Tips on costumes:

Party stores, dollar stores, and craft stores almost always have pirate-themed accessories like hats, eyepatches, or plastic hand-hooks. A pirate costume can be as simple as a pair of black slacks, a solid button-down shirt/blouse, a solid sash tied around your waist, or a bandana around your head! Ladies can go for a corset over a billowy blouse plus a skirt.

Red, black, and white are prominent easy colors to work with. A striped shirt or stockings are always good. Even if you arrive in something simple as jeans and a white T-shirt, once you join the pirates you’ll fit right in!

Hope to see you there!

We’ll also be running an information booth throughout the day, so be sure to stop by and say hello. If you’d like to volunteer at the booth, we could use your help. Please contact us so we can sign you up for a shift.

The FSM will be assembled around 9am, and we ask that pirates arrive at the designated location at 10am sharp to go over the routine. The parade line-up is at 3rd Ave. NW and NW 36th St. in Fremont.

General reminders about the Solstice parade:

• No written words
• No live animals
• No motorized vehicles
• No real weapons or fire

Tips on costumes:

Party stores, dollar stores, and craft stores almost always have pirate-themed accessories like hats, eyepatches, or plastic hand-hooks. A pirate costume can be as simple as a pair of black slacks, a solid button-down shirt/blouse, a solid sash tied around your waist, or a bandana around your head! Ladies can go for a corset over a billowy blouse plus a skirt.

Red, black, and white are prominent easy colors to work with. A striped shirt or stockings are always good. Even if you arrive in something simple as jeans and a white T-shirt, once you join the pirates you’ll fit right in!

Hope to see you there!

We’ll also be running an information booth throughout the weekend, so be sure to stop by and say hello. If you’d like to volunteer at the booth, please contact us so we can sign you up for a shift.

The Northwest Freethought Alliance is proud to present the
2012 Northwest Freethought Alliance Annual Conference

Featuring Key Note Speaker
Richard Dawkins

This event will be held at Renton Technical College
March 30-31, April 1, 2012
The final schedule can be viewed here.
Reception Friday Night, Workshops Saturday and Sunday

Register early for a discount.

We encourage you to register early as space is limited and we expect this to be a sellout event.

Scholarships are available.

To register, or for more information, visit nwfreethoughtalliance.org

REGISTER SOON – Seating is Limited

Note that the reservation cost is priced per person, for the entire weekend. To reserve a spot, select from the dropdown above and click “Add To Cart,” then “Check Out” to pay.

Seattle Atheists is organizing its first-ever group camping trip this summer! We’ll be staying at South Whidbey State Park, July 6 – 9. The park features old-growth forest, tidelands for crabbing and clamming, campsites secluded by lush, forest undergrowth, and breathtaking views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains.

RESERVATIONS
The site can hold a maximum of 60 campers, so if you’re thinking about going, buy your passes as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. (We’re informally keeping track of RSVPs on the Meetup event, but our official reservation list will go through the Paypal purchases. See below for more information.)

Where is it located?

4128 S Smugglers Cove Rd Freeland, Washington, 98249

Tel:360-331-4559

How long can I stay?

Check-in time is 2:30 p.m. on July 6. Check-out time is 1 p.m. on July 9. Join us for all three nights or part of the weekend.

What should I bring?

Tents, food, water, firewood — the usual gear. Here’s a great checklist of supplies and equipment to help with your packing. If you’re not too experienced with camping, fear not! Contact us if you have any questions. There will be at least one meal (probably Saturday night) where we eat a big potluck dinner together, so please bring food to share.

Comprehensive camping checklist from Love The Outdoors

What’s the capacity of the group campsite? What are its limitations?

The group campsite (like most group campsites) is designated as a “walk-in” site. This just means that you won’t be camping side-by-side with your car, but I’m told that the parking lot is right next to the site. There are camping spots right next to the lot and further away from it.

• Maximum occupants: 60
• Vehicle Parking: 20 (try to arrange carpools to save parking space and cut down on commute costs)
• Do I need a Discover Pass? No: “The Discover Pass is not required if you are camping or renting overnight accommodations.”
• Max RVs: 1
• ADA Accessible: Yes
• Picnic Tables: 16
• Shared and individual fire pits
• Privacy: Excellent
• Water and vault toilets are on site. A full-service restroom is 100 yards away.

Services/Supplies

Available in the park: 
• Camping • Park store • Pay phone • Fire wood

Available in the area:
• Auto repair • Camping • Diesel • Fishing/hunting • Gasoline • Gifts • Golf • Groceries • Hardware • Hospital • Marine supplies • Overnight Accommodations • Pay phone • Postal service • Propane • Recreational equipment • White gas • Wood • Swimming

The park sells firewood and nature books. Most other services are available within a few miles of the park.

General Group & Day Use Notes:

Fires are permitted in designated areas only – do not leave them unattended. Gathering of firewood is not permitted. Bring your own fire wood (and some extra cash in case you need to buy more at the park).
Behavior: Park ranger has the authority to remove any or all members of the group whose behavior at any time is in conflict with any state law, becomes detrimental to the health and safety of the group or other users, or becomes so unruly as to affect reasonable enjoyment of the park by others.
Cleanup: User group is responsible for cleanup of area, failure to do so will result in cleanup fees as well as loss of any use of facility in the future. Contact park staff for inspection prior to departure.
Do not post signs or banners on any trees, post or signs in the park. Temporary signs may be used if they are free standing.
Alcohol: Keg alcohol and alcoholic punch bowls are not permitted.
Amplified devices: are not permitted.
Parking: Do not park vehicles on the lawn area.
Collection of fees: or donations is prohibited.
Advanced Media advertising: is not permitted.
Pets: must be on a leash at all times.
Misc: Water balloons, straw bales and egg tosses are not permitted.

A selection of snack foods, sandwich platters, fruit and veggie trays, beverages, and birthday cake will be provided. All age groups are welcome to attend! We’ll have a separate room available for children’s activities and a movie.
This event is being jointly sponsored by the Seattle Atheists and the Northwest Freethought Coalition.

We also encourage you to bring canned food items for our year-round Seattle Atheists SeasonLESS Food Drive. We’ll donate the food we collect to Family Works and Volunteers of America food banks in the name of Seattle Atheists.

Food banks everywhere are experiencing a sharp decrease in the amount of food available to hungry families. It’s time to make sure that giving continues, even AFTER the traditional holiday giving season.

Seattle Atheists is participating in this year’s Relay for Life event, and we’re looking for volunteers like you! There are all sorts of ways you can help out. You can make a donation to support participants or the Seattle Atheists team, or join us during the walk. You can also help us with various fundraising activities during the time leading up to the event.

Join or donate to Seattle Atheists’ team.

When and Where?

Date: May 12 – 13, 2012
Start Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Dempsey Stadium, University of Washington

Volunteer Schedule

Please contact us if you would like to set up/clean up, walk laps, or help us with the booth. You can sign up for shifts even if you are not a registered team member.

Saturday, May 12th

2:00 pm – Opening ceremony and the first lap — We need everybody there to walk and carry our banner!

10:00 pm – Luminaria ceremony (Saturday)
5:00 am – Fight Back ceremony (Sunday)
8:00 am – Closing ceremony (Sunday)

Saturday & Sunday, May 12th-13th

At least one person should be walking at all times:

What to Expect

1. Relayers are welcomed in the Opening Ceremony.

2. Relay starts with the Survivor Lap, when survivors walk to celebrate their victory over cancer.

3. The Caregiver Lap recognizes those who have given care to cancer patients.

4. All of the Relay teams are invited to walk together during the Opening Lap.

5. Luminaria bags and candles are lit during the Luminaria Ceremony to honor loved ones who have passed or are fighting the disease.

6. Individual Walking is observed throughout the night with Family Games, Activities, and Entertainment.

7. The Fight Back Ceremony helps close the event. Relayers take a final lap and pledge to take action and spread awareness of cancer research, treatments, and prevention.

Get Involved

Click here to join or donate to Seattle Atheists’ team.

From there you can make a donation or become a team member. The cost to join is $15, but since Seattle Atheists has already registered the team, you can send a message to seattleatheists@seattleatheists.org to request instructions on how to join for free. Remember that we need a lot of volunteer power to set up and man the booth, walk laps, and clean up.

Have you survived a battle with cancer, or know someone who has? We’re looking for cancer survivors to honor and take part in the Survivor Lap.

We need fundraising ideas! Let’s work together to meet and exceed our fundraising goals. Please don’t hesitate to share your ideas.

Where: 6120 Grove St, Marysville, WA 98270

The Humanists of North Puget Sound and the Witty Humanist Youth will be hosting a seminar by Dale McGowan, author of Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethnkers in Marysville WA on December 11th at 1 p.m. Seating is limited so go tohttp://www.meetup.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-seminar-Puget-Sound/ to secure your spot.

Admission is free but we will be accepting donations for local food banks.  We will also be accepting donations to  support our goal bringing great guest to the Puget Sound.

Over nine million parents in the U.S. are raising children without theistic religion. The PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF SEMINAR, a unique half-day workshop with author and educator Dale McGowan, offers encouragement and practical solutions for secular parenting in a religious world.

Based on the freethinking philosophy of the book Newsweek called “a compelling read,” the PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF SEMINAR is empowering secular parents across the country to raise ethical, caring, confident kids without religion.

Participants will learn effective ways to:

• Encourage religious literacy without indoctrination;
• Help kids interact productively with a religious world;
• Help kids develop active moral reasoning;
• Weigh church-state issues in the public sphere;
• Address sensitive issues with religious relatives using the principles of nonviolent communication;
• Help children develop a healthy understanding of death and a joyful love of life;
• Build a family atmosphere of fearless questioning and boundless wonder;

…and much more.

Where: 10357 Stone Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98133

For those who can’t make it to the Bellevue location to donate blood, you are welcome to join us for lunch in North Seattle and at IHOP Restaurant, 10002 Aurora Ave N #2-24 SEATTLE, WA 98133-9347 in the Oak Tree Village Shopping Center, and then donate blood right afterwards. Because whole blood donations are limited to once every 56 days, this event will repeat every other month usually on a Saturday. When you RSVP for this Meetup, please also make a donation appointment for 2:30 p.m. or later at the North Seattle Donor Center by calling Leah or Christy at 425-462-4022.

The North Seattle Donor Center is located about 3 blocks away at 10357 Stone Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98133. For more information about the Puget Sound Blood Center, please visit http://www.psbc.org/programs/cntr_seattle_north.htm.