Annual Stone Soup Festival
Sunday, November 22, 2020
​11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

The Susquehanna Valley Ethical Society, fresh off of our celebration of the fifth anniversary since organizing, announces the annual Stone Soup Festival on Sunday, November 22, 2020.  Because of the current situation with COVID-19 and restrictions on gathering safely, this year’s festival will be virtual. The celebration will be held from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm on Sunday, November 22. As always, this is a multi-generational celebration.

The Stone Soup Festival is part of the annual fall celebration observed by most Ethical Societies, a celebration of the changing of seasons. The Stone Soup story is a great story of how people come together as a community, each giving a little something of their own, to create something from nothing, as a community. This celebration is needed as much today as it was when the story first circulated. Not only is it a time for us to pause and reflect on the abundance in our own lives, it is a time to truly think about what abundance is, what community is and how we can all make a difference in our community, to help bring our community together, especially when it is so far apart. 

Ethical Culture and Ethical Societies celebrate the big moments of the year through our intergenerational seasonal festivals, usually held during our regular Sunday Platform meetings. Many Ethical Societies have: 
  • Winter Festivals in December – honoring the humanist values found in many world religious celebrations at that time of year, such as community and love;
  • Spring Festivals in April – celebrating growth and nature, often with plays or community service projects;
  • Summer Parties between June and September – instead of a festival, we often share potlucks and barbecues; and
  • Fall Festivals in November – sharing stories and gifts of gratitude to create something wonderful together. Many Ethical Societies are inspired by the story of “Stone Soup.
 
The Susquehanna Valley Ethical Society focuses on Ethical Humanism. We meet every Sunday to have discussions on a wide range of topics, with a focus on inclusion and the belief that every person is worthy and should be treated with dignity. Learning how to treat every person with worth and dignity is a growing process for all people, something that we focus on every week, looking at it from different perspectives. 
 
In addition, the Susquehanna Valley Ethical Society is involved in helping the community. Recently, the Ethical Society worked cooperatively with the Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA in their annual Coat Drive. In December, the Ethical Society will be giving duffel bags filled with personal items to a number of children in foster care. Additionally, we will be providing needed items to Haven Ministries. 
 
If you are interested in any of these topics or ideas; if you have questions; or if you would like to consider joining the Susquehanna Valley Ethical Society (or just joining in to see what it’s all about), please contact us at: info@susquehannavalleyethicalsociety.org.

We hope to see you on Sunday, November 22 for Stone Soup. Come to our virtual dining table.  Bring your own brunch/lunch plate or bowl of food so that we can eat together, share stories and enjoy being in community with one another. We welcome your contact so that we can share the recipe for Stone Soup.