AGS is proud to announce, that in November this year, we had an internationally renowned general semanticist, Milton Dawes, over from Canada, to give a series of seminars.


Milton Dawes imparts general semantics formulations through his talents in music, dance and mathematics. For nearly thirty years, he has focused on practical applications to teach self-awareness and self-improvement. He serves as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Institute for General Semantics, providing outreach services and unique training experiences. Milton lives in Montreal where he writes, teaches and consults. Visit his website .

A comment from one of Milton's students:
As one who feels privileged to 'know' Milton,
I will simply add that Milton does what only Milton can do -
he shares his incredibly unique and insightful awareness.


He presented the following three seminars:

Seminar 1:
Success Strategies that you can use in your work and the rest of your life.

Our successes and failures; feelings of satisfaction or distress; the quality of our lives and relationships with ourselves and with others, all depend on the way we 'think'.

In this workshop, we explored not only our usual thinking patterns, but also ways to improve our thinking and intelligence.

It took much effort and time. But as an advanced thinker, we became better communicators and better problem-solvers. We learned to avoid many problems. We developed skills in avoiding and managing stressful situations. We learned ways to better manage our time. We found it easier to see things from broader perspectives and from higher points of viewing.

Advanced thinkers experience a sense of personal power and more satisfying relationships (personal and professional).

This was not a lecture. We came prepared to share insights and experiences with others in an atmosphere of fun and learning.

The structure of the seminar-workshop included lectures, small group discussions, films, music, simple exercises, inputs from our own experiences and insights, learning from each other and much more.

It was held in the Ballroom at Woodstock in Burwood, Sydney on Sunday 17. November 2002.

Some recollections of the Sunday Seminar:


Is this REALLY the "Last Supper" ?
(It's Jeanne, Robert, Phil, Laurie, Betty, Milton, Pauline and Gavan)

Have Milton and Gavan reached a satisfying conclusion, or was it just a nice cuppa?




Betty and Milton enjoy a little reflection.





Laurie seems to be making rather a definite point here!








Are Pauline and Andrew enjoying a profound Mother-Son observation, or are they just glad that it's all over?








Seminar 2:
Changing our lives by changing the way we think-feel about:

ourselves, others, things and the way we use words.

We usually don't think about how we think and feel about things; or the values, beliefs, and assumptions that influence our attitudes, prejudices, and interactions with ourselves and others. Yet, if we want things to change in our lives, we have to change the way we think-feel about ourselves; change the way we think-feel about others; change the way we think-feel about things; change the way we think and the way we use words, etc.

The way we manage our lives, see, think-and-feel about ourselves depends on the way we structure our experiences and our living. Our feelings of distress or wellbeing; the quality of our personal and professional relationships; our ability to deal with new and trying situations; our skills in minimising, avoiding, and dealing with misunderstandings, problems in communicating, conflicts with others; stressful experiences; success in our endeavours; and so on, depend a great deal on the way we think-feel about things -- the way we structure our experiences.

So we came to this evening seminar and explored ways to change our lives for the better.

The seminar was held at Randwick, on Wednesday 20th November, 2002


Seminar 3:
How to better apply what you know

The main aim of this weekend seminar, as the title suggests, was to learn how to better apply what you know. Especially, how to better apply what general semantics knowledge you have. However, for those people who didn't know that much general semantics, a couple of introductory topics were covered first. These included: "What Makes Each of us Unique and how to make the most of it"; from a general semantics perspective. And how to improve your skills at "Understanding and being understood".

We also aimed to have heaps of fun. This was your chance to experience an Institute style seminar run by one of the most experienced Institute teachers. And to do this at peppercorn prices*** in wonderful surrounds.

The seminars Milton gives involve talks, simple 'exercises', small group work, films, music, etc. And each one can be considered more or less simply as a shift in focus along with the general-semantics principles that can help with that, etc. They are not lectures. So we expected to participate and have fun. We Came prepared to share insights and experiences with others in an atmosphere of fun and learning from each other and much, much more. What did we each get out of it?

One example of outcome was an improved ability to apply
what we know to our lives. This means: we should be able to get along better with people, communicate in a more effective manner, develop better, more successful and stronger marriages/partnerships, be more successful in business and become a happier person, etc.

The seminar was held from the afternoon of Friday 22nd until Sunday 24th of November, 2002 at the Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort, Pioneer Road, Fairy Meadow (near Wollongong)





Some Weekend Seminar images:


Milton's Creative pennant.


Melanie, Andrew, Milton and David, having just determined some Very Important Outcome!








Melanie, Andrew, Gavin, Robert, Adrian and Chris ...





Milton, Robert and Gavan ...







Milton and Laurie grappling with a multi-ordinal transcendence ...




Sandra, Gavan and Brett in the closing stages.






Following the "formal proceedings", there was time for a little touring and indulging in rural Australiana:

Our guest has a close encounter with the locals ...







Looks (and sounds?) as though he's done it all before ...












Thanks to Pauline ("The Flasher") for the photographs


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