Welcome to our September update. The theme this month is renewal both for the group and the membership. With COVID sort of under control and most people having plenty of vaccines and boosters, I would really like to see more people turn out for in-person meetings and events like we have going on this month. But I also understand if some still have concerns about being around a group of people.
Unless you have joined the group in the last couple of months, all memberships expire on September 30th. It is time to renew especially as our annual members meeting takes place on October 26th and if you want to participate on the Board of Directors or vote, you have to have a valid membership. To Join or Renew go to our Join page and fill out the information requested.
Speaking of the members meeting, we have open seats on the Board of Directors. The state of Ohio requires us to have at least three people on the Board so if you are interested in at least keeping us legal, let me know your interest. Nominations for the Board are now open until October 7th at 5 PM. No prior experience is required. The only requirement to serve on the Board is be a dues paying member.
If you have a questions, concerns, or ideas for the group please feel free to reach out to me using our website contact form or calling me directly at 567-215-2694
-- Doug Berger: President of the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie
All current memberships expire on September 30th
If you have a yearly membership with SHoWLE just be aware your membership expires on September 30th. This is a change made by the board in 2021 to streamline our membership process by having a single expiration date for all yearly memberships.
If you got a new membership after March of 2022 I will contact you and let you know your expiration date. In most cases it will be 9/30/2023.
1 Year Individual Membership is $10
1 Year Household Membership is $20 - Household is for 2 or more people who live at the same address and can include college students living outside the home.
To renew your membership, visit https://humanistswle.org/login and renew using the account setup on the website. If you can't remember your login or don't think you set one up then visit https://humanistswle.org/join-our-group and we can manually update your membership once we get notice you paid.
Membership Benefits Include:
A monthly meeting with like minded people
Ability to guide and vote on the direction of the group
Serve in leadership positions and on our Board of Directors
Discounts on sponsored events and group merchandise
Regular communications about meetings, events, and other topics of interest to the group before the general public
Most importantly, you will gain the opportunity to make your voice heard and know that you are part of a greater movement working for the values we share.
Join us for our Homecoming Picnic. As we move further into a post pandemic time, SHoWLE wanted to invite our members and friends to a picnic to celebrate the group and to recommit ourselves to being the best Humanist group in Toledo.
We will be having a potluck style picnic - bring a dish or snack to share. SHoWLE will provide drinks (water, pop, and ice), chips, some disposable dishes and utensils, and napkins. There is a large charcoal grill and the shelter has electricity so you can bring something in a crockpot to keep warm if need be.
There is a large lawn so please bring any sports equipment you would like to share or lawn games. The park has a pet area so bring your pets too.
We will also be able to take new memberships, renewals, and generous donations but that isn't required to enjoy the picnic.
Directions: Use this link to use Google Maps but if you want manual directions drive to downtown Toledo toward Washington Street. Travel East on Washington toward Owens Corning. After you cross Swan Creek turn right on Ottawa Street. Travel on Ottawa just past the bridge (it will be overhead) and turn left on the first road. This is the road into the park and there is a (kind of hidden) sign on the corner. Continue on that road all the way to the end. The Roundhouse is near the last parking lot.
Another way is to take the Anthony Wayne Trail to Collingwood. Turn right and go east on Collingwood to Newton, then left on Broadway. Head north on Broadway then turn right on Williams. The right turn at Williams is just before the San Marcos Market. Travel east on Williams, which will take you around a bend where Williams becomes Ottawa, and then take a right turn just before the bridge where they’ll see the sign for the park entrance.
If you decide not to join us but still want to support the group please join the group or renew your membership. (All memberships expire at the end of September). Feel free to donate to us as well.
*This meeting is free and open to the public*
Unless otherwise noted, all our meetings and events are open to the public and we adhere to the SHoWLE In-person Meeting Policy
Equality Ohio Update with Jen Scott Wednesday, September 14, 2022 6:30 PM Mott Library Branch 1010 Dorr Street, Toledo, Ohio, 43607
Equality Ohio is a group who works to create an Ohio where people are welcome, affirmed and flourishing. Equality Ohio identifies and transforms systems and institutions so LGBTQ+ Ohioans can fully access legal and lived equality.
They lobby state and local politicians on issues important to the LGBTQ+ community like nondiscrimination legislation and making conversion therapy illegal.
Our speaker will be Jen Scott – Statewide Field Manager
Jen is from Forest Park, Ohio. In 2015, she began another path in life, that of a community organizer and grassroots activist. She became very involved with the atheist and secular movement, driven by a passion for separation of religion and government. She believes strongly that an individual’s right to religious freedom should not infringe on the rights of others. In 2016, she co-organized a campaign which drew international attention to raise awareness of the anti-LGBTQ hiring practices of a tourist attraction in Williamstown, Kentucky (aka The Ark Encounter). In 2018, she was recognized as Activist of the Year at the national convention for American Atheists, and now serves on their board of directors. In 2019, she co-founded the Community of Reason (COR): Atheists and Humanists of Ohio and Kentucky based in Cincinnati. COR envisions a secular society that values science, reason, integrity, compassion and true equality for everyone. She also serves on the board of Cincinnati Pride as co-chair of the Parade Committee and represents Equality Ohio on the board of Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati. Through her volunteer roles, Jen learned how to use personal passion to empower a community to make a real difference in the lives of others. She brought this passion to Equality Ohio when she joined the team in 2019 to establish and expand their work in the southwest Ohio region.
SHoWLE Members Meeting
October 26, 2022
Most likely online via Zoom
This is the time members of SHoWLE gather can get a report on the group's activities and financial health, along with some plans for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. We will also be voting on a Bylaw change and electing members of the Board of the Directors.
Currently SHoWLE has three Board members. State law requires we have at least three Board members. What happens if we drop below the number required. The following additions to the bylaws will allow the temporary appointment of members to the board so we don't run against state law. The President will be able to appoint at least one and no more the number needed to be legal for a six month term until the members can confirm the appointment.
The 2nd addition to the bylaws would allow Board members to continue to serve until their successor is elected or appointed.
How would these changes work?
Let's say we have three board members - John, Paul, and Ringo and Ringo has to quit because they are moving away. John, the President can appoint member Little Stevie to fill in until someone is elected or Little Stevie is confirmed by the membership.
Let's add that Paul's term ended but if he left the Board we would still be one short so Paul is asked to serve until someone else is elected or appointed to replace them.
These changes will allow the group to function while new people are found to serve on the Board should we drop below three directors.
We will vote on these changes at same time we elect the 2022-2023 Board of Directors. If you have any questions or concerns let us know.
Proposed changes:
Section 1 - Board of Directors
In cases where there are less than three board members, the President shall appoint at least one and no more than the number needed to have the state minimum three board members total. The appointments will be confirmed at a later special members meeting called for that purpose. Such confirmation must take place within six months after appointment. People appointed under this section must still be qualified to be a director.
Section 7 - End of Terms
Board members may serve, temporarily, until their successor is elected or appointed.
Our Podcast: Glass City Humanist
In this episode, how can one sell Humanism to the public without appropriating suspect tactics used by the religious to recruit to their groups? Doug talks about his experiences selling Humanism over the years and how we can reach people and bring them to us. Finally we give an update about a busing dispute involving religious school kids and a public school district.
For more information and to check out our past episodes visit the Glass City Humanist website.
More News & Notes
Help with our joining page
For those concerned about how to join our group or renew your membership using our new integrated membership check out form on the website, we have created a help page that takes you step-by-step through the process.
The Board of Directors meets every other month with the next meeting sometime in January. If you are a voting member (you paid dues) and would like to observe a Board meeting or have questions or concerns about the Board of Directors, please send us a note using our contact form.
More Options To Give Us Donations We now can accept donations using two apps you might have on your phone. You can now use Venmo and Cash App to send us donations. Just use the correct tag for the right app. Venmo is @toledohumanists and our Cash App tag is $humanistswle.
Did you know you don't have to use video when joining us for meetings and events on Zoom?
In fact you can use your telephone and call into the meeting without using a computer. When you register for a meeting you will get a link and other information on how to join the meeting. One of those options is to call into the meeting by phone. If seeing the speaker isn't a priority or you just aren't able to use a computer you can join us on the phone. We do ask that when you join the meeting just let us know who you are.
We have an Amazon Smile wish list that people can purchase items from and send to us. Some people, for personal reasons, refuse to shop at Amazon and we respect that. We have copied our list onto a web page on the website.
If you would like to fill our wish list but not from Amazon then just look for our items where you do shop, buy them, and send them to us at SHoWLE PO Box 6433 Toledo, OH 43613 If you would rather drop them off to us, contact us and we can arrange a drop off.
Also note that except for the books, we are not married to a particular product manufacturer on this list. For example we would like four folding chairs with padding but they don’t have to be from Flash Furniture.
Software we use were recently added so you can sponsor a full year of Zoom or Adobe Cloud for the group to use.
Do you have an idea for a meeting or event?
Do you have an idea for a topic for a meeting or an activity for us to do as a group? Let us know.
If there is a particular topic or speaker you would like to see at a future meeting or have an idea for a group activity then please send us a note by email or fill out our contact form.
It would help if you provided as much information as possible about the idea - like who to contact or websites to visit.
There is no guarantee SHoWLE will turn your idea into an actual meeting or event but the odds increase if you are willing to host the event and/or do a lot of the leg work.
Activities and meetings for SHoWLE depend entirely on volunteer effort.
Are you a member?
Joining the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie gets you the following benefits:
A monthly meeting with like minded people
Ability to guide and vote on the direction of the group
Serve in leadership positions and on our Board of Directors
Regular communications about meetings, events, and other topics of interest to the group before the general public
We have two membership plans:
$10 for an Individual $20 for a Household (two or more people at the same address)
Just see a Board member at our next meeting or event or click on the button below to pay online or to get information on mailing it in.
You can now donate to the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie
Please help us provide a supportive local community for humanists and other nontheists, while promoting ethical and reasonable secular world views through education, community service, outreach, activism, and social events.
You can use Paypal or a credit card. Donations are tax deductible.
You can always donate at one of our meetings or events or send your check or money order to:
Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie
PO Box 6433
Toledo, OH 43612-0433
We are also connected with the Amazon Smile program. If you choose SHoWLE as your charity then a portion of sales you complete will be sent to us. Use this link to choose us:
The mission of the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie is to provide a supportive local community for humanists and other nontheists, while promoting an ethical, reasonable, and secular approach to life through education, community service, outreach, activism, and social events.
We envision a Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan where secular people are respected and integrated in broader society, live values of reason and compassion, and enjoy a friendly humanist community.
Welcome to our September update. The theme this month is renewal both for the group and the membership. With COVID sort of under control and most people having plenty of vaccines and boosters, I would really like to see more people turn out for in-person meetings and events like we have going on this month. But I also understand if some still have concerns about being around a group of people.
If there is a particular topic or speaker you would like to see at a future meeting or have an idea for a group activity then please send us a note by email or 
