Boston Vegetarian Society
 | |
| Founded | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Type | Educational charity |
| 04-3082813[1][2] | |
| Registration no. | 043082813[3] |
| Focus | Veganism, vegetarianism |
| Location |
|
Area served | Eastern Massachusetts |
| Services | Educational events and literature supporting vegan diets |
| Method | Popular education |
Members | [Figure needed] |
| Subsidiaries | None |
Revenue | As of September 2012[update] $52,434[1][2][4] |
| Endowment | As of September 2012[update] $127,324[1][4] |
Employees | [Figure needed] |
Volunteers | [Figure needed] |
| Website | www |
| Affiliate member of North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS), Vegetarian Union of North America (VUNA), and International Vegetarian Union (IVU) | |
The Boston Vegetarian Society (BVS) is a non-profit educational organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with the purpose of promoting and supporting vegetarianism and veganism. It hosts monthly speaking events and an annual vegetarian food festival in the fall.[5][6]
History and purpose
[edit]The Boston Vegetarian Society began in 1986. The first activities were centered around holding vegan potlucks in a church basement during the late 1980s.[7] The Society has seen a steady rise in membership and attendance ever since.[7] In 1998, it was incorporated in Massachusetts as an educational non-profit.[3] In July 1998, it was granted 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the IRS.[1][2]
The BVS provides information on events and related organizations, hosts the annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (BVFF), holds cooking classes, and promotes vegetarianism through mass transit advertising, outreach at fairs and festivals, and monthly free educational seminars.[8] Their New Year's banquet and vegan cooking classes have been reported to be particularly popular.[9] BVS provides education, encouragement, and community support for vegetarians.[10] The BVS also participates in the annual Earth Day Festival of Boston University.[11]
Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
[edit]
Since 1996, the Boston Vegetarian Society has annually hosted the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (BVFF) in October or November.[12] It was first held on May 5, 1996, at MIT's Howard W. Johnson Athletics Center and was hosted by the MIT Vegetarian Support Group (VSG), later renamed MIT Vegetarian Group, and the Vegetarian Resource Group.[13] Notable speakers included Dr. Charles R. Attwood.[14]
The second BVFF was held at Bunker Hill Community College on October 26, 1997.[15][16] Starting with the third annual festival on October 3, 1998, the BVFF has been held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in the Roxbury Crossing section of Boston, across the street from Roxbury Community College.[17]
Over the years, attendance grew so much that the festival was expanded from one day to two days in 2009; for the 2016 festival, organizers expected an attendance between 15,000 and 20,000.[18]
Each year's roster of speakers is almost entirely new; Dr. Michael Greger has been the only speaker who returns nearly each year, typically on or around his birthday.[citation needed]
Several different branding logos have been used since 1996 for subway, bus, newspaper, and other advertising; the current committee is seeking a single brand for the increasingly popular event. The winning logos used on each year's festival's merchandise have emerged variably from college students and professional graphic artists.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]- List of vegetarian festivals
- List of vegetarian organizations
- Mission Hill, Boston
- North American Vegetarian Society
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "NCCS Organization Profile - Boston Vegetarian Society". NCCS. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
- ^ a b c "Nonprofit Organization Lookup". Melissa Data. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
- ^ a b "Summary for: BOSTON VEGETARIAN SOCIETY, INC". Corp.sec.state.ma.us. William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 1988-10-20. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
- ^ a b "990-EZ Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax for Boston Vegetarian Society" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service, Dept. of the Treasury. Retrieved 2013-09-01.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Arnett, Dugan (July 7, 2016). "Forget religion and politics. Dating's newest deal-breaker? Diet". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "About BVS". Boston Vegetarian Society. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Brown, Nell Porter (March–April 2017). "Animal-Free Dining: Vegetarian options sprout up throughout Greater Boston". Harvard Magazine. Vol. 119, no. 4. Harvard University. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "About BVS". Boston Vegetarian Society. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ First, Devra (January 6, 2010). "Boston area are becoming a mecca for vegetarian, vegan, and raw food restaurants". Boston.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "About BVS". Boston Vegetarian Society. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Bates, Jennifer (April 21, 2016). "BU Celebrates Earth Day 2016". BU Today. Boston University. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "About the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival". Boston Vegetarian Society. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "The Internet site of the First Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival!". MIT Vegetarian Support Group. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ "Events of the Day: Speakers and Food Demos". MIT Vegetarian Support Group. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ "Calendar". Vegetarian Times. No. 242. October 1997. p. 118 – via EBSCOhost.
- ^ "Corrections". Vegetarian Times. No. 244. December 1997. p. 8.
- ^ Marandino, Cristin (October 1998). "Bulletin board". Vegetarian Times. No. 254. p. 23. ProQuest 205290778.
- ^ Kamila, Avery Yale (May 25, 2016). "Surge in food festivals for plant eaters reflects lifestyle's growth". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
External links
[edit]