Hello Members and Friends!
Welcome to our February 2021 update.
This month we have a couple of online events.
On February 18, we will be visited by Charles Hill from Recovering from Religion. This will be the third time we have scheduled him. The first time COVID closed all in-person locations. The 2nd time in December, I got sick and had no back up to run the meeting. This time we have a back up. This meeting will also be of interest for those who are looking for a Recovering from Religion group to meet with as we are helping start a local group.
Also this month we have our bi-weekly social get together online called the Humanist Coffee Klatch. Join us on Wednesday February 3rd and 17th at 1 PM for our Klatch. We wanted to bring back the Humanist Nooner in some form and the Klatch will be an attempt.
And as always, thank you for being a member and friend of the group and hope you all have a great New Year.
-- Doug.
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We will continue to share accurate information as often as we can on social media channels and if members and friends need assistance (like you've lost a job or have to deal with family members being ill) check out our Community Outreach Resources and Education page.
https://is.gd/showlehelp
If you need assistance in navigating the public assistance channels due to a job loss because of pandemic closures, send a message to me or Shawn and we can use our personal experiences to help you.
Here is some information for those who live in Lucas county and a links to some statewide resources available
COVID-19 in Ohio: Resources & Ways to Help
State of Ohio COVID-19 Information Page
The Lucas County COVID-19 Emotional Support Line
419-442-0580
Ohio Heroes 419-841-6781 – offers free counseling and support to front-line medical professionals
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Upcoming Meetings and Events
Recovering from Religion and The Clergy Project with Charles Hill
Thursday, February 18, 2021 7 PM
Charles Hill, the facilitator for the Columbus chapter of Recovering from Religion group, will speak to us about his group and the work they do helping people transition out of religion. He will also talk about his work with the The Clergy Project which creates a safe and secure Online Community of Forums composed entirely of religious leaders who no longer hold to supernatural beliefs.
Recovering from Religion is also looking to start a group in the Toledo area. If you are interested in helping or participating in such a group please attend this meeting or contact us and we will put you in touch with Charles.
Meeting is free and open to the public.
Registration is required as a security method. Once registered you can join the meeting with a computer or by telephone.
Additional information is available on our website
Humanist Coffee Klatch
Wednesday February 3 and 17, 2021 at 12 PM
Join us online for our bi-weekly social coffee klatches. Bring your coffee, adult beverages, lunch or what not and join us for social time. We don't have to talk about Humanism but if you have questions feel free to ask them. Let's catch up and see how we are all doing with a vaccine on the way.
This event is free and open to the public but registration is required at least once
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApdeCspjIvH9x9x42NNHJJbwHMqMsLD82H
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News & Notes
Membership Term Changes
At the January meeting of the SHoWLE Board of Directors, it was decided to change our membership terms. Instead of a rolling membership which expires 1 year on the date you joined, all memberships will now start and expire on October 1st of each year. That means if you renew in October of 2020 your membership will now expire on September 30th of 2021. If you join in February of 2021 your membership expires on September 30, 2021.
We will be pro-rating memberships with a cut off of March 1st. If you renew before March 1st you will be charged the full price ($10 for individuals and $20 for Households). If you renew after March 1st then the rate will be $5 for individual memberships and $10 for Households. If you are not able to afford even the pro-rated amount let Doug or another Board member know and we will work something out.
The reason for the change was two fold. One was to create less administrative work with contacting people for renewals during the whole year and the second reason was to align memberships with our fiscal year that runs from October 1st to September 30th.
The benefits of membership still include:
- A monthly meeting with like minded people (in-person when allowed and online)
- 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
If you have any questions or concerns about the new terms feel free to reach out to Doug or any Board member.
New Database Software For The Group
Starting in January, SHoWLE started to transition the group database (that holds all our info about members) from a simple Access file to an open source program called CiviCRM overlaid on our website.
Once fully switched over, using CiviCRM will allow members to eventually change update their information through our website, will allow you to join or renew your membership and your information will update automatically, will let us track our own events and contributions without needing a 3rd party tool.
Using CiviCRM will also allow for other members to be trained to maintain the information because it will be in the cloud and not tied to one person's computer. The data will actually be safer in the long run. Using CiviCRM also required moving the website to a different webhost which was complete by the end of January. If you visit the website and something doesn't work or look right please let us know.
SHoWLE Monitoring Federal Lawsuit (Update)
At the end of November, the Lucas County Health Department voted to close all schools in the county for in-person instructions and extra-curricular activities from December 4th to January 11th because of a large surge in COVID-19 cases in the community. Even though the order exempted in-person religious activities, three religious schools filed a federal lawsuit claiming the order violated their 1st amendment rights.
The schools claimed that they were not being treated like secular businesses that were allowed to stay open even though those businesses have a greater risk of spread. On December 14th, a federal judge in Toledo ruled against the schools but on December 31, the 6th Circuit court of appeals issued an injunction against the public health department.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost then took the side of the religious schools, even after saying he would defend state public health orders. Doug wrote and sent out a press release registering our disappointment in Yost's decision.
The full appeals court ruled in favor of the schools. The county didn't appeal since the original order was coming to an end. SHoWLE was disappointed by the ruling.
Use Your Phone With Zoom
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 a Wish List Page
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.
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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.
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Do you have a special skill or hobby? Do you have an idea for a program or event you would like to see hosted by SHoWLE??
Let us know!
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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.
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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:
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Our Mission:
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.
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