Hello Members and Friends!
Welcome to our April 2021 update.
This month we will be having our first in-person event in 2021.
By the time of our event on May 2nd, Shawn and I will be fully vaccinated. I hope our members and friends are taking the opportunity to get vaccinated if you are able. The more people who get vaccinated the sooner we start meeting indoors for in-person meetings and events.
Reminder: We can now accept donations through Venmo (@toledohumanists) and CashApp ($humanistswle). Both apps are backed by major companies - Venmo is part of PayPal and Cash App is part of Square - so your donations are safe and most cases free of fees for us.
If you do donate to us through the traditional manner like using PayPal on our donation page keep in mind we are charged at least $1 for processing online payments.
-- 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
Celebrate National Day of Reason In-Person
Sunday, May 2, 2021 1 PM
Ottawa Park 2201 Kenwood Blvd Toledo, Ohio 43606
We decided to have our first in-person event in many months outdoors at Ottawa Park and use it to celebrate National Day of Reason which is officially later in the week.
The National Day of Reason coincides with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.
Feel free to bring a camp chair and any games or toys you might want to share. We will be following COVID protocols with social distancing and wearing masks even if you have been vaccinated. We probably will have cookies.
We will not be renting a shelter but look for us in the area where the Toledo Police Museum is off North Cove Rd. (2201 Kenwood Blvd, Toledo, OH 43606), south of Toledo Hospital. We will have our banner up and our booth tent should be up as well.
Event is free and open to the public.
We will be meeting in the area marked in red in the image above. We should be between the Toledo Police Museum and the playground on N. Cove Rd
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Something that might be of Interest to our friends and members
Secular Student Alliance Virtual Conference
May 15-16, 2021
Everyone is invited to participate in our virtual conference on May 15-16, 2021, featuring excellent speakers, grassroots organizing workshops, and leadership training. Please register for free today and please invite a friend to join you.
Register
For more information and list of speakers:
Secular Student Alliance Virtual Conference
This event is NOT sponsored by SHoWLE but promoted here because it may be of interest to our members
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News & Notes
SHoWLE Statement on Richard Dawkins
On April 10th, Richard Dawkins, whose books led some to atheism and Humanism, published a transphobic tweet. SHoWLE issued a statement about the tweet and any future interaction with the man.
"Going forward SHoWLE will not promote or support any project or event that involves Mr. Dawkins. We will ask the Center for Inquiry to remove him from their board of directors and spin off the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science housed at CFI. We would like CFI to make a strong statement against Dawkins remarks."
To read the full statement and the information that led to this decision see the page on the website:
A Response to Richard Dawkins Transphobic Tweet
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.
 
If you want to join the group instead of just donating then we would like you to visit our membership page.
Membership Term Changes (Reminder)
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.
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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