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass including Joyce Scott, the 2019 Smithsonian Visionary Artist.
Jan showed and spoke about some of the most famous works of art including:
- The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer
- Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo
- Mona Lisa by Leonard Da Vinci
- The Scream by Edvard Munch
- Guernica by Pablo Picasso
- Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
- Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
- The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
A new exhibit at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass coming in April is, “Form and Feeling: Expressions of Humanity.” This exhibit will explore emotions and the healing aspect of art. Pieces by Irene Frolic will be featured.
We adjourned at 8:24 pm.