Bethesda Beatniks Dinner Club*

January/February/March 2008 After-Dinner Speakers' Calendar.
*(The dinner club for people who are a little off-beat.)

 

(Subject to last-minute changes…visit our Web site at www.bethesdabeatniks.org,

Or call the Beatniks hotline at (301)279-2578 several days in advance for speaker confirmation.)

 

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all events take place at our usual hangout, Alfio's Trattoria, 4515 Willard Avenue in Friendship Heights, three blocks west of Wisconsin Avenue and the Friendship Heights Metro stop on the Red Line.  Great food at affordable prices, and free valet parking.  Dinners start at 6:30pm, and the presentations start at around 7:15pm.  Questions?  Call Pete at (240)449-5988.

 

v Wednesday, January 2nd: Rabbi David Shneyer, "The Singing Rabbi," talks about Jewish spirituality in light of the Holiday Season, spins Jewish folk tales, and sings Jewish folk songs while strumming his guitar.  Look for Rabbi Shneyer to perform at future Beatniks music/poetry/visual arts events.

v Saturday, January 5th: Mega-acoustic music/poetry/visual arts event combined with our annual Post-Holiday Party.  See "Special Events" page.

v Wednesday, January 9th: The Beatniks take the night off, as its members recover from our Post-Holiday Party.

v   Wednesday, January 16th: A team from "Active Minds," the phenomenally successful national network of college campus mental health/suicide awareness support groups, gives an update and a 2008 forecast.  "Active Minds" founder and CEO Alison Malmon was recently named "Washingtonian of the Year" by "Washingtonian" magazine, and has been all over the national and local news media, especially following the Virginia Tech tragedy last April.  This network has just surpassed 100 college campus chapters in the U.S. and Canada...come hear what the cutting edge of the youth mental health movement is up to!!

v Wednesday, January 23rd: The Beatniks present "Affordable Housing Night--The Sequel," starring Susan Smith from the Housing Opportunities Commission, and also featuring representatives from "Housing Unlimited" and "Mar-Lyn," and possibly "Green Door."  Come hear what the leaders in public and private sector affordable housing in Montgomery County and the District have planned for 2008, and when you have to get your applications in, how to write persuasive applications, etc.

v Wednesday, January 30th: Listen up, Ladies especially...By popular demand, the Beatniks present leading "Pilates" dance/exercise studio owner and instructor Renee Burkett from Gaithersburg, who will describe and demonstrate this form of physical workout which is now sweeping the country by storm.  Learn how to get in your weekly ration of aerobic exercise while toning your muscles, losing weight, and stregthening your entire body...and maybe become a better dancer at the same time!!  Renee will be accepting applications for her studio's busy schedule of Pilates classes, so you can sign up on the spot.

v Wednesday, February 6th: Big Beatniks Booster and clinical social worker/private therapist Diana Seasonwein & Friends from the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work present our first "GWSCSW Night": an hour and a half Q&A session about the many different types of psychotherapy available, to achieve specific therapeutic goals.  Learn why thousands of local folks are turning to clinical social workers for talk therapy, many of whom accept Medicare and/or Medicaid.  You'll also learn about GWSCSW's nifty online "Find a Therapist" service, which is free and can match you up with the right therapist in your neighborhood.

v Wednesday, February 13th: Renowned psychiatrist/author/lecturer E. Fuller Torrey, who's written numerous clinical and popular psychiatric books and articles in a long and very distinguished career, will give an overview of the latest clinical findings and research in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, and field questions for as long as there are questions.  He's a much sought-after speaker both nationally and internationally, so you won't want to miss this one!!

v Wednesday, February 20th: Big Beatniks Booster and Springfield Hospital senior social worker Claire Gilbert, and some of her social work students, return to give a history of Springfield Hospital and the public sector mental health system in general, with an eye towards what works in transitioning from the hospital back to the community, a subject in which Claire's an expert.  Learn how the massive de-institutionalization of the mentally ill population over the past 40 years has faired, from a veteran social worker's perspective.

v Wednesday, February 27th: Back by popular demand, St. Luke's House top employment honcho Larry Abramson presents "Employment for the High-Functioning Disabled--The Sequel."  He may be joined by a representative from Montgomery Station, the employment arm of Family Services Agency.  Learn how Larry and his staff strive to match the client to the job, to achieve the best "fit" and maximize the chances of long-term employment success.  Larry has been one of our most popular speakers in the past, so anyone currently looking for a job, or anticipating looking for one, on just about any level, won't want to miss this one!!

v Wednesday, March 5th: Back by popular demand comes licensed acupuncturist Ed Strozier, in "Acupuncture for Mental Health--The Sequel," which will also include an extensive discussion of "Chinese Herbal Medicine for Mental Health."  Learn what ancient Eastern medicine has to contribute to notions of mental stability and overall health, in a completely non-toxic way. 

v Wednesday, March 12th: The Beatniks present a "Legislative & Political Update" starring NAMI National's top political and legislative affairs lobbyist, and Big Beatniks Booster Ron Honberg.  In addition to NAMI's legislative agenda for 2008, Ron will speculate on how the leading presidential candidates would approach mental health (and whom you should vote for?).  Political junkies will definitely want to check out Ron's presentation.