We thought some of you might be interested in knowing what the board are up to, so plan to update you each month after our meeting about some of our ideas for the future. The board meet every month the week after Roundtable to discuss upcoming topics/events and generally brainstorm. Some of the more interesting points discussed at our latest meeting were as follows:
Events/ Roundtables:
October roundtable sees Paula Simons from the Edmonton Journal joining us to discuss why she chooses not to carry the label ”atheist”
November Marion will be presenting on atheism around the world
December Karen will be presenting ”Jesus vs Santa; a look at mythicism”
Ideas for the new year are being worked on, with possible guest speakers from Dying with Dignity and Stop Polygamy In Canada. Do you have ideas for guest speakers? Get in touch!
December:
We’ll be planning a December solstice potluck for December 14th, so watch for details on that very soon. Members Sylvia and Alan have kindly booked the party room at their complex so we will be able to have a private function, and we are planning some fun things to go along with the food. Save the date!
Brainstorming:
After seeing the great job HAAM have been doing out in Manitoba we are also keen to see what interest there is from our group to run some bus ads next year. This will take fundraising as well as donations, ideas on this are welcomed from members. We are hoping to start up a small fundraising team as well, so look for the volunteer events coming up if you are interested in helping with that.
The other topic we’d like to focus on going forward is fostering group identity. Let’s get some conversations started on what you’d like to see SEA doing in the future, what kind of media and publicity we should be pursuing, and how we can create a great atmosphere where people feel they belong and are welcome. Some of us have an interest in trying to find ”a home”, such as a room we rent out that is ours all the time so we can start things like book swap libraries and keep merchandise all in one place. Other things that have come up are helping sponsor known speakers to come here, and getting involved with the bigger conferences.