NoVES Leader Jone Johnson Lewis has often said, “Ethics begins with choice.” The way we see ourselves, what we value, and how we live are reflected in our choices. Our Ethical Society operates in exactly the same way. As a Society, we make choices.
Over the past few years, the Board, various committees, and members have made choices that have and will affect the Society for many years. Last year, the Board began sponsoring membership-wide meetings on a variety of topics that affect the Society. I like to call these meetings “ya’ll comes.” Some of the topics of the meetings were Sunday morning procedures, publicity, Leader performance, and budget. As a result of these meetings, we made changes intended to help meet the needs of our members and improve ways in which the Society functions. For example, a few years ago the Sunday School Committee and the Board made the decision to stop charging for Sunday School. Both groups felt that the Sunday School experience should be open to all. They felt that a free Sunday School would help create a welcoming place for parents interested in having their children attend our school. Their expectation was that the entire Society would benefit from this change. This year’s Adult Growth and Learning Committee and the Board supported abolishing any charges for adult education classes. These classes, too, are seen as valuable for the growth of the Society and should be welcoming to all members and interested visitors. Finally, at a finance meeting held two years ago, members braved a cold and rainy weekday evening to share their hope for the future of the Society by creating a balanced budget.
It is that time of year, again. In this month, the Board will be calling “Ya’ll come! It is budget time again!” Watch for notices in the bulletin, e-mails, the newsletter, and on the website. Take the time to think about what is valuable to you about the Northern Virginia Ethical Society; how would my life or my family’s life be different without a particular program; how can I add value along with any concerns that might make the Society more vibrant? The Board has also asked the Pledge Team to initiate our annual pledge campaign, which is aimed at ensuring that we raise sufficient funds to support our Society’s programs.
Please make the choice to participate in the budget meeting if you can. And consider using this spring’s pledge campaign to put your values into action.
