Please Join Us for the 2015 FES Conference in Washington D.C from May 22Nd - May 25Th

Please join us for the 2015 FES Conference in Washington D.C from May 22nd - May 25th, 2015! Return your registration materials before Friday, May 1st to secure a spot!

The twelfth annual FES Conference (FES XII) will be held from 4pm on Friday, May 22nd through noon on Monday, May 25th (Memorial Day Weekend). Conference activities include: connecting with old and new friends, a service project, guided discussion on social justice- including intersectionality, solidarity, and avenues for challenging oppressive systems, a music event - FEStival, visiting the Washington Ethical Society and a platform led by conference participants. Accommodations will be provided at the homes of Washington Ethical Society members and friends.

Here is a general outline of the conference. Some details are subject to change. A more detailed schedule will be sent out closer to the date/
Friday: Greeting, Welcome Activity and Host Stay introductions
Saturday: Workshops and Service
Saturday Night: FEStival
Sunday: Platform and Business Meetings
Sunday Night: Dinner and Community Building
Monday Morning: Parting Breakfast
It is extremely important you try to make all events scheduled.

Conference Fee

The 2015 Conference Fee is $45 for FES members and $60 for nonmembers, which covers: workshop speakers, meals during the conference, and conference materials. To become a member, please contact a planner to receive the membership form.

Travel

By plane: D.C. is served by three airports, which are supported by public transportation. We will accommodate travel needs to the best of our ability.

By train: Visit amtrak.com and put Washington as your arrival city. We will be able to pick you up from the station when you arrive, so just let us know your plans.

By bus: Visit megabus.com and put Washington, D.C as your arrival city.

By car: If you plan on driving, we recommend setting up a carpool. Let us know if you plan on driving and post a note on our Facebook group page to set something up.

Please send in your registration early, talk with your nearby FES friends, check Facebook (FES), and email each other to secure a way of transport.

Scholarships

Please see the attached Scholarship Application for more information. We want everyone to feel free to come, regardless of his or her financial status, so please apply if you need one. Scholarship recipients will be notified by email by April 30th. If you need travel assistance, we recommend reaching out to individual Ethical Societies.

How to Register:

Email the Registration Form, electronically signed Code of Ethics, and optional scholarship application to: , with the subject line FES2015 Registration [your full name] or FES2015 Registration and Scholarship [your full name], or physically mail it to:

Law'nence Miller

American Ethical Union

2 West 64th Street

New York, NY 10023

To finalize your registration you must send a check for $45 (or $60) made out to “American Ethical Union” to the same address (memo line: FES Conference [your full name]. You can also pay by credit card by calling L Miller at the AEU at 212-873-6500. You can also pay with paypal button on AEU’s FES web page, write FES2015 in the notes.

Deadline: registration and fee must be in the mail NO LATER than Friday, May 1st.

Questions? Contact one of the Conference Planners!

Justin Taft-Morales: (301) 802-3186

Christian Hayden: (646) 289-0879

Emily Newman: , (917) 370-7050

About FES:

FES, the Future of Ethical Societies, is an organization created and run by the Ethical Culture Movement's young adult members. We seek to establish and maintain ties between the Ethical Culture movement as a whole and its young members. FES members come together annually to discuss ethical issues, engage in service projects, and establish deep connections and friendships with one another. FES members include graduates of Ethical Society youth groups and national Youth of Ethical Societies (YES) conferences, as well as young adults that are new to the Ethical Culture Movement. Anyone between ages 18 and 35 can attend the FES Conference, whether or not they are members of an Ethical Society.

About Ethical Culture:

Ethical Culture is a humanistic, religious and educational movement inspired by the ideal that the supreme aim of human life is working to create a more humane society. Dr. Felix Adler founded ethical Culture in 1876 as a way to promote active moral engagement in the world beyond traditional religious creeds.

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/FutureofEthicalSocieties

Visit our YouTube page: www.youtube.com/ethicalfes

Learn more about the Ethical Culture Movement as a whole at the American Ethical Union: www.aeu.org

THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR REGISTRATION IS MAY 1st!

2015 FES Conference Registration Form

Name: ______Date of Birth: ______

Email address: ______

Phone number (circle one: cell, home, work) ______

Current Mailing Address:

Street Address ______

City ______State ______Zip ______

Permanent (Parent’s) Address (if different than above):

Street Address ______

City ______State ______Zip ______

Year graduated High School: ______How many FES conferences have you attended? ______

College & year of graduation (if applicable): ______

Affiliated Ethical Society (currently or previously): ______

Special Dietary Needs: (vegetarian, vegan, or serious allergies) ______

Special Needs or Concerns [please include medical conditions, or medications taken on a regular basis (information kept confidential)]: ______

______

How/When do you plan on getting to the conference? (There may be carpool opportunities if we get it together soon enough)

Will you have a car at the conference? Circle: Yes No

If YES, How many passengers will you be able to transport? ______

TOTAL CONFERENCE COST: $45.00 (for members) $60.00 for (nonmembers)

REMEMBER To be fully registered you must send:

1. Registration Form (physically to L Miller at American Ethical Union or via email, )

2. Payment (postmarked by May 1st or call L Miller at 212-873-6500 to pay by credit card, or paypal button on AEU website put FES2015 in notes)

3. Signed Code of Ethics and Safer Spaces (physically to AEU or via email)

(Make checks payable to: American Ethical Union. Memo line: FES conference [your full name]

Mail to: L Miller, FES, American Ethical Union, 2 W. 64th St, New York, NY 10023

F.E.S.

FUTURE OF ETHICAL SOCIETIES

AMERICAN ETHICAL UNION

CODE OF ETHICS

FES members are expected to maintain the highest personal moral standards, which are exemplified in thoughtful, kind, fair, and responsible behaviors. All FES members demonstrate by their actions that FES is a worthwhile and responsible organization. Behavior guidelines for all FES activities and conferences are founded on our common values as Ethical Culturists/Humanists. Primarily, we respect the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and expect every freedom to be balanced with a corresponding responsibility. Conference attendees are asked to pledge the following for the duration of the conference:

1. I will participate actively and to the best of my ability in the scheduled program.

2. I will follow instructions from my peers and the conference coordinators, and encourage or support others to do so.

3. I will participate in cleaning and cooking activities, and take responsibility for keeping the conference site clean and orderly.

4. I will respect the requests of my host(s) as far as sleeping hours and use of space.

5. I will also arrive on time and be present for all activities, and maintain contact with FES organizers if there is a reason I cannot do so.

SAFER SPACES

FES Conference participants have different communication styles, personalities and opinions, and come from diverse gender, racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. In order to foster a temporary community space that is as safe and supportive as we can make it, people must respect others and actively look out for the well-being of all those attending

The Future of Ethical Societies recognizes that the institutional, economic, political, social, and cultural dynamics of hierarchy, power, and privilege define mainstream society and permeate the Ethical Culture Movement. These dynamics are expressed in various interlocking systems of oppression (e.g., white supremacy, patriarchy, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, speciesism, etc.), which prevent equal access to resources and safety, disrupt healthy communities and movement building, and severely—sometimes irreparably—harm our allies, our friends, our loved ones, and ourselves. We have an understanding that implicit in our desire to create an Ethical Culture free of religious doctrine is a need to create communities that are free of oppressive social relations. We understand that failing to address oppressive behavior not only weakens our Movement by alienating and further victimizing our friends and allies, it also calls into question our commitment to a more ethical future.

To this end, we acknowledge that rape culture and racialized micro-aggressions create the foundation for these forms of violence to continue in our communities. We are therefore committed to holding perpetrators accountable for their actions and prioritizing the needs and experiences of survivors. Should you experience any form of interpersonal conflict, please come to members of the FES steering committee and we will work with you towards creating a safer space. If you are asked to take accountability for actions, please do so respectfully and not defensively. If you are asked to leave the space, please do so immediately out of respect for this space.

I have read and understand the F.E.S. Code of Ethics and Safer Spaces and pledge to uphold it.

______

Signature of conference participant Date (If emailing simply type your name on the line above)

2015 FES Conference Scholarship Application

Instructions: Scholarship amounts will depend on the number of applicants and the quality of the applications. The scholarships are to be used to cover registration costs exclusively. For additional monetary support to cover travel fees to and from the conference site, we recommend contacting your home society or getting in touch with to discuss carpooling options.

Please fill in the information below and email it by May 1st to with subject “FES2015 Registration and Scholarship [your full name]”. You will be notified of your acceptance by April 30th.

______

Name:

Mailing Address:

Email Address:

How many FES conferences have you attended?

Affiliated Ethical Society:

______

Please answer the following four questions in a single personal statement of no more than 500 words on this form or separately:

· Can you speak to what interests you about this conference?

· How does your personal philosophy and/or guiding moral code compare to the main tenets of Ethical Culture’s? Where do they complement, where do they diverge? (Please do not hesitate to express critiques of Ethical Culture)

· Why do you need scholarship assistance to attend FES?

· Is there a particular amount of assistance that you need to be able to attend?