Chicago Stuttering Society
Meetings Page
Statement
The CSS does not subscribe to any particular stuttering therapy or ideology. We respect each other as unique individuals and believe people find different ways of dealing with their stuttering. At our meetings, everyone is encouraged to talk but no one is coerced. Furthermore, because we believe that people are capable of and responsible for solving their own problems, we encourage helpful behavior modeling but discourage direct advice giving.
We plan a program for each meeting. Although this program is important, it does not necessarily dominate our meetings but acts more as a stimulus for participants to share feelings and talk in a supportive environment. After all, success or failure is not measured in the severity or frequency of our stuttering. Success is achieved by communicating effectively saying what we want, when we want, to whom we want, in our own time. We hope you'll join us!
Meetings
The CSS typically meets the fourth Wednesday of January, February, March, April, May, September and October from 7 to 9 PM. We don't formally meet June, July, August, November or December, though we sometimes have social gatherings during those months.
Directions
We haven't had a dedicated meeting space for some time. For directions to our next meeting, please e-mail me at daverm_98@yahoo.com.
Upcoming Topics
April 28 - "Taking stock." We'll use Dr. Ken St. Louis's "Taking Stock" materials to learn more about ourselves and each other. Dr. Louis is a person who stutters, a speech therapist and a proponent of telling one's story as a part of the healing process. We'll also review our group's meeting format and guidelines, as well was enjoy some pizza to hold over hungry attendees until they can get home for dinner.
Most Recently...
March 24 "Self-esteem in our lives and in our speech." A group of about six attendees including one new member enjoyed an interesting discussion about how we've all grappled with self-esteem throughout our lives and how it's affected our speech.
Feb. 26 "Social meeting." We did have a meeting! And a very pleasant one at that. Around five CSSers showed up. They talked a lot about digital cameras and how to use them. Otherwise, it was just eating and drinking and hopefully gaining some socialization skills. (Thanks to Ron for meeting summary.)
Jan. 28 "Annual open mic." Our annual open mic meeting was attended by 8 to 10 hardy souls, who took turns speaking about accomplishments, experiences, and in one case, giving us a learned literary reading. Connie also treated us to a wonderful impromptu concertina performance.
Dec. 3 - Holiday gathering. An intimate, spirited group gathered at Ann Sather restaurant for some holiday cheer. We shared wine, jokes and plenty of laughter.
Oct. 22 "The Ranking Game." Co-facilitator Melanie led a fascinating meeting about where group members would rank their stuttering among the things that make their lives difficult, and why. This meeting also featured a guest appearance by glamourous baby superstar Ava Rose Miller.
Sept. 24 "Back to School." Our first meeting back from our summer break was held in the festive environment of Bransfield's Restaurant. We welcomed a new member as well as several regulars -- eating, drinking and chatting while the Cubbies played on in the background.
May 28 Garth's meeting. Our very own marathon man, Garth, led this meeting, which featured a general conversation that covered many things stuttering. We also enjoyed the company of a guest speech pathology student from Milwaukee. Thanks, Garth!
April 23 Don's Meeting. We welcomed a new member to this meeting along with five or six other familiar faces. After an open discussion about various topics, Don presented some examples of his photography work. He explained the subjects he chooses, how he arranges shoots and where he sells his shots. All in all an interesting evening. Thanks, Don!
March 26 Mary's Meeting. Y'know, when you meet in a bar, you just can't expect things to be all too serious. So Mary decided to emphasize the "society" in Chicago Stuttering Society, letting the group socialize freely with glorious results. A huge turnout and lots of fun made this one of our best meetings ever. Thanks, Mary!
February 26 Ron's Meeting. We welcomed two new members as well as a contingent of faithful regulars to this meeting. After watching a recent "Good Morning America" piece on the SpeechEasy device, Ron lead an interesting discussion regarding the various antistuttering devices now (or once) available. A few participants even tried a delayed auditory feedback unit that Ron brought with. Thank you very much, Ron!
January 22 Annual First-Meeting-of-the-Year Open Mic. We had a great first meeting of 2003. Eight hearty souls braved the cold to partake in some interesting and entertaining public speaking.
January 19 Connie's annual winter potluck. Connie hosted another joyous gathering to warm up our frigid January. Dave and Melanie brought the CSS's newest honorary member, 6-week-old Ava Rose, and much good cheer and good food were shared.
December 6 Annual Holiday Dinner Don Smetzer organized another festive holiday gathering at Ann Sathers in Lakeview. It was well attended and well enjoyed.
October 23 Are You Aware? Originally, Connie had planned to lead a program on assertiveness. But seeing as how the day before the meeting was International Stuttering Awareness Day, she decided to call an audible and change the meeting's focus to our awareness of stuttering. We each took a stuttering awareness test that Connie had been giving to UIC students. Then we discussed our answers and the feelings that the test brought up. Fascinating stuff!
September 25 Stuttering and the Workplace. Webmaster Dave led a discussion on the many challenges of stuttering on the job and ways to cope better with it. In particular, the meeting delved into the question of "disclosure," whether to openly discuss your stuttering at work. We also welcomed a new member into the fold always a plus!
(To see what we did during 2000, 2001 and 2002 go back to the main menu and click on the Mutterings page.)
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