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AEU 2024 Assembly Session Recordings
Ethical Culture’s Foundational Assumptions
After years of virtual-only Assemblies we were excited to have the opportunity to gather in person again. This year’s theme – A Ritual of Care – gave us the opportunity to focus on being together and healing together. We are especially grateful to First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis – the birthplace of congregational Humanism – for hosting us for this Assembly.
Guest speakers included writer, activist, and professor Chris Stedman, and author and activist Zaynab Abdi.
Watch all 2024 Assembly sessions on YouTube →
Read more about the 2024 Assembly →
109th Assembly of the American Ethical Union
Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care Opening
Khandra Sears, President of the AEU Board, opens and welcomes participants to the 109th Assembly of the American Ethical Union entitled, “Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care”
Speaker: Khandra Sears, AEU Board President
Watch the opening for Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care →
Emergent Conversations
The AEU Assembly has traditionally been a time to visit with one another, build and strengthen relationships, and learn how we each locate ourselves and participate in this movement. Emergent Conversations is a discovery session of self-reflection, connection, and dialogue to learn what’s emerging for participants as we arrive at Assembly and begin thinking about the coming year. This session lays the groundwork for future conversations.
Facilitator: Greg Bonin, Ethical Culture Leader and AEU Director of Organizational Culture & Administration
Watch Emergent Conversations →
Welcome Address
Rev. Dr. David Breeden & Rev. Dr. Jé Hooper welcome and orient participants to the First Unitarian Society (FUS) of Minneapolis, MN and the 109th AEU Assembly, Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care.
Speakers:
Rev. Dr. David Breeden, FUS Minister Emeritus
Rev. Dr. Jé Hooper, FUS Lead Minister, Ethical Culture Leader, and AEU Board Vice-President
Ethical Culture’s Foundational Assumptions
It has been almost 150 years since the New York Society for Ethical Culture was founded in 1876. During the following two decades, the Ethical movement spread throughout the United States and Europe. Its aims and methods were widely discussed in publications, both pro and con, at the time.
Although we are free to reject or revise the movement’s foundational assumptions, are we sure we know what they were? To get a sense of their complexity, the panel discusses not only Felix Adler, but also Henry Sidgwick, the most important philosopher to have written about Ethical Culture during these years.
The panel also touches upon subsequent scholarship, including articles published in the last 15 years. The resulting picture is rich and multidimensional. Participants will receive an annotated bibliography of all sources we discuss.
Panelists:
Dr. Terry L. Smith
Rev. Dr. David Breeden, FUS Minister Emeritus
Moderator: Rev. Dr. Jé Hooper, FUS Lead Minister, Ethical Culture Leader, and AEU Board Vice-President
Watch Ethical Culture’s Foundational Assumptions →
Voice for Refuge — Our Stories Carried Us Here
Zaynab Abdi talks about her story and book, Voice for Refuge: Our Stories Carried Us Here, which includes her childhood in Yemen after leaving Somalia, and later coming to Minnesota and finding her voice.
Zaynab Abdi is a dynamic leader and advocate for social justice, recognized for her impactful work in empowering marginalized communities globally. A distinguished alumna of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), she holds a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice (MPA-DP) and was honored with the prestigious 2023 Campbell Award for her outstanding leadership.
Speaker: Zaynab Abdi
Moderator: Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, AEU Board FES Representative
Holy Humanist!
Humanist practices for the human family.
“The place where people seek the highest is holy ground.” — Felix Adler
This workshop explored how we gather to create special experiences in relationship to one another within an Ethical Humanist community framework. It introduced participants to a course about humanist celebration and ceremony, free to participants and the public, that Anne Klaeysen and Audrey Kindred have collaborated to write for the American Humanist Association. The course will be a takeaway gift for all participants.
The group gathered worked as an instant congregation. The workshop guided participants to enter playful, collective, creative collaboration in holy humanist ceremony.
The program began with an embodied warm-up to bring forth the most important element of all: our presence. It instituted the practice of a “merry-go-round” for inspiration, as well as for reflection by all participants.
The core of the workshop was a homemade ritual unfolding through a set of inquiries about our shared values, and how we might express those collectively and creatively.
The workshop also incorporated movement, song and craft.
Facilitators:
Dr. Anne Klaeysen, Ethical Culture Leader
Audrey Kindred
How to Be a (better) LGBTQ+ Ally
Tips and tricks were shared on how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community from longtime activist, ally, and PFLAG member Jill Aul.
Facilitator: Jill Aul
Watch How to Be a (better) LGBTQ+ Ally →
Creating a Caring Culture
The Washington Ethical Society has been exploring the White Supremacy Characteristics documented by Tema Okun in a workshop series we’d like to share so people can adapt it to their own societies. We’ll review how we developed the series, outline characteristics and antidotes, provide some sample exercises, and discuss further implementation. One exercise is using a grid to separate urgent vs important. One exercise will include role playing/discussing scenarios to break out of one way and binary thinking. One exercise is a breathing practice to decrease defensiveness and fear.
Facilitator: Emily Newman
Watch Creating a Caring Culture →
An Intergenerational Conversation on the Future of Ethical Culture
Panelists engaged in an open discussion about their experiences with Ethical Culture and what they see for the future of the movement.
Panelists:
Joe Farkas, Chaplain at the Chicago Ethical Humanist Circle
Christian Hayden, Ethical Culture Leader
Rhiannon Johnson, AEU Board Secretary
Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, AEU Board FES Representative
Emily Newman
Moderators:
Louise Jett, Ethical Culture Leader
Ken Novak
Watch An Intergenerational Conversation on the Future of Ethical Culture →
At a Crossroads: Continuing the Conversation
At a Crossroads: Continuing the Conversation centers three national groups of the American Ethical Union — AEU Board of Directors, Presidents’ Council, and National Leaders Council.
In May 2024, the AEU Board of Directors, Presidents’ Council, and National Leaders Council gathered to start a conversation about their shared work within the Ethical Culture movement. This was an opportunity to learn about the issues most important to each group, deepen relationships between those working in service to the movement, and discover where there might be shared work.
At a Crossroads: Continuing the Conversation opens this conversation to AEU members. During this gathering, you’ll hear a summary of the work each group has engaged over the last year and have an opportunity to ask about
Panelists:
Dr. Khandra Sears, AEU Board President
Liz Singer, AEU Board Treasurer
Trang Duong, Presidents’ Council Co-Coordinator
John Dukovic, Presidents’ Council Co-Coordinator (virtual)
Randy Best, NLC President
Hugh Taft-Morales, NLC Secretary
Moderators: Trang Duong, Presidents’ Council Co-Coordinator and Greg Bonin, Ethical Culture Leader and AEU Director of Organizational Culture & Administration
Date: July 27, 2024
Watch At a Crossroads: Continuing the Conversation →
Further Reading and Watching
Watch the original Crossroads presentation →
Review the AEU bylaws (July 2023) →
Review the NLC Guidelines for the Conduct of Professional Ethical Leadership →
Review a list of recent Presidents’ Council topics →
Anna Garlin Spencer Awards Ceremony
The American Ethical Union (AEU) and its Member Organizations function in large part on the volunteer time and monetary commitment of their members. Many times, members work “behind the scenes” on programs and events, often providing supplies and materials at their own expense. These members have ideas and proposals that not only make their congregation a success, but which could also benefit other Societies or AEU programs.
Born in 1851, Anna Garlin Spencer was a social activist and feminist icon. She was the first woman ordained in Rhode Island, became a founder of the NAACP, promoted child labor laws, and worked for equal rights for women. She was also the first woman Ethical Culture Leader and her life-long work embodies the spirit intended by this award.
The AEU Anna Garlin Spencer Volunteer Award recognizes a lay member of any AEU Member Organization in good standing for their significant volunteer contributions to the success of their organization and/or to the AEU. The AEU Board presents the award on behalf of the AEU and the nominating congregation.
Recipients
Rebecca Lurie, Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture
Iris Woodard, Northern Virginia Ethical Society
James (Jim) Farer, New York Society for Ethical Culture
Krystal White, Ethical Society of St. Louis
Presenter: Dr. Khandra Sears, AEU Board President
Watch the Anna Garlin Spencer Awards Ceremony →
Read more about the 2024 Anna Garlin Spencer Volunteer Award →
Keynote Address: Chris Stedman
Chris Stedman is a writer, activist, and professor who teaches in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. He is the author of the books IRL, Faitheist, and the forthcoming Nothing in Particular, as well as the creator, writer, and host of Unread, named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by the Guardian, Vulture, HuffPost, Mashable, and the CBC, and honored by the 2022 Webby Awards. He currently serves on the board of PFund, an organization that provides direct financial assistance to LGBTQIA midwesterners, and is the Fundraising Director for Drop Deadlift Gorgeous, an annual powerlifting event that raises money for the trans community. Learn more at chrisstedmanwriter.com.
Speaker: Chris Stedman
Watch the Keynote Address with Chris Stedman →
2024 Assembly Platform Address: Ethical Culture Leader Louise Jett
Newly-certified Leader Louise Jett explored her aspirations for Ethical Culture and the importance of clergy within our movement and Societies. Building a strong, inclusive community is at the heart of her vision for Ethical Humanism. She believes in creating safe spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can come together, share their experiences, and support one another. Through community-building activities, dialogues, and collaborative projects, we can strengthen the bonds between individuals and Societies, while promoting a sense of belonging, centered in mutual support and respect.
Speaker: Louise Jett, Ethical Culture Leader
Regretfully, Louise Jett’s platform and the Assembly closing was not recorded due to a technology error. Thus, this session is not available for viewing.
2024 Assembly Business Meeting
AEU Board President Khandra Sears presided over the 2024 Assembly Business Meeting.
