McKee Seniors' Recreation Centre in Ladner is introducing a program this month based on the popular Philosophers' Café model of people simply coming together to discuss topics of mutual interest.
The sessions will commence Jan. 18 and take place the first and third Friday afternoon of each month from 1: 30 to 3 p.m. in the centre's Kee Café. Two McKee volunteers, ML Burke and Jim Flint, are coordinating the program and will act as discussion moderators. Some sessions will include featured presenters.
"Don't let the title scare you," cautions Burke. "You don't have to be a philosopher to participate. All you have to do is enjoy listening to people explore interesting topics while at the same time having the opportunity to share insights and perspectives of your own."
Flint says while some session topics have been pre-selected, ample opportunity will be given café participants to suggest topics of interest. He also emphasizes the moderators will work to ensure all viewpoints have the opportunity to be expressed.
"We don't want the discussions to turn into simply gripe sessions. We want the participants to leave each session feeling more empowered as well as more knowledgeable."
The sessions are free and pre-registration is not necessary. New participants (50+) will be encouraged to become a member of centre ($20 per year), which allows them to register for many activities, classes, special events and travel opportunities. Coffee and tea will be available during the sessions for a $1 donation.
The topic for the kickoff session on Jan. 18 is "Creative Problem Solving in These Hard Times."
Scheduled for Feb. 1 is "Do We Get the Government We Deserve?" and on Feb. 15 the topic is "Is Our Health System Sustainable?"
