January 2020 Volume 02 - Issue 01
Operation Liftoff: We Are Surprisingly Close To Meeting our First Fundraising Goal! Building an Epic Executive Board: We’re Looking for Super Directors to Join our Team Monthly Survey: Are you a Vegan, Vegetarian, or Meat $770.19 Raised $79.81 Remaining Lover? Crypto Donations By the Executive Board Competitive Volunteering: We are about $80 away from By the Executive Board The 2020 Service Olympic successfully meeting our first Our young organization includes Competitions Have Begun Harmony Fest 2019: A Look fundraising goal of $850. In fact, if all three chapters that meet weekly with Back at our Fist Winter of the freethinkers who attend next an average attendance of six Festivals week’s meetings donate just $5, we returning members each. We’ve Local Group News will blast far past that goal! raised an average of $77 per month Bonus Article: Can Skeptics and curious new freethinkers are Benefit from the Placebo Send a $5 Donation learning about us every day! Effect? Recommended Reading: Why The next big step in our growth is Operation Liftoff is the first step in Things Seem True the formation of an epic Executive our organization’s road to tax From Our Quote Collection: Board! In this article, you will see the exemption and nonprofit status – Kindness and Humanity responsibilities of a board member and we are gaining momentum. Jan 2020 Donor Rewards and how you, or someone you know, Thank you to everyone who has Popular Podcasts: 5 Habits for may join our team! a Healthy Mind helped us get so close to covering our Executive Report legal paperwork fees. Because of Director Duties you, we are ready for launch! The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
By Nicholas Burk (Executive Board) By Nicholas Burk (Executive Board) At our meetings, we hope that our guests and members will always be Last December, a member of our able to freely speak their mind. A Springville group asked his fellow Free Thought Forum is a place to forum members for a hand with exchange important ideas without moving out of town later that day. He fear of judgment, rejection, or honestly didn’t expect much help censorship. Likewise, cryptocurrency because he wasn’t able to give much enthusiasts exchange currencies advance notice. Yet what followed represents something at the core of Are you a Vegan, Vegetarian, or such as Bitcoin freely and our organization! Once the meeting Meat Lover? Let us know where you anonymously as part of a was concluded, four volunteers fall on the great debate about what decentralized system. In both cases, stepped up and drove directly to our we should and shouldn’t eat along personal liberty is paramount. member in need. By the time all of with your main reasons why. Share the boxes where packed and the your answer and we will be happy to moving truck was loaded for the final publish our results next month! time, each volunteer had donated an average of four hours! Answer Poll To encourage our members and Last Month’s Survey Group Leaders to continue to make a
For fans of blockchain-based positive difference in their commerce, our organization is glad communities, the Executive Board is to announce that we now accept proud to usher in the first annual Bitcoin donations! For our wallet Service Olympics of the Free Thought address and more information, check Initiative! Each chapter will compete out our new Bitcoin Page: to volunteer the most service hours Freethoughtforum.org/Bitcoin. every month and the winners will be announced in our newsletter. Good Donate Bitcoin luck to our three groups and thank you for your good work! The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
other surprises. Here are a few snapshots from the festivities. Thank you to everyone who made these occasions special. Enjoy!
By Nicholas Burk (Executive Board)
Unity, friendship, community, cooperation, humanity, and more were celebrated at our 2019 Harmony and HumanLight Festivals. In Springville, Draper, and online we enjoyed casseroles, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, fried chicken, decorated deer cookies, donuts, and other homemade sweets as shared our favorite holiday songs, played catchphrase, and picked up gift bags filled with nuts, chocolates, dreidels, Donate red new year envelopes, a holiday card from the Executive Board, and The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
• Jan 4 – Friendly Chat and Support • Jan 5 – Friendly Chat and Support • Jan 5 – Friendly Chat and Support Circle Circle Circle • Jan 11 – The Big Bang • Jan 7 – Volunteer Project: The • Jan 12 – The Big Bang • Jan 18 – Great Ideas From Burrito Project SLC • Jan 19 – Great Ideas From Confucius • Jan 12 – The Big Bang Confucius • Jan 25 – 5 Habits for Better • Jan 19 – Great Ideas From • Jan 26 – 5 Habits for Better Emotional Health Confucius Emotional Health • Feb 1 – Friendly Chat and • Jan 26 – 5 Habits for Better • Feb 2 – Friendly Chat and Support Circle Emotional Health Support Circle • Feb 1 – Volunteer Project: • Feb 2 – Friendly Chat and • Feb 9 – Evidence for Evolution Promotional Poster Blitz Support Circle • Feb 16 – Voltaire’s Wit and • Feb 8 – Evidence for Evolution • Feb 7 – Volunteer Project: Wisdom • Feb 15 – Voltaire’s Wit and Promotional Poster Blitz • Feb 23 – Elite Volunteer Training Wisdom • Feb 9 – Evidence for Evolution • Mar 1 – Friendly Chat and • Feb 15 – Darwin Day 2020 • Feb 15 – Darwin Day 2020 Support Circle Celebration Celebration • Mar 8 – Thinking Scientifically • Feb 22 – Elite Volunteer Training • Feb 16 – Voltaire’s Wit and • Mar 15 – The Virtues of Stoicism • Feb 29 – Thinking Scientifically Wisdom • Mar 22 – Temperance Festival • Feb 29 – Group Activity: Rock • Feb 23 – Elite Volunteer Training (An Annual Celebration) Canyon Hike • Mar 1 – Friendly Chat and • Mar 29 – Model Citizenship • Mar 7 – Friendly Chat and Support Circle • Apr 5 – Friendly Chat and Support Support Circle • Mar 8 – Thinking Scientifically Circle • Mar 14 – The Virtues of Stoicism • Mar 15 – The Virtues of Stoicism • Apr 12 – Vaccines, Outbreaks, • Mar 21 – Temperance Festival • Mar 22 – Temperance Festival and Epidemiology (An Annual Celebration) (An Annual Celebration) • Apr 19 – Great Ideas from • Mar 28 – Model Citizenship • Mar 29 – Model Citizenship Zoroastrianism
• April 4 – First Week Feast and • Apr 5 – First Week Feast and Support Circle Support Circle • April 11 – Vaccines, Outbreaks, • Apr 12 – Vaccines, Outbreaks, and Epidemiology and Epidemiology • April 18 – Great Ideas from • Apr 19 – Great Ideas from Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism
Congratulations to our newest After three months of service, Assistant of the Springville group! Jacob Collier has decided to step Letting your friends know that an Sam Wagner has enthusiastically down as Draper’s Group Leader to online meeting will be taking place accepted the position along with focus more on his work and schooling has never been easier! Keep an eye Lance Freeman. Assistant Dale while retaining the role of Assistant. out on our social media pages for Thurber has transferred to our Online He was joined recently by Jared Platt, memes like the one above and feel Group where we’re sure he’ll be able one of Draper’s most dedicated free to share them with whomever to put his skills and talents to good members! you’d like to invite. use! The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
By Nicholas Burk (Springville Group Leader)
In the fields of medicine and psychology, it is well understood that one’s belief in the effectiveness of something can directly influence that thing’s perceived effectiveness.
Basically, the more you want Gain access to past and future something to work, the more it BONUS articles by becoming seems to work! This is one way to A monthly contributor of describe the “placebo effect,” a $5 or more! neurological phenomenon that explains why things like faith healing Freethoughtforum.org/donate or sugar pills have such dramatic benefits for those who believe.
But what about those who don’t believe? If you are a skeptic, are there ways for you to tap into the positive aspects of placebo? In this month's bonus article, we’ll explore all of that and more!
Set Up Monthly Donations
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foolish many of our own cherished prejudices will seem to an age which has a different temper of mind.
The Free Thought Initiative is grateful for the support of our first
sponsor, Delectation of Tomatoes! From the same book, page 111: This small company from Utah is a strong proponent of buying local, To teach how to live without eating healthy, self-reliance, certainty, and yet without being sustainable farming, ecologically paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps responsible living, preservation of the chief thing that philosophy, in our heritage seeds, and helping others age, can still do for those who study realize the physical, emotional, and it. social benefits of gardening.
A quote from Bertrand Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy, Chapter 4, Page 39:
Two things are to be remembered: that a man whose
opinions and theories are worth studying may be presumed to have had some intelligence, but that no man is likely to have arrived at complete and final truth on any subject whatever. When an intelligent man expresses a view which seems to us obviously absurd, we should not attempt to prove that it is somehow true, but we should try to understand how it ever came to seem true. This exercise of historical and psychological imagination at Visit Website once enlarges the scope of our
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We have some thoughtful surprises for our donors in January. Check out the donor-only article Thank you, again, to all of those who in this issue about the placebo effect have contributed to our cause thus and how even the most skeptical far. Every donation tier also includes among us may benefit from it. the rewards from all previous tiers, so there is no better time to join the Surprise Packages ranks of our regular contributors! Bonus Podcast Episodes Look for an item from our Online Store sent to your Enjoy an extra episode of doorstep (or handed to you by your our podcast that is made Supporter Shout-Outs Group Leader) every month. (Your each month for our donors! January and February Surprise Find your name in the The January 2020 episode of The Packages will be combined, so keep next issue of our Fresh Perspective: After Hours an eye out for both!) newsletter and at the end of this features a conversation about being month’s podcast episode(s)! a true friend and how one may meet one’s emotional needs and the needs Sponsorship Ads of one’s friends at the same time. Contributor Club Do you have a business or nonprofit you’d like to Gain access to our donor- promote? Donors at this level claim only channels and chat the privilege of working with the rooms across our social media! Executive Board to create an ad included in our Newsletter!
Bonus Newsletter Articles Board Meeting Mystery Envelopes Unlock all Donor Editions Invitation Donors at this level will of The Seeker’s Key, granting you full Discuss the future of our find small rewards sent access to their bonus articles. organization with our Directors and directly to their mailboxes. Group Leaders! Information about Which topics would you like Our new promotional flyers are our next scheduled board meeting to see covered in the future? here! Be among the first to own your may be found on our Executive Board
own set of five posters: page. The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
Now it’s a Party The Secular Solstice Party with the # 1 Atheists of Utah and the Humanists BEST of Utah was a big success! All SELLER members of the board and a few others well represented the Free
Thought Forum. We also now have a Available regular member of the Draper group Now in our who acts as our liaison to the Here is a Sneak-Peak at one of the most successful episodes of The Fresh Perspective: Store Humanists. (Thanks Brian!)
Your mind is your most valuable $12.95 tool and one that should be kept sharp! Most of the time, we don’t like Our top five ongoing projects to consider how common it is for our brains to deteriorate as we age or as Bedazzled with all our favorite icons and have been prioritized thusly: we submit them to abuse. When it flair, this 11oz or 15oz mug really shows your fellow forum members or coffee 1. File our legal nonprofit and tax- comes to the gray matter between shop pals what you are all about! exemption paperwork by April our ears, I figure that it is always 2020. better to be safe than sorry, and that 2. Create our “Leadership Packet” starts with a good idea of what it Visit Our Store which will instruct Group Leaders takes to maintain one’s mental and Assistant Group Leaders of health… their duties and our standardized I suppose that I speak for many of protocols. us when I say that we may be 3. Create at least one new local addicted to distraction. Ask yourself, group by December of each year. when was the last time you listened 4. Improve and promote our to silence, or the white noise of the podcast. wind or city around you? Intentional 5. Develop and publish our periodic disconnection from the “Foundational Philosophy.” endless deluge of information made possible by the internet could yield impressive results. Maybe getting In terms of events hosted, some peace and quiet is also worth An official update on the state of the Free membership, and volunteer hours thinking about when we are thinking Thought Initiative from the Executive Board for donated, here is a run-down on how December 2019. about cognitive health… our organization faired last month:
December 2019 View Blog Post Groups in Operation 3 As we draw closer to being able to New Groups 0 Listen on YouTube cover our paperwork fees, our main Planned focus now is to appoint about five Total Events Held 16 Listen on Bitchute board members who may act Average Regular 5.14 Meeting Attendance Listen on iTunes together to vote on our bylaws and Total Hrs. 16 Volunteered other key nonprofit documents. The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
Group Totals SPR DRA ONL The Board members agree to Regular Meetings 4 5 5 approve volunteer activities Held First-Time Guests 4 5 0 proposed by Group Leaders Returning Members 36 17 8 For the sake of transparency before they are officially added Average Attendance 10 4.4 2 within our organization, here are the to the groups’ schedules. Volunteer Projects 1 0 0 official minutes of the last Executive Group Leaders are to keep their Total Hrs. 16 1 0 Board Meeting of the Free Thought Volunteered paper forms, notes, and other Other Events 0 1 0 Initiative: hard data about their groups for Other Event 0 6 0 at least two years. Attendees 1. Attendance
Sage Lehmitz (Board Member and 4. Additional Topics Discussed Online Group Leader); Jacob Collier All of our groups have raised (Board Member and Draper Group See the previous sections of this (since March of 2019 to date) a total Leader); Nicholas Burk (Board Executive Report. of $770.19! This leaves us only Member and Springville Group Our options on how to back up $79.81 left to raise to reach our Leader). Sage assumed the role of our data physically and digitally current goal. Board Chair while Nick volunteered were discussed. to take minutes. 5. Board Member Assignments 2. Meeting Time and Location How many more people have we All board members are to do th reached this month? Here is a quick On December 13 at 6:30 PM, this some basic research on their own update: month’s board meeting took place on so that they are familiar enough private Discord channels reserved for with proper nonprofit YouTube Subscribers: 129 (+9) such meetings. governance to recognize the Springville UT Meetup: 122 (+23) difference between good bylaws Draper UT Meetup: 217 (+33) 3. Decisions Made and poorly written bylaws. Facebook Page Likes: 103 (+19) We will no longer record the Nick is to finish the first draft of Facebook Follows: 111 (+20) audio of our board meetings and the organization’s “Leadership Instagram Followers: 67 (+15) make them publically available. Packet” (to finalize Group Snapchat Score: 16 (+14) (This is congruent with general Leader, Assistant, and Director Twitter Followers: 33 (+15) legal advice against such a duties) and send it to be Reddit Members: 111 (+41) practice.) reviewed by the other board Pinterest Mo. Views: 629 (-671) The next board meeting was members ASAP. th Discord Server Members: 34 (+3) scheduled for January 10 at Nick is to create a Minds Subscribers: 118 (+10) 6:30 PM. Reimbursement Request Form Bitchute Subscribers: 31 (+3) We agreed to participate in, and for Board Members on our promote, the Humanists of Utah website. Thank you to all those who have “Darwin Day” event in February. All members are to keep their subscribed to, followed, liked, and The approval of two board relevant receipts and carefully shared our online content! members is now needed in order track their expenses and the to appoint a new Group Leader general costs for running the or Director. Free Thought Initiative starting This information will now be The current Board Leader report January 1st. reported and recorded within the forms and meeting checklist have Nick is to add suggestions in the board itself. been approved by the board. The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
Leadership Packet for Group authorizes Group Leaders to create Leaders on how they may boost and run new local groups. Based on attendance such as: the feedback we receive from our o Give a presentation members, the Executive Board also about their Forum in oversees the production of similar organizations. instructional and promotional o Talk at a nearby college content for the Free Thought event. Initiative and manages the overall o Distribute business operations and finances of the cards. organization itself with an emphasis o Post flyers. on transparency. o Share social media posts. o Invite members to bring food (with the
permission of the hosting venue). o Host group recreational activities after a meeting. o Invite each member to bring a friend to the next Our directors may access the meeting. forms, links, and the information Sage is to assign an “Assistant” to needed to perform their duties on help him run the Online Group. our Board Member Tools page, All board members are to return accessible here with a password: next month with ideas for our freethoughtforum.org/board- donor-only podcast episode member-tools. topics. Nick is to include standard Group Continued From “Building an Epic Executive Leader and Board Member Board: We’re Looking for Super Directors to Join interview questions to the our Team” on Page 1: leadership packet. Jacob is to research how to initiate and access automatic back-ups for our website content. Those interested in joining our Sage is to look into possible office board, forum members, Group spaces for the organization. Leaders, third parties, and others may reach the board through the Our directors are (thus far) unpaid contact page on our website: volunteers who serve for one-year freethoughtforum.org/contact. All terms. The entire Free Thought communications made through the Initiative is overseen by a board of at website are automatically made least three highly-qualified directors. accessible to each of our directors. It is this board that interviews and The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org
control. Our directors also carries with it additional analyze the weekly reports of our responsibilities. Group Leaders (local chapter officers) and review the feedback that comes from our members. In short, we ensure that our organization is running smoothly and according to our high standards.
1. Attend our Monthly Board 4. Promote our Mission and As a governing organization, our Meetings. We have been Values. Our directors spread the Executive Board has additional duties meeting on the evening of the word about our mission. They that may be carried out through 2nd Friday of each month via lead by example and actively individual director assignment, with voice-chat on a private channel help to build new Free Thought the help of a third-party consultant, on our Discord server. These Forum groups, promote their or through the authorization and meetings last for about two events, and preserve the positive commission of a paid “Content hours and each director should public image of the organization. Creator.” These collective actively participate, use their They champion the values of the responsibilities are summarized in vote, and contribute as we follow Free Thought Initiative and the following list: a preset meeting agenda. The govern under them. Most Nonprofit – Manage the organization minutes from each meeting are importantly, our directors as a legally compliant nonprofit. published in our monthly operate in compliance with all applicable legal restrictions, newsletter. Website – Maintain the bylaws, policies, and procedures. organization’s website and blog. 2. Complete one Assignment per 5. Provide Governance. The Month. At our monthly Leadership Resources – Provide directors on our board represent meetings, we report on our past leadership materials and supplies to the interests of our members. assignments and we each receive our Group Leaders and their They interview and manage a new assignment for the month Assistants. from the meeting’s recognized Group Leaders, approve the chair. These should be specific creation of new local groups, Group Pages – Maintain a group tasks that directly relate to the approve our training materials webpage for each of our Local main duties of the board. and procedures, commission Groups. content creation, balance our Group Meetings – Schedule the 3. Screen Content and Provide budget, set milestones and goals regular events for each local group Oversight. Our directors oversee for the organization, keep fellow featuring each week’s Primer the production of our directors accountable, and plan Discussion topic. organization’s unique content for the future of the Free such as our newsletter, Thought Initiative. Special Events – After a Group Leader discussion primers, podcast submits their volunteer and 6. Apply Your Skills. A director episodes, and social media posts. recreational events, screen and add brings their talents, resources, Each director follows, reads, and the approved events to their group’s and passion to help us reach our subscribes to this content soon schedule. after it is made available to the goals. As needed, they may be public as a form of quality assigned a specific position that Discussion Primers – Create (and The Seeker’s Key Monthly Newsletter FreeThoughtForum.org update as needed) each of the received four votes, Secular organization’s Discussion Primers. Christmas blew it out of the water with 24 (68%)! Here is what one Social Media – Regularly publish pollster had to say: “In our home, we content through our organization’s call Xmas day, ‘sleigh day.’ Parental social media accounts. nostalgia related to Santa’s sleigh,
Podcast – Create weekly episodes of gifts, and holiday music.” our organization’s podcast. 2. Three-Way Tie: Winter Solstice Online Store – Run the online store In our last issue, we asked you to (Secular), New Year’s Eve / Watch nd and donor reward services provided select one or more of the following Night, and New Year’s Day. Each 2 through our website. winter traditions that you observe: place choice received 17 votes. Interestingly, many pollsters chose Newsletter – Produce and distribute Nativity Fast, Advent, Kartik Purnima, Diwali, either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s a monthly newsletter featuring a Saint Barbara's Day, Krampusnacht, Saint Nicholas' Day, Chalica, Bodhi Day, Feast of the Immaculate Day, but not both. summary of the information Conception, Hanukkah, St. Lucia Day, Salgirah, gathered from Group Leader reports, Zamenhof Day, Las Posadas, Saturnalia, Winter 3. Christmas Eve. Are Christmas Solstice (Secular) , HARMONY FEST!!! (Free Thought traditions and Christmas Eve minutes from the last board meeting, Forum) , Mōdraniht / Mothers' Night, Soyal, and other news. Longest Night / Blue Christmas / Longest Sleep, traditions distinct? 40% of you said Pancha Ganapati, Yalda, Dongzhi Festival, Yule, yes! HumanLight, Festivas, Christmas Eve, Pastafarian "Holiday," Dies Natalis, Solis Invicti, Christmas Day 4. HumanLight. Way to go (Christian) , Christmas Day (Secular) / Xmas, Malkh, Newtonmas, Boxing Day, Saint Stephen's Day, HumanLight! With 13 votes, this 18- Kwanzaa, Saint John the Evangelist's Day, Holy year-old Humanist holiday beat all Innocents' Day, Saint Sylvester's Day, Hogmanay, but five celebrations. Continued From “Monthly Survey” on Page 2: New Year’s Eve / Watch Night, New Year’s Day, Feast of the Circumcision, Saint Basil's Day, Twelfth Night / Epiphany Eve, Epiphany / Three Kings Day, 5. Yule. Perhaps the biggest Armenian Apostolic Christmas, Orthodox surprise from this poll was how well Christmas, Solemnity of Mary - Mother of God, Yule did, represented by 7 votes. It Malanka, Lohri, Old New Year, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Chinese / Lunar New Year, and Sadeh, would be interesting to hear how our Basant / Basanth / Vasant Panchami. largely secular audience celebrates it.
6. Boxing Day. Usually celebrated on the 26th, the 5 votes for Boxing Day probably came from our Canadian subscribers.
7. Three-way Tie: Saturnalia, Festivus, Newtonmas, and Christmas Day (Christian). Tied with 4 votes each, this mix of holidays 35 of you from among our diverse includes Saturnalia, a tradition that newsletter readers and our social goes back to pre-Christian Rome! media followers responded to our Newtonmas celebrates Isaac Newton poll. Here are your top responses! and his contributions to modern science while Festivus tends to be 1. Christmas Day (Secular) / defined as a more satirical secular Xmas. While Christian Christmas Day holiday.