Update: They’re choosing another date.
Brilliant. Someone has scheduled a “Secular Leaders Summit” in Los Angeles for…May 17th.
The secular movement made tremendous advances in 2012 as atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers and skeptics came “Out” and identified against the traditional religious majority. With the influx of prospective members, secular communities need to communicate and collaborate to manage the new opportunities and growing challenges.
We need to make 2013 the year of “Organize.” Together we can establish linkages, share best practices and expand the universe of available opportunities. The focus is on communication and collaboration to expand the movement.
Due to available space we ask you limit your representatives to two per group.
Please save the date, bring your best practices and ideas for the future.
Lunch will be provided.
I like that “please save the date.” Dude (it is a dude), I did save the date. A long time ago. I did save the date, for a conference that’s already scheduled. Save the date yourself, bro. (Hint: there are some secular leaders attending that already-scheduled conference. Quite a few of them.)
This was in a mass emailing from someone I don’t know; I don’t see anything about it online yet. I wonder if they’ll figure it out and change the date. Or perhaps it was deliberate.
The focus is on communication and collaboration to expand the movement. Right. Good start.
11 comments
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Maureen Brian
February 10, 2013 at 10:17 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
You couldn’t make it up, could you?
Stevarious, Public Health Problem
February 10, 2013 at 10:21 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Well, while the girls will be off at their sewing circle or whatever, it’s the perfect time for the Manly Menfolk™ get the REAL work done. Makes perfect sense.
PZ Myers
February 10, 2013 at 10:29 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Look at it this way: you were one of the recipients of the mass emailing! They must think of you as a secular leader!
Ophelia Benson
February 10, 2013 at 10:35 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Ha!
It is just one day, so maybe they figure it will be obvious that it’s a local thing. But even if it’s a local thing…guess what, some leaders from the locality might be going to that other conference.
Ophelia Benson
February 10, 2013 at 10:39 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
In fact we know that some are.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
February 10, 2013 at 10:44 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m quite sure they consider Ophelia a leaderess.
Illuminata, Genie in the Beer Bottle
February 10, 2013 at 11:02 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Well, until there’s something official, I won’t speculate.
that said, I’m no event organizer, but I would assume that checking to see if anything else is going on that day would be, you know, the least one could possibly do when scheduling an event aimed to facilitate “communication and collaboration to expand the movement”
ShowMetheData
February 10, 2013 at 11:10 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I Googled MAY 17 SECULAR and got Women in Secularism 2: 2013 conference in Washington, DC
MEFoley
February 10, 2013 at 11:30 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
@Illuminata/7 — given what ShowMeTheData/8 says, looks like they had indeed checked the date to see what was previously scheduled…
Pteryxx
February 10, 2013 at 11:48 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
So they’re trying to pull one of these?
http://www.nationalmemo.com/virginia-gop-pulls-sneak-attack-passes-redistricting-during-inauguration/
Way to facilitate collaboration… with the Right People.
Ophelia Benson
February 11, 2013 at 8:30 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
They’re picking another date. So, if you’re a secular Leader in Southern California, you should go!