It may still be summer, but we're already planning ahead for the fall! Check out the upcoming conferences and opportunities for your group in this issue. Think lobbying might be a good idea for you? Read what it's like and see what legislation we have our eyes on. We're also announcing some Freethought awards and pondering the meaning of humanism.

You know, normal summer stuff. Enjoy!

This fall, two spectacular freethought events are in the works. If you're getting back to school and looking for something to do, check out these events!

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) is pleased to announce that the 2007 Community Cooperation Award has increased to $575!! Deadline for application is July 31, 2007. We've just been told that student groups are eligible for this award!

Each year the Secular Student Alliance presents its four annual Best Awards, for groups that excel in a particular area. Congrats to the Bruin Alliance of Skeptics and Secularists (BASS), this year's winners of the Best New Affiliate award.

This year, the American Humanist Association awarded its annual Humanist Arts Award to Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist and satirist Steve Benson. "It's an honor to be here," he said, and continued, "It's more than an honor - it's a damn inconvenience."

Looking for a part time job in Albany for the fall semester? We may have an opportunity for you! The Secular Student Alliance is seeking four college interns for the fall of 2007.

Brendan Dieffenbach is one of the SSA's summer interns, hard at work in the SSA office in Albany, NY. One of his opportunities took him on a trip lobbying the New York state legislature. Here, he writes about his experiences during his first lobbying journey.

Due to students and groups showing interest in lobbying and legislative action, we've started to keep our eyes on upcoming legislation important to the Freethought movement. This week, we're watching abstinence-only sex ed funding in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Take organized atheism and humanism. Mix in some of the powerful elements of religion - buildings, ceremonies, beneditions, and singing. How close can the two get while remaining true to themselves? August Brunsman, executive director of the SSA, writes these thoughts on the subject.

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