Edzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the United Kingdom. In 2008, Ernst and Simon Singh published Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial. Professor Ernst will be the inaugural speaker at Ipswich Skeptics in the Pub.

As notified to all the Facebook group members, our Facebook group is now closed. Instead, we have a Facebook page. Feel free to sign up there. www.facebook.com/suffolkhands

Our June newsletter is ready for you to download now. Contents include: Humanist weddings can be fun (and one of them was for our chairperson); A visit to Down House with the U3A; Changes at Suffolk Inter-Faith Resource; Our car sticker designs – you choose; Dates for your diary, including a pub lunch and a trip to the seaside. [Click here to download the newsletter](http://www.suffolkhands.org.uk/files/1/2010 SH&S News June.pdf “June newsletter pdf”) (pdf).

The BBC has reported an Ofsted report on the teaching of RE in secondary schools, which describes it as “inadequate” in one in five secondary schools. They say, “Its study suggested many teachers were unsure of what they were trying to achieve in the subject.” I’m not surprised. A few years ago, a report was presented to Suffolk’s SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education) by a middle school teacher who’d been given a grant from an independent body for a sabbatical to research RE provision in the county.

After many years as a Humanist representative on Suffolk’s Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE), a full member* for the last two years, I resigned at today’s meeting and recommended Andrew Morrison, our group chairperson, as my replacement. I’ve enjoyed my involvement with SACRE, though there are so many changes in the offing that I’m happy for Andrew to deal with them. He’ll be fine! I’ll provide a full report for members in the next newsletter.

I enjoy visiting schools and talking to students but I’m so glad I’m not a teacher any more. All the teachers I know have complained about frequent changes of government policy, masses of paperwork, and SATs testing (Standard Attainment Tests), which have reduced young children to gibbering wrecks with the stress. I’m glad I’m not the parent of a school-age child either. There’s been a lot of talk about parental choice, but from what I’ve read, your choices have been limited.

A belated post on World Humanist Day, the beginning of Humanist Week, but some of us have been busy window-dressing. We’ve put together an exhibit in one of the display cases at the County Library in Ipswich (Northgate Street) to mark Humanist Day and Week, so if you’re in town, take a look. While we were assembling it all (or while Andrew and John were assembling it – I supervised), a couple of people stopped to talk about it, expressing approval.

On the opposite side of the B1438 to Nottcutts Garden Centre, at 73 Cumberland Street, Woodbridge.

A DVD from the European Humanist Federation, showing the history of feethinking in Europe, followed by a discussion on humanist history.

Fish ‘n chip restaurant on the beach at Dunwich.

An outing to the seaside, starting with fish ‘n chips at the Flora Tea Rooms on the beach at Dunwich, then a walk, then tea at the National Trust Centre nearby (if you’re thirsty). Family, friends and neighbouring group members welcome. Please let us know if you’re coming by Monday 2nd August.

Andrew will visit us to talk about “Objections to Humanism”. Please come and make him welcome, and bring interested family and friends.

An email from One Law for All: Several hundred people joined One Law for All on 20 June at Downing Street to show their opposition to Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and to demand universal rights and secularism. A new report Sharia Law in Britain: A Threat to One Law for All and Equal Rights was published on the day to coincide with the rally. Human rights activist Gita Sahgal said of the report: I think it is highly significant that in Britain there has been silence where there should have been condemnation.