Thursday, September 6, 2007

FAQ

Who are the Free Thinkers of Ironwood?
You are! The Free Thinkers' club is a discussion and debate oriented club where you can share your view on issues that are both interesting and fresh, provided you're willing to allow others to do the same.

Remember--this is not an academic club! We have no membership dues, no rules beyond courtesy, no gavel to bang at you, and we want to hear what everyone has to say. This is a place to share your view, have some fun, and maybe even learn a little from someone else. I dare you to join--get excited, have some fun, and don't be afraid to shout a little.

What are the rules?
The only real rule for this club is that you must respect the views of others, and do your best to be respectful and reasonable. For more information, consult the club constitution (print version here).

When does the club meet?

The club meets every Thursday directly after school in Mr. Dufala's room (ceramics).

Who is Simmons and what is his queue?
Ryan Simmons is a popular culture sex symbol founding member of the Free Thinkers of Ironwood.

The Queue is our (and his) current list of topics up for discussion. The Queue contains information about our last topic, which leads into our current topic, followed by a list of topics in the Queue itself.

How can I add a topic to the queue, and how is it prioritized?
The current Queue is decided at each week's meeting. At the end of each meeting, the Queue is reviewed before all attendees, and new topics can be suggested to be added to the queue.

The attending members then take a vote to indicate interest in each topic, and the priority of each is then decided by general consensus of attending members, then by the officers, and ultimately by our Benevolent Dictator for Life.


History

The Free Thinkers of Ironwood is a high school activity group started in 2006 as a reaction to local religious clubs on campus. During that year, the Free Thinkers served as an open forum for discussion and a unique opportunity for many students to talk about their beliefs in an environment that was previously unavailable.

As the entirety of the officer team graduated that year, the club was left in the hands of its active members in 2007. A new draft of the constitution has since been drawn up, and the club has been redesigned with a greater sense of purpose: To facilitate open and respectful discussion and debate of depth and significance, to give philosophy a place in high school, and to challenge the anti-intellectual attitude prevalent in today's American youth.

But you still didn't answer my question!
This FAQ is a constant work in progress. Please post any complaints or questions as comments on this post.

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