The question of what is Ethical Culture is one we have all answered countless times and few of us have managed to answer in under five minutes.  One of the first things that united many of us who were involved in youth groups around the country was actually how hard it can be to communicate what this movement we're all involved in actually is.  Extensive information and descriptions can be found on the American Ethical Union website, but here is our attempt:

Ethical Culture is often described as a religious, philisophical, spiritual, and educational movement that holds deed before creed and aspires to recognize and cultivate the capacity for good among human beings.  At any given Ethical Society you'll find a warm, spiritual community where people join together free from formal creed.

For many of us in FES, Ethical Culture holds a slightly different meaning than for the adults in the movement.  While we all believe in many of the same ideas and hold many of the same values, most of us grew up with Ethical Culture and grew up surrounded by an Ethical Society.  For many of us in FES, Ethical Culture is a lense through which we view the world, and it has shaped our ideals from a very early age.