2017-2018 FINAL Presentation Schedule

Below is the current lineup for the Saginaw Valley Torch 2016-2017 dinner presentation meetings.  Check back prior to meetings to check for updates (typically on the member urgent message page)

Date	Speaker	Topic & Abstract
October 3, 2017	Renee Harvey	Witch Hunt Between 1482 and 1782 around 100,000 people across Europe were accused of practicing witchcraft. Some 40,000 to 50,000 were tortured and executed. Though most accused were female, men were accused as well. Women were believed to be morally and spiritually weaker than men, therefore, particularly vulnerable to diabolic persuasion.
November 7, 2017	Dale Schultz	The Jervis Bogie, a Revolution for Railroads and Civilization The Jervis bogie of 1832 substantially improved dynamic stability of a steam locomotive moving on a track.  This innovation and an understanding of its effectiveness prompted a dramatic expansion in railroad systems.  This expansion both enriched and destabilized the existing social order, catalyzing many changes during the following decades.  The talk will describe Jervis, the nature of the innovation, its dramatic impacts, and a reference to cause and effect from technical innovation with implications to the present day. .
December 5, 2017	Tina Van Dam	The Bottom of the World at the 66th Parallel   From the brave explorers in wooden ships seeking new trade routes, to whalers and fur traders seeking fortune, to scientists seeking an understanding of a frozen and pristine world, the cold and wild waters of the southern ocean have long dared men to cross to the seventh continent, Antarctica.   Penguins, seals, whales and albatross live in a majestic and beautiful setting where survival of the fittest is the only rule.   Now the power and drama of this ever-changing ice world are available to adventuresome travelers. Tina Van Dam will share the lessons and images of her recent expedition to this polar region..
January 9, 2018	Dave Rogers Dave has been a reporter, columnist, and city editor for several newspapers and has won national awards for his work. He has taught journalism at Michigan State University, Northwood U., and Delta College and has written or edited several books on Michigan history.	The French Empire’s Enduring Influence on Michigan French explorers and missionaries had a major role in settling Northern Michigan. Beginning in the 1600s, French aristocrats like Cadillac and LaSalle, along with Jesuit and Recollect priests, laid the groundwork for the society we have today. The discussion will involve how and why Detroit replaced Michilimackinac as the hub of development in this region. The reason this happened may surprise you.
February 6, 2018	Sam Miller	Medical Innovations Initiated During the American Civil War That Apply Today and the Rest of the Stories During the Civil War, an estimated 620,000 died of battle injuries and even more died from disease. Pandemics swept through the encampments. The mix of the northern city multitudes having some buildup of immunities laid waste to their rural comrades who were highly susceptible.   Despite the slaughter, medical technology moved at a rapid pace. Key advancements included triage of the injured, ambulances, anesthesia and analgesics, plastic surgery, prosthetics, nurses as an invaluable team member, sanitation, embalming, and pavilion hospitals. These advances led to today’s medical practices.
March 6, 2018	Danny Krebs Danny Krebs earned a PhD in Physics and retired from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.  His grandfather was quarter-blood  Choctaw and attended Jones Academy, an Indian school in Hartshorne, OK; as did his father and uncle. His great-great grandfather was a judge for the Choctaw Nation and migrated to Oklahoma from Mississippi at the time of the Indian removal.	The Trail of Tears The story of the subjugation and forced migration of the five "civilized tribes" of the American southeast is one many contradictions.  The "trail of tears" removals to present-day Oklahoma were cruel and ineptly executed, but the efforts of missionaries before and after the removals were effective at improving living conditions among the tribes.  Many tribes became partially assimilated.  Many pure and mixed-blood tribal members competed successfully with pioneers for wealth and status in the newly developing economy of the Southeastern United States. But that success was one of the reasons for the removals.
April 3, 2017	Bill Soper	Is It 1984 yet? Since first published in 1949, George Orwell's novel depicting a bleak totalitarian future in the year 1984 has become even more relevant today. It is now possible to listen in on millions of phone calls, read a huge number of e-mails, and even observe individuals in their homes using their own electronic devices. The need for government to detect an impending terrorist threat has eroded many of the protections we used to take for granted. Can we still protect free speech, personal privacy and even the right to think without penalty? Or are we the frog in the beaker, slowly but willingly surrendering without a whimper?.
May	Guest Night	Guest Night is organized by the club's program committee and the board and planning begins in the Dec/ 2017/Jan 2018 time frame

Presentations in work and pending assigned date and details:
None:  All assigned and pending board approval & schedule release

Compete documentation on next year's schedule
Version:  4/1/2016 - Author: D. Williams