How do you cook hard/dry beans? (pinto, black, etc)?

We bought these big bags of beans at the grocery store. They are hard beans (dry). How do you cook them? Do you have to soak them overnight? What do you cook them with for flavor? I'm trying to steer clear of cooking them with meat. We do have a slow-cooker/crock pot. We also have a huge bag of white rice? Any suggestions on that?