My First Meet-Up

[rlrose328]

I'm going to my first Meet-Up tonight!  It's the Beaverton Oregon meet-up... anyone here in Oregon going?

[Whitney]

Fun!  Let us know how it went.

[rlrose328]

Oh so fun!  We met at a Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe... yum!  I had a decaf mocha and a biscotti.

I met some great people!  There were 15 total and we had a visitor from AU and a few ladies from the local Humanists of Greater Portland group to invite us to come to their meetings.

I sat and chatted with an Army officer, member of MAAF, which I'd just found out about yesterday!  I also met a retired teacher who had been a TAG specialist.  What great conversations!  The AU guy was very interested in the big cross that hangs in my son's lunchroom (it's the church's social hall, but also where my son's classroom is located temporarily) and he was REALLY happy to meet the Army officer and asked him to come speak to their group.  I love networking!

I didn't take my camera but I will next time.  I'm so glad I went!  They also have children's meetups on Sunday mornings once a month where they tell a story with a good message, usually scientific or something.. last month, it was about Gallileo, and then the kids play while the adults chat, so I hope to take Brendan to that sometime.

[tigerlily46514]

Hey, i'm a member of MAAF!!!!  I have a link i posted somewhere for anyone who wants to be a penpal to an atheist soldier over there.
I'll repost if anyone wants it and can't find it.  

What is a TAG specialist?

This meet-up stuff sounds so cool!!!  I WOULDA LOVED IT , TOO!!!  Glad you found some support about your sons school and the cross and all....
What is this meet-up thing?  Is it part of MAAF?  Do you have a link or anything?  Is it national, or just for the cooler parts of the country?  Probably i'd be the only one if Elkhart had one!!!

when is your next meet up?  I have a friend out that way, i could tell her about it.  She lives in.....Bellevue!!  Is that close?

[rlrose328]

Hey, i'm a member of MAAF!!!!  I have a link i posted somewhere for anyone who wants to be a penpal to an atheist soldier over there.

I think I went there when you posted that, but I found it the other night when I ran across a news story of the atheist serviceman in Iraq who is suing the DoD and his commanding officer (may have also been posted here).  I spent a LOT of time on that site, just looking around.  My dad must have been rolling in his grave.  LOL!

What is a TAG specialist?

TAG = Talented and Gifted program at school.  A specialist is an educator who either makes education plans for gifted kids, or sets up a gifted program in a school, or teaches a break-out class with gifted kids.

This meet-up stuff sounds so cool!!!  I WOULDA LOVED IT , TOO!!!  Glad you found some support about your sons school and the cross and all....

It was so very cool!!!

What is this meet-up thing?  Is it part of MAAF?  Do you have a link or anything?  Is it national, or just for the cooler parts of the country?  Probably i'd be the only one if Elkhart had one!!!

Go to http://www.meetup.com and do a search for atheist in your area code or city.  It is national, but the groups have to be set up by someone.  The one I went to is about a half-hour away, closer to Portland, but it was the closest one there is near me.

when is your next meet up?  I have a friend out that way, i could tell her about it.  She lives in.....Bellevue!!  Is that close?

I'd have to check the calendar on the Meetup group... but Bellevue is in Washington, right?  That's about a 3 hour drive from me.  BUT there are probably meetup groups near her since Bellevue is close to Seattle.  Check out the site for you and her!

[PittsburghBrandon]

My first Meetup was an Atheism Group in some guys appartment.  It was great!  At the time I wasn't aware of how many types of skeptic and freethinker meetings there are in Pittsburgh.

At the time you really needed to go to a meeting to learn about all the other meetings.  Now Pittsburgh has http://www.steelcityskeptics.net where all the local events are posted to the blogs calendar.