Happy Heathens on the Hiawatha

Traci and Dan are organizing a M.A.S.S. bicycle trip down the Hiawatha. So, grab your bike, bicycle helmet, and working head lamp (charge those batteries, you'll need it!) and meet us at the NW corner of the Super Walmart Parking Lot at 8am sharp on Sunday, July 19th. Look for a green Subaru Outback with Science Rocket and Flying Spaghetti Monster car emblems.

Drivers with vehicles capable of hauling lots of people and/or bikes extra welcome. Gas money donations to the drivers of your bike and your self are encouraged.

We'll get our tickets for the trail ($9) and the shuttle bus ($9) back to our cars at Lookout Pass.

Things to NOT forget:

• Bicycle
• Helmet
• Light
• $18 for trail and shuttle passes.
• Your Lunch.
• Gas money donations as appropriate.
  

For more information of the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail, see... http://www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/

See you there!

M.A.S.S. 1 Year Anniversary and Board Elected!

On July 10th 2008, four people (Jon Garvin, Dan Bowling, Traci Brown and Jeff Piotrowski) met face to face in the large meeting room downstairs at the Missoula Public Library for the first time as the Missoula Area Secular Society. Their goal was to provide Missoula's "closeted" atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, and other free-thinkers with a friendly community and activities at which to meet fellow like minded Missoulians for networking, socializing, and friendship.... or something like that.

Nearly one year later The Society's facebook group has over 120 members and up to 10 or more people are organizing and regularly showing up to multiple activities per month. On July 5th, 2009, during Sunday M.A.S.S. brunch, the next step in The Society's evolutionary path took place. Four people were elected by consent as the Missoula Area Secular Society's very first board of directors.

President: Jon Garvin
Vice President: Traci Brown
Treasurer: Gina Simunovich
Secretary: Russ Thayer

This is the first step towards our getting registered as an official non-profit organization. There are several more steps to go, but now that we have a board those should go pretty smoothly. Thanks to everyone for your support and generosity. Here's to another amazing year for M.A.S.S.

Sunday M.A.S.S. Independence Brunch

Sunday M.A.S.S. Brunch for July occurs on the 5th.

Once again we'll meet at Finnegan's Restaurant at 10am. Getting an appropriate table has been hit and miss so far. We'll try for the one in the very back by the fire exit again but we might be somewhere else (as happened last month).

Jon will be wearing his black "Peekaboo!" Zombie Jesus t-shirt and we'll try to have a "M.A.S.S." sign visible on the table somewhere for those not sure who to look for.

In addition to the usual friendly conversations, joking, and scheming, we'll also be electing our first board of directors for our forthcoming 501(c)(3) status, so be sure to come and have your say (members must be present to vote).

Feel free to RSVP on the Facebook Group (not required), and we'll also try to post important last second details to our twitter feed.

Christian Law Students Group Claims Discrimination

There's an article in yesterday's Missoulian about a "Christian Students" group and the UM Law School that's claiming they're being discriminated against by the school for not recognizing them as an official group. Why are they not recognized as an official group? Because they discriminate. These are law students who apparently don't understand the definition of the words irony or hipocrisy.

A group of Christian law students seeking to exclude homosexuals from its ranks at the University of Montana is appealing a federal judge's ruling that upholds UM's decision not to recognize the group as a registered student organization.

The First Amendment case was brought in December 2007 when the local chapter of the Christian Legal Society sued the law school, arguing that UM violated its rights to free speech when the Student Bar Association refused to fund the society.

The Student Bar Association says it refused funding because the group's mission is at odds with a non-discrimination policy requiring student groups to be “open to all members of the school of law.” The Christian Legal Society, a national faith-based organization, requires members of its individual chapters to sign a “statement of faith” pledging to uphold “sexual morality standards.” Those standards ban homosexuality, adultery and extramarital sex.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Missoula, the lawsuit names UM Law Dean Edwin Eck, Student Affairs Director Margaret Tonon and the executive board of UM's Student Bar Association as defendants.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull ruled that UM's Law School did not violate the rights of the Christian Legal Society when it refused to recognize the group as an official student organization.

All students enrolled in the School of Law automatically become members of the Student Bar Association and pay mandatory student activity fees. The Student Bar Association then determines funding to student law groups.

Last Friday, the Christian Legal Society filed notice that it would appeal Cebull's decision with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Briefs in support of the appeal must be filed by July 28.

According to the suit, the Christian Legal Society encourages Christian law students to grow in their faith as they learn the law. To protect the Christian message, the organization says it requires all voting members and leaders to agree with the statement of faith.

“Christian student groups shouldn't be discriminated against for their beliefs. All student groups have the right to associate with people of like mind and interest,” CLS attorney Casey Mattox said in a statement. “For example, the Environmental Law Group at UM seeks to promote certain views of global warming. Should it be forced to accept members and officers who hold to views that undermine the group's purpose? Similarly, religious groups should be allowed to select officers and voting members from those who share their views to ensure that their message and whole reason for being is not lost.”

Sunday M.A.S.S. for June

It's time once again for that raucous affair known worldwide as "Sunday Brunch with the Missoula Area Secular Society."

We'll be meeting again at Finnegan's Restaurant at 10am, June 7th. Come on down to share some great conversation with bunch of heathens and infidels, and help us sacrifice a chicken ovum or two to appease our ravenous bellies.

We'll try to get the big table in the very back by the fire exit again (turn right as you come in the front door, then veer left toward the back).

As usual, RSVP (if you wish) on Facebook, and for last minute updates, follow us on Twitter and have our updates sent directly to your phone.

Prose and Pabulum

Once again, the Missoula Area Secular Society (M.A.S.S.) is getting together for a little evening sustenance and small talk.

When: Saturday, May30th, 5:30pm
Where: The Montana Club on North Reserve (NOT the one on Brooks).

After the meal we'll figure out where in the building Sam Singleton (Atheist Evangelist) will be doing his show "Patriarchs and Penises". Shouldn't be too hard to find.

If you haven't gotten your ticket to Sam's show yet, do so now! (<- click that link... do it!). If you'd prefer to just go to the show and skip M.A.S.S., by all means do (our hurt feelings will recover). The show starts promptly at 7:00pm.

If you're coming to dinner and not sure who to look for, Jon will be wearing his Sam Singleton t-shirt (black with red lettering on the front). If Jon notices you trying to read his shirt, expect a big friendly smile. We'll also be sure to twitter important details of where we're sitting, so setup your phone to automatically get our tweets.

Time/Location Change for Diner/Movie Night

Joni pointed out that the Uptown Diner closes at 3pm every day. Apparently they're about as interested in the IWFF Diner crowd as Food for Thought was in the Easter Brunch crowd. Oh, well. It's not as if there's a shortage of alternate locations to spend our money at.

Therefore, we'll be meeting next door, at the Pita Pit. Also, since service there should be much faster, we'll wait until 6:30 to meet. See you all then. Sorry for any confusion.