Discussion Sunday
2023-08-06 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Our national organization, the American Ethical Union, held its annual Assembly, aka convention, on July 29th. The Assembly voted on the future of the AEU, on new Directors and Officers, and on several by-law changes. We will review what happened, and how that will affect EHST. We will also pivot, if time permits, to discuss how the “us vs them” mentality is contributing to our national polarization, and what if anything needs to be done about it.
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 email info@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Us versus Them
2023-08-13 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
“Us versus Them” is an increasingly accurate description for many of our relationships. Republican vs. Democrat, UNC vs. Duke, Millennial vs. Baby Boomer, and on and on. But as this has become a common mentality it seems to have become increasingly corrosive. EHST member Maura Breidt will lead a discussion of “US versus Them” and possible solutions to bring us back together.

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 email us at info@ehstnc.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Mom Power: Winning Policies that Improve the Lives of NC Families
2023-08-20 13:30 - 15:30
Join MomsRising/MamásConPoder’s Senior NC Director Beth Messersmith for a conversation about how moms and people who love them are coming together at the local, state, and national levels to win policies that make a meaningful difference in the lives of families. MomsRising/MamásConPoder is an online and on-the-ground grassroots multicultural organization with more than a million members dedicated to building a nation where all families can thrive. In North Carolina, the organization has more than 47,000 members drawn from all 100 counties. Together its members work on a broad motherhood agenda which includes child care and early learning, workplace policies, food insecurity, immigration, maternal justice, gun violence prevention, healthcare, protecting families in the budget, and much more.

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 email info@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Enough With the Fear of Fat
2023-08-27 13:30 - 15:30
Today’s meeting will feature a short Ted Talk by Kelli Jean Drinkwater, titled “Enough With the Fear of Fat.” As noted on her TED Talk bio, Ms. Drinkwater is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist recognized for her creative practice and voice in radical body politics. Following this video, Maura Breidt will curate a discussion of reactions to, prejudices against, and discrimination towards larger people.

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 email info@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Ethical Culture's Unique Role in the World
2023-09-10 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
EHST will be featuring a talk given by Don Montagna in August of this year at the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Here is the Asheville Society’s description of the talk:
Don Montagna, retired Ethical Culture Leader of the Washington Ethical Society, will reflect on Ethical Culture’s unique role in the world. Felix Adler, Ethical Society founder, had a clear, sophisticated and still relevant perspective of a religion that integrated science and spirituality and addressed the needs of a secular society. Why are religions declining? What are the needs of people in a secular world? Are there principles for a good life?
Following this thirty minute talk, there will be plenty of time for discussion on this theme.
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 email us at info@ehstnc.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Putting Ethics into Action
2023-09-17 13:30 - 15:30
We all strive to live fulfilling and ethical lives. What does this look like? What are ethical actions, small and large, that affect our world and enhance our lives? This Sunday, we will have a discussion focusing on this topic. Please come prepared to share your thoughts on this subject as well as to discuss ethical actions we as a group can involve ourselves in.

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 email info@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Exploring Today's Top Ethical Issues
2023-10-01 13:30 - 15:30
The Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle (EHST) and Kol Haskalah (KH) occasionally have overlapping interests regarding both ongoing and current ethical/humanist issues, as evidenced by our respective Mission Statements. We are having panel discussion to share/compare perspectives about current and pressing ethical issues facing us in today’s sometimes chaotic and confusing world. A total of four participants (two from EHST and two from KH) will address the following questions (10 minutes for each panelist):

What do you consider to be the most salient (1 or 2) ethical issues in today’s world?
What would you consider to be the most helpful individual or collective actions to address these?

After the presentations, the audience would be invited to comment or discuss as desired., followed by some refreshments and informal socializing.
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 email info@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Personal Journey - from Christianity to Buddhism and Ethical Culture
2023-10-15 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
EHST member Todd Bishop will talk about his personal journey from Christianity to Buddhism. He and his wife Beth found inspiration in the writings of Eckhart Tolle. Todd has found that EHST is a welcoming community for his Buddhist orientation. In 1961 the Supreme Court (Torcaso v Watkins) cited both Buddhism and Ethical Culture as nontheistic “religions” in its ruling.

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 email us at info@ehstnc.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Fall Membership Meeting
2023-10-22 13:30 - 15:30
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 2024. 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 email info@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Addressing Economic Inequality in the U.S and Worldwide
2023-10-29 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Felix Adler established America’s first free kindergarten for working families in the late 19th century. In the early 20th century, he led the first successful national campaign against child labor and came very close to achieving his egalitarian vision in the mid-20th century. Recently, we have moved in the completely opposite direction with the widening of the wealth gap making inequality in this country too obvious for anyone to ignore. How can we best turn things around? As Adler puts it, how can we tax away “pomp and pride and power”?
The American Ethical Union is thrilled to have Sam Pizzigati, currently an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies Associate and former Director of Publishing at the National Education Association, answer these questions as our special guest for this All-Societies Platform. Sam will explore some of the fascinating new approaches to addressing inequality both here and abroad by demonstrating how the best way to chip away at this issue is to start locally.
About Our Speaker:
Sam Pizzigati is currently an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and co-editor of Inequality.org, an online portal that has been tracking global inequality for over 20 years. He was the Director of Publishing at the National Education Association, our country’s largest union, for over ten years. Sam is also an esteemed labor journalist with his op-eds appearing in outlets across the globe from The New York Times to Le Monde Diplomatique. He has written multiple books on inequality as well, exploring Adler’s story in his 2012 book, The Rich Don’t Always Win. To read his latest work, check out The Case for a Maximum Wage.

Registration for this event is required. After filling out the form, you will receive the link to the platform. The American Ethical Union is the sponsor of this program. EHST is participating as a member of the AEU.

Prison Life During COVID at Butner Low Federal Correctional Institute
2023-11-05 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
John Holmgren, longtime member of EHST, has been participating in the Prisoner Visitation and Support program at Butner Low Federal Correctional Institute (prison) for over twelve years. During COVID, this program was suspended, and for over two years, the prisoners lost this connection to the outside world. A few months ago, the program reopened, and John will discuss what he learned about the experiences of the prisoners he visits during this time.
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 email chris.kaman@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Journey to An Ethical Culture Life
2023-11-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Maura Breidt, inspired by fellow EHST member Todd Bishop and a member of EHST, will share some details on her journey to the Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle, and hopes that others will share some details of their journeys also!
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 email us at info@ehstnc.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

The Black Freedom Struggle From Reconstruction To The Present
2023-11-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST is delighted to have William Chafe, the Alice Mary Baldwin Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at Duke University, speak to us about the Black freedom struggle. He will go back to the Freedmen’s Bureau agenda in 1865 proposing measures to achieve both political and economic equality for Blacks, then show how the issue of economic equality was neglected, even during the rise of the civil rights movement in the 20th century. The presentation will discuss the evolution of the civil rights movement, and critical moments when the movement’s goals were ignored, with the result that Black Americans earn today only 62 per cent of what white Americans earn.
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 email chris.kaman@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Revitalizing Ethical Humanism aka Ethical Culture
2023-12-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The ethical movement was founded to help its members find deeper meaning and purpose in their lives – relying upon ethical principles rather than deference to a deity. Today’s declining adherence to traditional religious belief offers a golden opportunity for Ethical Humanist Societies to expand in size and influence. To speak to the needs of the current era, our speaker will invite us to revisit the tenets of our philosophy and how they inform our practice – as individuals and as a movement.
John Daken has been a member of the ethical movement for over 25 years. He is a past President of the Washington Ethical Society and a Board member of the American Ethical Union. He makes his home in Silver Spring, MD.
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 email chris.kaman@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Insights about Philosophy and Questions about History from the Bibliography of Ethical Culture
2023-12-10 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Our guest speaker, Carolyn A. Parker, is working on a Bibliography of Ethical Culture: 1876 – 2026. She will share with us some of what she has learned about the early history of the AEU (founded in 1889), the early history of the International Ethical Union (founded in 1896), and the first five Leaders of the Movement (Adler, Weston, Sheldon, Coit, and Salter). Although Dr. Parker’s talk will address the early years of ethical culture, the hope is that this will lead to some discussion of still open questions regarding purpose and “mission” for our Societies as well as for the American Ethical Union and our relationship with the remnants of the ECM globally.
The Bibliography is posted online and is an evolving document. Anyone with the link can view it, download it, and use it for their own edification. The purpose of the Bibliography is to create a single, accessible record of the “literature” of Ethical Culture during its first 150 years. The hope is that doing so will encourage more people to read and talk about Ethical Culture in the present. Dr. Parker also blogs about her work on the Bibliography, which you can read via the above link.
Carolyn A. Parker, PhD, is an Ethical Culturist and member of the Ethical Society of Austin. She is also an activist with experience in advocacy at local, state, and national levels. Carolyn’s education gave her a background in the liberal arts and social sciences, supporting her work in teaching, writing, and organizational management with an international perspective.

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 email us at info@ehstnc.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Memorial and Potluck Sunday
2023-12-17 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
This week for our Sunday Program Meeting we will have a social gathering and potluck memorial for our long-time member Mike Conrad who passed on December 5th. Please bring your memories of Mike to share. We will also have refreshments provided by members and friends of EHST. Visitors need not bring any refreshments. While we welcome all visitors, if you did not know Mike you may want to choose another Sunday to visit with us.
This meeting will be in-person only with no Zooming provided.

Holiday - No program today
2023-12-24 13:30 - 15:30
EHST is taking this Sunday off as our, so there is no program. We wish all a happy and safe holiday time.

Recovering Women's Fundamental Right to Choose
2024-01-07 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST member Solomon Gibson, III will present our program today. He will explore an effective strategy on recovering women’s fundamental right to choose what she does with her body, how it can be used, and why no one is discussing it. He will also review current strategies, their pros and cons, to restore this right. Mr. Gibson’s view is similar to that of Ruth Bader Ginsberg who argued that the Fourteenth Amendment held the best basis for ensuring a women’s right to choose her medical care.
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 email chris.kaman@ehstnc.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Ending Disenfranchisement and Discrimination Against People With Convictions
2024-01-14 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Desmond Meade, Executive Director of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), will speak to us via Zoom. FRRC is a grassroots membership organization run by Returning Citizens, Formerly Incarcerated Persons (FIPs) in partnership with allies. Since 2012 FRRC has worked to end the disenfranchisement and discrimination against people with convictions, and creating a more comprehensive and humane reentry system that will enhance successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and increase public safety.

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 email us at info@ehstnc.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Facing the Censorship Challenge in Libraries
2024-01-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
In today’s climate of challenges to content in libraries, it is more important than ever that librarians and community members work together to defend the right to read and intellectual freedom. Dr. April Dawkins will provide an overview of the current state of attempts to censor and limit access to information in libraries across the United States and North Carolina. Additionally, she will share what librarians are doing and how community members can assist in those efforts. Dr. Dawkins is an Assistant Professor, Department of Information, Library, and Research Sciences, University of North Carolina Greensboro.

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 page to submit your request.

Annual EHST Business Meeting for 2024 for Members
2024-01-28 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST will hold its annual meeting of members. This is a business meeting where the members will (re-)elect board members, and pass a budget for 2024. We will also seek suggestions from members for our priorities for the year. Visitors and friends are welcome to attend, but they will not be eligible to vote. Members who cannot be present must submit proxies to the EHST secretary if they wish to have their interests/votes counted at the meeting. Submission of proxies by email is acceptable. See our bylaws section 6 for more information.

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 page to request access.

Duties to the Dead - What If Anything Do We Owe Them?
2024-02-04 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
In this talk, Will Kanwischer, Graduate Assistant, National High School Ethics Bowl at the UNC Parr Center for Ethics, will argue that we have duties to the dead, and that when we fail to perform them, we wrong the dead. If he is right, a person’s death does not mark the end of their importance to morality; we owe it to people to do things like keep promises and treat them with respect even after their life is over. Along the way, he will introduce three influential puzzles facing his view. Thinking through (and hopefully solving) these puzzles will require us to reflect on the nature of time, agency, morality, and prudence.
Mr. Kanwischer is a third-year graduate student in philosophy at UNC Chapel Hill interested in ethics and the history of philosophy. He is particularly interested in accounts of well-being and our duties to promote it, as well as issues related to the connection between agency and time. He also works on the practical and theoretical philosophy of historical figures like Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and Friedrich Nietzsche. He earned his B.A. in philosophy and German from Bowling Green State University.
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.

Ted Talk and Discussion: A Plants-Eye View by Michael Pollan
2024-02-11 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
We will watch this Ted Talk by Michael Pollan, the author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Here is what the Ted Talk website says about this presentation: “What if human consciousness isn’t the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn’s clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant’s-eye view.” Following this 17 minute talk, we will discuss his ideas and our reactions to them.
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.

Peter Singer and Effective Altruism
2024-02-18 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Hugh Giblin will give a presentation about the ethical philosophy of Peter Singer regarding giving. We will discuss one of his YouTube presentations as well as the “Effective Altruism” movement. Singer is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. Mr. Giblin is a longtime EHST supporter, and devoted humanist.
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.

Discussion of Effective Altruism
2024-02-25 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
We will discuss the prior Sunday’s program regarding effective altruism. How can we be most effective in giving to help others? How do we divide up our giving between local, national, and international needs?
We will not be Zooming this meeting.

Building a Stronger Community for Racial Justice
2024-03-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Karinda Roebuck, and Michelle Wright

Chatham Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) is a broad-based, community-governed organization that works to build stronger communities through education, healing, and community organizing. This presentation will be an overview of their work as a whole where you can gain an understanding of how to transform communities and institutions for a more equitable community. Mìchelle Wright, Director of Restorative Practices & Community Healing, Trainer & Consultant, and Karinda Roebuck, CORE Executive Director, will present this program.

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 your request.

Discussion Sunday: Being An Ally, and From Stories to Action
2024-03-10 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
We will watch two brief Ted Talks, and then discuss our reactions to them. The first is about being an ally to those face injustice (https://www.ted.com/talks/dwinita_mosby_tyler_want_a_more_just_world_be_an_unlikely_ally) and the second is about how stories can play an important role in motivating people to take action (https://www.ted.com/talks/sisonke_msimang_if_a_story_moves_you_act_on_it) rather than just enjoying an emotional story.

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.)

A Proposal for EHST Ethical Action
2024-03-17 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The EHST Ethical Action Committee is pleased to present a proposal concerning ethical action in 2024. This initiative serves as an interactive forum, inviting stakeholders to engage and provide input. Upon the program’s completion, a brief survey will be disseminated among society’s members, allowing individuals to cast their votes and provide constructive feedback.
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.

CROP Walk and Discussion
2024-03-24 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
We will have two different programs. Some will participate in the local CROP Walk, and others will gather at our usual venue to discuss current events. The CROP Walk is our ethical action activity for this quarter. It is a walk to raise money to fight hunger both locally and internationally. If you would like to donate to this fundraiser, please visit our team page, and make a donation; all funds raised will go to fight hunger: https://events.crophungerwalk.org/cropwalks/team/ethical-humanist-society-of-the-triangle?utm_medium=email&utm_source=transactional&utm_campaign=2024-crop-hunger-walk.

Neither of these two programs will be Zoomed. We hope you can join us for a future program.

Opening the Door for Democracy with YVote (Why Vote)
2024-03-31 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
We will join the morning program sponsored by our national organization, the American Ethical Union. Sanda Baladan, co-founder of YVote, and Audrey Kindred, of the New York Society for Ethical Culture will present on how they collaborate to bring Voter and civic engagement activities to hundreds of youth in ongoing democracy reinforcing programs. They will show how other Ethical Societies can do similar civics / voter actions. The program will include youth who will tell of their concerns and how YVote has prepared them for action and leadership.
Registration for this program is required. Here’s the registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrd–tqjgoG93G86nOUfIyfo9mJFyJqfB3#/registration
