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Home My WebLink AboutMT Committee for the Humanities AnA/filiateof'theNationalEndowmen,fortheNumanitics CITY OF LAUREL Celebrating 30 Years q[ Service to Montana September 6, 2003 Dear Fellow Montanan: On behalf of the MOntana Committee for the Humanities, I invite you to attend Conversations on Civic Life in Montana, a conference to occur in Billings September 25. Nationwide studies show that Americans are becoming increasingly disconnected from friends, family, and neighbors. Fewer and fewer people are participating in political 'parties, church activities, social and service organizations--from PTA, 4;H, and Boy Scouts to fraternal organizations. The result is shrinking "social capital." Is this happening in Montana? If so, what does it mean for our state and for us all? Come to Conversations on Civic Life in Montana to learn more and share your ideas v~ith other interested individuals. The Conversations program includes speakers from across the state and will conclude with an address, in association with the Montana Campus Compact, by Harvard professor Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, the groundbreaking work that brought trends of shrinking social capital to the attention of the nation. The Conversations conference will reinvigorate your thoughts on social capital issues and their implications for Montana. - While there is no charge for the Conversations on Civic Life in Montana conference, we ask that you register in advance by calling Anne Cossitt at 406-633-2213 or emailing cossitt~u~adig, corn. Further information and an updated conference program appear at www. civicmontana.org. Mark Sherouse Executive Director 311 Brantly · The University of Montana · Missoula, Montana 59812-7848 Telephone 406-243-6022 · FAX 406-243-4836 · lasrbest@selway.umt, edu · www. humanitiex-mt, org Tentative Agenda Conversations on Civic Life in Montana: Association, Engagement, and Discourse September 25, 2003 Radisson Northern Hotel Billings, MT 8:30 AM Coffee and conversation 9:00 Welcome and orientation: Mark Shemuse, Montana Committee for the Humanities, Missoula 9:15 Why ls Our Civic Life So Important? Ron Perdn, The University of Montana, Missoula 10:15 How Healthy ls Montana's Civic Life? Panel moderated by Lynda Bourque Moss, Foundation for Community Vitality, Billings Steve Nelson, Governor's Office for Community Service, Helena; Mike Schechtman, Big Sky Institute for Non-Profits, Helena; Margie MacDonald, Montana Association of Churches, Billings; Matthew McKinney, Western Consensus Council, Helena; Brace Whittenberg, Leadership Montana, Billings Noon Lunch ltevltalizing Civic Life in Montana: Daniel Kemmis, Center for the Rocky Mountain West, Missoula 1:30 PM The Humanities and Civic Life, Mark Sherouse, Montana Committee for the Humanities, Missoula 2:00 Wknt Is, and What Should Be, the Reiationsh~p Between Government and Civic Life? Paul Haber, The University of Montana, Missoula 4:00 Q&4 on Montana Social Capital with Robert Putnam [invited] 5:30 Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Political Science, Harvard University, author of Making Democracy Work, Bowling Alone, and other works, presented jointly with Montana Campus Compact, Montana State University-Billings The Montana Committee for the Humanities is Montana's independent nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEtO, a federal agency that supports learning and public programs in history, literature, philosophy, languages, and other humanities disciplines. Since its founding in 1972, the Committee's grants and services have served Montanaus with thousands of public conferences, lectures, workshops, and exhibits, a state}vide speaker's bureau, reading/discussion programs, an extensive media collection, television, radio, film, and video productions, research and scholarship, a statewide One Book program, the statewide Montana Festival of the Book, and a variety of publications. QUICK FACTS ABOUT SOCIAL CAPITAL (excerpted from Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam) Consider that between 1973 and 1994 in the U.S.: serving as an officer of a club or organization declined 42% · working for a Political party declined 42% · attending a public meeting on town or school affairs declined 35% ..... ~__ Involveme~nt.in religious activities fleclined by25~50% · Trends in charitable giving and voiunteerism also declined Factors contributing to these trends include: · Pressures of time and money, including special pressures of bNo-career families · Suburbanization, commuting, and sprawl · Electronic entertainment, especially television · Generational chan~;c older actively civic generation is being slowly replaced by less involved children and grandchildren