by Mary Ellen Stanton

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”

John F. Kennedy  

When is the sum greater than its parts? 

A farmer had seven children.  One winter day he called his children together.  He handed the eldest son a stick to break in half.  The young man easily snapped the stick in two.  He repeated the exercise with each of his children.  Then he handed each child another stick.  However, this time he asked them to combine the sticks into a bundle and break the bundle in half.  First, the eldest son tried.  But, he could not break the bundle.  The farmer ga

Mary Ellen sat in her office one cold December evening. “Bah! Humbug! Too many meetings! Too many phone calls! Being the NoVES president is a humbug! I give up! I wish to be left alone.”

Her hard-working volunteer, Andy, poked his head into her office. “I, too, was a NoVES president and know how you feel. Tonight three Ethical Culture Leaders will visit you. Heed their words.”

     Nothing ever happens around here!  How often did I utter that statement as a teenager growing up in Florissant, Missouri?  Nothing new ever seemed to happen in that little town.  Often there was talk of something new – an ice cream store, a movie theater, or a new clothing store – but nothing ever seemed to happen.  AND, most importantly from my teenage perspective, nothing ever happened to me.  My school stayed the same.  My friends stayed the same. My parents stayed the same.  And I would never meet my teen idol Bobby Rydell.     

Halloween!  For me, the most wonderful time of year.  Thanksgiving has its moments of family gatherings, feasting, and reflecting on what is positive in our lives.  Christmas and Hanukah have their themes of light and good will toward men.  But, for pure unadulterated fun, nothing beats Halloween.

Life is full of risks and unknowns. We leap into things with only the information we have, hoping for the best; but nonetheless leaping into the unknown.

Over the years NoVES has taken many leaps into the unknown. In 1983 a little group of Washington Ethical Society members left the security of an established Society to begin the Northern Virginia Ethical Society. During the subsequent years, that Northern Virginia Ethical Society made many leaps into the unknown. Based on ethical principles, the Society left a secure meeting place to find a new home. We searched for a new leader, decided to share our weekly collections with charities, and abolished Sunday School tuition. So many leaps into the unknown and we have survived them all – together.

Just what makes that little old ant Think he'll move that rubber tree plant Anyone knows an ant, can'tMove a rubber tree plant

Much like the little old ant, NoVES members have answered, “Oh, yeah?!”

At the NoVES spring membership meeting over a year ago, our then treasurer, Sven Sinclair, let the Society know that we were in financial trouble. We were operating at a loss of some $4,000. While we could get by for another year using surplus funds, after that the Society would be in serious trouble. At the fall membership meeting our current treasurer, Marv Friedlander, also let us know that our money situation was not good, but we could change that.

Those lazy, hazy days of summer are here again.  Following the example of Felix Adler, we at NoVES also take the summer off from our regular Sunday morning platform. That does not mean, though, that nothing happens in summer.  In fact, summer is the perfect time to recoup, reflect, and refresh.

  My favorite television show, as a child, was the Cisco Kid.  After saving the town and rescuing the girl, Cisco and his sidekick Pancho would yell, “Adios, amigos” and, laughing loudly, ride off into the sunset. 

  Now some NoVES board members, either by choice or by term limits, are riding off into the sunset.  Each of these wonderful people has given much time and energy to the Society by making unique and valuable contributions. 

Inch by inch, row by row, I am going to watch my garden grow. As spring’s bounty pops out, I find myself thinking about our NoVES garden – the Sunday School. In the back halls of Green Hedges School, our teaching gardeners tend and nurture a most precious crop – our children.

These Sunday School teachers create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that lays the foundation for our future Society members. Unlike many other religious groups, our children are not automatically members of the Society when they are born or named in a ceremony. Instead, after years of Sunday School attendance and Youth Group membership, our young people make their choice to join the Society. Some do immediately; some do after several years. Some never do. Nevertheless, our teachers help students prepare the groundwork for well thought out decisions during those Sunday School years.