May 192014
 

The SEA will be participating in the Edmonton Pride Parade again this year on June 7, and have a booth in Churchill Square afterwards. Parade staging is at 11am downtown (exact location TBA), and the activities at Churchill end at 7pm. You can take a look at the event on Facebook, or the list to the right for the most up to date staging and booth location details.

2013 Pride Parade

What to wear: We are going with the bright, solid coloured shirts again this year, or your SEA t-shirt (last year’s photos). We will have a few extras on hand in case you forget, or don’t own one. Feel free to add accessories. Also, bring sunscreen, a hat, or an umbrella as the weather dictates.

Parade props: We have the signs from last year (photos), and a new Flying Spaghetti Monster is in the works.

Booth volunteers: We need volunteers for the booth in Churchill after the parade. If you’re interested in showing people what a friendly group we are, please sign-up for a few slots at the booth, or contact us

If you do want to bring your own sign or a t-shirt with a message, please be aware that we will not allow messages that attack or insult other groups, since that’s not why we’re at Pride. This is a fuzzy and touchy subject, so feel free to contact us beforehand if you’re not sure. The Board members present before the parade have the final say. 

 

Mar 152014
 

Our Board of Directors will be elected at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). There will be positions with no incumbent Board members this year, as a few of our current members have decided not to run for elected positions. The elected Board consists of these positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and four Directors. The Past President can also be part of the Board if applicable.

What’s involved in being on the Board?

For more detail on each of the positions, we’ve put together descriptions of the positions. In most cases, the time commitment is only 1-2 hours a week, plus attendance at a monthly 2 hour Board meeting, and some events every month. If you’re already coming to events, then it’s not much more effort to be a Board member. We have tasks that need doing no matter what your interests are, whether you love getting out to network with people, or would rather make sure that everything in the background is organized.

Why would I join the Board?

While our members and volunteers have a big influence over how and what happens, the Board has a large amount of influence over the direction of the SEA. Do you want to see us heading in a specific direction, such as more activism, or more interaction with the city’s religious groups? Then the Board might be a good place for you to do that. It’s also a great way to learn new skills or, if your’re comfortable mentioning the SEA on the resume, show employers that you’ve volunteered in a leadership position.

How do I get elected?

Don’t worry, there isn’t usually a hard-fought election campaign involved, however you might be asked about your goals for SEA and what you feel you bring to the table. At the AGM, nominations are suggested by members for each position and voted on, starting with President, and ending with the Directors. Nominations can also be submitted ahead of time, you can nominate yourself, and you can be nominated for more than one position. This year, there is time set aside to mingle, talk to people about their nomination or vote, and ask candidates questions before the vote takes place.

What If I can’t attend the AGM but want to be on the Board?

You can still let us know ahead of time what position(s) you would like to run for, and one of the Board members will put your name forward at the AGM. If you would like to write up an explanation of why you should be elected to that position, we can have it read out as well.

What if I have no experience?

Don’t worry! There aren’t any tasks on the Board that are very complicated. If you’re willing to learn, we’re willing to teach you.

Jun 162013
 

As I hope you’re aware, rain or shine, the Edmonton Atheists annual Summer Solstice Potluck Picnic is happening this Saturday, June 22, 4-7pm at the blue picnic site in Coronation Park (Google Map).

The park is easily accessible by bus, and is walking distance from the Westmount Transit Centre and Telus World of Science. Parking is on the north side of the park, at Woodcroft Community League.

As you might guess, this takes a little organization to put together, but nothing too strenuous.
We’d like a few volunteers for:

  • Cooler and ice (one for meat, one for other items needing cold)
  • Kindling and paper
  • Fire wood
  • A few people day of to help with the kids scavenger hunt

Everyone should bring:

  • Something to drink (water fountains and taps are avaliable at the park)
  • A potluck food to share (with serving spoons, etc.)
  • Outdoor games (bubbles, balls, Frisbee, etc.)
  • Weather appropriate gear (hats, sunscreen, bug spray, rain coat)

Wood burning grills and fire pits are avaliable for cooking (remember utensils to get your hot food off). Power is not avaliable at the picnic site.

The SEA will provide:

  • Cups, plates, utensils, napkins
  • A limited number of burgers, buns, and condiments

If you can volunteer to bring along a cooler & ice, or fire supplies, please contact us.

Feb 092013
 

On February 5, we sat down to discuss volunteering with the SEA. The summary of the meeting is below, but if you’re already interested, the list of things that people could be working on is here and the form to let us know what you’re interested in is here. We’ll get people interested in similar things together in groups and make sure that everyone feels like they have the knowledge and support to get going.

Currently, within the SEA, most of the events and activities are organized by members of the Board of Directors. The SEA is large enough at this point (66 paid members in 2012) that the Board would like to spend more of their time on the big picture, and see more of the activities organized by the general membership.

Continue reading »

Jan 212013
 

We’ve pulled together a list of volunteer activities that the SEA should be working on. This list is, by no means, exhaustive and we probably missed a few.

So, we’re asking you to help us out! Take a look through the spreadsheet, see if there’s something that you’d be interested in, and add something if we missed it*.

Go to the list.

 

*Obviously, if there is abuse the editing functionality of the spreadsheet will be removed. But we think you’re trustworthy people.

Jan 152013
 

A while ago, the SEA Board of Directors undertook a strategic planning exercise with a facilitator from Alberta Community Development.
Two of the things that came out of that were our current mission statement:

The Society of Edmonton Atheists fosters a community among atheists, agnostics and freethinkers through discussion, constructive activism, education and philanthropy.

And a list of goals for the SEA:

  • Promote better Board functioning
  • Introduce the SEA and atheism to the public
  • Obtain and retain members
  • Improve event variety, organization and frequency
  • Organize philanthropic activities
  • Active fundraising (casino application, grants)
  • Communicate for the benefit of our members
  • Advocate for secular issues

Survey: Which of these goals are most important to you, and how should we work to achieve them? Continue reading »

Jan 122013
 

To date, the SEA hasn’t done a very good job of getting people involved in making things happen. We’re trying to change that.

Our next Tuesday discussion group (Feb 5) will be focused on getting people who are interested in volunteering with the SEA working on tasks that they’re interested in, and that support the goals of the SEA.

Leading up to that, I’ll be posting regularly on the website and Facebook to inform people what’s needed to run the SEA as it is, get people thinking about what they’d like to help with, and get a discussion moving about what people want to see us do in the future.

So, even if you only have an hour a month to spare, please plan to come out to the volunteer organizing meeting, or contact us and let us know that you’re interested but can’t make it. I hope we’ll all be impressed with what we can accomplish.

Jun 082012
 

The SEA will be volunteering at Ronald McDonald House on June 24th to provide dinner to the families staying there, as part of the Home for Dinner program.

Ronald McDonald House provides temporary, affordable accommodation for families whose children are being treated at one of Edmonton’s medical facilities. As you can imagine, cooking a decent meal when they get back after a day of appointments is not high on their priority lists.

We have a full roster of volunteers, but are still looking for monetary donations.

Donations can be made at the pride parade, any meeting or roundtable, as well as by contacting us.

May 262012
 

We’re looking for volunteers for the booth in Churchill Square on June 9 at the Pride festivities.

11am – 1pm
1-2 people to help set up and manage the booth while the parade is going on.

1pm – 7pm
Volunteers to manage the booth and answer questions from the public. Ideally, 3-4 people manning the booth at all times.

No special skills are required, just a willingness to have friendly conversations with people.
If you’re interested, please contact us with the times you would be available, and we’ll get in touch with you before the parade with a schedule.

Thanks in advance for the help!