What to expect at a Sunday Platform
of the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island
Like many others, you may have driven past our building many times, wondering who we are and what goes on inside. Perhaps you know a little about us and our philosophy and just haven't gotten up the courage to come on a Sunday and see what we're like. We realize it's difficult to show up at a new place, out of the blue, not knowing what to expect.
We are the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, an affiliate of the Ethical Culture movement. We are a legally recognized religion, but admittedly, many of our members view us as a way of life, rather than a formal religion. From September through June of each year, we meet for about an hour and a half at 11 AM on Sundays for our "Platform" service. We welcome newcomers of all faiths, color, sexual orientations, and nationalities – anyone who agrees with the idea that we need to help in making the world a better, more ethical place.
Our platform begins with a Presider greeting members and guests, and giving a short statement of who we are. This is followed by "Milestones" where members of our community can share important events, happy or sad, that have occurred in their lives over the past week. Next is usually a moment of silence to allow us to quietly contemplate events taking place in our lives. A short musical selection, often a live performance, follows.
The main part of our platform is a talk about a social or ethical issue. The talk may be given by our Leader Emeritus or another member of our Society, by a Leader from another Ethical Society, or by an expert in the field. Among the scheduled topics by outside experts for 2009 -- 2010 platforms are "Alternatives to the Death Penalty," "Election vs. Appointment of Judges," Child Abuse Prevention," and "Environmental and Economic Interests." (see our events calendar for a detailed list of scheduled speakers).
Following the address is another musical selection, followed by announcements and collection (yes, we pass baskets around as our Sunday collections help to support us.) The Presider will end the platform with a few closing words, and we then invite everyone to the back of the hall for light refreshments. Visitors may sign a guest book at the welcome table in the back of the hall so that they can be included on the Society's mailing list.
While adults are in the main hall, children ages 5 -13 can attend our Children's Ethics Program (CEP) in the downstairs classrooms. Our professional educators teach the children ethics and morality in an environment designed to stimulate independent thinking and encourage compassion and tolerance. Older children (13-18) may participate in the Youth in Ethical Societies (YES) group, which meets two Sundays a month at the Society.
Now that you know a little more about us, please feel free to join us for a Sunday platform.