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Categories: Political advocacy groups in the U.S. | Transhumanism | Humanism | Non-profit organizations Campus Atheists and Secular HumanistsCampus Atheists and Secular Humanists (CASH) is a non-profit social and educational student organization based out of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. CASH represents freethought on the campus. It was founded in 1991. It has around 60 members and an annual budget of about $8,000.
Mission StatementThe purpose of CASH is:
MeetingsMeetings tend to have a lecturer talk on some topic of expertise. Events (except members-only events) are open to all regardless of personal religious, social, or political views. The location of regular meetings is in Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus, East Bank, on the third floor. The time of regular meetings is at 6:30pm on Thursdays. MembershipMembership in CASH is open to all, regardless of whether you are a student, or a staff or community member, and regardless of your religious affiliation (or lack thereof). The cost is a $5 (USD) minimum donation ($10 (USD) for non-students). CASH membership comes with many benefits, including free access to the CASH Library, invitations to members-only events such as the popular CASH Year-end Picnic, and sometimes even free pizza! Also, only members may apply for Officer positions within the organization. HistoryNameThe organization was founded in the Spring of 1991 by Michael Valle under the name University of Minnesota Atheists and Unbelievers (UMAU). The name was changed in 1994 to University of Minnesota Atheists and Humanists (UMAH) by President Eric Snyder. The University of Minnesota Student Activities Office decided that the practice of student groups putting the University's name at the front of their official name might imply an endorsement. Hoping to avoid any legal ramifications, in 2002, non-athletic student groups were no longer allowed to place the University's name at the front of their own name. Placing it at the rear, as "at the University of Minnesota" or "of the University of Minnesota" was acceptable. It was unclear whether old groups would be grandfathered out or not. However, in October of 2003, UMAH was informed that failure to change their name would render its Constitution void. In a meeting where several alternatives were discussed, "CASH" was finally decided upon in a vote. EventsFor first three years, events were typically speeches/talks and given once per month in the old Coffman Memorial Union . UMAU was driven by a small group of committed students and a larger group of interested individuals who came together to commune, to learn, to discuss. The first major event was a speech by Michael Martin from Boston University on atheism in the fall of 1991. The mailing list was a list of postal addresses and the group’s mass communications system consisted of printing out newsletters, compiling them and mailing them, before UMAH became an Internet presence in the late 1990s. UMAH thrived in its central location in the old Coffman Memorial Union . In the largest event in the organization’s history, UMAH cosponsored a debate with Campus Crusade for Christ on the existence of God. The event drew a crowd of over a thousand and was covered by National Public Radio. Quentin Smith argued for atheism, and William Lane Craig defended theism, specifically Christianity. In 1997, Catalina Chadbourne conducted a demographic and sociological survey of the group membership. The period without Coffman Memorial Union or any student union to call a home marked a difficult phase in group activity, attendance, and productivity, from which the group has now largely recovered. This was the result of the loss of a central meeting location, and of high officer turnover: only one President served a full term in this period. Nevertheless, the group held many worthwhile events. In 2000, there were a number of meetings dedicated to planning early in the year. There were a number of discussion nights and social nights and a publicity event with religious groups. The group also became an Internet presence with the development of a website at www.umah.org (now www.cashumn.org). In Fall 2001, UMAH painted panels on the Washington Avenue Bridge in recognition of the tenth anniversary of its founding, beginning a yearly tradition. They were soon vandalized. That year, the group organized several letter-writing campaigns in addition to a series of informative speakers and events. Spring 2003 marks the return to Coffman Memorial Union , a long-awaited event that merited its own celebratory meeting. The following school year, 2003-2004, was a period of great change for Campus Atheists and Secular Humanists (renamed to comply with University policy). CASH radically overhauled its Constitution to reflect a new "triumvirate" leadership system: decisions are made by the consensus of a three-person Executive Board consisting of the elected Activities Coordinator , Publicity Coordinator , and Treasurer. The Executive Board appoints other officers, including a Secretary, an Advisor, and a Webmaster. The group has standing committees for a variety of purposes, and has established accountability and efficiency throughout the administration. A recent large-scale event demonstrating CASH’s rebound from the Coffman Memorial Union renovation was a panel discussion on the topic of "Do Organized Religions Suppress Women’s Rights?" Annie Laurie Gaylor of the Freedom from Religion Foundation spoke for the secular humanist point of view, and CASH worked with several other student organizations to provide debate among panelists representing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. An even larger undertaking is the Humanism Conference , to take place in April 2005, which will comprise a series of lectures, debates, and panel discussions. LeadersStructureIn 2000, group structure enlarged: the President and the Publicity Coordinator / Graphic Designer were elected. Appointed positions included Officer-at-Large , Treasurer, Webmaster, and Advisor. In April of 2004, CASH revised its Constitution, drastically changing the organization’s structure. Previously, CASH had always been led by a president. In the new Constitution, the organization is led by an Executive Board , consisting of a Publicity Coordinator , a Treasurer, and an Activites Coordinator . The reasons for this include division of labor and responsibility, avoidance of "cult of personality" administrations, and inter-term consistency. Leaders and Other GroupsIn 1999, Jende Huang was enthusiastically elected President. To UMAH/UMAH's loss, Huang stepped down after accepting a position on the editorial board of the Minnesota Daily. He has since joined the leadership of the American Humanist Association. Near the end of the spring 2000 term, Eric Snyder founded the Secular Student Alliance, a national organization that fosters the creation and development of college and high school freethought groups. In 2000, UMAH, along with other Minnesota freethought groups, formed the now defunct Minnesota Secular Council . Presidential Terms
Executive Board Members
AssociationsAffiliations
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