FFRF’s 41st annual convention draws near
There’s still time to register for FFRF’s 41st annual convention at San Francisco’s downtown Hyatt Regency, headlined by Salman Rushdie, Cecile Richards and Adam Savage. FFRF’s registration ends on Friday, Oct. 12. Unfortunately, there will not be space for walk-ins or registration at the door.
Added to the list of speakers are: Larry Decker, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America; 2018 Freethinker of the Year David Steketee, FFRF member and feisty litigant in FFRF’s major New Jersey Supreme Court win against taxpayer support of churches; California attorney David Kalyonides, who’ll talk about FFRF’s appeals court victory against school board prayer at Chino Hills, Calif., Mohammed Al Khadra, founder of Council of Ex-Muslims of Jordan, and Bay Area poet and atheist Victor Harris. This year’s Nothing Fails Like Prayer award will go to Jocelyn Williamson, a Florida member and chapter activist (see her three secular invocations, Page 23).
Convention registration is only $60 per member, $65 per companion, $110 for non-members, and students and children get in free. FFRF’s hotel block is sold out, but you may call 1-888-421-1442 and use the code “Freedom From Religion Foundation” to see what’s available. Or you can reserve rooms online at bit.ly/FFRF2018. Or try various online hotel booking sources.
Convention registration begins by noon on Friday, Nov. 2, with formal program promptly at 1 p.m., continuing through Saturday evening. FFRF’s membership and state representatives’ meetings take place Sunday morning. (See schedule below.)
The convention includes irreverent music, complimentary appetizers on Friday afternoon and a complimentary Friday night dessert reception. Saturday morning’s annual “Non-Prayer Breakfast” includes the popular “Moment of Bedlam.” And on Saturday evening, before Leighann Lord and Adam Savage, FFRF hosts its popular drawing for “clean” (pre-“In God We Trust”) currency.
For more information on the convention, or to sign up online, go to ffrf.org/convention2018. Or phone 1-800-335-4021 during office hours (Central Time).
Friday, November 2
11:00 AM Registration opens
Continues through convention
11:15 AM – 1:00 PM Movie
“Losing Our Religion”
86-minute film. Exclusive preview!
Includes interviews with former clergy, including Dan Barker
Friday Afternoon Program
1:00 PM Welcome
Emperor Has No Clothes Award
U.S. Representative Huffman
1:30 PM Richard Hermsen Student Activist Award
Bailey Harris, author of
Stardust: The Book of Truth
2:00 PM The Hon. Culbert Olson, Governor – Atheist
Debra Deanne Olson
Craig Wilkinson, M.D. , co-authors
2:30 PM Free Will: Make Up Your Mind
Dan Barker
& Freethought Concert
3:00 PM Break
Book Signings for Olson, Harris & Barker
Coffee, tea, light refreshments
Open until 5:00 PM
3:30 PM Emperor Has No Clothes Award
Salman Rushdie
Book signing follows
5:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner on your own
Friday Evening Program
6:00 PM Registration re-opens
Sales tables re-open
7:00 PM Evening Welcome
Dan Barker & Annie Laurie Gaylor
Year in Review Presentation Music
7:30 PM Premiere “Clarence
Darrow Award”
Actor John de Lancie
8:00 PM “Julia Sweeney: Older & Wider” stand up comedy
9:30 PM Dessert Reception
10:00 PM Late night film replay
“Losing Our Religion”
Night owl showing. 86-minute film. Exclusive preview! Includes
interviews with former clergy, including Dan Barker
Saturday, November 3
Saturday Morning Program
8:00 AM Non-prayer Breakfast
For ticket holders
8:30 AM Concert: Voices of Reason
9:00 AM Registration re-opens
continues through Saturday
9:30 AM Welcome
Lisa Strand, Director of Operations
“Nothing Fails Like Prayer” Song
“Nothing Fails Like Prayer” Winner
Jocelyn Williamson
Poetry Reading for Secularists
Victor Harris
10:00 AM Report from Secular Coalition for America
Larry Decker, executive director
10:20 AM FFRF’s Appeals Court Victory
David Kalyonides, primary litigator
FFRF v. Chino Valley School Dist., Calif.
10:40 2018 Freethinker of the Year
David Steketee
FFRF & Steketee v. Morris County, N.J
11:00 AM FFRF Legal Report “On a Roll”
FFRF Attorneys Patrick Elliott, Rebecca Markert, Andrew Seidel
12:00 – 2:00 PM Lunch
Sightseeing on your own
2:00 Freethought Heroine
Sarah Haider
2:30 PM “What We Think, How
We Think”
Mohammed Al Khadra, founder, Ex-Muslims of Jordan
2:45 PM Avajit Roy Courage Award
Introduced by Rafida Bonya Ahmed
Recipient: Roopbaan Magazine, accepted by co-founder
3:15 PM Henry Zumach Freedom From Religion Fundamentalism Award
Ensaf Haidar
3:45 PM Break
4:00 PM Forward Award
A Conversation with Cecile Richards
Book signing follows
Saturday Evening Program
6:00 PM Banquet Dinner with cash bar
8:00 PM Clean Money Drawing
8:30 PM “Real Women Do It
Standing Up”
Leighann Lord
Stand up comedy
9:00 PM Emperor Has No Clothes Award
Adam Savage
Sunday, november 4
8:30 AM Pastries, coffee, tea available
for members
(while they last)
9:00 AM Annual Membership Meeting
Open to all current FFRF members
11:15 AM Annual State Representatives Meeting
Adjourn by Noon
