You’d have to say “very well”.
Victoria has adopted the “Skeptics In The Pub” idea with enthusiasm. If you turn to the back page of your latest Skeptic magazine , you’ll see that of the eight new Australian regional groups listed, six are in Victoria.
We’ve discussed Skeptics in the Pubs before;
Your Very Own Skeptics In the Pub
Here’s a brief look at each group in alphabetical order.
Borderline Skeptics has been around for a long time. Situated in the Albury/Wodonga area, it combines a social network for local Skeptics with an activist approach to such issues as water divining and the sale of shonky health products. For further details, contact Russell Kelly (02) 6072 3632 or Laurie Smith (02) 6072 3415.
Gippsland Skeptics meet on the second Friday of each month. The venue alternates between Morwell and Sale.
UPDATE! The meeting on Friday 11th November will take place at the brand new venue of Relish,
The December 9 meeting will be at The Top Pub, Morwell Hotel, 311-327 Princes Drive, Morwell. Stay up to date at http://www.facebook.com/gippslandskeptics
Great Ocean Road Skeptics commenced early this year with an enthusiastic participation in the 10:23 campaign at Bell’s Beach. Its members continue to display a flair for Skeptical activism. The group takes in the Greater Geelong area and the Surf Coast. They meet on the last Wednesday of each month from 6pm at City Quarter, Cunningham Pier East Geelong. For details, email Carolyn Coulson (carolcoATbarwonhealth.org.au).
Melbourne Skeptics hosts a Skeptics In the Pub on the fourth Monday of every month from 6 pm at the Mt View Hotel in Richmond. It provides a great opportunity for local Skeptics to meet regularly. http://www.melbourneskeptics.com.au/skeptics-in-the-pub/ and http://www.facebook.com/melbourneskeptics
Melbourne Eastern Hills Skeptics meets at The Knox Club, corner Stud and Boronia Roads, Wantirna each second Monday of the month from 6:30pm to about 9:30pm. As the name suggests, it provides a local venue for Skeptics from Eastern suburbs like Burwood and Bayswater through to Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Olinda and further out. While the emphasis at these evenings is on socialising with other local Skeptics, the group has had a major input into other events like Skepticamp and speaker nights at Embiggen Books in the city. http://groupspaces.com/meh-sitp and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Eastern-Hills-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/192941290737690
Mordi Skeptics In The Pub meets on the first Tuesday of each month at Mordialloc Sporting Club, 528 Main Street Mordialloc. Mordi meetups begin informally with a 6:00 dinner downstairs ($12.50 parma or similar), followed by thoughtful discussion in the Maurice Kelley Room from 7:30 sharp to around 9:30. The organisers seem to have no problem in supplying quality presenters each month from among their own ranks and the wider community. http://www.meetup.com/Mordi-Skeptics-in-the-Pub/
Peninsula Skeptics (aka The Celestial Teapot) recently celebrated its third birthday. Although it notionally serves the Mornington Peninsula, it has enthusiastic supporters from the southern suburbs through to West Gippsland. It meets on the third Thursday of each month (next: 20th October) and makes a point of featuring interesting and challenging speakers. For further information contact Graeme Hanigan 0438 359 600 or Tina Hunt 0416 156 945 or glannagalt@fastmail.fm. The website is http://www.meetup.com/Teapot-Mornington-Peninsula
Vic Skeptics (aka Australian Skeptics Victorian Branch) has been in existence since 1980. While it is involved in many activities, (including this website) its regular public event is Skeptics Café. For the foreseeable future, Skeptics Cafés will happen at La Notte Restaurant, 140 Lygon Street Carlton on the Third Monday of each month (next: 17th October). The calendar for Vic Skeptics is pretty well covered on our EVENTS page.
If you are starved for Skeptical company, and none of these groups is within coo-ee of you, why not start your own? Find a suitable pub near you, pick a date and a time, advertise it, and see who turns up. Let’s know if you need help with this by contacting vic@skeptics.com.au .
While this article has been about getting to physically meet, dine and otherwise share with Skeptics in your own locality, it should be emphasised that there is a thriving on-line culture catering to Skeptics and like-minded people of all ages. About five minutes of Facebooking, starting with the links provided (in this article and in the right-hand column of this page) should provide you with ample opportunity to find, meet and chat with other Skeptics. It’s also a great way to get involved in important social issues at grass-roots level, if you are so inclined.
Happy hunting!
The Mordi Skeptics are going surprisingly well, with 124 members and growing. We have been fortunate to attract some great guest speakers lately. I suspect that one of the reasons for the growth of local skeptics groups is Melbourne’s worsening traffic congestion.
A fair number of people attend Skeptics Café and/or Melbourne SITP as well as their local group. We’ve thoughtfully arranged our calendars to make that possible.
Kudos to Graeme Hanigan, who kick-started both Mordi and The Celestial Teapot.
The more the merrier. The more middle sized or small groups we have the more personal they can remain. Once a group gets too big the venue becomes too small. The various online and technological opportunities are a boost, too. We are not alone.
The Australian skeptical movement has always been more of a co-operative network than a centrally controlled top-down organisation. I see the growth of local skeptics groups as part of this co-operative network, which of course extends internationally as well.
For example, somebody once suggested changing the name of the Mordi Skeptics to something without the word ‘skeptic’ in it. One of the successful arguments against this change was that we a part of the wider skeptical network and wish to remain so.