Dinner & Discussion: Sailing from South Africa with speaker Jim Lober
Join us for Dinner & Discussion on Friday, March 15th. All are welcome. Our featured speaker Jim Lober, a 20-year Palmer member with a lifelong passion for sailing, will speak about his recent adventure sailing 1,800 nautical miles across the open sea from Cape Town, South Africa to St. Helena Island in the middle of the South Atlantic as part of a crew of three on a 44-foot Catamaran. This Dinner & Discussion event will be held at the home of Les and Lesley Douthwaite. Come at 7 PM and bring a dish to share with about six people, plus $3 each to cover beverage costs. If you have any questions, contact Ken Alexander at 713-240-4314 (cell) or .
Upcoming Speakers
April 12, 2024: Mapping of the Texas Borderlands with speaker Jim Key
May 10, 2024: 2024 Elections with speaker Mark Jones
Dinner & Discussion
For more than 40 years, Palmer parishioners have gathered together to build relationships, enjoy delicious potluck dinners, and learn about current thought-provoking topics.
Many stimulating and interesting issues, selected by parishioners, were presented in recent years. These included: U.S. Healthcare World Ranking, Texas Politics, Palmer's Fisk Organ & Organist, Buffalo Bayou Park, U.S. Immigration policy, and much more.
For additional information about upcoming events during 2022-2023, contact any member of the Dinner & Discussion planning committee: Don Tobin, Betty Key, Ken Alexander, Joan Baird Glover.
Dinner & Discussion – 2022-2023
During the academic year of 2022-2023, nine excellent speakers and topics were presented to Palmers and their guests. Much appreciation is due to Palmers who opened their homes to crowds ranging from 40 to 65 attendees.
September 2022 –
Making Dreams Reality: My NASA Experience
Speaker: Ansley Browns
October 2022 –
Hermann Park Conservancy
Speaker: Doreen Stoller, President
November 2022 –
Energy Transition
Speaker: Professor Jim Krane, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
December 2022 –
Home Eucharist
Celebrated by the Reverend Ryan Hawthorne.
January 2023 –
What is Cohousing?
Speakers: Lynn Morstead, Kelli Soika, Kip Krause, and the Rev. Liz Parker.
February 2023 –
Houston Parks & Recreation
Speakers: Kenneth Allen, Director and Tina Ortiz, Division Manager
March 2023 –
Houston Food Bank
Speaker: Brian Greene, President and CEO
April 2023 –
Houston’s Zoo: History and Future Plans
Speaker: Audra Jesudason, Sr. Director of Development Operations
May 2023 –
Houston’s Historic 1871 Glenwood Cemetery
Speaker: John E. Cutler
Dinner & Discussion – 2021-2022
Although restricted to Zoom gatherings during most of 2021-2022, Dinner & Discussion presented many engaging topics and speakers. Below is a list of the informative events that took place during the season –
September 2021 –
Introduction of Palmer’s Curate and Deacon: Ryan Hawthorne and Jack Karn
Interviewed by the Reverend Neil Willard
October 2021 –
Precision Medicine: Enabling new cancer treatments
Speaker: Dr. Peter Gascoyne / UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
November 2021 –
Palmer’s Property Development Task Force
Speakers: The Rev. Neil Willard, Rector and David Robinson, Sr. Warden
January 2022 –
Prison Entrepreneurship Program
Speaker: Al Massey, Executive Relations Manager
February 2022 –
2022 Politics & Elections in Texas and the U.S.
Speaker: Professor Mark Jones, Rice University
March 2022 –
Ukraine & Russia: Historical relationship and overview of current conflict
Speaker: Professor Ric Stoll, Rice University
May 2022 –
U.S. Immigration: Past and current policies, issues and challenges
Speaker: Charles C. Foster, Immigration Attorney