Dear Ones,

Like you, I have been excited and encouraged to watch the number of new COVID cases dropping, and the number of vaccinations increasing. Vaccines are not spread equitably in all communities, and it is still a good idea to practice courtesy with masks and social distance, yet there is much to celebrate. Along with the staff and the Reopening Task Force, I am watching the COVID numbers closely using CovidActNow.org. We will especially be keeping an eye on the trend two weeks following Memorial Day. Overall, we are looking good in the greater Washington D.C. area.

At WES, we are taking a more conservative approach than some other institutions regarding adding back in-person programs. WES is a values-centered, inclusive, multigenerational community, and so the pace of reopening at WES will be slower than the pace of profit-driven businesses. As you know, children under 12 are still not eligible to be vaccinated. We’re also mindful that recommendations are mixed for vaccinated people who are immunocompromised, and some of our friends will still need to exercise caution. The Reopening Task Force is tracking advice from the UUA and the AEU as well as CDC recommendations. The Covid situation is changing weekly, and the team is continually monitoring and adjusting the plan to our best abilities.

At the Membership Meeting this past Sunday, I spoke about factors in addition to safety that influence our reopening plan. For one thing, members have told me that you want to continue on your journey as an inclusive, accessible community; a place where Humanists can find a home, wherever they are in the world. To build something that is better than it was before, to reach for that bold and exciting vision, we will need to take a little extra time to plan together. I am confident that you as a WES community can grow into that aspiration, and that this is the pivotal time to turn toward that goal. I welcome your involvement with bringing this vision alive. 

This brings me to my second point, which is that organized, reliable volunteers are essential to any plans we make at WES. Even with good public health statistics and the resources to purchase the equipment we need, we can’t reopen without volunteers (both new and seasoned) on the tech/audio, greeter, usher, welcoming, hospitality, and SEEK teams who are trained, scheduled, and ready to go. We can’t control the virus, but members can have influence on the reopening by signing up to volunteer. Please speak with Maceo Thomas (maceot@ethicalsociety.org) about signing up as a greeter, usher, or welcome team member. John Pfeifer (techteam@ethicalsociety.org) would be glad to speak with you about joining the tech team. Ndara Miles (ndaram@ethicalsociety.org) will be organizing SEEK volunteers. 

As we shared at the Reopening Town Hall, we plan to stream Platform from the Main Hall on September 12, with everyone on the production team physically present but no other attendees at first. If the numbers continue in the same healthy pattern, we hope to invite attendees in small groups into the Main Hall two weeks later. As we increase in our volunteer recruitment and organization, we will be able to accommodate more attendees as the weeks go on. Serving warm beverages after Platform will happen after that, as we get more comfortable with the new normal and organize the hospitality team and Green team. Meanwhile, online participation in Platform will continue to be available to all. The Reopening Task Force is working to develop an equitable reservation system, so stay tuned for those details as we get closer to September. 

The Platform attendance reservation system will also have space to indicate planned attendance at SEEK classes that meet on Sundays. Some of our classes may have to move to Saturdays or partly online due to space considerations. Coming of Age is planned for Sunday afternoons following Platform. SEEK families should fill out the registration form as soon as it is released (before the end of this month) so that staff can plan classes with social distancing protocols in mind. Masks will be required for teachers, youth, and children over the age of two. Nursery care may take a little longer to come back than other classes, as we want to be extra-careful with the immune systems of our smallest loved ones. We’ll plan to do symptom screening and temperature checks to keep our youth program and SEEK participants as healthy as we can. 

In the meantime, we are currently in the yellow (medium) risk level according to Covid Act Now, which means we can do a lot together! We can have larger outdoor gatherings, either on WES property or at a nearby park. Just this past Saturday, 20 people came to WES to decorate our front patio for Pride month. Small groups can be indoors at WES, socially distanced and masked. If you would like to reserve the Main Hall or Social Hall for your WES group of 25 or fewer people, please let Tom Hutton know. Closed groups such as deepening circles whose members all agree to meeting in a member’s home are welcome to do that, according to CDC guidelines. If the trend continues in the right direction, more possibilities for social events, committee meetings, and other WES-related gatherings become available two weeks after the Washington, DC, metro area enters the green (on track for containment) risk level. Keep an eye on News & Notes each week for an update. 

There are some great things going on outdoors this summer. Tomorrow, June 9, WES folks will be gathering in person to support climate justice (at the “100 Leaders for 100% Clean Energy” event) and immigration justice (at the “Fast for Freedom” launch event). Later this summer, we’ll have a bring-your-own-basket Reunion Picnic in Rock Creek Park on August 21. Do you have an idea for a WES event? Contact the staff and let’s get it on the calendar!

This has been a hard year for many of us and our communities, yet it has been a year when WES members continued to practice values like love and justice. It has been a clarifying year for WES’s mission, and a good year to step back and put policies and other infrastructure in place so that next year can be one of renewal. I hope you are proud of what you have accomplished as a community, and that you are looking forward to the many possibilities ahead. 

Personally, I am excited that I get to spend another year with you. I will be taking off the month of July for study, planning, and rest, so that we can go into August with shared strength. While I’m gone, the tech team will purchase and test equipment for hybrid Platform, and the staff will work on the technology, administration, and content we’ll need for some exciting new programs for 2021-2022. The best is yet to come, and I’m privileged to be here with you as you bring your best together. 

In community,

Lyn Cox, Interim Leader