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Zamenhof Bankedo

Zamenhof Bankedo 2005There were only six esperantists (seven, including the 3 month old infant) who came to the Zamenhof Banquet this evening. Still, it was a pleasant dinner at China Dynasty. Last year, I had to drive two hours, but this year it was only 15 minutes from home. And I got to read my speech, which was well received. Originally, I was planning to do a potluck where we would make a pot of stone soup and maybe even have a little theatrical stone soup sketch, but this worked out perfectly well.

I had originally believed that the elementary school would let me set up an Esperanto club for the kids (the principal had agreed). If we'd had the kids, I was thinking we could get them to write and perform the stone soup sketch. I was excited by the possibilities. Then reality set in: the principal backed out (claiming that the person who'd coordinated the clubs previously had left and needed to be replaced before there could be clubs again). Then, I couldn't find a meeting room with a stove. It was discouraging enough, that I didn't get around to actuallly organizing anything until the last minute. But at least it actually happened.

David Coffin and I spent most of the time having a discussion (read "argument") about the value of unions. He holds that I support unions because I've already got mine, whereas I contend that he undervalues the security that having a union provides. He thinks unions make jobs too expensive whereas I believe that the disorder that having no security imposes on people's lives is incredibly destructive to our social fabric and discourages civic engagement. He agrees that he thinks civic engagement is stupid and doesn't have any value. I wonder if he'll still feel that when his daughter is in school.

Bob Lidral came, which was great -- I hadn't seen him since the jarkunveno last year. He has since moved to New Hampshire. I encouraged him to propose a site for the spring Jarkunveno. And Paul came -- Paul looked like it was the middle of finals week or something (which it is, of course). It was great to see everyone and maybe next year we can pull off a more elaborate plan.