Organized by the Carolinas Secular Association and hosted by the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, the conference was organized to provide a ground for learning and sharing, to bring in speakers to inform and train, as well as to award grass roots achievement by individuals across North and South Carolina. Attendees joined in a live network of planning to meet the challenges of the next year and the coming decade. Beyond its role as a working event, the Carolinas Secular Conference was a joyous celebration of the growing secular movement and culture and an opportunity for nontheists of all stripes to make new friends across the region.
The centerpiece of the three-day event was the Carolinas Freethinker Banquet on Saturday night which featured speakers Edwina Rogers, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America, and Maggie Ardiente, director of development and communications for the American Humanist Association.
During the banquet, Amy Monsky, president of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry and camp director of Camp Quest, SC received the Carolinas Freethinker of the Year award; Jennifer Lovejoy, founder and current president of Western North Carolina Humanists and the spokesperson for Western North Carolina Atheists, was presented with the FREETHOUGHT ACTION HERO award; and Justin Griffith, creator of the Rock Beyond Belief festival at Fort Bragg was given the 2012 Special Achievement award. Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, was also in attendance.
Before the close of the evening, Edwina Rogers signed a “Memo of Understanding" with Secular Coalition for South Carolina Executive Board Co-Chairs, Amy Monsky and Matthew Facciani to mark the official launch of the latest state-wide chapter of the Secular Coalition for America.
Earlier on Saturday, former president of the American Humanist Association Mike Werner gave a special presentation on starting and growing secular groups and chapters. On Sunday, Edwina Rogers gave a presentation on “Politics and Secularism” and Maggie Ardiente spoke about Humanism on the national level.
Last year, at the first annual event, attendees gathered at Carolina Beach, North Carolina, and began to establish a network of communities across the region. Since that time, established groups and programs have grown and new coalitions and groups have been formed across both states.
Some pictures from the conference can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48595559@N08/sets/72157631678858624/
Presentation of the FREETHOUGHT ACTION HERO Award
See also...
SC Atheist Lobbying Group Launches
http://standrews.patch.com/articles/sc-atheist-lobbying-group-launches-today
Earlier...
Freethought "Action Hero" to Be Honored
http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/godless-action-hero-to-be-honored.html
