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A weekly newsletter to keep you informed.
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What's in this week's news?
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For all the details on this month's theme exploration, the theme photo by artist Carol Clayton, the schedule of platforms and much more, we invite you to check out the full post at http://ethicalsociety.org/mays-theme-embodiment/.
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AEU Announces the Assembly Keynote Speakers
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The American Ethical Union is honored to announce that our
102nd Assembly Keynote Program will include Congressman Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative for Maryland's 8th Congressional District, and Adam Jackson, CEO of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.
Adam Jackson is the Chief Executive Officer of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a grassroots think-tank located in Baltimore. In his role as CEO of LBS, Mr. Jackson is responsible for the management and oversight of the daily operations of the organization and the execution of its mission to "advance the public policy interest of black people, in Baltimore, through: youth leadership development, political advocacy, and autonomous intellectual innovation."
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 You may have been following the news of the Unitarian Universalist Association, where people are working hard to confront the white supremacy built into the system. But what IS white supremacy? Is it really all around us? And how can we recognize it in our own and other systems? Join Amanda for an exploration that is in line with the request of Black Lives of UU (the Black organizing collective within Unitarian Universalism) that all congregations affiliated with the UUA offer a teach-in like this one. Let's learn together this Sunday after the second platform at 1pm in the Main Hall.  |
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This Sunday's Platform
9:30 & 11:30am.
"
Risk Your Heart to Love Again," Rev. Rachel Christensen.
Come explore with us the risk of shutting down and shutting out others, and the risk we take when instead we open up to connections, relationship and vulnerability. This is what it means to be Human. Rev. Rachel Christensen is a UU minister from Orlando, Florida. She was Intern Minister at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, preaching her last service on the morning of the Pulse tragedy last year.
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This Sunday at WES.
Teen Waffle Bar, 10:45am, Lobby.
Every first Sunday of the month the Teens will offer waffles and an assortment of toppings for WES members and friends. Waffle ingredients and toppings are purchased through waffle bar proceeds. Remaining funds go to the Teen group for Service trips. Free will donation. #WESteens
Newcomers' Q and A, 11am & 1pm, Adler Study.
New to WES? Join us for this informal gathering to learn a little about who we are and what we do here, and to get your questions answered!
Jam Session, 1pm, Library.
At the WES Jam Sessions, interested musicians gather to practice music (possibly with the intention of playing during platform or other events) or just to develop musical skills in a group context. Attendees bring the music they want to play, and play what is brought. All instruments, musical genres, and skill levels welcome! For more information, contact Tom Bishop ([email protected]).
Teach-In About White Supremacy, 1pm, Main Hall.
You may have been following the news of the Unitarian Universalist Association, where people are working hard to confront the white supremacy built into the system. But what IS white supremacy? Is it really all around us? And how can we recognize it in our own and other systems? Join Amanda for an exploration that is in line with the request of Black Lives of UU (the Black organizing collective within Unitarian Universalism) that all congregations affiliated with the UUA offer a teach-in like this one. Let's learn together.
Walk in the Park, 1pm, Rock Creek Park.
The Earth Ethics Team is hosting a post-platform "Walk In The Park." Everyone interested in going is invited to meet at the picnic table by the WES playground at 1pm and have a brief picnic lunch. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own lunch. Then we'd do a circuit hike in the part of Rock Creek Park that is west of WES. The hike should take about an hour. Our rain date will be May 21. Walkers are invited to bring field guides and binoculars.
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The Upcoming Weeks at WES
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Wednesday, May 3
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WES Chorus rehearsal, 7:15 to 9pm, Main Hall.
WES Chorus meets weekly to rehearse, under the direction of
Bailey Whiteman, Music Director
. All music abilities welcome!
Thursday, May 4
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Path to Membership, 7pm, Library.
 The Washington Ethical Society welcomes folks into membership a few times a year, using a "cohort"
model so that people can get to know a small group and become members--if they decide they're ready to join--together. The first step is to attend a Path to Membership class. It doesn't commit you to anything; it's just an opportunity to learn more about WES and Ethical Culture, and to discuss what membership means. Please let us know if you'd like to join either this class or the one scheduled for May 6! (The classes are identical so you would need to attend only one) And of course, if you have any questions about the class, or about membership or WES more generally, please don't hesitate to be in touch with Amanda Poppei, WES's Senior Leader, at
[email protected]
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Friday, May 5
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WES People of Color Meeting, 7pm, John Bushman's Home.
A chance to meet, discuss WES and our mutual values and our diverse experiences as people of color, the POC group meets monthly on the first Friday. We rotate meetings at various homes. WES POC members and visitors are welcome to join. Please email Trang Duong at [email protected] if you have any questions. The event will be held at John Bushman's home - 10207 Menlo Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. 20910.
Saturday, May 6
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Welcome and Growth Summit, 10am, Social Hall. 
Join Ushers, Welcome Team members, and more as we talk about how we create a welcoming space at WES for visitors... and how we turn those visitors into members. We'll also talk about our goal to be an anti-racist community, and what that means in terms of our welcome and our growth. Please join us!
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Path to Membership, 1pm, Library.
The Washington Ethical Society welcomes folks into membership a few times a year, using a "cohort" model so that people can get to know a small group and become members--if they decide they're ready to join--together. The first step is to attend a Path to Membership class. It doesn't commit you to anything; it's just an opportunity to learn more about WES and Ethical Culture, and to discuss what membership means. Please let us know if you'd like to join either this class or the one scheduled for May 4! (The classes are identical so you would only need to attend one) And of course, if you have any questions about the class, or about membership or WES more generally, please don't hesitate to be in touch with Amanda Poppei, WES's Senior Leader at
[email protected]
.
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Tuesday, May 9
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Jam Session, 6pm, Library.
At the WES Jam Sessions, interested musicians gather to practice music (possibly with the intention of playing during platform or other events) or just to develop musical skills in a group context. Attendees bring the music they want to play, and play what is brought. All instruments, musical genres, and skill levels welcome! For more information, contact Tom Bishop ([email protected]).
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Adult Education Council Meeting, 7-9pm Adler Study.
This group meets monthly on the second Tuesdays of the month for people interested in creating classes, trips, events for our adult community at WES. If you would like attend, please do. You can also contact
Melissa Sinclair
for more information
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Thursday, May 11
- Board of Trustees Meeting, 7pm, Library. All are welcome to attend meetings of the Board of Trustees! Agenda and materials are available in the Members' Access section of our website.
Saturday, May 13
- Second Saturdays are for Service at Wider Circle, 12-2pm, A Wider Circle. All are welcome! Noon to 2 pm. Join your WES friends as we help sort, clean, and move items for a good cause. Wider Circle: 9159 Brookville Rd # C, Silver Spring, MD 20910
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QUILTBAG+ Family Social and Potluck, 5pm, Rajesh Vidyasagar's house.
This is a social event for members of the QUILTBAG+ family (LGBTQ letters rearranged, with additional identities included) to get together and know each other as part of the larger WES community. Spouses/partners and children are invited. Contact Danna Pope at [email protected] for questions or directions.
Sunday, May 14
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Platform Service, 9:30 & 11:30am. "Parenting to Transcend: Teaching, Protecting & Loving Black Bodies," Monique Miles.
We will continue to explore the theme of
Embodiment
with a emphasis on the black body. What does it mean to have a black body in current society? In particular, what does it mean to mother a black child? We will explore the lessons and tools that are critical to nurture, protect, love and transcend the structural and individual threats to the black body.
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WEStalks, 11am, Main Hall.
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Auction Team Meet & Greet, 11am, Social Hall.
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Biology Reading Group, 1pm, Library.
SEEK Announcement
Children in our SEEK Theme Exploration classes this week are learning all about Hip Hop and Rap for the theme of Embodiment. If you can dance Hip Hop or can rap, please contact Melissa Sinclair. We would love our children to learn from our community.
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A huge thank you goes out to the many volunteers and staff that made Spring Festival such a wonderful day! Check out the beautiful set designed and created by Kati Towle with the help from Beth Lower, Nancy Marucci, Amanda Poppei, Marcella, and Joanna Verchinski, and Melissa Sinclair.
If you look closely you can see that the set is made from transforming reusable/recycled materials - Yes, we incorporated the theme of the month. Rocks were made from newspapers. Lily pads and lilies and grass was used from large construction sheets of paper that Kati had lying around for years that never got used or stored properly. Buttlerflies and frogs were cut out by students in the Theme Exploration's classes using donated food boxes. Flowers were using up materials Nancy had. Even the costumes were reused - caterpillar/butterfly from a previous festival, frog was a borrowed costume. The pond paper was the only decorative items bought/used just for this festival.
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Announcements
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WES Auction Event Openings!
 There's room for a few more people to join us
this Saturday for Perry Beider's WES auction event in which we'll each bring music to share that we think we might want to have played before, during, or after our respective memorial services (presumably, many years in the future!). A few details: the party will be at Perry's house, near Connecticut Ave. and Viers Mill Road in Silver Spring (a.k.a. Upper Kensington / West Wheaton / Lower Aspen Hill), starting at
7:30pm, and the cost is $15 to WES. And of course, there will be snacks and dessert!
If you're interested, please get in touch with Perry directly at
[email protected]. It will be an evening of good music, probably some good laughs, and maybe even a few tears as we explain the connections to the songs we've chosen---and it will be even better if you join us!
America, the Dream: Singing for Racial Justice
 This Saturday at 3:30pm at All Souls UU, the choruses from 14 Unitarian Universalist congregations join forces with composer/conductor Rollo Dilworth to present
America, the Dream: Singing for Racial Justice. The concert includes the world premiere of a commissioned piece by Dilworth, a performance by West African drumming ensemble Akoma @ All Souls, and social justice sing-a-long hymns. A free will offering will be taken in support of
#blacklivesdmv. For more information see the event page at
https://www.facebook.com/events/1672478309718757/.
WIN May 7 Action
 WES committed to having 10 members attend. Can you be one of our 10? If so, email Amanda at
[email protected].
For this action, WIN will be partnering with its Metro IAF sister organizations VOICE and AIM to stand up for transit justice, protect middle class African-American jobs, and demand the development of affordable housing on WMATA owned lands. The action will begin at
4pm sharp, with music starting at
3:30 provided by the Mt. Lebanon choir. Mt Carmel is located at 901 Third St. NW. There is some parking close, however, it is also easily accessible by Metro or Metro bus. Please note that there is a good deal of construction in the area, so plan accordingly. For all the details, see the WES website at
http://ethicalsociety.org/win-may-7-action/.
Camping Trip Sign-ups
Time's ticking! Sign up for the camping trip soon! EVERYONE is welcome and it's a great, great way to get to know people within the society and to get to know people from other societies (especially Northern Virginia Ethical Society as they are bringing more than half of their membership)!
Attend a camping trip meeting to learn more about it - Between platforms in the double classrooms on
April 30. Check it out and register
here. Remember, if you have some camping gear needs, there are some to borrow and if you want to go, but the expense is too high, contact
Melissa who can find you help so that you can participate. If you want to join for the day times but skip sleeping in a tent, there are hotel options!
Lastly,
9:30 Platform that day will be held at the camp (not at WES)! Fun!!!!
Tooth Paste Donations
 The Global Connections organization sends a delegation, with many WES members, to El Rodeo, El Salvador every summer. While there they run a fully operational Dental Clinic, including helping parents teach proper dental care to their children.
For this year's delegation we are asking the WES community to donate FULL SIZE TUBES OF TOOTHPASTE with fluoride for the trip in June.
The toothpaste donation box can be found in the lobby for all of May.
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