Sunday M.A.S.S. Brunch, March 2011 Edition

Q: Which Sunday of the month is this coming Sunday?
A: It'll be the first Sunday, of course.

Q: How can you be so sure?
A: The Missoula Area Secular Society (M.A.S.S.) is having Sunday M.A.S.S. Brunch again. It's so predictable, you can set your calendar by it.

Q: What is this Sunday M.A.S.S. Brunch that you speak of?
A: It's a time for members of the M.A.S.S. and other like minded people to get together for good food and and engaging informal discussion on religion in society and government and it's effect on you and your fellow non-theists and whatever other related topics come up.

Q: How can I participate in this incredible resource?
A: Just show up. It's at 10:00 am on Sunday, March 6th in the meeting room at The Stone of Accord (4951 North Reserve Street) in Missoula, Montana (and again on the first Sunday of every month!) If you're not sure where to go, just tell the hostess you're with the group in the Meeting Room and she'll show you the way.

Q: Does it cost anything?
A: If you'd like to eat, then you'll be able to order food from the restaurant. However, M.A.S.S. does not charge anything to attend or participate in the discussion.

Q: What else does M.A.S.S. do?
A: They organize occasional public lectures on science, history, and critical thinking by respected authorities and scholars. They frequently volunteer as a group to help the less fortunate, such as at the Food Bank and the Povorello Center. The occasionally go on group outings to the Blue Mountain Observatory in the summer to learn more about the universe. And they also do a formal structured evening discussion group on the first and third Wednesday of every month.

Q: How can I find out more about all these other activities?
A: Sign up for their email newsletter.

Q: This is a wonderful group. I would still like to give them something as a token of my appreciation for organizing these great opportunities. What can I do?
A: The Missoula Area Secular Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax deductible donations may be made by check in person or by mail, or by credit card using that donation button on the right had column on this website. Membership dues are $20/year, but are not required to attend most events (including brunch). T-shirts in a variety of colors are also available for sale at brunches (with discounts for up-to-date dues paying members).

Q: Who took that delicious looking photo at the top of this post?
A: That photo was taken by Mark, which he licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license, allowing M.A.S.S. to use it for free as long as they give him due credit, which they appreciate immensely.

Q: Is it difficult to give all of your answers in the third person?
A: What do you mean? This is how they always talk.

Welcome!

If you have just heard about us through our recent Montana press coverage, welcome to our website.

The Missoula Area Secular Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to foster a community of non-theistic individuals and to promote and organize educational programs focusing on secular ethics, science, history and critical thinking for our members, their children and the public at large.

If you would like to join us, keep an eye on this website for announcements on upcoming events, and/or join or burgeoning Facebook group, or follow us on Twitter. We meet up regularly for a variety of educational discussions and lectures.

Membership dues are $20/year, which allows you to vote for our board of directors and on any issues the board puts to the members for a vote. Most of our events, however, do not require you to be a dues paying member to attend. All you need to do is show up.

We also happily accept donations of any size. All donations are tax deductible and fund our educational and outreach programs. To become a paying member or make a donation, simply use the "Donate" button on the right, or bring a check to an event.

Now Accepting Online Donations

The Missoula Area Secular Society is now able to accept online donations.

We are still awaiting our final 501(c)(3) approval from the IRS, but our attorney (who specializes in this sort of thing) is confidant that everything will go through fine, just at the agonizing pace of bureaucracy.

If you intend to deduct your donation from your taxes, you should check with your accountant first. According to our attorney, the IRS usually allows deductions made in good faith to pending non-profits who have filed their paperwork, such as us. Never-the-less, check with your accountant.

If you'd like to make a donation, simply click the link below. If you don't have a paypal account you can click the "continue" link in the lower left corner of the donation form to continue to securely enter your credit card information (they intentionally make it hard to find, so look close).

You will also be given the opportunity to include a note with your donation. If you'd like to request that your donation be applied toward a specific purpose, please indicate so in the note and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

Voting Membership Dues

The M.A.S.S. Board of Directors have voted to establish membership dues of $20/year. It should be noted however, that most of our events will continue to be free and open to the public. The $20 buys you a warm fuzzy feeling and a the right to vote for directors at each October's annual meeting and on any other issues that directors put to the members for a vote.

Funds raised from membership dues and donations will be applied toward furthering our mission "to foster a community of non-theistic individuals by providing opportunities for socializing, networking, and friendship." This will initially consist primarily of getting the word out about us to more potential members in the form of advertising (think local Billboards and Bus Ads, or whatever we can manage).

However, if given the choice of having either your money or your smiling face at our events, we choose your face without hesitation.

If you've previously donated to M.A.S.S., your donation has been applied to the membership dues for this year with our heart felt thanks.

Anybody wishing to donate or become a voting member may do so by bringing a check made out to "Missoula Area Secular Society" to any of our events. If Gina, our Treasurer, is not available then you can give the check to any of our other directors to pass on to her. Soon we'll have a donate button available on the website as well and should eventually have a post office box that checks can be mailed to.