from Emily Newman, WES Member & Young@WES Member

Soon after I moved to D.C. in early 2018, I joined the Washington Ethical Society. This was an obvious decision because I had grown up in Ethical Culture and knew WES would be a good fit for me. Though I wasn’t sure right away what parts of WES I would fit into. Did I actually plan to regularly wake up for Sunday morning platforms or participate in other events? Was I ready to commit to a committee? Would I connect with WES people outside of WES activities? 

My Path to Membership Class was not only a chance to explore my options but also a great opportunity to meet other newcomers, most completely new to the concept of a humanist congregation. Thanks to Robyn, I was welcomed into the Young @ WES Facebook Group and started meeting folks for brunch and drinks. We shared what attracted us to humanism and WES, what brought us to D.C. and recommended things to do, and what brings us joy and concern in the world. It was nice to have familiar faces in a similar phase of life to run into in our new community. 

We tried to offer multiple activities a month to provide flexibility for parents with young children, busy professionals, and over-extended volunteers. Sometimes instead of formal events, we would post “I’m checking out this WES group or this D.C. festival, who wants to join me?” and coordinate with interested responders. I also connected Young @ WES with the national Future of Ethical Societies so more young ethical humanists could get to know each other.

Although COVID made it harder for social groups to gather, it has also made us value our time together more and motivated us to be creative in how we connect. I encourage everyone to participate in the available groups at WES and invite people to join your favorites. If you aren’t sure where to get started, check out the WES website or reach out to Maceo Thomas (maceot@ethicalsociety.org).

I’ll be helping Young @ WES meet again to reconnect and welcome newer young members and potential members, so if you’re in the 18-35ish age range (I turn 35 in April so there’s not a definitive cut off) please email me and join the Young @ WES Facebook Group. I look forward to seeing more familiar faces in our community, even if only virtually for a while longer.

–Emily Newman, WES Member