Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle

Restoring Reproductive Rights - Challenging Abortion Bans
2024-05-13 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-05-14 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Tired and frustrated with abortion bans, denial of access to life-saving care, and insensitive politicians? Join in the fight against attacks on our rights as people! Find out more in a 1 hour presentation on working to achieve equality, control, and bodily autonomy, from understanding what novel options are available to challenging state abortion bans. Solomon Gibson, III, will show you what you can do in this struggle for reproductive freedom.

Ethical Action: Rise Against Hunger
2024-05-19 14:00 - 16:00
Come join us for an afternoon of fun and camaraderie with three other Triangle secular groups: the Triangle Freethought Society, Women without Religion in the Triangle, and the Chapel Hill Sunday Assembly. In lieu of our usual program meeting, EHST will host an event at Rise Against Hunger as our 2nd quarter service project at the Rise Against Hunger warehouse in Raleigh. We need more volunteers and time is running out. Register to participate or donate here. This is a non-strenuous event and suitable for all ages.

This event is in person only, and so no Zoom participation will take place.

Poetry Sunday: A Celebration of Our Humanity Through the Arts
2024-05-26 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
This Sunday’s program has been organized by Hugh Giblin, longtime friend of the Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle. Hugh and two other poets, Pam Baggett and Jay Niver, will read from their original works. Following are a few details about the three of them:

Pam Baggett is author of Wild Horses (Main Street Rag, 2018), which received an honorable mention for the Brockman-Campbell Award. Other awards include an Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artist Grant and a 2019-20 Fellowship in Literature from the North Carolina Arts Council. Recent work is featured in Orange County’s Coalesce Project and will soon be displayed on the Lake Johnson Nature Trail in Raleigh. Pam teaches occasional writing workshops through her library in Hillsborough and writes in a sunny studio overlooking a meadow in Cedar Grove.

Jay Niver is an award-winning, career journalist and public-relations specialist who sometimes dabbles in poetry and creative writing. He was a reporter and editor of weekly newspapers in suburban Cleveland, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; and Topsail Island and Beaufort County in North Carolina. He also worked as a copy-desk editor for the daily papers in Wilmington and Jacksonville. Jay spent 30 years in the Carolinas before moving to western Canada in 2009, and returned to North Carolina just a few years ago. Jay is very involved with the Final Exit Network, a national nonprofit organization that supports the human right to death with dignity. He is also known to play pool upon occasion.

Hugh Giblin has been writing for years and has a full file of rejections to prove it. He has published a book, a non-fiction feature article in a national men’s magazine, poetry in literary journals, local and online, and has had two ten minute plays produced. His muse is currently on strike, but we hope that will change soon. In the meantime, he remains active and engaged in the world around us, and maintains his humanist values.

UNC Under Fire: The Coalition for Carolina Responds
2024-06-02 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Mimi Chapman will talk about some of the critical moments in recent UNC Chapel Hill history and how the Coalition for Carolina was formed. She will talk about the aims of the Coalition, how it organizes its work, and will engage in question and answer with the audience.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form to make the request.

Living Our Ethical Humanism to Bring Out Our Best
2024-06-09 13:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Khandra Sears will address how living our ethical humanism will bring out our best. Her relationship with Ethical Humanism began as she pursued an undergraduate degree in microbiology and began to question what faith and the Bible meant to her. As she moved to Baltimore to earn a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), she started to attend Baltimore Ethical Society Platforms and went on to join them as a member. She is now President of the American Ethical Union, the national organization of ethical humanist/culture societies in the U.S.

This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form to make your request. (Check your tabs to see the form.)

No Meeting Today
2024-06-16 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST will NOT have a meeting today. We are participating in the Juneteenth celebration in Pittsboro, sponsored by CORE, Community Organizing for Racial Equity. This event will be on Saturday, June 15th. Check out the Facebook page for this event.

Ethical Culture and What it Means to Our Members and Friends
2024-06-23 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
In the wake of a very successful booth at the Juneteenth Celebration held by CORE (Community Organizing for Racial Equity) at the Chatham County Fairgrounds in Pittsboro, we would like our members and friends to consider the following:
1) What sort of journey brought you to become interested in Ethical Culture aka Ethical Humanism?
2) If you were manning a booth at the Juneteenth Celebration for EHST, how would you promote us?
If time permits, we will also discuss ethical approaches to the current political climate.

Please join us for this IN-PERSON ONLY meeting! There will be no Zoom available for this Sunday.

Standing Up To Book Banning
2024-06-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Program using Zoom
EHST will join the Zoom presentation by Dr. Christopher Harris, a senior policy fellow with the American Library Association (ALA). Book banning from all types of libraries continue to rise at an unprecedented level across the country. The American Library Association reported attempts to censor 4,249 unique titles of library books and resources in 2023. This is the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago and a 65% increase over 2022. Learn how concerned people can support the Freedom to Read along with the many partners of the Unite Against Book Bans campaign led by the ALA.
To join in this presentation, registration is required. You may do so here. This event is sponsored by the American Ethical Union.

Freethinking, Freeteaching, Freewriting
2024-07-14 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Teacher, writer and humanist celebrant Chris Highland will discuss how and why he has written “Highland Views” columns for the Religion pages of a newspaper for 8 years under subjects of freethinking, freeteaching, and freewriting. Sharing snippets of columns as well as stories of interactions with readers—including evangelicals and atheists—reveals the impact of his writing and teaching across the landscape of beliefs.

Since 2016, Chris Highland has written a weekly “Highland Views” column for the Asheville Citizen-Times (in the USA Today network). As a former Presbyterian minister, interfaith chaplain, shelter director and senior housing manager, he draws from a deep well of experience in human service and progressive ministry.
Transitioning from a Christian and interfaith background to embrace a secular humanist worldview, he presents an inclusive perspective that is not anti-religious but affirming of a world where people of faith and non-theists can potentially find common ground.

His first book, Meditations of John Muir (2001), has led to a series of books including A Freethinker’s Gospel, Intersections, Eye to Eye, Beyond the Boundaries of Belief and other collections of essays. Chris teaches courses on Freethought, Humanism and Christian Nationalism at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA. Chris and his wife, Rev. Carol Hovis, a teacher and counselor, moved to Asheville from the SF Bay Area in 2016.His website is “Friendly Freethinker” (www.chighland.com).

This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form to make your request. (Check your tabs to see the form.)

Ethical Consideration of Animal Shelters
2024-07-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Maura Breidt will present a program on ethical considerations of animal shelters, focussing on Wake SPCA. She is a volunteer there and so will speak from her experiences there. The program will be structured first with an overview of how the Wake SPCA works, and then with some of the ethical dilemmas that it faces and how it deals with them.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form to make the request.

Aspirations for Ethical Culture - Louise Jett
2024-07-28 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
2024 American Ethical Union Assembly Platform features Ethical Culture Leader Louise Jett. She will discuss her aspirations for Ethical Culture and the importance of clergy within our movement and Societies. Louise was certified by the Union’s Board on the recommendation of the Leadership Committee in June.

To watch this event, please register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoceqopj4pE92Bl1dKa-cWlpkm1WHw9Hbw#/registration

Making State Legislative Campaigns More Effective
2024-08-04 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Simone Leiro is the Chief Communications Officer for The States Project, whose electoral work focuses on winning governing majorities in the states by making state legislative campaigns more effective and better-funded.
“We do it because we believe that state legislatures are the strongest force for change in this country. When it comes to defending our democracy, protecting personal freedoms, and improving people’s day-to-day lives, we’re the only national organization hyper-focused on both winning state legislative power and helping state lawmakers govern effectively.”
Ms. Leiro will talk about her organization and its goals, and specifically, what they are up to in North Carolina.
Simone Leiro is the Chief Communications Officer at The States Project. She oversees press, polling, and messaging at The States Project which, under her leadership, has been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, MSNBC, and Washington Post. Previously, she served in the White House under President Obama as the Associate Director for Online Engagement where she did digital strategy for the Executive Office of the President. In this role, she also focused on issues impacting women and Latino Americans. She has previously led across communications, digital, and partnerships—most recently for efforts such as March For Our Lives and All In Together. She currently serves on the board of Blue Future, connecting young people with campaigns. She was born and raised in North Carolina and today, lives there with her husband.
This program will also be Zoomed for EHST members only.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion : Ted Talks and Discussion
2024-08-11 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
EHST will show two Ted Talks which explain what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is, and whether we should embrace it or celebrate its apparent demise. One talk focuses on how DEI can make teams more effective. The other Ted Talk points out what DEI gets wrong, and how to do it right. We will then discuss our own individual views on the talks.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form to make your request. (Check your tabs to see the form.)

Local Trends in Housing and Homelessness
2024-08-18 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Russell Pierce will speak about local trends in housing and homelessness. He is the executive director of “Housing for New Hope” which is a local organization which addresses these issues. He will explore challenges facing our most vulnerable neighbors: those experiencing homelessness. He’ll take a particular look at gentrification and how rising housing costs impact people in our community. He will share how people in the community are partnering with our most vulnerable neighbors to obtain housing and remain housed.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form to make the request.

Ethical Considerations of Animal Shelters
2024-08-25 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Maura Breidt will present a program on ethical considerations of animal shelters, focusing on Wake SPCA, where she is a volunteer. The program will be structured first with an overview of some of the volunteer opportunities, focusing on some of the volunteer jobs that she herself is involved with, and then move to some of the ethical dilemmas people who work there face and how they deal with them. You may want to check out the history of the Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form to make the request.

Postcarding to Get Out the Vote in November 2024
2024-09-01 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
As EHST did in 2020 and 2022, we will be postcarding to get out the vote as our third quarter social action project. The stakes could not be higher in this election. Postcarding is a non-partisan activity to encourage occasional voters to participate in our democracy. Our efforts will focus on Mecklenburg County in our own ‘swing state’ of North Carolina. This campaign is sponsored by the Center for Common Good.
Postcards are scripted (no creative writing required) and all supplies and instructions will be provided. Refreshments will be provided as well.
Come out and join us to make a difference in 2024!
This meeting is In-Person only.

Restoring Reproductive Rights
2024-09-04 19:00 - 20:00

Secular Student Alliance - Mission, Goals, and Scholarships
2024-09-08 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance, will talk about the SSA’s mission, goals, and scholarships program for secular students. The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students. The scholarships are available to full-time students enrolled in high school or college in the United States and are designed to support students who in addition to pursuing excellence in their academic studies are also activists for secular values on their campus and/or in their community.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form to make your request. (Check your tabs to see the form.)

My African Safari - A Photoshoot by Jay Niver
2024-09-15 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST member Jay Niver just returned from a South Africa vacation where he made two daily, three-hour Land Rover tours prowling for “Big Five” game. His PowerPoint presentation will take you up close and personal to see and learn about bush creatures great and small through a wide-angle (not telephoto) lens. Bring your pith helmet and popcorn to discover what world-renowned Kruger National Park has to offer – and how Jay survived the harrowing ordeal!
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form to make the request.

Reproductive Rights presentation
2024-09-21 11:00 - 12:00

Discussion: Voting Ethics from a Philosophical Perspective
2024-09-22 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Are there moral obligations in how or whether we vote? This is particularly relevant with our upcoming national election. Fred Breidt will lead a discussion on the philosophical aspects of this issue based partially upon an article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. As many of our members and friends know, this is a highly charged topic, so please remember to treat others with respect.
This is an in-person meeting only. Zoom access will not be provided.

Building an Intergenerational Movement for Climate Justice
2024-09-29 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
As Climate Week comes to a close, a panel convenes to look at the unique intergenerational nature of the Climate Justice Movement. Humans of all ages are teaming up to meet the ethical imperative of Climate Justice and to grow this movement. This panel will explore the intergenerational modes and methods that youth and elders have employed, in connecting across their generational divides for this global movement.
Dialogue will aim to reveal some of the struggles, frustrations, joys and learnings from this cross generational collaboration. While different generations may be coming from different points of reference, different inspirational motivation, and different stylistic tendencies, how are they implementing solidarity, and guiding themselves modalities of curious and compassionate interactivity and care, with a common mission? In climate justice circles, this summer has been “the summer of heat.” How are they each navigating the ethical dilemmas they confront in the world through this movement?
Panelists represent Third Act and Fridays For Future (two organizations that Ethical NYC partners with, to support this Climate Justice Movement), as well as No Brooklyn Pipeline, and Climate Families.
Registration is required to attend this program. Here’s the link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvf-yqrT4pG920xUxMh1gzKTVt28Bu-v3R#/registration

Its Impact on Western North Carolina and How We Can Help
2024-10-06 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Maura Breidt will give a presentation outlining what we know so far about the damage that Hurricane Helene has wreaked, particularly on western North Carolina. As people in our fellow North Carolina society, the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, this would be a great time to come together and see what we can do to help them!

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form to make the request.

We Are The Guardians - A Documentary Film
2024-10-13 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
In recognition of Indigenous People’s Day, we will show a documentary “We Are The Guardians.” Here is brief overview of the film from the website: “We Are Guardians follows Indigenous forest guardian Marçal Guajajara and activist Puyr Tembé as they fight to protect their territories from deforestation, an illegal logger who has no choice but to cut the forest down, and a large landowner at the mercy of thousands of invaders and extractive industry. ” After 83 minute film we will discuss our takeaways from it.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

The Need for Foster Families in Orange County and N.C.
2024-10-20 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
We are focusing on the need for foster families in Orange County, as well as in N.C. We have three guests from the Orange County Social Services Department who will speak about the challenges, and needs of foster care.
Courtney Byrd: Foster Home Licensing Social Worker. Courtney has many years of experience both as a social worker and a foster parent herself.
Rachel Floyd: Adoption Social Worker and Foster Home Licensing Social Worker. Rachel was previously an In-Home and Permanency Planning Social Worker in Orange County. Rachel has been with Orange County over 6 years including an internship completed for a graduate degree.
Tracey Trask: Foster Home Licensing Social Worker. Tracey has been with Orange County over 18 years.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make the request.

2024 Fall Members Meeting
2024-10-27 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Each fall, EHST has a meeting of members, friends, and visitors to discuss how the current year has gone, and what looms ahead for the next calendar year. Our programs, budget, board activity, and needs are reviewed during the meeting. Questions are encouraged, which we will attempt to answer, as is feedback, to allow all to understand our “state of the union.” We also will kick off our pledge campaign for 2025. Come get the facts about our humanist congregation!
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make the request.

Exploring the North Atlantic with Gretchen Niver
2024-11-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST Member Gretchen Niver joined a few members of the Skeptics Society, and others, on an Arctic and Greenland cruise on the Swan Hellenic Vega in early October. Learning about Inuit societies in Greenland and Northern Canada, and visiting such unique landscapes was a thrilling experience, which also included Northern Lights, sled dog puppies, icebergs, polar bears, and the only Viking settlement remains in North America. Come and share her journey this Sunday.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make the request.

Discussion Sunday - What Now That The Election Is Over?
2024-11-10 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
We will discuss the results of the November 5th election and what it means to us individually as well as an organization dedicated to nontheism, separation of church and state, and freedom of and from religion. Will the election make our lives and our commitments easier or more difficult? What lessons do we take away from this election?
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Volunteering in Ukraine: A Personal Perspective
2024-11-17 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
What inspires an ordinary person to volunteer in a distant country that’s at war, where even the alphabet is unfamiliar? What would the experience be like? And why might they be willing to return? You’re invited to hear the story of Philip Semanchuk who has been to Ukraine three times in the past year and will go there again soon. Philip Semanchuk lives in Pacifica Cohousing in Carrboro, NC. His surname comes from the Lemko people in the Ukranian highlands.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make the request.
