Hello Members and Friends!
Welcome to our June 2021 update.
We can see the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic as more and more people get vaccinated. This month we will be having two in-person events. One is a casual social meetup and the other is a protest on World Humanist Day. See the information below for more information.
We will be taking our usual summer break from formal meetings in July and August and we are planning a big re-launch of the group for September (COVID restrictions permitting of course).
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
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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Donation Opportunity
One of the things that we would like to do is transition our membership database into our group website. This would allow us to create a member portal you could use to renew your membership, get reminders by email, be invited to members only meetings and events, and be able to update your contact information when you need to it.
One of the tools we would like to use is Paid Membership Pro. It is a plugin to use with our group website WordPress install. We setup and tested the free version but the items we really need aren't available unless you pay for the "Pro" version. For example, the free version only allows Stripe to be used as a payment gateway and we would like to be able to use PayPal etc.... The free version doesn't allow the admin to add members to the database manually. The Pro version also allows more customizations than the free version. We might also be able to setup a member's directory that is limited to being viewed by members only.
This is where you come in....
If five members or friends donate $60, SHoWLE can purchase a 1 year license for the "Pro" version of the plugin. If you can help us out, donate using the following link and in the note area mention it is for the membership database.
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Upcoming Meetings and Events
SHoWLE June Event
Sunday, June 13, 2021 11 AM
Secor Metropark 10001 W. Central Ave. Berkey, Ohio 43504
Join us for our 2nd in-person meeting since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020. This isn’t a picnic but feel free to bring your lunch/brunch and/or a snack to share. Bring some games or sports equipment to have some fun.
We would love to see everyone but if you haven’t been vaccinated or are not able to be vaccinated then this is probably not an event for you. We also ask participants wear masks when grouped up and try to maintain social distancing.
Location: Lone Oak Shelter @ Secor Metropark
The park main entrance is off Central Ave. then find West Tupleo Way and the shelter is just off the parking lot of the Lone Oak Area https://goo.gl/maps/14B27cdR2Mf6siUo6
Event is free and open to the public.
We will be meeting in the area marked in red in the image above. It is the Lone Oak Area
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World Humanist Day Demonstration
Monday, June 21, 2021 Noon
Lucas County Courthouse - 700 Adams St.
For World Humanist Day, we will be having a demonstration in support of church and state separation next to the symbol of inappropriate mixing of church and state, the 10 Commandments monument on the lawn of the Lucas County court house. Bring your signs and banners supporting laws and policies based on reason and not magical thinking.
Open to all who support separation of church and state and the end of creating laws and policy based on religious bias and ignoring science.
We will be protesting next to the 10 Commandments Monument at the Lucas County Courthouse on the NW Corner of Erie St & Adams St Downtown Toledo https://goo.gl/maps/Nz878dAFNWZZvPv86
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News & Notes
Board Minutes and Treasury Updated
SHoWLE Board of Directors meeting minutes and summaries of our Treasury reports have now been updated through April 2021 on our website. Feel free to check them out.
The Board meets every other month with the next meeting sometime in July. 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.
 
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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