Highlights from past issues of

All material is copyright (c) by PhACT, C/O Ray Haupt 639 W. Ellet Str Philadelphia PA 19119, Tel: (215) 885-2089.

From the Phactum archives:

Therapeutic touch, alt med, and other health/medical issues:

Free energy

UFOs & aliens

Time Travel

Ghosts

Dowsing

Memetics

Creationism vs. evolution

False Memories

Pyramids

James Randi

Skepticism in the Media

Demographics of Skepticism

Miscellaneous

New Readers Begin Here (or A Brief History of PhACT)

   -- by Bill Wisdom

Until a few years ago, an organization called "Delaware Valley Skeptics" drew together a number of people in the Philadelphia metropolitan area who adhered roughly to the aims and principles of CSICOP, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, the national organization which publishes the bi-monthly Skeptical Inquirer. But DVS faded into inaction and finally extinction. In the spring of 1994, CSICOP sponsored in the Philadelphia area a weekend conference, at which some fifteen of the participants resolved to organize another skeptics group. They have met once a month since August 1994 to accomplish this goal. Highlights of those meetings follow.

In September 1994 we dubbed ourselves the Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT). In October we identified a number of committees and distributed ourselves through them---Publicity Committee, Membership Committee, Newsletter Committee, etc. In November we identified a provisional President, Treasurer and Secretary; we approved statements of Purpose and Rationale; and we set dues at $25 a year (since lowered to $15). In December we decided to create and continually expand an Annotated Skeptics' Bibliography of works in which members think others might be interested; noting which are available for loan. In January we settled on a mailing address and a telephone arrangement. In February we began planning both a membership drive and future programs. In March we made considerable progress toward the first edition of the newsletter, which was finished in April and mailed out in the middle of May. In April we had a long and inconclusive discussion about the organization's stance toward religious belief (a number of members are preparing statements on the issue for our consideration). In May we approved a set of Bylaws, and approved the text of a document called, "Welcome to Skepticism" which might introduce us to people unfamiliar with our position.

These tasks accomplished, we now feel ready first to build membership and then both to organize programs for PhACT members and to offer larger-scale programs to the general public.

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