Greetings WES members and friends!

 

Although it seems like yesterday, 2018 marks the 10-year anniversary of Amanda Poppei’s leadership of the Washington Ethical Society. Amanda came to us on May 4, 2008, and since then, she has worked closely with all of us to expand the health, vitality, and growth of our beloved community.

 

In recognition of this momentous occasion, a team of WES members (the Celebration Team), in coordination with the Board have been planning a series of events and opportunities to recognize and celebrate Amanda’s leadership. We will start with special platforms on September 9th (both the 9:30 and 11:30), followed by an evening reception on Sunday, September 16th, from 5 to 8pm.  Invites and more information will be sent out over the summer. Please mark your calendars!

 

In the meantime, we are inviting members and friends of WES to contribute to the celebration in two of the following ways:

 

• Share a cherished moment or story.  We invite you to share an anecdote or story about your journey with Amanda, and how Amanda’s leadership has influenced or inspired your participation and commitment to WES. We will pull these stories together into a special keepsake to be given to Amanda in September. There will be two ways to contribute:

 

• Stories, thoughts, and anecdotes for this keepsake can be sent via email to Robyn Kravitz at robynk@ethicalsociety.org. Please submit all email messages to Robyn by July 31, 2018.

 

• An Amanda Celebration table will be set up before, between, and after platforms in August for members and friends to write handwritten notes and/or drop off collages, art pieces or other creative remembrances.

 

• Contribute to the 10 Year Celebration Fund. We invite members and friends of the WES community to contribute to this important anniversary. Along with the events, we will honor Amanda with the gift of a customized podium that will not only commemorate her decade of

  leadership,but be available for the entire WES community to use and enjoy for the years to come. Those interested in donating please go to online portal, use the text donation system (202-335-1885 –> Remember, just send: [amount] Amanda’s Celebration), or send a check to WES. All amounts are welcome, although we suggest $25 or more per member based on calculated costs of the events and items listed above.

 

All are welcome to participate in the recognition events scheduled in the coming months. Please contact Cayo Gamber – cayo1@gwu.edu – with any questions. We look forward to celebrating this event with the entire WES community!