User:Benbest/sandbox/Society for Venturism

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Society for Venturism
Founded1986 (1986)
FounderDavid Pizer and Mike Perry
Focuscryonics
Location
  • 11255 S. Highway 69, Mayer, Arizona 86333, U.S.A.
Coordinates34°22′46.5″N 112°11′42.6″W / 34.379583°N 112.195167°W / 34.379583; -112.195167 [1][2]
Area served
Global
MethodEducation and charitable fundraising
Members
300+
Key people
David Pizer, Mike Perry, Mark Plus, Shannon Vyff
Employees
0
Volunteers
10+
Websiteventurist.info

The Society for Venturism is a non-profit organization connected with the cryonics movement.[3][4]

Philosophically the Society members, known as "Venturists," believe in "advocating and promoting the worldwide conquest of death through technological means." The Society was founded in 1986 by David Pizer, an Arizona businessman and cryonics advocate, with the assistance of Mike Perry, an Alcor employee. The Society was recognized in 1990 by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a scientific, religious and educational organization. The designation of "religious"[5] is said to follow Paul Tillich’s definition of religion as "a state of being grasped by an ultimate concern"[6] this being in keeping with the Society’s philosophy of conquering death and radically or indefinitely extending human life-span. In 2012, the Society for Venturism re-organized itself to be a church, rather than a religion.

Society members feel justified in opposing autopsy (which would be damaging for cryonics preservation) on religious grounds, and it supplies a "do not autopsy card" to cryonicists.[7] The Society has raised funds for needy people who were terminally ill and wished to be cryopreserved after clinical death (see below).

Charitable work[edit]

The Society has raised money for William O'Rights, who was cryopreseved at the Cryonics Institute,[8][9][10] and Kim Suozzi, who was cryopreserved at Alcor.[11][12][13] The 2013 cryopreservation fundraising campaign is for Aaron Winborn.[14]

Religious observances[edit]

As a religious organization, the Society has conducted wedding ceremonies.[15][16]

Like many other cryonics organizations, the Venturists celebrate "Bedford Day" (the anniversary of the cryopreservation of James Bedford) as an annual holiday on January 12.[17]

[18]

Membership[edit]

Becoming a Society for Venturism Member requires paying dues and agreeing to the principles of the organization.[19] The three classes of membership are Regular ($25), Benefactor ($100), and Lifetime ($1,500).[19]

Directors and Officers[edit]

All Officers of the Society for Venturism are also Directors. Directors are to be elected by the Members. As of February, 2013 the Directors and Officers were:[20] [21]

President David Pizer
Vice-President Mike Perry
Secretary Trudy Pizer
Treasurer David Pizer
Director Mark Voelker
Director Shannon Vyff
Director Ben Best
Director Nancy McEachern
Director Jerry Searcy

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "GPS Visualizer's Quick Geocoder". Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  2. ^ "Online geographic coordinate conversions using the GeoConvert utility". Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  3. ^ "The Society for Venturism". Biology Resources Online. BiologyWebDirectory. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  4. ^ "Society for Venturism information". Society for Venturism. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  5. ^ "Is it reasonable to call Venturism a religion?". Society for Venturism. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  6. ^ Adams, Harry W. and Grace C. (1965 book). "Ultimate Concern - Tillich in Dialogue by D. Mackenzie Brown". adapted from book Harper & Row, Publishers. religion-online.org. Retrieved 2013-02-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Information on how to obtain a "Do Not Autopsy Card"". Society for Venturism. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  8. ^ eternaltraveler (September 11, 2008). "cryonics donations for william o'rights (thefirstimmortal)". Forums. Longecity. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  9. ^ Ben Best (May 15, 2009). "The Cryonics Institute's 93rd Patient". Case Reports. Cryonics Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  10. ^ "Cryonics". Patients 2009. Transhumanist wiki. modifed 21 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Dvorsky, George (January 21, 2013). "23-Year Old Kim Suozzi Undergoes Cryonic Preservation After Successful Fundraising Campaign". io9. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  12. ^ Shannon Vyff (19 January 2013). "Kim Suozzi cryopreserved January 17 at Alcor". KURZWIEL ACCELERATING INTELLIGENCE NEWS. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  13. ^ "Kim Suozzi Cryogenically Preserved After Battle With Brain Cancer". The Huffington Post. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  14. ^ "2013 Society for Venturism Charity Campaign". Dying Wish. Society for Venturism. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  15. ^ Admin (April 24, 2007). "Alcor Research Associate Chana Weds Aschwin". ALCOR NEWS. Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  16. ^ Perry, Mike (December 30, 2001). "Venturist Wedding". CryoNet.org. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  17. ^ Plus, Mark (January 11, 2013). "Celebrate Bedford Day with the Venturists!". Yahoo! Groups New CryoNet. Retrieved 2013-02-09. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ Gaspar, Christine (December 8, 2012). "Annual Bedford Day Party in Toronto area / CPR training". Yahoo! Groups New CryoNet. Retrieved 2013-02-09. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ a b "Society for Venturism membership". Society for Venturism. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "http://www.venturist.info/2013-membership.html" ignored (help)
  20. ^ Plus, Mark. "Venturist memberships and renewals for 2013". Venturists · The Venturists · Messages. Yahoo! Groups. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  21. ^ "venturist_directors". Home. Yahoo! Groups. Retrieved 2013-02-11.

External links[edit]

Category:Charities based in the United States Category:Cryonics Category:Humanitarian aid Category:Life extension Category:Non-governmental organizations based in the United States Category:Religious organizations established in 1986 Category:Religious charities

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