Membership Renewal For 2012: Fill & Download for Free

No. Top Writer membership will be reevaluated along with new candidates every time a new class is added. Continuing to provide value to the site in the form of great answers, helpful edits, and other ways will determine whether or not your membership is renewed.

Yes.In 2012, the year that that The Hunger Games (2012 movie) was released, Vanity Fair ran an interview with Van Webster, an archery instructor with the Pasadena Roving Archers. Webster said, in part:[1]We’re always interested in having archery portrayed in a positive way and having people get interested, because it doesn’t get a lot of visibility otherwise. We had a big bump in our attendance during the Lord of the Rings series. Everyone wanted to be [Orlando Bloom’s character] Legolas. Now, we’re getting a bump in our programs from the primary audience of [The Hunger Games]: teenage girls and their mothers. We’re trying to put groups of girls together to get lessons. We’re expecting a lot more when the film comes out.In subsequent years, the Archery Trade Association measured the practical impact. In November 2015, the organization released a study, with a press release explaining:[2]For those wondering whether “The Hunger Games” movie franchise has truly generated archery growth, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”The Archery Trade Association (ATA) recently released the results of a study to determine adult Americans’ archery participation, and the clear outcome is a steady upward trend in archery participation numbers.According to the study – conducted by the highly regarded Responsive Management research firm – 21.6 million U.S. residents participated in archery in 2014. That’s a 14 percent increase from the ATA’s 2012 study, which found 18.9 million American participated. Those findings coincide with statistics from USA Archery, the sport’s national governing body, which also documented strong growth from 2012 to 2014.That increase in participation also mirrors archery’s nationwide popularity surge in 2012 after the first “Hunger Games” debuted. Soon after, archery burst into pop culture, with bows and arrows playing lead roles in films like “Brave” and “The Avengers,” and on television shows such as “Arrow.”“We definitely see a correlation between the ‘The Hunger Games’ and a renewed excitement about archery,” said Jay McAninch, ATA president/CEO. “Several contributing factors helped, such as the availability of more archery programs and instructors, but major events like ‘The Hunger Games’ and the Olympic Games did great things to grow our sport.”See also:Sports Illustrated: Hunger Games, Game of Thrones help archery surge in popularityThe New York Times: ‘Hunger Games’ Heroine Helps Make Archery HipNPR: More Girls Target Archery, Inspired By 'The Hunger Games'USA Archery: USA Archery Youth and Female Memberships Skyrocket in 2014Footnotes[1] Ask an Expert: How Real Are Jennifer Lawrence’s Archery Skills in The Hunger Games?[2] ‘Hunger Games’ Franchise Sparks Four Years of Archery Growth | Archery Trade Association

Michael, since you called me out in the question details, I'll be glad to tell you that I find these billboards embarrassingly bad. And I say that as a former advertising copywriter as well as a lifelong atheist. I would not have posted either of those, nor would I have given money to American Atheists to help pay for them.That said, I am not privy to their advertising goals. According to the American Atheists' press release, http://atheists.org/american-atheists-unveil-billboards-aimed-christianity-and-mormonism, the billboards will be posted in Charlotte, NC, where the Democratic National Convention will be held, September 3 - 6, 2012. David Silverman, president of American Atheists said, “The election of our leaders in the United States is one of the most important decisions that we as citizens make. Allowing our judgment to be clouded by sheer silliness is unacceptable. We want to show the people of our country the foolishness of mixing religion with politics.”Mr. Silverman, I have to tell you, this ain't the way.But I should also add that the goal of all such billboards, bus signs, and other advertising is not to convert theists to atheism. It is to offer an alternative to religion to doubters, skeptics, and undecideds. I'm sure these billboards -- and the likely national publicity surrounding them -- will add some fairly hostile members to the roll of American Atheists.Full disclosure. I was a member of American Atheists for one year when I went from quiet to public atheist several years ago. I did not renew my membership because I found their message too strident and unlikable.Also as part of that full disclosure, I don't like religion. I think it is a terrible waste of people's time and treasure. I am, after all, an atheist. But as far as I'm concerned, we're winning without being nasty. So I generally choose not to call names, while reserving the right to be less than nice to persistent and obnoxious evangelists, creationists, intelligent designers, and universal fine-tuners. They have already earned my contempt, and I'm spring-loaded to reply in kind if they are less than polite."does it represent the voice of a plurality of atheists, or an outspoken few?"I'd go with "outspoken few." I cannot imagine that the grown-up atheists on Quora would in any way endorse these ads. That does not mean we don't agree with some of the sentiments expressed in the ads. We may, although these ads are mostly childish, Old Testament, bible-literalist, fundamentalist bashing, and that's not what most of us think is important.I'm not interested in converting any Christian or Mormon to atheism. I am interested in offering another point of view to your kids.But I would never do it with crap ads like those.