You can nominate people who you feel would best serve Seattle Atheists and the atheist community now by e-mailing us. Candidates for the officer positions should have business and leadership skills, as well as experience running a business or a non-profit organization. Skills such as public speaking, writing and editing, graphic design, and Secretarial skills are desired. Experience with a board of directors is very useful.

Board meetings are held every other month, and generally run 2 to 3 hours. Board members are expected to attend the membership meetings, which take place on alternate months.

Interested? E-mail us for the job descriptions! Nominees should submit a statement, which will be posted on this website.

Sam Harris’ bestselling book The End of Faith ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion, and his combustible February presentation at TED is still fueling that fire. Now Harris, author of The Moral Landscape, tears down the wall between scientific facts and human values, showing that we know enough about the human brain and its relationship to events in the world to say that there are right and wrong answers to the most pressing questions of human life. Presented as part of Seattle Science Lectures, with Pacific Science Center and University Book Store. Series sponsored by Microsoft. Series media sponsorship provided by KPLU.

Tickets are $5 through Brown Paper Tickets.

P.S. PZ Meyer is in town tonight (check pharyngula for details).

Harry Gilbert is a science writer, an author, a science teacher, a retired Rocket Engineer. Every month, he holds “science salons,” for about a dozen local regulars, on a variety of science topics. A few weeks of research, buttressed by his own knowledge, and “I can talk about any subject they choose,” he says.

He will speak about dark matter in the universe.

There will be light refreshments and a chance to network after the talk.

Check out the Seattle Times story about Harry!

Mr. Kagin noted:  “While not illegal (unless the entity is the government), it is bad business to inject the most divisive issue in the world into a work scenario, because it can only lead to a loss of cohesion in a diverse group. Minorities automatically feel like second-class workers because the employer officially recognizes a religion other than theirs, and the religious people immediately see who is religious, and who is not, and are encouraged to ’save.’ …the chaplain is a minister, not a trained social worker. It is fallacious to think the minister is there to do anything other than that for which he was trained — preach and convert.”

He adds, “Anyone can pray any time they wish. They have cubes, homes, and they have oh-so-many churches in which to do so. They do not need official places to pray when they are working.”

Check local listings and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/

GENERAL DESIGN GUIDELINES

We are looking for designs that capture our theme for 2011: “Atheists coming out.” We know this is challenging, so here are some things to consider:

Our mission is to make atheism a viable alternative in the Puget Sound. So, you could reflect on the positive aspects of atheism, and focus on ideas if inclusion, community, freedom, knowledge, evolution, science, etc.

You could also focus on specific aspects of atheism in the Puget Sound (but remember, the Space Needle is a trademarked building, so must be used in the context of a cityscape, and not alone).

Our vision is:

• A Puget Sound that accepts atheism as a viable alternative in all areas of public and private life.

Our mission is to:

• Grow, support, and provide community for atheists in the Puget Sound.
• Educate the public about atheism and present it as positive and legitimate.
• Provide information and encourage education in science and critical thought.
• Encourage the public to look for credible evidence rather than superstition, dogma, and the supernatural.
• Support the Constitution of the United States, defend the wall of separation between church and state, and inform the public about policy that infringes on that separation.

We strongly encourage you to use all the humor and creativity you can muster. Rock our world. Be funny. Be clever. Be creative. Most of all, have fun!

DEADLINE: Designs must be submitted by 12:00 AM PST, October 15, 2010

Some of the previous designs:

HOW IT WORKS

1. Create your T-shirt design.
2. Submit your design to the Flickr design pool for review.*
3. An internal panel of Seattle Atheists committee members will conduct the first round of judging to select the top five designs.
4. These designs will be posted on SeattleAtheists.org for public voting — you tell us who wins!
5. The winning design will be featured in the Seattle Atheists fair booths throughout 2011 as an exclusive item!

*Flickr is a photo sharing website. Tagging allows you to group similar photos for viewing, Groups are created to form communities of shared interest and goals. Creating an account is free. For more information please visit: www.Flickr.com and make sure to check out the Flickr FAQ if you have more questions.

PRIZES

There will be one first place winner, who will receive intergalactic acclaim for their design of the official Seattle Atheists 2011 T-shirt, two T-shirts with the winning design, and a $50 gift certificate. Four runners-up will receive a free Seattle Atheists T-shirt with the winning design.

DESIGN RULES

• Your design must be created in a Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) program, such as Adobe Illustrator. If your design is selected, you will be asked to submit your print-ready design file via e-mail to qualify for the second round.
• You can submit more than one design, but only one of your designs may qualify for the second round.
• Your design will be printed on the front of the t-shirt only and must fit within a 10″ x 10″ area. It should not cover the sleeves or any seams.
• Be sure to include the color of the shirt in your design (please, no white shirts!)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Save your file as a JPG or PNG image format and upload it into your Flickr account.
• Join the Seattle Atheists T-Shirt Design Contest Flickr group and add your image to the pool.
• Tag your photo with the phrase “Seattle Atheists t-shirt contest”. This will allow us to search for and pull your photo into a public image
  gallery.
• Make sure your Flickr account has a valid e-mail address, or we won’t be able to contact you! You will have 5 days from the date of first-round selection notification to get back to us so that we can get you moved onto the next round.

JUDGING

First round
Designs will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Concept and originality
• Effective communication of the theme (“Atheists coming out”)
• Completeness of design (must be ready to send to the printers)
• Must be visible and eye-catching from a distance.
• Must not contain more than three colors, and cannot contain gradients.

Second round

• The top five designers will be contacted through Flickr to submit their high-resolution design files via e-mail.
• The top five designs will be posted on SeattleAtheists.org for public voting.
• The winner and runners-up will be notified by e-mail

GENERAL RULES

• Since this is a fundraiser for Seattle Atheists, the winning artist design will become the exclusive property of Seattle Atheists, and 100% of the proceeds of the sales of the t-shirts will go to Seattle Atheists.
• You can collaborate with a design group, but one person must represent the group in the contest and only one person may submit the design to the Flickr photo pool.
• You may submit more than one design, but only one design per person or group may advance to the second round of judging.
• Designs which attack religion; contain copyrighted material or images, trademarks, or intellectual property; contain explicitly profane or obscene material; endorsement or encouragement of illegal drug use, alcohol abuse or other illegal activity; contain nudity, profanity, violence; any derogatory characterization of any person or group based on religion, political affiliation, or other ethical or unlawful factors will be rejected.
• Anyone in Washington or Oregon, including college students who attend college in Washington or Oregon. The contest is only open to entrants over the age of 18 in the Pacific Northwest.

FAQ

Q: Can I make a new Seattle Atheists logo?
A: No.

Q: Can I include logos from other organizations/companies/entities/people in my design?
A: No (see General Rules).

Q: How are winners notified? How can I claim my prize?
A: First-round winners will be notified via Flickr mail. You have 5 days from the date of notification to respond with the print-ready SVG design file in order to qualify for round two. The second-round winner and the four runners-up will be notified via email with instructions on how to claim their prize.

Q: Will I get credit for my design?
A: Yes! Your name will be displayed with the t-shirts at the street fairs throughout 2011, and on our website! Of course, if you want to stay sooper-seekrit, we can do that too, and give you your kudos in seekrit.

All faithful Pastafarians are welcome to join Seattle Atheists in the parade! Keep an eye out for direction from Becky and Kyle.

DETAILS

9:00 a.m.
FSM moving assembly begins at the staging area on 4th Ave between Columbia and Cherry streets.  We will need help with assembly.

10:30 a.m.
Pirates should arrive at 4th and Cherry St. and be ready by 10:30. Leave lots of time for crowds. Come on foot via James or Columbia. If being dropped off from the north or west, approach via University; if from the south, approach via Cherry/6th Ave; if from the east, approach via Madison. If you can, take the bus. King Country Metro is giving out free all-day passes to downtown. Prepare for tough traffic, detours, and impossible parking. The KOMO4 News garage near the Seattle Center is reasonably cheap.

11:00 a.m.
Parade start at 4th and Union, to 4th and Denny. Pirates should be ready and present. Becky will tell you what to do!

2:00 p.m.
We need people to help break down the FSM at 4th & Denny.

Bring
Water, sunscreen, comfortable shoes. Wagons for supplies and baby pirates are welcome.

Pirate Escorts: Becky F., Kyle H., Matt B., Naomi C., Taylor H., Jennifer L., Susan R., Laurie B., Amanda B., Ranjan B., Michael L., Jordan W., Casey G., Michele G., Tyson J., Beth L., DebbieAnn A., etc.

Send an e-mail to seattleatheists@seattleatheists.org to sign up for a shift! Also, check out our volunteer page for other opportunities!

Thanks to the following Seattle Atheists who helped at The University District Street Fair in May: Jami, Randy, Bob S., Mike G., Michael S., Jerry, Tony, Constance, Clint, April, Tom, Becky, Sam, Chad, & Case!

The Fremont Fair, Saturday June 19 (10 a.m. – 8 p.m.):

• Set-up, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Amanda, Ranjan, Jerry S.)
• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Amanda, Ranjan, Michael S., Bob S.)
• 4 to 8 p.m. and packing up (Mike G., Randy R., Jerry S.)

The Fremont Solstice Parade, Saturday June 19 (Noon):

• FSM set-up and take-down, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Case is lead, Operators: Becky F., Michele G., Tyson, Cassandra G.,)
• Pirate escorts in full pirate regalia to escort the FSM — as many as we can muster!  Kids are welcome!  (Tony F., Casey G., Beth L., Shabnam B., Andy P., Ed C., Libbie M., Dawn B., Deanna L., Rich L., Diana M., Valerie D. and Auggie the Parrot, J.C., Taylor H., Chad C., etc.)
  

The Fremont Fair, Sunday June 20 (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.):

• Set-up, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (DebbieAnn A. & Ed. C., )
• 2 to 6 p.m. and packing up (Tom M. and Becky F)

The Pride Parade, Sunday June 27 (4th Ave., downtown, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.):

• FSM set-up and take-down, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Becky is lead, Amanda, Ranjan, Tyson, Matt B., Michele G.)
• Pirate escorts in full pirate regalia to escort the FSM — as many as we can muster!  Kids are welcome! (Michael L., Jordan W., Casey G., Beth L., DebbieAnn A., etc.)

PrideFest, Sunday June 27 (Seattle Center, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.):

• Set-up, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Jerry S. and 1 more volunteer)
• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Michael S. and 1 more volunteer)
• 4 to 8 p.m. and packing up (Hannah P., Britain, Becky F.)

Where: Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA  98155

To RSVP: Please RSVP on Meetup.com

Jerry has selected “Divided by God: America’s Church-State Problem — and What We Should Do About It” by Noah Feldman as the first book that the group will tackle.

“In Divided By God, Noah Feldman examines the unique, fascinating balance the United States has pursued for well over 200 years now — the attempt at democratic government by the people in a country made up of many religions, and many highly religious people. The novel principle enshrined to help make this a success was strong separation of church from state. The strain on the system has never been greater as polarization grows over the many hot-button topics of our day.”

Operation Paperback collects gently used books and sends them to American troops deployed overseas. Since 1999, we have shipped over 950,000 books to locations around the globe.

Many of our troops are serving far from home and living in facilities that provide few of the comforts of home. At the end of the duty day, the opportunity to escape into a good book is welcomed. Every week we receive thanks from troops who are glad to be appreciated and remembered.

Our service members make sacrifices every day for our country. It takes so little to let them know that we appreciate what they are doing for us. When you donate to Operation Paperback, you will let our troops know that you support them, and you have not forgotten them.

To get a head start collecting books at home, here are some instructions:

Troops have requested the following genres: action, bestsellers, biographies and memoirs, fantasy, history, horror, mysteries, science-fiction, true crime. Do not send romances unless specifically requested by the individual! Our troops have received a disproportionate amount of this genre and they aren’t very happy about it. Be sure that the books you collect are in very good condition.