Plastic Journey – From Crude Oil to Nano Particles in our Organs
2025-05-13 17:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Lansdowne Woods Club House Auditorium, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg, VA, 20176, United States
Speaker: Hosny Khordagui

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How are plastics manufactured?

Who are the main Global producers and consumers of plastics?

What is the fate of plastics in the environment?

What are the impacts of plastics on marine and terrestrial ecology?

What are the sources of Micro & Nano plastics?

What are the detected levels of Micro & Nano plastics in air, water and food?

Do Micro & Nano plastics accumulate in our bodies & organs?

What are the potential detrimental health effects of Micro and Nano plastics?

How to reduce Micro & Nano plastics exposure with emphasis on drinking water?

$40 Members – $45 Guests

History & Culture of Zionism
2025-04-08 17:30 - 20:30 | Lansdowne Woods Club House Auditorium, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg, VA, 20176, United States
Speaker: – Mike Leavitt

The history of Zionism spans thousands of years, from its roots in ancient biblical texts through its continuous appearance in Jewish prayer books to its modern manifestation as a political movement in the late 19th century and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. This talk will trace the development of Zionist ideas and aspirations from biblical times through key historical periods, culminating in the creation of Israel and ongoing debates surrounding Zionism today.

Entree Choices: Beef Fajitas or Glazed Salmon w/ Creamed Spinach or Vegan Option

$40 members $45 guests

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Integrating Russia into the Western World: Successes and Failures: A Personal Account
2025-03-11 17:30 - 20:30 | Lansdowne Woods Club House Auditorium, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg, VA, 20176, United States
Speaker: Stephen Creskoff

I spent my career as an international trade lawyer, both in private law practice and working for US Government and international organizations such as USAID, the World Bank and the United Nations, in more than 50 countries. Between September 2004 and February 2006, I was Chief of Party for a World Bank consulting project in Moscow, Russia, designed to help Russia change its laws to conform with requirements of World Trade Organization and World Customs Organization agreements. My talk, illustrated with photos, will cover some of the revealing and amusing experiences I had working in Russia and then briefly discuss where we are today in US-Russia relations.

Lansdowne Woods: Backyard Stories
2025-01-14 17:30 - 20:30 | Lansdowne Woods Club House Auditorium, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg, VA, 20176, United States
Speaker, Dave ThomasFor twenty-four years, the speaker has experienced the backyards, gardens, woods, and life (wild and otherwise) behind our condo buildings, and he has collected hundreds of photos and many (very short) stories. He promises to select some of the most interesting to prove the old adage that there is “more-than-meets-the-eye” along the perimeter trail of our 46-acre tract. You will also get a glimpse of our transition to Lansdowne Woods in 2016. As many know, we started as Leisure World long before that, in 1997.

David Alden Thomas (yes, one of the millions of descendants of Mayflower pilgrims, namely John Alden and Priscilla Mullins) grew up in Indianapolis, studied metallurgical engineering at Cornell University, and then earned an Sc.D. from MIT. His career was mainly in teaching and research at Lehigh University, after five more years at MIT and five years in industrial research as well. He began learning photography in the darkrooms of microscopy laboratories in academia and now continues as an enthusiastic (but low-tech) digital photographer. Still, family comes first, with his wife Anne of sixty-eight years, children andgrandchildren, and finally the first great-grandchild in 2024.

Members Only Holiday Party
2024-12-10 17:30 - 20:30
Open to Members and Spouses (or significant other)

Each household is encouraged to bring a wrapped book for our book swap. Please write your name, a brief description about the book and why you selected it and put the writeup in envelope attached to the book. We are trying to make the book swap go more quickly with this new method.

Menu: Grilled Peach Salad, Choice of Filet Au Poivre or Mediterranean Sea Bass or Vegetarian, Green Beans Almandine, Twice Baked Potatoes, Apple Cranberry Pie with Ice Cream

The Battle for Women's Suffrage and the League of Women Voters
2024-11-12 17:30 - 20:30
Speakers: Kathleen Hughes and Ann Schmitt

Ann Schmitt and Kathleen Hughes, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Loudoun, will describe the long history of the struggle for American women’s suffrage and the lives of some of the brave women who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Discover how the League of Women Voters that emerged from the suffragist movement is still working to register and educate voters, get them to the polls, and protect their voting rights.

October Program
2024-10-08 17:30 - 20:30 | Lansdowne Woods Club House Auditorium, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg, VA, 20176, United States
What really caused the American Civil War?

An objective look at the forces that led to state secession and war.

Jim Grefer

In a recent Presidential campaign press conference, a reporter asked candidate Nikki Haley“What caused the Civil War.” This was her reply, “The cause was basically how the governmentwas going to run… the freedoms in what people could and couldn’t do.” If this answer seemedpurposely vague, it was likely due to the political ramifications of a more specific answer.Perhaps it was an unfair question in a press conference. But, more than a century and a halfafter the American Civil War, our country is still heatedly debating its cause. What we teachchildren and adults about its cause varies widely among regions of the country. And the result iswide disagreement and discord about it—much the result of emotional judgements attached tothe theories; some due to the desire for an overly-simple answer.In surveys by Pew and Gallop, the two overwhelmingly popular theories are states’ rights, andslavery. But what exactly are states’ rights? Could this abstract concept lead to war? If U.S.leaders were not pushing to end slavery in the 15 slave states, how would slavery have causedthe war?This will be our discussion at Blue Ridge Torch Club’s October Dinner Event. Using detailedhistorical narratives, data, and charts, Jim will delve into these theories and provide evidencewe can use to judge what was—and what was not—the real cause of the War. The answersmay surprise you.Jim is a retired economist who, with his wife Helena, moved to Potomac Ridge three years ago.He studies history and employs economic methods to get to the core truths of historical issues.

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September Program
2024-09-10 17:30 - 20:30 | Lansdowne Woods Club House, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Leesburg, 20176, United States
The creation of cold, ready to eat breakfast cereals, is a uniquely American story. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was at the forefront of modern medicine and the role of nutrition in improving one’s health. He and wife Ella and his brother Will invented cornflakes. Will Kellogg formed the Kellogg company and changed breakfast food forever. The talk will cover the story of the creation of corn flakes and how that invention spawned the breakfast cereal industry and changed advertising of products.

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