Letter Concerning 2008 General Assembly following January 2008 Meeting of Board of Trustees
January 28, 2008To: Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations and their members
From: Beth McGregor, Chair, General Assembly (GA) Planning Committee; Gini Courter, Moderator, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA); William G. Sinkford, President, UUA
At its recently completed meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association passed a motion that reaffirmed its 2004 decision to hold the 2008 General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Board also requested that we three communicate this decision along with related information to our congregations.
We first want to gratefully acknowledge the Unitarian Universalist (UU) organizations, congregations, and individuals who have communicated their thoughts and concerns regarding the security regulations at the Fort Lauderdale site. None of us is happy about the regulations that govern access to the Broward County Convention Center because of its location inside the security perimeter of the Port of Fort Lauderdale. This situation raises significant issues for us as a faith community. We are thus thankful for the responsible and measured input we have received from groups such as the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA), the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), and the Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM), from several congregations, and from numerous UUs.
The Board's decision to reaffirm the Fort Lauderdale site came after serious consideration of the factors involved with the site and an extensive investigation of alternatives by the General Assembly Office. The Board of Trustees ratified the GA Planning Committee's (GAPC) conclusion that there were no alternative venues in the area large enough to accommodate major events such as the Service of the Living Tradition or our Sunday worship service. The GAPC investigated the possibility of establishing a satellite location where those who either could not or chose not to present government issued identification to enter the convention center could participate in the GA plenary sessions, but they found significant obstacles and concluded that they could not realistically create an equal participatory experience for attendees at a satellite location.
Here is what we will do. Significant programming at this GA and the Professional Days that precede GA will be focused on what it means for us to live in a society where many of our neighbors and their families lack government issued identification. We will also focus GA programming on the erosion of civil liberties in this country since September 11, 2001. We will provide opportunities for attendees to discuss these two issues. As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to engage with these issues and their implications for us as a faith community and as citizens. While the situation in Fort Lauderdale is regrettable, we hope that it will spur us to a renewed commitment to engagement with the world outside our sanctuary doors.
We will, of course, continue the dialogue we have initiated with convention center staff, government personnel, and the local police. The reasons Fort Lauderdale was selected in 2004 remain in effect: extremely favorable financial concessions; physical accessibility; affordable lodgings; a diverse convention center and hospitality staff; and a gay-friendly city. The UUA staff and our GA volunteers are committed to ensuring that this GA is as welcoming as possible. And we will continue to update our GA FAQs with all relevant information.
We invite all Unitarian Universalists to join us in Fort Lauderdale to attend General Assembly and participate in the important conversations that shape our Association of Congregations. Our life together as a community of faith often calls us to struggle with difficult decisions. We recognize that some of you may, for reasons of conscience, decide not to attend General Assembly this year. We understand and respect that decision, and we tell you that you will be missed. As elected leaders in our faith community, we remain committed to the ongoing examination of how our UU values play out in the world.
For more information contact generalassembly @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, February 29, 2008.
