South Bend, Indiana-HOOSIER Atheist group forming! Need advice!
HI! I live in Elkhart Indiana --a VERY nonfriendly area of our country for atheists, and we are forming the first-ever, LOCAL atheist meetup group. Does anyone have advice on posting our group in this website to recruit any possible NORTHERN INDIANA locals to join us?
We have a meet-up page, Google "Meetup.com", and then put in "Atheist" and zip code 46601, or,( any Michiana, South Bend, Elkhart zip codes)............and our page pops up with details of our new fledgling group.
Please let me know if this is allowed anywhere in this website, postings of local atheist-freindly groups? Us atheists out this part of Indiana are about desparate to locate like-minded individuals, and we wanna make sure all local atheists are aware, there IS now a safe setting for them to share ideas and experiences and information. Our group has great ideas, and plans to foray into charity or environmental work, start a book-sharing club, have "atheist film nights" etc etc. Humorous ideas thrown out at our last meeting include 'adopting some christian child, giving him shoes and deconverting him' and 'adopting' a stretch of highway (except, around HERE, that'd incite locals to trash it, ha ha)...We do have many wonderful, serious ideas though!!
Any ideas on exactly WHERE and IF this type of announcement of our new local group should be posted?
Thanx for being there!
~Jean
"When you explain why you dismiss all other possible gods, i'll explain how i can dismiss yours."
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Hold a news confrence with a local news show, use the humor angle for attention; I like the "Adopt a theist child and give them shoes and a real education" ; how about the "Elkhart guilt free association---All welcome" or "No sins recognized so wear your shortest skirts and laciest underwear, this applies to the women also."
As soon as some loud mouth local preacher bad mouths you (someone WILL) challenge them to a public debate on rational versus religion. The local media will eat it up.
Good luck and may the farce be with you.
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
I'm the organizer of a local meetup group as well - beltway atheists. you can check out our page at: http://atheists.meetup.com/530/ BTW - you also might want to look up and memorize your direct URL because I've noticed it helps a lot to do most of the work for people. For example, I'm actually quasi-interested in looking at your calendar myself but not enough to search for it - no offense personally.
Since you're already on Meetup you should be able to direct yourself to the advertise on Craigslist link under "Promote"... My group has found Craigslist to be useful in the past. Also add atheists.meetup.com to your RSS feed -- or just browse other groups -- it helps to see what ideas are successful elsewhere.
http://atheists.meetup.com/712/
Above is the link to our local meetup group. YOu are absolutely right about it is probably better to just memorize and post the actual link!!
Excellent advice!! Above is our link, our page is still a bit of a work in progress. Somehow one of our leaders deleted our message board...dang.
Our home page is not yet developed, but we are still just finding our way. I'll look on your meetup page for ideas we can use!
PLEASE KEEP ADVICE COMING! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
~jean
"When you explain why you dismiss all other possible gods, i'll explain how i can dismiss yours."
looking at your page my only comment is pictures, picture, PICTURES!
Meetup.com gets a ton of people just looking - make the group look welcoming, inviting, and personable so you can grab these people.
You can reactivate your message board under group settings (on the left) and then 'optional features.'
Yeah, the Nashville group actually calls themselves '455 group.' They are all set up on Meetup as atheists.meetup.com/(your number)
Once you get the mailing list up and you're typing it 30 times a day you'll have it memorized within a week.
Hey, hey! What are the odds? I only live about 30 minutes away from Elkhart.
I'm very surprised to hear there are atheist activists forming groups near me! The atheists really ARE crawling out of the woodwork!
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Wow, thank you for all this great advice! STay tuned, and watch us grow! We've been almost kinda surprised at the number of people in OUR AREA (again, i cannot emphasize how very religious THIS area is...) showing interest in our group! We are NOT the only ones! Woohoo! It's gonna be great!
Hey, Archeo, you are plenty welcome to drive on over! That's probably only about a 15 minute drive for you!!! Do you have any local atheist groups in your town? We have some desparate atheists driving from MIchigan even to join "Michiana Freedom From Religion Society"...
I do think we may have as many as 15 or 20 at next meetup, which is THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 7pm-8:30 pm, in downtown South Bend IN, at St. Joseph (i know, hilarious, isn't that?) Library, in the Humphries Room. We're all going out for cocktails afterwards, as well.
Feel free to join us ~~to experience being in a room full of like minded locals, to share info, ideas, and laughs are welcome, too. We are possibly setting up a book and film swap, as well as setting up "ATheist Film NIghts" and many of us are interested in having our atheist group doing some charity or environmental work, as well. We have lotsa great ideas being formed, come put your 2 cents in!
Pass this on to any locals in this area who may be interested in our group!!
~jean
THANK YOU so much for the great advice! Stand by and watch us grow! We are kinda suprised and very pleased at the numbers showing interest in our new, first-ever local atheist group! (Again, i cannot emphasize enough how religious this area is...)
Archeo, (love your quote=is one of my favorites) feel free to drive on over to South Bend and join us !!! That'd only be about 20 minute cruise for you, i think. We have some desparate atheists driving from MIchigan even!! Archeo--Does your town have a group yet?
Or pass this info on to any locals you may know, who may be interested in experiencing being in a room full of like-minded locals, to share information, ideas, support, etc, and laughs are always welcome.
We are expecting 15 or 20 at our next meetup, which is THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 7pm-8:30 pm, in DOWNTOWN SOUTH BEND. We are planning on going out for cocktails afterwards.
This is only our second meetup, and we have loads of great ideas forming: possibly a book and/or film swap, atheist 'film nights', many of us are interested in having our atheist group doing charity or environmental work, etc etc. Come and put your two cents in! Just being together is quite something for many of us, in THIS area!
Hope any desparate atheists in the Michiana/SOUTH BEND/ELKHART/GOSHEN AREA find out about us! You DO have a 'home' now!!
Is there any where else on this forum i should post this new local atheist group info? I am not super-familiar with your forum areas.
THANK YOU THANK YOU!
~jean..hope i am not 'double posting' this...
Sorry for double post...ha. whoopsie. THANKS FOR GREAT IDEAS!
Should i post or announce this here new local atheist meetup anywhere else in this forum? Did i post this in correct area of RRS webpage?
~Jean