Patti R. Albaugh
Barbara Starrett, M.D., president of the SaddleBrooke Freethinkers, spoke to the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary on the origins and focus of her organization. Dr. Starrett comes well qualified to lead an organization such as Freethinkers. She is a retired board-certified internist who was a pioneer in efforts to bring quality health care to gay men and lesbians. Committed to providing health care to underserved populations, she spent part of her career as a prison doctor at Riker’s Island. She subsequently served as Medical Director of Montefiore Health Services at Riker’s Island from 1977 to 1980 and became an expert in the field of prison health care.
The SaddleBrooke Freethinkers began as a small group of Unitarians who met irregularly in each other’s homes. Now the group has evolved into a chartered club that meets in the MountainView ballroom on the fourth Sunday at 10:00 a.m. from October through April. They have informal gatherings during the summer months. They are a non-sectarian group with no creeds or dogmas, no obligations and no dues.
Freethinkers believe in the responsible search for truth and meaning, as realized through their programs that are far-reaching and thought provoking. Past programs have included income inequality, private prisons, ISIL and the Middle East, Common Core standards and cognitive behavior therapies. Their first meeting of the year will be on October 30, 2016 and the topic will be One Health – the relationships between humans and animals with the environment presented by Dr. Bonnie Buntain, DVM. For questions or to get on the mailing list, contact the webmaster at [email protected]. Their web address is https://sbfreethinkers.wordpress.com.
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary meets every Thursday at 8:00 a.m. in the east dining room at the MountainView Clubhouse. Join us for friendship in the spirit of serving our community. Contact President Tim Johnston at [email protected] for more information.