June 8, 2023 - 7:00 pm

Virtual Book Club - "Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions"

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Virtual discussion of "Visual Thinking", by noted academic and animal behavioral scientist, member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, as well as prominent autism advocate, Temple Grandin, PhD.  An exploration of the richness of neurodiversity, from her own experiences and those of other well known creative people, the author develops the point that the inclusion of visual thinkers along with the majority verbal thinkers will help organizations, corporations, society, etc. identify and solve a number of issues in a timely and expeditious manner compared to verbal thinkers alone.  She also advocates for changes in our educational system to better serve visual thinking students.  NY Times Bestseller. No charge event. Register here.

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NEW DATE/LOCATION - June 10, 2023 - 11:00 am

Meet-up at the 2023 New Jersey Renaissance Faire, Columbus, NJ

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Meet-up with other PBK's and family/friends to enjoy as a group the New Jersey Renaissance Faire, an annual celebration of 16th century Elizabethan England by talented and dedicated re-enactors in the "Village of Crossford".  There are 6 formal stages of entertainment with dozens of scheduled shows as well as live jousting, although the entire Village is a stage - the show begins upon entering the castle gates!  Colorful characters, charming artists, and outdoor improvisational scenes that pop-up unannounced on the village paths are all at this all-outdoor Faire with the live interactions part of the fun 

       For 2023, the magical shire of Crossford will arise from the Burlington County Fairgrounds, 1990 Jacksonville Jobstown Rd., Columbus, NJ (click here for directions).  Food vendors and merchant village on site.  Dogs are welcome but need to have a registration form, a "Single Day" dog ticket ($10), and their state license tag attached to their collar.

      Our PBK DV group will meet at 11:00 AM, location TBA. Click here to purchase your "Single Day"  (10:00 am - 6:00 pm) admission ticket(s) online in advance directly from the NJ Renaissance Faire: Adults $25; children 5-12 years $10; below 5 years free.  [Adult-themed experiences/shows from 7-10 pm require separate entrance tickets and are not part of the PBK DV group event.] 

       For updates on the PBK DV's group's plans including the specific meet-up location, please click here to leave contact information.  

June 13, 2023 - 6:30 pm

Dinner with PBKs - White Dog Cafe, Haverford

 

Join other PBK's and guests at the White Dog Cafe in Haverford, PA, to connect for good conversation and great company!  Located at 379 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, with convenient onsite parking. Choose your own dinner selection from the menu.  As done for our very enjoyable 2022 PBK dinner at the White Dog Cafe, a deposit of $20 per person is requested in advance, with balance paid after the meal.  Click here to register.

July 13, 2023 - 7:00 pm

Virtual Movie Club - "Captain Phillips"

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Virtual discussion of the film "Captain Phillips", an Oscar and BAFTA-nominated film starring Tom Hanks, based on the true story of the American sea captain whose container ship was taken over by 4 young Somali pirates and then became a "ship with two captains" as Phillips and the Somali leader (Barkhad Abdi), the latter character driven by poverty and desperation, spar over control of the ship. The Guardian lauded Hanks' "performance of a lifetime" and commends that the film is "both visceral and intelligent" with "broad audience appeal". The NY Times extolled the film as "a movie that insistently closes the distance between us and them", having "a vital moral immediacy."  Named to 24 critics' "Top 10 films of 2013" lists and "Best of 2013" lists for the NY Times and the New Yorker. Rotten Tomatoes: 93%. View on Netflix and meet via Zoom on July 13, 2023, at 7:00 pm, for an insightful interactive discussion.  No charge event. Register here.

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July 22, 2023 - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Independence Seaport Museum with tours of the cruiser Olympia and the submarine Becuna + Optional Lunch afterwards

 

Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) along the Delaware River waterfront is home to one of the largest maritime art and artifact collections in North America, and includes an active boat workshop where shipwrights build wooden boats and host educational programs.  In addition to a self-guided tour of the museum, this event includes private guided tours of the Spanish American War (Commodore (at the time, later Admiral) Dewey's flagship during the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay) and oldest floating steel warship in the world, the cruiser Olympia, and the WW II submarine Becuna, to walk the steps of history.

       This event starts promptly at 10:00 AM at ISM at 211 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, for the museum visit and the tours of the two historic vessels.  Optional group purchase-your-own brunch/lunch (all-day menu also served during brunch) after the tours at the National Mechanics restaurant, in the historic Mechanics National Bank building built by prominent architect William Strickland in 1837, at 22 S. 3rd St, Old City Philadelphia. Event fee: $23.  Register here.  

August 5, 2023 - 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Preservation Alliance Guided Walking Tour:  "Bankers' Row - Architecture and Early American Finance in Philadelphia" + Optional Brunch/Lunch afterwards

Rescheduled from 4/29/23.

 

In the early years of the new Republic, Philadelphia was the nation’s financial capital, home to the first stock exchange (1790), the Bank of the United States, the US Mint, the first securities exchange, the first commodities exchange, and other early banking and insurance institutions. The epicenter of this activity was in Old City, where important early institutions were housed in architectural treasures, ranging from Greek Revival “temples” to later brick and limestone buildings such as The Bourse Building and the US Customs House. This private guided tour explores the history of this important part of Philadelphia by visiting notable architectural landmarks, visible evidence of Philadelphia’s early financial prominence.

       Tour departs promptly at 10:30 AM.  Meet at 10:15 AM in Welcome Park at the corner of 2nd Street and Sansom Walk.  Optional purchase-your-own Saturday brunch/lunch after the tour at the rustic Red Owl Tavern restaurant (new American cuisine), 433 Chestnut St., Old City Philadelphia. Tour fee: $22.   **Sold Out.**

August 10, 2023 - 7:00 pm

Virtual Book Club - Oh William!

 

Virtual discussion of Oh William!, a 2022 Booker Prize finalist novel in the form of a fictional memoir, by Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout. The book "explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple [who'd moved on to and then lost subsequent partners] reckons with where they've come from and what they've left behind." Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House, is quoted praising the book: "The depth, complexity and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement." NY Times Bestseller and a "Best Book of the Year" by the NY Times Book Review, the Washington Post, and Time magazine. 256 pages. No charge event. Register here.

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September 14, 2023 - 7:00 pm

Virtual Movie Club - "Minari"

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Virtual discussion of the 2020 film "Minari", which won the Sundance Dramatic Grand Jury Prize.  The film follows a Korean American family in 1980's America who move from California to an Arkansas farm in search of their American dreams. An immigrant story with unique details and characters, the film is an autobiographical drama by writer and director Lee Isaac Chung, portraying decisions that the family must make to assimilate while staying true to their own culture. Critically acclaimed performance by actor Steve Yeun playing the young patriarch, led to Yeun being the first Asian American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. "Minari" received many award nominations including for 6 Academy Awards with Youn Yuh-jung winning Best Supporting Actress. Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%. View on Amazon Prime.  No charge event. Register here. 

October 14, 2023 - 10:30 am

Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust Nature Walk

 

Meet-up with other PBK's, family, and friends to enjoy great conversations during a beautiful approx. 2-hour nature walk on trails of the 825 acre Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust, a private, non-profit ecological reserve started in 1970 and open to the public, located in Huntingdon Valley, PA, just north of Philadelphia. The walk will be led by Shea Sandifer, PBK DV Council member and Co-Chair of the Young Professionals group. Participants will enjoy more good conversation over a bring-your-own group lunch at the Visitor Center picnic area after the walk.  No charge event. Register here to get the information on the meeting place and to leave contact information for updates closer to the event.