| We all hope we are all staying healthy and away from CV-19. What follows is our regular letter and our Presidents letter and upcoming plans. JUNE is about: Humanist Pride and Planning ahead–and It’s time to RENEW your MEMBERSHIP.Please renew your membership and continue to support the growth of HWF and humanism on the Gulf Coast. You will get a separate email from the President of HWF with instructions on how to renew or join. Any questions contact us by email here– membership@hwfl.org MONTHLY ASSEMBLY PRESENTATION: Online on Google Meet LIVE at our regular time. Only dues supporting chapter members will be invited by special email. Watch for a separate email from HWF Secretary on June 11. Follow the simple instructions and join in the discussion. You can turn your microphone and camera on and off at your control. If your mobile is not a Google you will need to use a computer with Chrome or Firefox to participate. SATURDAY JUNE 13th at 10:30 am. PRESENTATION: Planning for the Future. HWF’s fiscal year begins always on July 1st, so now is when we plan our budget. We get ideas in June and finalize them in July once the new year Board meets. The Chairs of Committees and Leaders of Teams will explain what they do. We want your ideas so any ideas you may have for us to implement please submit them here—- info@hwfl.org For last month we give out a big thank you to Bob Gerold for his fine presentation last month on Inequality and Poverty in America. It was our first online Assembly and he did a great job. The Mission of HWF a chapter of the American Humanist Assn. The Mission of the Humanists of West Florida is to facilitate the advancement of humanist thought and action in Pensacola and surrounding areas by interconnecting groups of humanists, atheists, agnostics and non-religious. We will strive for equal participation in government and societal life through building strategic partnerships with other humanist and freethought organizations and with our religious neighbors to advance the greater good of humanity. * See the AHA mission below– Announcements: Nothing major coming, but we are hoping for a big party probably in the fall. PRESIDENTS LETTER: From The Desk of the President: Greetings all HWF members. June’s assembly will again be online due to Ever’mans limited reopening. They are allowing groups of 8 or less into the Educational Center. We plan to return there in July if they allow. We will have a party hosted by our BOD as we gather in fellowship. I know, I know, I have been saying this for a few months now. What can we do but wait? Again, thank you for your patience and your participation in the live streamed events. June’s online assembly is an Ideas Workshop during which we plan for the upcoming year’s events. The regular annual events (ie. Chili Cookoff, Shoe Drive, Open Books Packing) will be posted, but we need your ideas on the rest of the yearly agenda. And, we need team and crew members for a number of projects. Really, it isn’t hard; all we need is an hour or two per month from all who are willing and able. I hope to see you online and willing to share your ideas and time. June is Membership Renewal month. Soon you will receive an email with details on how to do this. There are some exciting (new and one-time) benefits at all levels of membership. I hope each of you will join us for another year of kinship, learning, and service to the community at large. Sincerely, Betty Myers, President BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Next regular meeting is July 8th, 9 am. The American Humanist Association has stood as the voice of humanism in the United States for over 75 years.We strive to bring about a progressive society where being good without a god is an accepted and respected way to live life. We are accomplishing this through our defense of civil liberties and secular governance, by our outreach to the growing number of people without traditional religious faith, and through a continued refinement and advancement of the humanist worldview.Humanism is a nontheistic worldview with ethical values informed by scientific knowledge and driven by a desire to meet the needs of people in the here and now. At the foundation of those values is an affirmation of the dignity of every human being.We count humanists and other nontheists as the core of our movement but are always willing to work with friends and allies on issues of common concern. The positions we hold and the actions we take are not simply for our own benefit, but for the betterment of all of society and the world in which we live. DONATE TO THE WORLD: Want to help people suffering from national or global catastrophes? Do it here as a Humanist to the Foundation Beyond Belief-FBB. This is the AHAs’ disaster relief partner organization. https://foundationbeyondbelief.org/ The HUMANIST MAGAZINE: This issue has some exceptional articles during this pandemic. https://thehumanist.com/magazine/may-june-2020/ AHA Monthly THEME: World Humanist Day June 20 This is normally the month for AHA’s national convention and was to held in Miami. It has been moved to August 8 and will be online live streamed. From the AHA’s Upcoming Activities! The month to celebrate and be proud Humanists, normally but this year we are all just happy Humanists to be safe and alive.AHA announces the Humanist Action Headquarters for Grassroots Advocacy. https://americanhumanist.org/actionhq/ HUMANIST CORNER May-June 2020 by member Bill White“Life is a full circle, widening until it joins the circle motions of the infinite.” Anais Nin“ Never, never rest contented with any circle of ideas, but always be certain that a wider one is still possible.” Pearl Baily Surrounded with challenges as we are, even starting this month’s “Corner” was perplexing to say the least. Dysfunction, disarray and disruption almost everywhere we look. High levels of uncertainty heaped on the well-heeled, while for too many others additional burdens to bear. Hard to contemplate additional horrors laid upon India’s caste system, folks on Chicago’s South side! So many of the forgotten seemingly favored by the virus, as civilization itself dashes about in maddening circles- Circles. That brings to mind a hymn from simpler times. The Carter Family’s version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Circles, symbolic of infinity, so often found in religious context. Wonder what the theologians make of a Pope saying Easter mass, virtually, from an empty basilica? How might they explain a barren view of the holy Black Stone in Mecca’s grand mosque? Empty streets of the holy city itself? Another of Islam’s five pillars, the fasting of Ramadan, draws to an end May 23rd,. Will the pilgrims magically appear? The circle stay unbroken? Throughout time circles were given godly traits, especially the full moon. Even a partial moon symbol has been adopted by many Muslim countries – although reversed like a backward “C.” The rest is invisible, but we know it’s there. Doesn’t that somehow reflect our present tribulations? Much of society that we’ve always known are there – suddenly become starkly visible! The whole human family becomes manifest, like the fullness of the moon… Looking back even further to the East, let’s examine another circle. Ancient Chinese culture produced two heroic scholars who walked the earth well before our Western Messiah. Remarkable Confucius, with his treasured rules for a functioning society. Mostly trodden into dust in today’s technological societies, with their stark emphasis on the vast distance between regimentation and discipline. Another venerable sage arrived on the scene, those several centuries BCE. Lao Tse and his followers of the extraordinary Way. The Tao. Who’s not familiar with the Taoist circle, divided equally into its two parts, usually black and white – each containing a minute portion of the other. If my book “SERMATION” is still in the library there’s a very pretty version on its cover.The lighter half, Yang, is often thought to represent male qualities. Competition, aggression, impatience, concrete conceptualization and analytical thought. Yin, the darker portion, female qualities. Patience, cooperation, nurturing, emotional and wholistic thought among others. Notice the state of balance, neither intended to overpower the other. A situation seldom encountered in human history, nor our present state of disequilibrium! Can such balance be feasible given present global concerns? Can we even aspire to continued human existence on our circular planet in its rounds about our sun? Nonetheless, even with nature so far out of kilter, the tiniest of viruses are messaged to succeed and flourish. Isn’t the human species armed with just such a message? Capable of developing new methods for taming malignant microorganisms? Able to heal a damaged planet, tame its unruly weather? Perhaps… Here are a few possibilities for closing that circle of life :-Move beyond senseless GDP and a consumer culture laying waste to our planet.Revamp and replace decaying infrastructure.Invest in sane transportationSupport circular economics. (That word again)Don’t change agriculture. Transform it.Move availability of health and education to its rightful position in life.Last, certainly not least, end war! Include political and economic conflict also harming “invisible“ people most. Here’s hoping you’ve found something useful, perhaps thought provoking here. Wishing you, your circle of family and friends, continued growth and good health…SHALOM IMPORTANT DATES: in the secular world. June World Environment Day – June 5 World Humanist Day – June 20-22 (solstice) Summer Solstice (Northern Hemisphere )Winter Solstice (Southern Hemisphere) ***The American Humanist Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable educational organization, as well is the Humanists of West Florida. Donations to the Humanists of West Florida , a chapter of the American Humanist Association, are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. No goods or services were exchanged for this donation. This letter is your receipt for your charitable tax deduction. FLORIDA REGISTRATION #: CH54590 “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.” |
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