AOF November News and Views Newsletter: Elections! Plus: The Future of Atheists and Other Freethinkers, Sunday, November 13, 1:30-4:00 p.m.

[AOF News and Views]

Hi everyone,

Hoping you and yours are well this month. 

You may download the most recent issue of AOF News and Views e-newsletter from this location:

http://newsletters.aofonline.org/2011-11-november-aof-news-and-views.pdf

AOF General Meeting - November

AOF apologizes for a change of plans. We will not host a public screen of the acclaimed movie about D.M. Bennett, notorious 19th-century freethinker, at the November general meeting—that must await another day! 

Instead we urge every dues-paying AOF member, and every freethinker concerned about the future of organized freethought in Sacramento, to attend an open discussion of AOF's future. In other words, where do we go from here? 

Sacramento-area freethought activism is flourishing. AOF, less so. Our general meetings have dwindled. AOF Directors have discussed this and what to do about it. Currently AOF pays about $150 a month for meeting room rent at the Sierra 2 center, which has lately averaged to about $10 per person. Per month. This may not be a wise use of our resources (your dues).

What to do? The Board proposes a new quarterly general meeting schedule. This would allow AOF to seek more exciting, perhaps better known speakers to whom we could pay a reasonable honorarium, even travel expenses if necessary. What do you think of this?

On months we do not meet at the Sierra 2 site, we might plan some strictly social gatherings. Meanwhile, AOF will continue to support the Darwin Day event in February, Freethought Day in October, and other special activities.

The Board has also proposes a more focused effort during 2012 to establish Reason House for the Sacramento community of reason. This means anything from finding a piece of property on which to construct a building to an actual building that would meet our needs. We certainly would appreciate membership input on this issue!

Also coming up at the November meeting, of course: AOF Board Elections. Under AOF Bylaws, each November, we bloodily execute the previous band of autocratic oppressors, and instill a new band of autocratic oppressors. Just kidding about the execute part -- we hope. But if you are a voting AOF member, come to this meeting, exercise your unique franchise, and help throw the rascals out (or keep them in, your choice).

If you are a dues-paying AOF member and would like to serve on the Board this year, please contact us! (see page two)

Additional Content In This Month's Newsletter

• Asking Notables for Public Recognition of Freethought Day 2011, by Kelly Karas (pages 1, 6)
• Are you up to the challenge? Take the Weekly American Humanist Association Crossword Puzzle! (page 2)
• Shifting Gears, Forging Ahead, by Mynga Futrell (pages 3, 7)
• AOF Board Elections for 2012: Candidate Statements (pages 4-5)

To read the newsletter, you may use Adobe's free Reader software: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Family News

AOF welcomes family info that you'd like to share with the AOF membership. Please submit items to: newsletter@aofonline.org and specify in the e-mail that you'd like to announce the information in the Family News section.

Newsletter Submissions Policy

Submit your newsletter items to the N&V submissions editor at this e-mail address:newsletter@aofonline.org

or mail item to the AOF mailbox: PO Box 15182, Sacramento, CA  95851-0182.

Preference is given to material in a PC-compatible word processing format (for example, Microsoft Word). To submit, attach your file to the e-mail and send.

AOF also welcomes succinct and substantive letters to the editor. Note: All letters are prioritized by AOF 's publishing criteria deriving from the organization's Statement of Purpose.

Thank you!