Event: B2017 0625 General Session V 1230 PM CST Captions Provided by: Hear Ink Http://www.hearink.com Phone: 314 427 1113 **********DISCLAIMER********** THE FOLLOWING IS AN UNEDITED ROUGH DRAFT TRANSLATION FROM THE CART CAPTIONER'S OUTPUT FILE. THIS TRANSCRIPT IS NOT VERBATIM AND HAS NOT BEEN PROOFREAD. TO DO SO IS AN EXTRA FEE. THIS FILE MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. PLEASE CHECK WITH THE SPEAKER(S) FOR ANY CLARIFICATION. THIS TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE COPIED OR DISSEMINATED TO ANYONE UNLESS YOU OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE OFFICE OR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS PROVIDING CART CAPTIONING TO YOU; FINALLY, THIS TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE USED IN A COURT OF LAW. **********DISCLAIMER********** >> Good Afternoon. I call we have had some busy, busy days, some joy, some tragedy, ask we are now in the home stretch. So let us center with our chalice lighting and then we will begin our business. From the youth and young adults. >> We bear to face ourselves in our entirety. To understand our pain, to feel the tears. To listen to our frustration and confusion. And to cover new capacity and his capabilities that will empower and transform us. >> For the next few minutes, we are going to listen to a group of young adults talk a little bit about some of their experiences, their hopes, and their dreams. So let's welcome our young adults at GA for this panel discussion. [Applause] >> So hi, y'all. You might remember me as part of the Tri‑Mod. I know. It's a different role now. We're going to spend some time just chatting. We wanted to take the opportunity at this General Assembly to think about how we experienced race, racism, and oppression differently and in truly intersectional way, class and vender and sexuality. . I want to start at the end and I invite you to tell us your name, gender pronouns, and any other upon it was that we should know about you. >> so my name is Reverend Ranwa Hammamy. Pronouns, she/her and they/them. I identify as Egyptian Lebanese and as a Unitarian Universalist Muslim. [Applause] >> I'm Charlie Smith. My pronouns are they/them/their. I identify has a black UU. [Applause] >> Good morning, all. My name is Vanessa Birchell. I go by the pronoun she/her/her and I'm from Jacksonville, Florida, and I identify as an atheist Unitarian Universalist. [Applause] >> Hi. I'm KC Slack. My pronouns are they/them and I am white and a UU pagan. [Applause] >> And finally, as your panel moderator, I'm Greg Boyd. I use he/him/his and I'm a black Unitarian Universalist. We'll just go down the line in the same way again. What are a few ways that race has shaped your experience of General Assembly during this week or in comparison. >> I appreciate you told me I wouldn't have to go first if I sat in this chair, so thank you. [Laughter] One way that I feel that my experience as an Egyptian, Lebanese, and Unitarian and Muslim person has been shaped this GA has been that I've honestly kept largely to people of color spaces, partially because of my role and partially because I knew that those were spaces where I would feel safe. And be held in community. And as a part of going to those spaces, it's actually been really wonderful to see youth and young adults finding those communities, sometimes for the very first time, and connecting with people that have been a part of our faith for so long. The flip side, I've noticed some of my elders and mentors are not in the room, and it's been hard to see that gap of people who have either attacked Unitarian Universalism or have died or been pushed out because of their race or ethnicity. So that's been part of how my experience is shaped in those spaces. And related to that, I feel that I've found myself in a more empowered space because of that community. When I'm in the larger GA world, I know the power to challenge macro and microaggressions I experience, sometimes when leading workshops and fell like yes, I am aloud to interrupt and engage with problematic language or actions. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> As a youth of color at GA, it's been a really great experience. It's ban lot better than the last GA I was at I was able to seek out spaces for youth of color, which was nice. I feel like as a young we're doing well with race, but we're not doing nearly well enough. How many of you are wearing Black Lives Matter memorabilia? I'm not sure that we all should be. There are people with dreadlocks who are not black. There are people using African‑American vernacular English when they are not black. And I feel like if you want to be able to wear that badge, saying that our lives really do matter to you, you need to not just be doing that here in our community. You need to be out there living it. I know it can be hard when someone calls you out on your behavior, so you need to realize that this is not the time for that. Now is the time to put away your tears and stands up for people of color. [Applause] >> What interesting is my whole GA has been shaped by race, because I am the inaugural GA coordinator at this General Assembly. Sole function has been to insure there is space and support for people of color, Indigenous folks to be able to feel safe at GA. So that's been the majority of what I've been doing with my time and ensuring that I was that bridge to connect them to those spaces, the drum space, the blue spaces >> This has been a very different experience. I was in Portland and Columbus and I remember walking away broken heart and had crying during both of those GAs at various times and I think ‑‑ >> For me I have access to conversations that might be draining to you all, and I don't want to cause you to be drained. If I can, I'm going to step in. And I really wanted to challenge white folks in the audience to think hard about the kind of heartbreak we've heard from our people of color, the kind of, hey, you're not there, Muslim siblings and indigenous folks saying you're using our stuff and you're not showing up for me. White folks, let's get it together. [Applause] >> The next thing, I want to invite you into a period of dialogue about how is race impacting your spiritual life right now? I know quite you to dialogue. You can be more responsive here. You don't just have to go down the line. >> I think some of what has resonated with me, Rebecca and KC, was this acknowledgment that we've dawn lot of work. Charlie, you explicitly calling out some of the things that were still happening. One of the phrases that goes through my head, from the Qur‑an, that says through hardship there is also ease. And I feel like so many of us that are Unitarian Universalists of color are just pushing and pushing and pushing, and now we're at a place where things are breaking open and maybe this is our ease and our white folks do more of the work. >> Yeah. >> One of the things I notice that is in common between my UU communities and my pagan communities is a tendency for white folks to overstep. I'm not the problem. And there's a lot of let me take on stuff that's yours. I've noticed people saying Ashe a lot, but whites folks, how about we don't say that on our own? It doesn't belong to us. I want us to contextualize stuff and I know in patient an communities there's a bad habit of being, well, this Hindu goddess who is mine, without any attachment to Hindu community. So if you're not meaningfully in community, be careful about what you're using. [Applause] >> I also identify as pagan. Like you said, it's a predominantly white religious practice. And I think it's hard to seek outs spaces where you can worship the way you want to, but still feel comfortable, because we do have people, like, appropriating stuff that's not for us. And I've been guilty of that. That's right. Black people can appropriate other cultures. And I feel like it is for all of us to unlearn. We all have tendencies that we need to work on. I do. We all do. I feel like at UU's that's a door opener for us. It should be a pathway. It makes it easier. >> I'll talk about something income relationship. As a UU Muslim, we will always harp on how much we loved come, come whoever you are, because it's a beautiful song. And if we're not actively engaging in the Muslim and Islamic theology it draws upon, we're appropriating it. We're appropriating the words of a Sufic Muslim and not engaging with that particular faith tradition and that, for me, is actually reflective of a culture of white supremacy. Where we are taking the pieces that are a good fit for our faith and ignoring the context and the culture and the people that it's coming from. And when we he know counter the pieces, it's uncomfortable. That's something I've also experienced. >> Absolutely. It comes from a particular context and in relationship, we can learn and grow so much and it's not that you can't have access to the wisdom. >> We all love that song, especial he the lovers of leaving part when things get difficult. So that's really important to recognize is that being able to show up and being able to stay when the faith gets difficult and not just leave, because it doesn't quite fit your ideal or you think that I'm not the person that they're speaking to. Everything that's said, even if you are doing everything right, you can learn from that and you can be able to sharpen what it is that you're doing within your communities and really ensuring that folks are getting that. It's no good if you're the only person walking around woke. You ever for go out and give that to other people. And ensure that you call them out when things are done. It's not appropriate. >> We're cop to go that time where we need to close down. Before we go, give us a one sentence take away before our experience of race and spiritual practice as informed by the General Assembly? >> It can be a run on. That's fine. But make it like a 152nd. >> Give me a sec. >> Okay. One sentence. We have a lot of growing left to do and the people with the most power need to be ready to be wrong and uncomfortable out of love. [Applause] >> I'm here in this faith, because I believe we can do this work. >> We're almost there. We're so close. We're almost there, you guys. [Applause] >> I'll give you another Verse. Humanity transgresses when we think we are self‑sufficient. We need each other and we need those forces greater than us to keep moving forward in this work. [Applause] >> Let's have a final round of applause for all of our panelists. Thank you. [Applause] >> They are awesome sauce. Before we move into a brief discussion about establishing a study commission, so Greg, don't go too far away, I want to offer a leadership development public service announcement. If someone could make an acronym for me, it would be helpful. This year, as the board was putting together the plans for general sessions, we talk about different ways to do it to share the space a little bit more. And when the idea of Tri‑Moderator came up, I was a little nervous. If you think anything about the rules of procedure, anything about Roberts rules of orders, and if you know anything about Unitarian Universalists, it's a powerful cocktail of things mixed together. And our Tri‑Mods worked very hard to figure out how to make this work. And despite my old lady white misgivings, I sort of stepped back and they did everything they needed to. For those of you in congregational leadership, in youth group leadership, in young adult leadership, wherever you find yourself leading, the best way to lead, I have learned, is to step back and trust those who are leading from the front edge. And that's what I think our tri‑Moderators have done. [Applause] Several of you have asked me about responsive resolutions and I said, I don't know. Talk to the Tri‑Moderators. And they have handled it beautifully. And we are all so appreciative of your generosity of spirit in rolling with us through this work and giving us all of the positive feedback that you have. So big, big hearts out to all of you who have been patient and participatory and hopefully have learned something from the modeling of these three folks. [Applause] So now I'm going to ask Greg to come back and talk a little bit about our study commission. >> And I'll invite to us do housekeeping. If you're a delegate, he'll have you raise your voting card right now. Little difficult for your Tri‑mod Moderators to see out there. there are a lot in this section and this session. If you can move in easier, it will make it easier for us to scan the room when we're doing an official vote. If you have some time right now, just move in, make new friends there's enough space. I thank you for that. Our bylaws anticipate that promises need to be revisited from time to time. That's what our principles, sources, and purposes are. They're promises. They're a covenant among our congregations in association. And so to avoid becoming decreed, we are required to revisit all of article two at least once every 15 years. We can do that much more frequently if we'd like, and we've tried a few times about five years ago, maybe nine years ago. The conversation began when the congregation said, hey, we should get this to the agenda. It sounds to me, and it sounds to your board like we really want to have a conversation about who we are to one another, who we are inside of our conversations, and who we are for everyone else in the world. To that end we're required to do this at least once every 15 years. Would can not establish a study commission yesterday. We thought we might, well, maybe that's not the full truth. We briefly established a study commission and decided we didn't need it. We established the study commission and it went out of existence almost as quickly. The article allows your Board of Trustees, which is, in fact, the General Assembly in between general assemblies, that's who we are, we're all of you, we're all of your congregations in association, to establish a study commission at any point and mandate the commission must be established if it's been longer than 15 years. So we're going to do that. Because we really want to have conversations about who we are right now, and we've been doing such great work at the renewing covenant taskforce that it's a really great time to start thinking about what are some of different potentials we have? What in it existed a theological document that wasn't subject to up and down voting? How you feel about that? Do you think that the best way to be in covenant is to vote on the covenant using Roberts Rules of Order? We don't think so either, but it's time to start having a conversation about that, because once upon a time we domestic that's why we did it. That's why it lives in our bylaws right now. We used to have different principles. Have you read our 1961 bylaws? We used to have a totally view of what we were supposed to do. We said part of our mission was to make sure we were growing more congregations. That's what our 1961 bylaws say. We are going to go out the there and make more Unitarian Universalist congregations. By 1985, I guess we thought we had enough. [Laughter] I'm not exactly sure why that one disappeared, but it did. But we got new and cleverer language that invited us to draw from sources of a Living Tradition and gave us principles that applied those sources of our Living Tradition and then went one further and said all of these things we agree to? If you don't really believe that, you don't have to. That's what 2.3 says, article 2.3. That's your freedom of belief clause. If there is anything morally objectionable in the rest of article two, you don't have to do that, so these are conversations, conversations we want to start. I'm going to invited you for just a second to turn to someone near you, preferably someone you don't necessarily know. What are some of the conversations you would like us to have about our identity? I'm going to give you three minutes to do this. What are conversations you want to have about our identity? >> Let's begin wrapping up our conversations. I'm really excited by the energy I hear. So this is the work a study commission can do. They're going to invite us into deeper conversation. The study group itself doesn't hold the only conversation. As a matter of fact, the mandate requires that they do broad outreach to all of our congregations. Wouldn't it be awesome if every time we made decisions, we made sure we reached out to every single congregation? Not only the ones that can show up? [Applause] We're going to do that. It's going to take a year or two or four, says the former Moderator corner. [Laughter] Give me a moment. But we're going to take some time to do this and do it right and make sure that before it's time to make the decision, we've had enough time to get all the voices, all of the voices heard so that we know that it's a decision that we want to make together. [Applause] >> Thank you so much, Greg. I would like to invite, before we get to the president's volunteer service award, I'd like to invite to the stage our Director of stewardship and development, Reverend Mary Katherine Moore. And we have some really exciting things that we would like to share with you. [Applause] I'm going to tell you the Good News first and then Reverend Mary Katherine is going to tell us the really Good News. Our collection at GA this year, the Living Tradition Fund collected $89,000. [Applause] The collection for Standing on the Side of Love netted $28,972. [Applause] >> The Katie Tyson Fund brought us $13,555. [Applause] And this morning's service, the collection for FLICC brought us $105,000. [Applause] you all are simply amazing. In total, we raised over 236 and a half thousand dollars in those collections. But wait, there's more. Oh, friends. It's a joy to see you, to look out after this tender week together. I want to share that it has truly been an honor and a privilege for me, a long time parish minister, to leave that work I love and join our UUA in this work newspaper stewardship and development. A personal and a professional privilege to serve in this way. And I want to add that in particular, it has been a privilege for me this last year, since October, and particularly these last few months, truly. My faith and my heart have been broken open. Yours? [Applause] By the pain and the brokenness, by the vision and the courage, by the promise and the practice of our faith. I feel such gratitude for our leaders, our co‑presidents, the leaders of BLUU, and so many others. [Applause] And I take to heart the message from our co‑presidents yesterday, that they hope we will express our gratitude through a call to service, understand ourselves as being called to service for all of us to stay engaged with the work of dismantling and ending white supremacy inside and outside our faith. [Applause] As you heard on Friday from our co‑presidents, our board is inviting you to be a part of the promise and practice of our faith, an opportunity for every Unitarian Universalist congregation to support our board's commitment to providing 5.$3 million in funding for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism. [Applause] >> And to be part of a new way. And to be part of a new way, a transformed and transforming Unitarian Universalism where all are cherished. I am thrilled to be working with the board on this, the future of our faith depends on it, and it will take every one of us to be part of this work. This afternoon, it is my privilege and my joy to announce that we have received a $1 million gift to challenge every Unitarian Universalist and every UU congregation to be part of this campaign. [Applause] I'm so glad to see some of you standing. I will give you a chance to clap again. I'm glad to see you standing, because I think that means that you understand that it will take all of us. Every gift matters, no matter what size, and it is a privilege and a joy to give. Brad and Julie Bradford have been Unitarian Universalists for over 60 years. They have been showing up for justice for all these decades. Racial justice has always been their passion and they want us to do better. They told me this: We are charged with healing our broken world and our broken souls. This is an opportunity. We have to achieve this repair and rejuvenation for our faith so that we can do the work we are called to do. Brad and Julie are inviting all of us, every Unitarian Universalist, every congregation, to experience the privilege and the joy of giving. During this year, we hope your congregation will join us in action and support. You will be receiving details soon about this. Dear ones, Unitarian Universalist leaders have issued a call for us. In a sense, it is simply a call for us to live our faith. I want to thank our leaders, the BLUU collective and their executive director, Lena Gardner. [Applause] The board, and our co‑presidents, and our new president, the Reverend Susan Frederick‑Gray. [Applause] And now I do hope you will join me in thanking Brad and Julie Bradford for their faith in us, for their generosity, and for their challenge, because together we will live into the promise of our faith. [Applause] >> There is more joy right here. Once again, it gives me an enormous amount of pleasure to welcome our outgoing three co‑presidents for the presentation of the Presidents' Annual Award for Volunteer Service. [Applause] >> This is truly an honor. The co‑presidents printing the volunteer service of UUA is given to the person or organization designated by the co‑presidents as having given extraordinary and vital service to the UUA as an organization. The co‑presidents are proud this year to recognize Black Lives Unitarian Universalist ‑‑ [Applause] There's more. BLUU has given us what we call a movement moment and with the movement moment is where black people can have our own sense of space as Unitarian Universalists. BLUU is not, as Reverend William barber describes as a collective with a one‑moment mentality. No. BLUU is about building a Beloved Community for all. [Applause] BLUU exemplifies resistance and love, truth and justice. The BLUU collective is a movement that emerged from the pews to the streets. BLUU is truly a movement that is deep, very deep into the spiritual work of dismantling white supremacy structures and culture. BLUU challenges our faith to live our principles and purposes and to make them evident in everything we do in moving towards the Beloved Community. BLUU has challenged us to look at white supremacy within. Spirit asks us to be unifiers, justice makers, and to not sow division among groups of people such as the aim of white supremacy. Any one person or one group of people who are in an effort to dismantle supremacist are doing spiritual work. BLUU does spiritual work. BLUU has challenged and they have supported us to look at the white supremacy within. To quote BLUU, getting there will be uncomfortable and messy and impolite, just as work for justice has always been. [Applause] The Black Lives of UU organizing collective believes strongly in the promise of Unitarian Universalists. BLUU's programming, community organizing work, intense and joyful worship, and their hard discussions, all of these have opened for us possibilities of the reality of what Unitarian Universalism can be. On behalf of the presidents, I'd like to present this citation. The president's award, 2017. Thank you. [Applause] >> Just deep gratitude for this service award, and I particularly want to lift up the team and also note we're missing someone who couldn't be with us. Her name is Leslie McFadden. I want to honor Dr. Takia Almon, Dr. Royce James, Reverend Michael Flack, and Kenny Wiley. [Applause] And I just want to lift up that this work has been a blessing to us and a burden. We have put in so many hours and we will continue to put in that work. That is our pledge and our commitment and our promise to you. And I want to express deep gratitude to our co‑presidents. [Applause] Not only for this award and this recognition, but for the work they have put into our denomination collectively, because it is on their shoulders that we stand and in their shadows that we work and are able to do this work. So with deep gratitude, we accept this and receive this and commit to continuing to live more deeply into our faith values. [Applause] >> I think that might deserve a little singing. What do you say? Let's sing. >> I hear you. [Laughter] >> Well, good afternoon, GA. Are we having a good time? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. It seems that this GA has been so important to us all, because we're not Standing on the Side of Love. We're answering the call of love. [Applause] Toward that end, one of our favorite songs has gotten a makeover, and I'd like to ask the composer, the Reverend Jason Shelton, to come on up and talk to you about it and lead you in singing, answering the call of love. Reverend Shelton? Oh, here he is. >> Right here. >> Good Afternoon, friends. ¶ Sometimes we build a barrier to keep love tightly bound Sometimes our words themselves are the barrier. The metaphors that we use for the work of justice matter. If we are called to be in this work together, then we have to understand when our words become barriers to full participation. What does love call us to do? For some, it is Standing on the Side of Love. For some, standing is not an option and the continued use of that metaphor is a pain. Reminder to full inclusion of people with disabilities in our congregation, and he special he at our general assemblies. [Applause] So what is my responsibility as an artist when awareness of this pain comes into my consciousness finally? I'm clear, I am clear that the Standing on the Side of Love metaphor, as I intended, as I heard it reflected from Bill Sinkford, has nothing to do with the physical act of standing. It's about aligning ourselves to what love calls us to do. But I'm also clear that intent is not the same thing as impact. [Applause] And the impact of this metaphor has become a barrier for some among us. Friends, when love calls, it sometimes asks us to let go of our attachments and maybe even our T‑shirts. Now, I'm not sure what to do about those T‑shirts. I never got a cut of that anyway. We can have a conversation about that. But I do know that love is calling us to a new and deeper awareness, and I can do something about the song that I wrote. So I ask you to rise not in body, but to truly rise in spirit, mindful of all that that might mean for you, and join me in answering the call of love. ¶ Faith, hope, and love abide. ¶ And so every soul is less than made whole ¶ the truth in our hearts is our guide We are answering the call of love Hands joined together as hearts beat as one Emboldened by faith, we dare to proclaim We are answering the call of love Sometimes we build a barrier To keep love tightly bound Corrupted by fear Unwilling to hear Denying the beauty we've found We are answering call of love Hands joined together as hearts beat as one Emboldened by faith, we dare to proclaim We are answering the call of love A bright new day is dawning When love will not be gone Reflections of grace in every embrace Fulfilling a vision divine We are answering call of love Hands joined together as hearts beat as one. Emboldened by faith We dare to proclaim We are answering the call of love We are answering the call of love The call of love [Applause] >> Thank you so much, Jason. Wasn't it good to sing together? Now we get to engage in yet another spiritual practice of decision‑making. Now again, polity is theology. It's one of the ways that we express our Living Tradition. We say that we make decisions together that bind us and committees to action and so that's exactly what we're doing with responsive resolutions. Responsive resolutions are intended to respond to a substantive part of any report that has been presented to the General Assembly. Today we have three that will come before us. Some important things to know about responsive resolutions is they are binding only on the delegates of this General Assembly. They committee to the specific actions in them, and when they direct action to the board, they're more informative necessarily than their directive. So keep that in mind. They require a two‑thirds vote in order to be adopted by the General Assembly. And the very first thing we're going to do is add them onto the agenda. So if you have not had a chance to look over the responsive resolutions, we do not have them in paper form. They are available on your app. They are also available electronically at the website. So I'll give you a second to bring them up if you're not already looking at them. Maybe you've printed them off. You're allowed to print them off yourself. That's fine. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Yes, please. Carl Ponenan from the Unitarian Universalist you know which of greater Lansing. I remembered it that time. To the point of personal privilege, many of he is don't carry these expensive electronic devices around. Some of us can't afford them. In the budget we have or we have other priorities with the small amount of money that we have. Is there some way that these can be made accessible for the rest of us? I can even give you a dollar or two if it will cover the cost of printing. >> So we are working to put them on the screen. So there is three. Remember? So all three can't go on the screen at the same time. All right? So just give a moment so they can have time to read and then the next one will come. Is that okay? >> I read very quickly. Thank you. Thank you. >> There's not four. There are three. >> There are only three. One has been withdrawn. It was one that directed a similar action as another one of the responsive resolutions. The only ones that you will find on the website or in the app are the three. >> If you have a question, I need to you come to the microphone. [Applause] Are there questions? I hear yelling, but I don't hear questions. >> Hi. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural Mike. >> Sally Geller, central Unitarian church, Paramus, New Jersey. I apologize. I was coming to ask the question. I thought you were answering it. A point of information. Which resolution has been withdrawn? Thank you. >> There were two resolutions submitted regarding an eighth principle study commission. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> To clarify, to help you all, because you all aren't on your devices up there, on the app there are four. One is highlighted in yellow. I'm going to make an assumption that that is the one that has been withdrawn. No? >> Can you give us the title? >> I absolutely will. It says amendment to study commission to review and possibly propose updates to the principle and it is highlighted in yellow. It is page 3. So if you're looking on the app, on mine it is page 3. It's highlighted in yellow. That is the one that has been withdrawn. Excellent. >> Could the delegate please introduce herself? >> Christina Rivera, Director of administration finance, the congregation UU in Charlottesville and on the Board of Trustees. >> Thank you. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> My name is Pat Eggenburger, Unitarian fellowship of Stainlaus County. I'm visually impaired and I was not able to make it big enough to my application. I tried to turn it sideways and I still couldn't get it big enough. I can't read it on the screen. So in the future, I would like you to have some copies available for the visually impaired. >> Okay. We're leveraging together and we are learning about the limitations and the complex balance between environmental sustainability and accessibility, especially when it comes to vision. We erred on one side. And we knew that might be an issue. So we are doing our best to address this in the moment. What I would suggest is that if you have printed out copies and you have large printed them, if you could share them with someone who maybe doesn't have it and would like to have it in paper format, you can review them together. We are also putting them up on the screen. We'll give about ‑‑ let's do two minutes on each one and then we'll continue. Okay? So right now we're reading combating escalating inequality. Let's make that full screen, please. Whereas Tom Andrews of the UUA SC said that he can not think of a time when UU values were more under attack than they are today. Whereas the causes of escalating inequality intersection with white supremacy. Therefore, be it resolved that the 2017 General Assembly calls on the UUA Board of Trustees and UUA staff to appoint a committee to coordinate, strategize, and advise congregations on how to address effectively these deep seated cultural issues. All righty? That was that one. Check one. Perfect. >> Appointment of a study commission to consider adding an eighth principle to article two, principles and purposes. Section‑2.one. Whereas the interim co‑presidents' report and the report of the Board of Trustees both address the issues. White supremacy and intersecting forms of oppression; and whereas the delegates of the 2017 General Assembly believe that such issues are sufficiently important to be specifically addressed in the UUA bylaws, principles, and purposes. Therefore, be it resolved that the delegates to the 2017 General Assembly call for the board to appoint a study commission is to discuss adding an eighth principle that may be as stated below: We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist association, covenant to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by building a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other occasions in ourselves and in our institutions. [Applause] >> And here's the third one. Making the Standing on the Side of Love campaign more inclusive, whereas the journey to wholeness transformation community report identifies Unitarian Universalism as a movement, has made progress in anti‑oppression work, but still has work to do. Whereas, part of the work we Unitarian Universalists need to do is make our justice campaign, Standing on the Side of Love, more inclusive. Whereas, use of the word standing as default justice language places a high value on the justice work and commitments of able‑bodied people, while it makes invisible and excludes the justice work of people with a wide range of disabilities and autistic people. Whereas, Unitarian Universalist principles call for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and whereas, our faith calls us to consider the impact of our words and to take action and engage with ableism in the creation of a Beloved Community. Therefore, be it resolved that the 2017 General Assembly calls upon the leaders of the UUA standing on the side of love campaign to create a new imaging that better includes and reflects the needs and contributions of disabled people. [Applause] >> Thank you, tri‑moderator Elandria for a compassionate compromise. I recognize the off‑site delegate at the procedural mic. >> This question is from Allen Lindrup, First Unitarian society of Chicago. Are responsive resolutions open to amendment or must they be voted up or down as initially written? >> They are open for amendment after an initial period of conversation has he lapsed. In our rules, we have aloud 15 minutes for that or until no one else is standing at the microphone, off‑site or in person. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Hello. Jackie Phelps of the UU fellowship of Lafayette, Louisiana. I'm told this is a point of privilege. As a person with a disability, I would suggest we change autistic people to people with autism. [Applause] And disabled people as either people with disabilities or people who are differently abled. [Applause] The disability or condition does not define who the person is. [Applause] >> So that is helpful information. That's not quite a pointed of personal privilege. Those were moving amendments. I know. I know. I know. It's the ruling of the chair, not necessarily the tellers. All right? So the ruling of the chair is that that's not a point of personal privilege. When the time is appropriate, we could make it an amendment and the Chair might be inclined to believe that that is a clarifying amendment rather than a substantive change based on contemporary language. We'll see what happens when we get there. [Applause] I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Good Afternoon, Moderator Greg. I have a point of information. I'm Debra Boyd from the first Unitarian Universalist church of Columbus, Ohio, and a member of the General Assembly's planning committee. We have a limited number of copies of the responsive resolutions, so if those folks who truly cannot share with their neighbor and this is a necessary piece, we have those in the hall. >> Where would we be able to find those? >> In my hand. >> All right. So folks who do need a paper copy, if you're able to make it toward the front or it looks like we have some folks ‑‑ >> I will go hand‑deliver. >> all right. They will be hand‑delivered. [Applause] >> Before I recognize the next delegate at the procedural mic, I want to remind you that we have not yet added these to the agenda, so we're not even having the conversation on the responsive resolutions. >> You want me to wait, then? >> well, it depends on do we want to take action on these responsive resolutions? Yeah? Okay. So we have to do another thing first. >> Okay. >> All right. So you can stay there. You can stay there. You don't have to go away. Is there another procedural question that does not deal directly with the things we want to discuss? Okay. So let's first add the three responsive resolutions that you've had a chance to read or have read to you. Debra is still making some rounds. Debra is all finished making those rounds, I'm getting the signal. And so I'm going to add these to the agenda. This takes a simple majority vote, and we'll give our tech deck a little time to tee up the off‑site delegates, to whom I owe an apology. Yesterday I said something indelicate and inappropriate that we could determine the majority just by the folks that were in the hall. And that was experienced by some of our off‑site delegates as dismissive and made them feel like their votes don't counted. Every delegate's vote counts and I am deeply sorry for the pain that I caused by indicating that the on‑site delegate vote was more important than the off‑site delegate vote. We do not make decisions without consulting the entire tote, and to the off‑site delegates, I also want you to know that your votes are archived, because they're electronic, and so we have more control. So we can always go back and re‑visit your vote in a way that we don't have the same ability to do inside the hall. So I want you to know that not only do your votes matter, but that we can experience them differently if we need to. I am sorry. [Applause] So, so let's get our voting card out. Often sides delegates, all those in favor of adding the three responsive resolutions to our agenda, Katie about raising your delegate cards now. Can I have some help from my tri‑moderators in determining there? All those opposed to adding the responsive resolutions to the agenda? Katie about raising your voting card now. . Please closed cue for the off‑site delegates. Off‑site delegate vote. That clearly passes. All right. So now we have some responsive resolutions to show. I'm going to hand it over to try moderator Elandria who will be taking it in the order we go, combating escalating income inequality and then the eighth principle one, and then we have someone at the procedural mic. >> Before we get there, I want to remind you of a statement we said yesterday. If you can impact after me? Impact over grammar. >> Impact over grammar. >> So responsive resolutions, one more time. We are talking about the context of the resolution. What it means in all of its ways. Not the exact words, not the work we might use, but what it's saying as a whole. Are we on the same page? I want to remind us again, 15 minutes of conversation. If no one stands at the mic for five minutes because we're ready to go, as of five sins of discussion we can vote, and we will have more time. So here's what I would love people to do. Have people read the Standing on the Side of Love campaign inclusive? We said it out loud. We're going to start the clock. Attorney two minutes and talk to your neighbor. Two minutes. Talk to your neighbor about what it means for you and then we're going to ask people to come to the pro mic. I have an additional mic, and we'll see if there's any procedural. >> All right. I want to make two announcements to begin with. First, if you want to do an amendment, amendment forms are coming and please stop by the tech deck, this table right here, and let them know in advance so that they can type it up. All righty? That's one. Someone asked yesterday ask we forgot to see it. When we see the off‑site delegates, that's the off‑site delegate. That's not you all. It's percentages of the off‑site delegates. I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Thank you. My name is Reverend Teresa Inosoto. [Applause] Thank you, friends. I am nine interim minister at our UU congregation in Flint, Michigan. I'm here to offer this resolution, but we, as a movement, and especially this UUA administration, consider a period of reflection for renaming our justice campaign, Standing on the Side of Love. Some people will say, hey, that's a really good slogan. Are you getting rid of it? Don't you know it's a metaphor? But I want us to call to mind the words of Unitarian Universalist theologian Lewis Fisher Beals. He said this. People often ask where universalists stabbed on this issue or that, but the only true answer to this question is that we do not stand. We move. Today, with this resolution, we can consider how to broaden our welcome, how to value all kinds of work and all kinds of bodies. And General Assembly today, I'm asking you to rise up, to move toward this kind of action. Thank you. I love you. [Applause] >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic, often site delegate. >> Off‑site delegate Marietta Tubman of UU fellowship in redwood city, California. Can someone explain ‑‑ I believe she's asking a point of information. Can someone explain why autism is singled out and how it relates standing on the siding exclusionary language? >> so Teresa, would you like to answer the question? Teresa is going to answer the question >> Thank you, friends, for this question. It comes directly from community. People with autism have said don't call us that, like you would people with disabilities. Don't call us people with autism, because it's part of us, like our hair or our eye color, and we want to be known as having this with us all the time. Now, the difference is when you see me in my scooter, you know I have a physical disability. Often I have to advocate for myself to be treated as a person. If your disability is different, then that person piece might not be appropriate for you. But the reason I'm using that language specifically is to because that's what people have asked for. >> I recognize the delegate at the con mic. >> My name is Michael Scott. I am a delegate from the first universalist church of Rochester, New York. As an able‑bodied white male, I approach the microphone with considerable trepidation. As a lover of poetry and religious language, however, I am afraid, afraid that almost any metaphor of human interaction with the world will speak to abilities that not all people share. Since it is about our senses and our bodies that we all interact with the world. Open my eyes that I may see. Lift up mine eyes into the hills. But what if I can not see? Now, the ears of my ears awake, but what if we cannot hear? Women who run with the wolves. But what of those who cannot run? We just sang A beautiful new version of Jason Shelton's inspiring Phil, but still, we sang of hands joined together on a private new day. What of those who lack hands or for whom the brightness as a metaphor for good is an echo of white supremacy. I do not want in any way to belittle the pain that language so frequently causes. And again, I am very conscious myself of being in the privileged group. But I ask that we consider the possibility that prioritizing inclusiveness may sometimes undermine our ability to powerfully articulate our faith. [Applause] >> I recognize the delegate the at the pro mic. >> I'm the Reverend Susan Fast, community minister affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers, Florida, and the most recent president of Equal Access. I speak in support of this proposed responsive resolution. The problem is not simply about othering and the effect that has on me and so many people, although that effect is real and I would have thought that that would be sufficient reason to change it. But it is also about structural ableism and reinforcing attitudes that able or normative bodies and minds are superior to the rest of us. Our faith's public witness campaign should be a leader in confronting structural oppression instead we have been justifying it. This week we have been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the women in religion resolution, a resolution which, in its content, called for looking at the language, reexamining the language that we use because it perpetuated sexism. Now is the time for us to begin to do this work about ableism. [Applause] Is there a delegate at the procedural mic? >> James Merrill, member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura. And I understood the explanation of why the term autistic people was used in that order and I understood the logic of wanting not to be included with other people with disabilities. I still do not understand and I would like a clarification of the language or the rationale, why are autistic people listed at all? Because autism has nothing to do with the ability to stand or not. My autistic daughter is perfectly capable of standing and I don't understand the inclusion there. >> I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Thank you for this question. One of the things that we are examining as we dig in here is the fact that it's not just about standing or sitting. When I tell you that, I promise that it's true. One of the things that this language reinforces is the hierarchy in which able bodies are fantastic and disabled bodies are okay. And we get that. In the way that the labor and the activism and the support of autistic people is devalue and had dehumanized within our movement, that's why we're together in community on this. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> My name is Aaron White from Fourth Unitarian Universalist Society in the City of New York. And my question is a further point of clarification, specifically Andy do understand the argument and explanation appreciated of why the phrase autistic people instead of people with autism, but I don't understand still why specifically autistic people are named here and not specific with other types of invisible disabilities. As a person who has posttraumatic stress disorder, that often affects my ability to participate in justice oriented actions, and so unless we're going to name everyone that has invisible disabilities, I want to understand why just one is. [Applause] >> There was a question. There's a procedural question. >> Thank you about that question. The language I used, it's a wide range ever disabilities. I think a feasible amendment is to include specifically the Word non‑parent or invisible, but that's why it says wide range, because it's not just about one kind or another. >> Procedural mic? >> Aaron White again from fourth UU. I really don't want to belabor the point. I do wanted to understand why one specific type of disability was named when others are not, because I think it's exclusion nare toy folks who have others. And I feel that way about it. >> So I think the suggestion was maybe to do a friendly amendment. >> Okay. Because I didn't understand that to be ‑‑ >> That was one of the suggestions. >> Thank you. I will do that. >> my name is reverend Findley C. Campbell with the First Unitarian Church Christian group. I am not fellowshipped by UUMA, but I am fellowshipped by UUCF. I call for the rejection of this amendments or resolution not because I don't believe in love, but because we have not shown love to a brother who has been pained in more ways than one. We were told to look at the context. The context is about love. No love has been shown it my brother Peter Morales who made a simple or horrible mistake, whatever you want to call it, and was, in my opinion, driven from office by hateful and cruel language. >> So, I'm sorry. This is actually out of order. >> When Peter Morales ‑‑ >> I'm sorry. I honor your opinion, but this is not about that. This is about that you have something you'd like to say about this particular responsive resolution? We would love to hear it. >> Thank you, Madam Moderator. I'm Reverend Dawn Fortune, interim minister at AYOT Ministry in Greater St. Louis at the Emmerson UU Chapel and First Unitarian Church of Alton, Illinois. My pronouns are they and them. I am genderqueer, and I am here representing TRUST, the transgender religious professional Unitarian Universalists together. We officially endorse this responsive resolution written by one of our members and call on those here to pass it. On Friday, we affirmed here in this hall that one of the sources of our UU principles is not only words and deeds of prophetic women and men, but words and deeds of prophetic people of all genders. I lost my place. Including nonbinary people. We affirmed that the intention of the wording of Unitarian Universalism's second source was to be inclusive, but that the yardstick had moved and that we are called now to a new affirmation and articulation of inclusivity. Now is the time for us to do the same thing with respect to the name of the most visible social justice campaign in our denomination's history. Those who name the campaign did not intend to exclude people with disabilities, yet for eight years many people have spoken out about the harm and the hurt it does for such a powerful and prophetic campaign to have this name. On Friday we answered the call of love to create inclusivity by changing really important words. Today trust asks you to do that again. Vote to open a discernment process that will lead to a new name for the campaign that represents the best and brightest of our faith's justice efforts to one that truly embodies the values of this campaign. Honor the prophetic words and deeds of people of all genders who stand, walk, roll, and sit on the side of love. Thank you. [Applause] >> I recognize the delegate at the procedure mic. >> I'm Karen Griffin, confirmed Unitarian Universalist congregation of Venice in Venice, Florida. I just have a point of question. This is a request for complete re‑branding of a whole movement, which is going to cost money, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just wondering, who is financially liable for this? Is it the UUA? Is it the movement? I mean, there's nothing in here that mentions any of that responsibility and I'm just wondering, is it financially feasible for the movement to do this? >> So is there anybody here from the Standing on the Side of Love campaign? No one can hear you. So if someone is talking, I need you to come to a mic if you have an answer to the question. Yes. >> Elandria? >> Yes. >> There we go. Thank you, Elizabeth. Can you stand at the procedure mic and not the amendment mic, please? Thank you. >> This was closest. >> I know. Elizabeth went to the closest mic. >> Appreciate ‑‑ And can you please introduce yourself? >> Thank you. >> Elizabeth Winn. I do some interim work right now withstanding on the side of love as spiritual sustenance advisor and very grateful for all of this conversation and deep work and your moderation, Elandria. I'm afraid this is going to be an unsatisfying answer, which is that right now we are figuring out what we can say and commit to. I will say that as Nora and I said when we spoke about the campaign yesterday, was it just yesterday? Yesterday morning? We feel leak a change in language is past overdue. We are trying to figure out what we can say right now given our governance. I know that's not very satisfying. >> Thank you. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Reverend Madelyn Campbell. I serve as interim minister of Bull Run Unitarian Universalist. I am speaking as a member of the board of the Unitarian Universalist Christian fellowship. As a point of personal privilege and clarification, we do not offer fellowship to ministers. >> Thank you. [Applause] so I recognize the delegate at the con mic. Off‑site delegate. No? I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. I thought you said no. >> I asked for an off‑site delegate. I do not have an off‑site delegate. >> Madam Moderator, I am Carolina Crevard Graham from the Church of the Larger Fellowship and I am on the autism spectrum. Initially I came to oppose this resolution, but for ‑‑ I just feel it's not big enough, but one of the things I've learned here at this General Assembly is how white supremacy seeks to divide communities of color. As a white ally, I am often confused as to which leadership of color I should be following. And just what I've heard in the last few minutes, it is very, very clear to me that the leadership of Asia Hauser and Christine Rivera and the leaders in DRUUMM or whatever are the people who are leading this movement with Unitarian Universalism and I just want to say I know I'm not kind of saying what I was going to say when I got up here, but I just want to say it's really, really clear to me who's leading this movement. So if anyone was confused about that, throughout this General Assembly, I just ‑‑ >> Carolina, are you speaking to this amendment? >> I was speaking to the debate. >> Do you have something you want to say about this amendment? >> I am no longer opposing it. >> Great. Thank you. >> I recognize the next person to speak from the pro mic. >> This is a point of clarification. There's concern that the outcome of the resolution should be one specific change, but really it's a greater imaging that we're seeking. So if that means that we enter a period of reflection, that would meet the request. >> Thank you. >> I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Hi. Meg Riley with the Church of the Larger Fellowship. And the founding campaign Director of standing on the side of love. Life called us on, y'all. Life calls us on. The tag line for Standing on the Side of Love is harnessing love's power to stop oppression, exclusion, and violence. So let's do that. [Applause] >> So I would like to remind everyone, thank you recon mic? Okay. I recognize the delegate at the con mic. >> I will vote against this. As a person ‑‑ I'm Marie Hauk, from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro, North Carolina. As a person who doesn't go to rallies and such because I can't count on my body to be cooperative, but the literal definition of stand, there are 20 in merum Webster. Only one of which has to do with physical ability. I don't believe in this case stand is a metaphor. I believe that it really means to take a stand, to take a position. And I believe that spending time and money to change that language, to change the logo, to change the T‑shirts is a waste of energy when we should be focusing on what we're actually doing. [Applause] >> So there's been an ask that if the people who are going to suggest amendments can come to the amendment table so they can be consolidated to work with, if that is okay. Thank you. Because we're almost there. So if you could ‑‑ perfect. We got it? Okay. I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Hello. I'm the Reverend Barbara Meyers from mission peak Unitarian Universalist congregation in Fremont, California. I have been working with Equal Access and the wonderful people that were involved ever since it was formed, and I am in charge of establishing the accessibility and inclusion ministry. I couldn't be prouder of the people that have spoken about taking action on making our social justice campaign more inclusive. And I encourage you to support it. Thank you. [Applause] >> I recognize the delegate at the con mic. >> Hi. I'm Jeff Stein from Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville. I, too, as an old white man, stand up here with a lot of trepidation, like the fellow before me. I am a writer. I have spent my life in communications. I am, as I've listened so much to this, I have been so supportive of everything metaphorically and actually as the woman before me said, in terms of all the definition of standing on the side of love, have supported it. I 57 so concerned that we start to be Picayune about the choice of words that we start to get into the area of censorship. That we are going to be tiptoeing on egg shells constantly, that this is going to become, as the woman before we said, a Marge and device and I have Connelly waste of energy when the met on forces that we are living by and acting on are there. I live by metaphor and I become concerned when my denomination starts to strike those metaphors down. [Applause] I recognize the delegate at the procedure mic. >> Thank you, Madam Moderator, Carolina Crevard Graham from the Church of the Larger Fellowship. I am coordinating off‑site delegates for allies for racial equity and I have some of our off‑site delegates saying there's a slight delay and they'd like to know, I know that the tech team has been a little short today and we grief. Whom do they contact about that day on the ground? That was the question sent to me. >> What I can do is just wait, pause before we go. >> That, I think, would help. >> I'm hoping that will be sufficient. >> Okay. So did everyone hear? Before we start, we need to pause before we go. I want to say one other thing about what it means to be doing this in a theological faith space. Everything we talk about actually impacts people in the room. Right? So this is what I want to say. You see I'm sitting here on this nice chair, because I can't stand anymore. For everything we're going to discuss today, and I come from a culture that collapses a lot. It does mean, though, that it actually could say to somebody whether they're valued or not, even in our clapping. So for us to really hold tight to what does it mean to love everybody in this space, regardless, and so that we're not saying, yah, we believe in you, but not really, for however people believe. Does that make sense? Okay. So I'm not saying to not show your appreciation, but just hold that we are in a faith movement with each other and that means we show up differently than maybe we should in other places, although I think we should show up the same way there, too. So we're going to take a one‑second pause. And I recognize the delegate from the ‑‑ hold on. Procedure mic. There you go. >> Thanks. Yes. I am the Reverend Matthew Mikhail. I serve Emmerson Unitarian Universalist Church in Los Angeles and I have a question, which is use this responsive resolution say that we cannot use words like standing or looking or whatever the case may be in any case whatsoever or does it only ask us to rename or to look at the possibility of renaming our justice campaigns that so much of our justice work rests under? >> It is just about renaming the justice campaign that our work sets under. >> Great. Then we should support it. [Laughter] >> Okay. >> Out of order. >> Goodness gracious. I recognize the delegate from the con mic. >> Sally Gellert, central Unitarian church, Paramus, New Jersey. I note that SURG had this conversation and we're told that standing up for racial justice was okay. I also want to quote a lyric saying sitting in and laying down are ways to take a stand. And also, twinkle's work instead of using time to applaud. >> I want to remind everybody that there are people who cannot hear well if everyone else is talking while they are. So if we can please make sure that everyone around us can hear at the same time. Thank you. I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Thank you. My name is Alex Mader Winette, delegate from the First Unitarian Church in Oakland in beautiful downtown Oakland, California. Thank you. And I'm a student at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkley. I approach the pro mic about an attitude of confession and contrition. From 2007 to 2009, I had the privilege and honor to serve in the Washington office for advocacy, and one of the roles I took on was to help make, with the launch team. Now, in one of our early meetings, one of our members, Lisa Swanson, a Beloved colleague with disabilities in their hands, mentioned that they thought that the language we were using was exclusionary and ableist. I dismissed their claims and ultimately went with the language as was proposed. I now realize that was wrong and I apologize. I do not believe that we were working out of ill faith or bad intend or malice, but rather through unchecked bias and I apologize for that as well. I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished in eight years. We've done so much withstanding on the side of love, but I think it's time for us to re‑access the language we use, the images, the metaphors, and take the courage to find new ways to be and answer the call of love. So I ask the delegation to call the question and support this proposal. Thank you. [Applause] >> So I would like to make an announce meant. We have 30 minutes to do all three of these. If we're going to stay on time, if we're going to stay on time, we have 30 minutes to do three responsive resolutions. Okay? So I'm just putting the announcement out there so that people know what time we're at and what we're looking at, because sometimes, yet again, we forget timing. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Thank you, Madam Tri‑Mod. Wendy Von courter, for a few more hours, co‑chair of the journey toward wholeness transformation team, delegate from marblehead, Massachusetts, and former member of the UUA accessibilities Committee. Somebody asked a very good question, and this is for a point of clarification, somebody asked about whether this language and focus on detracts from our doing. Might we have a brief report from the Equal Access folks about what it is we're doing in terms of our accessibility sensitivities here at General Assembly? Thank you. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Thank you, Tri‑Moderator. My name is Reverend Sunshine Jeremiah Wolfe and I am the interim minister at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society in Syracuse, New York. I offer a point of clarification that surge stands for showing up for racial justice, not standing up. Showing up. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedure mic. >> My name is Reverend Jennifer Gray. I serve our congregation in Danville, Indiana. The UU Community Church of Hendricks County. And I'm looking at the two lines and I would like to call the question. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. So we are voting whether or not to vote on the question. So news everyone have their delegate cards ready? Yes? My fellow Tri‑Mod? Help me? This takes two‑thirds. So all of those in favor of voting on this responsive resolution now, please raise your cards. All those opposed? We are waiting on the final count. 96% in favor. It passes. All righty. So we're now going to vote. Now we're on the main motion. Here we go. We are now voting on the main motion. And there will be no amendments. All right. So all those in favor that be it resolved that the 2017 General Assembly call upon the leaders of the UUA standing on the side of love campaign to create a new Imagining that better includes and reflects the needs and contributions of disabled people. All those in favor, please raise your cards. All of those opposed? We're waiting on the off‑site. 90% to 10. It passes. One thing done. >> Okay. We're going to go to combating income inequality, and I'm going to wait for the off‑site delegate cue to clear. And I'm going to recognize the delegate. >> thank you. My I'm Fred Van Doosen, member of first parish in concord, Massachusetts. I'm the author ever this resolution. We have an active group in concord that's been working on the topic of escalating inequality for the last three years. We're quite well‑grounded on these issues. It's abundantly clear to us that the issues of escalating inequality and white supremacy strongly intersect in their causes and concerns. They're together deeply ingrained in our American culture and need to be worked on together. It will require a huge and well coordinated strategic effort to make any lasting progress on these issues. It will involve many groups working together effectively to build a large and powerful movement. We need to mobilize and we need to start soon. If will be very difficult, if not impossible, to do this without incredible, well positioned leadership that's able to pull together the talent, ideas, and strategic relationships necessary to be successful. This week we've been blessed to observe the ability of the UUA board and staff members to pull together three superb temporary co‑president and his many wonderful and knowledgeable speakers and leaders. I'm strongly convince that had if we focus our attention and work together on these critical issues and a well thought out, coordinated manner, we can make an enormous difference in this country. This work must be done and we all can play a major role if we have the courage to do so. I hope we're willing to step out of our comfort zones. I certainly am now. And do this terribly important working the work that we do externally will help us with the work we Snead to do internally. They're synergistic. I ask you to approve this resolution. >> Thank you. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Peter Candace, UU congregation of the Lowcountry in South Carolina. I would ask the Moderators, in another instance, if we call the vote to let the delegates know that we're then not going to be able to vote on the amendments. I think that that may well influence the vote. Thank you. >> so noted. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Hi. It's Karen Griffin again from Venice, Florida. I have a question on this proposal. I'm still concerned that we are not addressing the issues of the cultural biases in our own congregations when it comes to income inequity, and is this work that you're asking a commission to lead on ex‑personally focused or also internally focus today deal with our own cultural biased within our congregations? >> I recognize the delegate at the pro mic to answer the question. >> Yeah. Fred Van Doosen again. I think we're pretty well focused. This is meant to be both actually, in a sense. I think the external focus will help our internal focus. By working on these issues, both internally and externally at the same time, I think that actually helps both. >> Okay. Is there going to be ‑‑ >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Me again, Karen. Is there going to be an intentional work within the congregations to deal with cultural biases within the congregations? I mean, are we calling for intentional work? >> I think that's part of the other is work that's going on here. In this whole GA. So this was specifically to make sure we are doing something externally as well. >> Okay. >> I recognize the off‑site delegate at the procedural mic. >> this is from Dave Michael, east shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirkland, Ohio. Move to change the rules, change the 15 minute discussion rule before amendments to 10 minutes. >> I'm going to take a little break. Talk with my parliamentary team. I know what to do. I just need to give a response. >> The motion is in order. It takes a two‑thirds majority vote to amend the rules. So we will be doing that now. All those in favor of amending the rules, do we have a second? >> Second. >> There we go. All right. It's not debated annual. This takes a two‑thirds majority vote in order to amend the rules so that there is a 10‑minute discussion timeline as opposed to 15‑minute discussion timeline. All those in favor of amending the rules for a shorter time frame, please raise your voting cards now. All those opposed? I'm waiting on the off‑site delegates. They're still getting some things in. They've asked me for a longer delay period. Please closed cue for the off‑site delegates. Okay. The motion to amend the rules passes. We will now have 10 minutes of discussion before we move to the ability to make amendments. Everyone understand? I recognize the delegate at the con microphone. >> Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Steve Buckingham from the Frederick, Maryland, UU congregation. While I am in support of the activity we've taken on economic inequality at this session, after lots of debate and work, I feel that this is not the time for us to single out economic inequity, because it is part of a intersectionality with racism and other issues. We have a new administration taking office now. They will need to get the guidance and leadership from affected communities before they decide how to approach helping congregations with this work, and I believe this is an unnecessary additional step to isolate economic inequity and not treat it as part of the greater cultural intersectionality that is the whole subject of this it General Assembly has been. >> Thank you. I recognize the delegate at the pro microphone. >> My name is Earl Daniels. I am a member, a delegate from high street Unitarian Universalist in Macon, Georgia. We do a lot of good work at GA and we go home and oftentimes smaller congregations like mine have a difficult time in actually implementing some of these projects and resolutions and to fulfill the intentions. I would like this resolution to pass so we have an extra impetus to have people designated and people very intentional about going to the congregations and give them the work they need to do this work. Thank you. >> Before I recognize the delegate at the con microphone, again, a simple reminder that we have about 10 minutes to do the remaining two responsive resolutions without extending time. Keep that in your mind as you do that. I now recognize the delegate at the con microphone. >> Marie Cobb, First Unitarian Society of Chicago. The statement of conscience draft, it doesn't mention ‑‑ it does not address the root cause of inequality or its impact on democracy. It does not challenge our current economic system. Only wealth inequality, not income inequality, and I think that's one of the reasons I have to vote against it. Thank you. >> Thank you. I recognize the off‑site delegate at the procedural microphone. >> Lisa Bickford, Jefferson Unitarian church in golden, Colorado. I move to extend time as the last one is the most important, in my book. >> By how much does the delegate wish to extend Nile >> I do not have that. >> Okay. If the delegate could come back with, that I'll give you a second. I have someone else in the off‑site line, so I'll come back to that person and then you'll be third in line after that. I recognize the delegate at the procedural microphone. >> Michael Scott, First Unitarian Universalist, Rochester, New York. Could someone from the CSW briefly remind us what the normal procedure is for implementing a procedure of conscience and how that would be changed by this current proposal? do we have a commissioner in the house? Come to the pro mic. I recognize the commissioner at the pro microphone to respond to the delegate's question. >> Reverend Caitlin Cotter of the Unitarian society of Santa barber and outgoing chairman of social witness. As I understand it, and here on our chair at the other microphone. My understanding is this would not significantly alter our process as everything is a recommendation and this would only be a statement of body as this is a statement of conscience and another is on behalf of the Unitarian Universalism that went through a four‑year process. Susan, am I right in that? >> I recognize the commissioner at the procedural mic. >> The statement of conscience has been adopted by this body and so basically, it is in effect as of the position of the Unitarian Universalist Association broadly. The process a four‑year study action process. There is one more year that's called an implementation year. At this time, during this year, the idea is to encourage congregations, because it is congregational study action to look at what the suggested accounts are within it and to take action and do it. But there are not staff resources any more than just some minimal staff support. So I'm not sure whether this resolution is having for something more substantial. >> Thank you. Before I recognize the off‑site delegate at the procedural mic, can the teller tell me if it is the same off‑site delegate? We also need some clarity on whether it's adjournment time or time for discussion. If your motion is to extend the adjournment time, our rules say that we are to adjourn by 3:45 p.m. today. So if that is the motion you're making, we have not yet run out of time for this. I recognize the off‑site procedural Mike. >> Lisa big Ford from golden, Colorado. I move to extend time to 30 minutes per responsive resolution. >> That's not in order at this time. 30 minutes for each responsive resolution has already ban lot. I recollect okay knees the delegate at the pro mic. >> I'm Reverend Amy Williams Clark. I serve our congregation at Cedar Hirsh Unitarian Universalist and I am speaking in favor of this, because there's intersectionality between poverty, homelessness, economic, as well as racism, sexism, and environmentalism. It's an intersectional piece. It's an important piece to be talking about and to be studying and he's assigned to our partners in social justice work that this is something we are serious about and we want we want to talk about. >> I recognize the delegate at the con mic. >> Hi. Shall I Gellert, central Unitarian, Paramus, New Jersey. I rise to speak against this motion or this resolution, I believe that there are many organizations who have this totally under control. 99 rise, backbone campaign, move to amend, anti‑poverty met work in New Jersey. I'm sure you guys have local ones. State advocacy organizations in those states that have them. Surely have partners. And I don't see the particular value ‑‑ >> We also have values for UU economic justice community. Go there. Thank you. >> I recognize the off‑site delegate at the procedural mic. >> Kathy Ron Star from Unitarian Society of Hartford, Connecticut. I'm not sure if it's in order to call the question at this point. If it is, then I call the question. >> You've got another three minutes, Kathy. All right. Recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Amy Leona have the Unitarian Universalist Church in liver more, California. I am strongly in support of this statement of conscience. I believe it is a vital step towards creating a more economically just community and societies. It's only a step, but it's something that we need to start working on as an association, as individual congregations as Welch the document does address intersectionality of economic inequality with racism, sexism, and ability as well, so I just urge you to support this and I believe it is just a step that we all need to start working on and continuing and to take each of these. There's a list of options you can take and ways you can address these issues within your congregations and in society, and I urge everyone to take those to heart. To take those back to their communities as well. >> I recognize the delegate at the con mic. >> Reverend Dr. Finley C. Campbell, First Unitarian Church of Chicago and also a member of UUJEC. I rise to object and to call people to vote against this proposal, because it gives an authority to the Board of trustees and the new leadership which I don't think they deserve. I believe that the confusion and disarray that has been manifested ‑‑ >> You are not speaking to the merits of the resolution. Do you have any other reason that you with wish not to have this resolution pass? Okay. >> the other reason is that it is a neo‑racist document, because it refers to giving money to black businesses, black communities, rather than strictly to the poor and owe pressed communities. They are the one who needs it, not those who are part of the national bourgeoisie of this country. They don't need it. It's a waste of time to give it to them. We must specify more clearly, oppressed black communities, black businesses like McDonald's and others are dangerous forces of dietary poisoning in our communities. Why should we give them more money? The whole issue of inequality is grounded in a capitalist system and the Word capitalism does not even appear in the main document. In addition, by mixing in white supremacy, a false doctrine, a false doctrine, rather than sticking with the Word institutionalized racism, this fatally flaw this is idea. We will take parts of it certainly back to our congregation, because we fought very hard for a version that would be more inclusive. Black community, black businesses, et cetera, is already privileging, privileging an aspect. By eliminating the Word black working class communities we give cart blanche to every wealthy black capitalist. Thank you. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Marcus Foliano, Peoria, Illinois, Unitarian Universalist Church. I was asking a point of clarification. We made a motion to amend, to shorten the time for amendments to 10 minutes. You had mentioned that we only need three more minutes to call the question. So I'd like to make a motion that we set that at 10 minutes as well. >> Does that make sense? >> Let me ‑‑ I'm going to consult. I want to give you a full answer. Okay? >> Okay. Thanks. >> Marcus, is your question whether you can also call the question after 10 minutes? >> Yes. >> That's correct, you can call the question after 10 minutes. That's what we did when we shortened the amount of time required for discussion. >> We did that for amendments. >> We did that all together. >> Oh, okay. Thank you. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Hi. Nicki Moore, UU of Marblehead, mass. You want me to say that again? Can you hear? Sorry. Hi. Nicki Moore of UU Marblehead. I propose that we limited any off topic subjects just immediately so we're not wasting much more time here. >> The Chair acknowledges the ability to be more assertive in keeping us on topic. >> Thank you. I appreciate that, Greg. >> I recognize the commissioner at the procedural mic. >> Susan Goekler, actually delegate from the UU's of southern Delaware. Just want for clarify that we have already adopted the statement of conscience itself and that's not the resolution that is under consideration. So discussion about the content of the statements isn't really appropriate at this point. >> Thank you. Do we have anyone else at the procedural mic discussing? All right. I recognize the delegation at the pro mic. >> Carolina Crevard Graham, also on the Steering Committee for Equity. We have been in conversation with DRUUMM. We would urge you to support this. Although the language might not be perfect be the intent is there and I think the language ‑‑ we have full confidence that the language is going to make its way into what it really needs to be. We really, really urge you to support this. Thank you very much. >> I recognize the delegate at the amendment mic. >> Thank you, Moderator Boyd. I am Debra Gray Boyd, but not related to you. >> No, you're not. >> And from the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, Ohio. I am here today, because I am struggling with the depth and the complexity of things that already exist at the Unitarian Universalist association, and so I move to strike the phrase, to appointed a Committee. We have enough committees. I'm serving on one of your committees and I'm grateful to do that, but we have enough committees. We have a fabulous Unitarian Universalist staff. We have an amazing Unitarian Universalist board. And so this body can call on those folks directly without creating yet another layer for us to move through. It is my opinion that having so many different groups assigned to different smaller paths is not in our best interest. I therefore ask this body to strike, to appoint a Committee. >> Second. >> Okay. All right. Do we have that up on the screen? All right. There we go. We have the amendment moved and seconded. Is there any discussion on the amendment? If you would like to discuss the amendment, I need to see folks line up at the pro or con microphone. I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> Very briefly, considering this calls on our existing staff to help us out, I withdraw my ‑‑ if this passes, I think it's a good thing. >> Anyone speaking against? It sounds like you're ready to vote on this amendment. This is a simple majority. All those in favor of striking the words ‑‑ can I get that back up on screen, please? All those in favor of strike to go appoint a Committee from responsive resolution? Please indicate that by raising your delegate cards now. All those opposed? Can we bring up the off‑site? Please closed off‑site cue. That passes. Can I have a backup on screen as amended? There we go. I recognized delegate at the procedural mic. >> Robin Stillwater from fourth universalist in New York City. I would like a point of clarification. The motion that we voted on a few moments ago to shorten the time when you can started making amendments to 10 minutes be the Wording of that was to shorten the time to allow amendments to be made, not motions, to table, refer, or to call the question. If the wording was intended to shorten the time also for allowing motions or taking, referring, and calling the questions, I would have voted differently. However, the Wording of the motion did not reflect that. And I would like a clarification on what exactly we voted on. >> The ruling of the Tri‑Mod rate certify that the intent of the amendment time is to make sure that you also have enough time to properly discuss the issue. So by consequence ever shortening the amount of time needed to make the amendment, we also shorten the amount of time we require for discussion. >> Well, I would agree, point of clarification, on the motion that we already voted on that now the Wording and understanding of is being changed for, allowing time for amendments before we allow time for calling the question allows wording to be changed in ways that disrupt the pattern of having things move quickly, expediency, and therefore, helps disrupt the patterns of patriarchy and white supremacy, and therefore, I disagree with the motion that I voted on earlier and I disagree with that ruling. And actually, as far as Roberts Rules of Order go, what we voted on is what we voted on. >> Do I hear a motion to overturn the ruling of the chair? >> Yeah, motion to overturn the ruling of the tri‑Moderators and readopt the actual wording of the motion that we voted on. >> There is a second. This is debatable. Would anyone like to speak in favor or against overturning the ruling of the Tri‑Mod raters? Unless you have an additional statement to make in favor of that, do you need to speak again? I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. Robin, still from Fourth Universalist. I don't think this should need a motion. I am asking us to following Roberts resumes of order and to have the Wording be what we voted on. It shouldn't need a motion. It should just be ‑‑ if we're going to follow Roberts, that should just be how it is. >> I understand. The Tri‑Moderators made a ruling about that interpretation. Now the way to overturn that is by making the appropriate motion, which you have done. All right? I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> not you, the one behind you. You already spoke in favor of this. >> My name is GG Gordon, from the Marquette universalist congregation in Marquette, Michigan. I speak in favor of the proposal, because income ‑‑ >> this is not in order now. We are speaking in favor or against overturning the ruling of the chair. I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> David Shay, Chandler, Arizona. The advantage of just reducing the time for amendments then allows folks to make amendments before everyone lines up to call for the question. During the entire time we've been here, that was the first time we've had an amendment. I've seen lots of people for the be able be to make amendments. So it's essentially a motion for fairness. Thank you. >> All right. I need a quick clarification. I have an off‑site delicate at the con microphone. Is that an off‑site delegate speaking to the motion to overturn the ruling of the chair? >> Yes, it is. >> I recognize the off‑site delegate at the con mic. >> The off‑site delegate's name is Abigail Humphries, First Unitarian Church, Toledo, Ohio. I am a delegate from church Unitarian church, Toledo, Ohio. I think we should embrace the intent. Tri‑Moderators and respect their ruling. >> I recognize the delegate at the pro Mike. >> Erin White, First Unitarian Universalist. I am in favor of overruling the finding the interpretation of the Tri‑Mod because I did think we were voting with respect to amendments, because there has been difficulty in making amendments in this General Assembly, and I know that, for instance, I was standing on the last resolution and I was unable to make the amendment that the author that have resolution was in support of because of the ruling that required me to wait 15 minutes, but allowed for the motion be called before any amendments could be made or proposed. And I found that very exclusive and I find it not at all ironic that a motion about inclusivity, I was excluded from participating in that conversation. And so I strongly urge that we reconsider and overrule the finding of the Tri‑Mod with all respect. Thank you. >> Is the delegate at the con mic speaking to overturning the ruling of the chair? All right. I recognize the delegate at the con mic. >> My name is Mary Beth Spencer from Mount Diablo UU Church in Walnut Creek, California, and I would like to have us able to discuss all of the things that we want to discuss today and get through all of the things we want to discuss today, and I know that our time is at a premium. We have discussed, we did get to vote on the shortening the time and I think that it we do need to figure out how we're going to limit ourselves. I was under the impression and I think a lot of us were under the impression that we were voting to make some expediency decisions, and so we're going to have to cut time somewhere. We did vote to amend Roberts rules and I think that is what we did today. >> I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> Mr. Tri‑Mod, I think the wrong clock is running down. I think we should be on the amendment clock, not the motion clock to. I came over here at 15:27. >> Okay. I'll check that out in a second. Did you have ‑‑ >> That was my point of information and checking on that pros. >> Okay. I'm check on the clock. >> All right. Seeing no other folks in line for ‑‑ okay. I recognize the delegate at the procedural mic. >> This is David Michael, who was east shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirkland, Ohio, the maker of the motion that is being discussed. My original ‑‑ point of clarification. My original intents for the motion was to give time for amendments before calling the question. >> Could I hear that again? >> This was the maker of the motion who says my original intent for the motion was to give time for amendments before calling the question. >> The Tri‑Moderators hear you. We with will make it so there's 10 minutes for amendments, but still 15 minutes before discussion. Does the delegate who made the motion to overturn the ruling of the chair withdraw the motion? >> Yes. >> Thank you, Robin. >> Bravo!. >> Excellence. >> Leon, it's time to sing. >> Yes, you, you, Leon, little Leon. >> Time for us to sing. >> I'm sorry. I was caucusing with some of my fellow musicians. >> It happens. >> Could I ask the tech deck to please get ready Gentle, Angry? [Laughter] >> Marcus, where are you, Marcus? Oh, my goodness. We'll put it up and we'll just sing it a cappella. Gentle, Angry. Gentle, Angry, 170. We have words up? All right. Let's go. Ready? And we go. [singing "Gentle, Angry"] And thank you so much, Leon. Get to your seats. We want to debt some more singing. So we have to be out of this space by no later than 3:45:00 p.m. We have a new president that we elected. We want to install that person. We have new people that we elected to other elected offices that we want to install. And to do that, we have to get through our process. So how much more time do you want to spend discussing resolutions you basically want to pass? How much time do you need to discuss something you want to do? I recognize the delegate at the pro mic. >> I apologize. I just don't think it's a foregone Congresses. I'm Gigi Gordon. I speak on behalf of the Marquette, Michigan, Unitarian Universalist congregation. I support this resolution, because I think anything we can do to elevate the visibility of the issue of economic inequality that's so integral to all of the other issues we've discussed is vital. Somebody earlier said that this issue is well in hand, but I hear very few candidates for local, state, or federal office talking about the issue. And they should be. So I am in favor of this. >> I have an off‑site delegate at the procedural mic first. I recognize the off‑site delegate at the procedural mic. >> this is Amy young, west shore UU church in Cleveland, Ohio. If we have time to sing, we have time to leave voting open for a full 90 seconds for off‑site delegates who are experiencing lags that result in not getting the voting option to pop up before voting closes. Please set a clock for 90 seconds when you open the voting for those of us who cannot listen in on the teleconference. Several of us have auditory disabilities and need the captions in the video feed to follow along. >> Tech deck, do you hear that? I need 90 seconds. I need a message when we've reached the 902nd Mark. Thank you. I recognize the delegate at the procedure mic. >> Math other Mason, [Indiscernible] I would like to call the question. >> This motion is in order as we ever the appropriate amount of lapsed type. It is not debatable. It takes two‑thirds majority. All those in favor of ending debate so we can vote on this responsive resolution, please date by raising your delegate cards now. All those opposed? And I'm waiting for a message from the tech deck for the off‑site delegates. You can bring that screen up, though. I need to get a message from the tech deck. All right. That clearly passes. Can I get the text of the responsive resolution as amended on the screen? Thank you. This is what we're voting on. This takes a two‑thirds majority vote in order to piece. I'll read it. Combat being escalating inequality. Whereas Tom Andrews of the U USC says that he can not think of a time when UU values were more under attack than they are today. Whereas, Mr. Andrews exhort us to take vigorous and sustained action to protect and further those values. Whereas the delegates of this 2017 General Assembly approved a statement of conscience regarding escalating income inequality. Whereas the causes of escalating inequality intersect with the affects of White supremacy. Therefore, be it resolved that the 2017 General Assembly calls on the UUA Board of Trustees and UUA staff to help coordinate, strategize, and effectively these deep seated cultural issues. This requires a two‑thirds majority vote. We'll wait until we hear from the off‑site delegates. If you are in favor of the responsive resolution as amended, please indicate by raising your delegate cards now. All opposed? We do not call for abstentions. If you didn't vote in favor or against, I assume you abstained. The motion clearly passes. >> Good afternoon. We are now ready to add to voting language on the UUA bylaws relating to ‑‑ telling a study commission we want them to consider this language. I need to see the text of the ‑‑ thank you. So in the spirit of making sure you all know what you're voting on, appointment of a study commission to consider adding an eighth principle to article two, principles and purposes. Whereas the president's reported and the report of the Board of Trustees both address the issues of White supremacy and intersecting forms of oppression and whereas the delegation of the 2017 General Assembly believe that such issues are sufficiently important to be specifically addressed in the UUA bylaws principles and purposes. Therefore, be it resolved that the delegates to the 2017 General Assembly call for the board to appoint a study commission to discuss adding an eighth principle that may be as stated below: We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist association, covenant to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by building a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. The moderator recognizes the speaker at the pro mic. >> my name is Bruce Pollack Johnson. Paula Cole Jones and I wrote this resolution and the eighth principle. My pronouns are he/him/his. I'm a delegate from the UU Church of restoration in Philadelphia. At this historic revolutionary GA, we've been remind today focus on what really matters and on having an impact. Dr. Asneka Reminded us UU‑ism as a beautiful theology of Beloved Community that has a deep appeal to people of color and those from other oppressed groups. Our phenomenal co‑presidents have reminded us that our practices have often not lived up to this vision and they have modeled the kind of radical action needed to correct those shortcomings, which our new president has pledged to continued. Race is the issue behind the two major crises of our association. Dr. Sanika has come back home and offered us a unique opportunity for reconciliation and redemption, an amazing gift. The eighth principle was conceived by Paula Cole Jones, because our current UU reality is that someone can believe they are living the seven principles, but not spend any time thinking about or acting to dismantle systemic White supremacy or other oppressions. Our current seven principles do not explicitly mention Beloved Community or love in any form or accountability. They do not remind us that this work is necessary to move ourselves towards spiritual wholeness. Our 1997 resolution was not enough to keep our eyes on this prize. Our UU principles are what we all referred to mentally as the core of who we are. The language of the eighth principle is the language we have been hearing and using throughout this amazing GA. Let's codify it as a constant reminder to ourselves of what we are truly all about. Action toward justice is an essential spiritual component of UUism. We all need to work very hard to ‑‑ >> Thank you. I'd like to remind delegates that we now have about a half hour for all of our closing ceremonies, including installation of our officers. I would like to suggest that if there's any, like, amendments type language or clarification or anything of that sort, you're welcome to e‑mail that to board@UUA.org. Please keep in mind that these responsive resolutions do not have force and effect of law. They are not binding. And so spending a lot of time crafting language may not be the best use of our time if you want to see the closing ceremonies occur. Now, it's up to you if you want to spend the next half hour debating. We can do that, but then we won't have any closing ceremonies. We won't be able to acknowledge our new officers. The Moderator recognizes the gel I got at the procedural microphone. >> Hi. My name is Sharon Gray from All Faiths Unitarian Congregation in Fort Myers, Florida. And I've sat through workshops and I've sat through business sessions and I thought I heard that any time some amendment or proposed amendments is going to go a special commission or Committee to study, that all of the principles and all of the purposes will also be reviewed. >> That. >> And I want to confirm that, because there were some principles that did not get voted upon this time, and we were told that if anything was submitted to that commission, they all would be reviewed. >> You are absolutely correct. >> Thank you. >> The Moderator recognizes the delegate at the procedural microphone. >> Thank you. Carl Ponenan from the greater universalist Church of greater Lansing. I was excited to hear earlier today the Moderator announce that the Board of trustees wilt be appointing a commission to look at all of article two. My question, my point of information, if you could clarify, this resolution, does it create a separate study commission. Does it modify the study commission already in place? Does it do something else entirely? If so, what? >> I'm going to look to the makers of the motion, but I understand your intent is to simply direct the study commission that the board will create to specifically address this issue and make sure there's language in there. Encourage there's language to be in there. >> That's right. >> Thank you. >> Okay. The Moderator recognizes the delegate at the con mic. >> Marie [Indiscernible] First Unitarian Society of Chicago. The first Unitarian society of Chicago is opposed to the addition of the eighth principle as proposed by the black lives of Unitarian Universalist organizing collective, without the two or three year periods normally required for such a change, and we further recommend to or delegates in the 2017 assembly of the Unitarian Universalist association that they vote against any attempt to bypass this normal procedure. >> Okay. This is not a bypassing of normal procedure. There are a number of avenue for his bylaws amendments to be considered. The Moderator recognizes the delegate at the pro mic. >> My name is Denny Davidoff, a delegate from the Unitarian church in Westport, Connecticut. It's not 81, in June, and the General Assembly is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And the newly elected president of the Unitarian Universalist women's federation, I am standing at a pro mic to begin the process of creating a commission to study our principles so that the subject of feminism can be entered into our principles. And four years later, in 1985, that was in Atlanta, we have what is pretty much our principles right now, which is not only to say this is deja vu all over again, but to strongly, for my own by ass, agree that we should probably, yes, we should have an eighth principle on the subject that we were not even thinking about in 1981. More's the pity. So I speak in favor of this resolution, which I hope will be passed swiftly, and I speak also to my contention that the inclusion of an eighth principle should be encompassed into a review of all the principles and, he know deed, all the bylaws. That would be an amendment, but I hope we don't get that far today. >> The Moderator recognizes the delegate at the procedural microphone. >> Thank you, Madam Moderator. I'm Jasmine Walston, First Unitarian Church, Louisville, Kentucky. I would like to move to amend the rules to allow us to call the question immediately. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. That requires a two‑thirds vote. And non‑debatable. All those in favor after mending the rules so we can call the question after five minutes? Immediately. Sorry. Thank you for clarifying. Okay. Off‑site delegates, tech neck, give me a signal when we're ready for them. >> We didn't do the no. >> I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you. >> Okay. I'm assuming we're looking at yeses and nos in the house and tech is out externally separately. Okay. In the house and online, any opposed? Okay. We have our external offline delegates voting 86% in favor, 14% opposed. The motion carries and now we can call the question after five minutes. >> Immediately. >> I've got the five minute rule in front of me. Sorry. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. So we've just changed the rules. >> The Moderator recognizes the delegate at the procedural microphone. >> Thank you, Madam Moderator. Still jazz pin Walston, still Louisville Kentucky. I call the question. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor of calling the question and moving to a vote, raise your voting cards. Okay. Are there any opposed? Looking to the tech deck to the off‑site results. Okay. The motion clearly carries. So now we are on the main motion, unamended. All those in favor of the proposed responsive resolution, raise your voting cards. And all those opposed? And we're waying on/off site delegates. Okay. The motion clearly carries. [Applause] So this was really hard work and we really tested the limits of our systems and I foe that some of you feel ‑‑ who perhaps felt differently feel a little bit left behind, but this is how the domestic process works. So I want to thank all of you, our try Moderators, and former Moderators, Gini Von courter and Denny Davidoff for all of their advice and council. [Applause] So let's wrap it up. A couple more brief reports and then we will do our closing celebration. Our final right relationship team report is up scene of the accident we thank the team for everything they've done for us this week. Hannah and Stephen. >> Beloveds, thank you for being here. I come to you with these words written and hopefully delivered as best as I can. As outgoing chair of the General Assembly right relationship team, it has been a great privilege to work in partnership with the Reverend Lisa Bovee‑Kemper last year and with Hannah Roberts Villnave and thank you to the members of this year's team, our Beacons of orange who have and continue to work so hard. And before I touch on specifics and then pass on this report, oh need to be vulnerable and honest with you. I have spent the last 10 years volunteering in this faith, and this past year has been so very, very difficult. And very full. As has been the life of our association and this General Assembly. And friends, I am tired. Deeply, especially as a young adult of color in this path, as the proud son of a Unitarian Universalist minister, and as a dedicated lay leader. And so I struggled in write this go report in a way that honors the right relationship of report to go this assembly and holds space for all that that is. And friends, all that that is is most certainly not mine alone. So in order to be in right relationship with this assembly and with you, I must own this. And as we look back upon the past several days and consider the work of right relationship building, of listening to one another, of honoring one another, of assisting each other in finding resources and, yes, of resisting the temptation to lean back on comfortable patterns of behaving and ways of being, of the mistakes that we make, the ways that we re‑engage, reflect, apologize, do better. All while valuing impact over grammar. And recognizing how we affect others within our religious communities. Here in our young adult and youth reserved space in this hall, here as seen in the language of this morning's sermon, with the words tribal and circling around the wagon. Here within our compensate halls and workshop spaces and here in the community of New Orleans. Here in our faith, a faith full of goodness, of joy, a reason to celebrate and to be filled. And so I do deeply, deeply hope that we will make the essence of this work, this way of being with one another a constant attitude and practice in our homes, in our congregations, and in our communities. Let us rejoice at the profound possibility to do better. And friends, let us do better. [Applause] >> With gratitude to the team out there still in the hall wrapping up the work of this year's right relation she team I stand here as the co‑chair that will be continuing next year to offer us a little bit of a look forward. As many of our reports have noted, much of the time when we have heart one another at this General Assembly has been that our various ways of showing up short of great against one another uncomfortably. You have been served this General Assembly by two leaders under 30 who came up through local and continental youth and young adult leadership structures. So with guidance from our forbearers, we've served with a deep, abiding, and multi facetted understanding of what it means to gather as UU's. And all of the ways that we might be uplifted, hurt, and profoundly disappointed by those we love. Here at General Assembly and in Unitarian Universalism, we lifelong radical peace activists and we are clear military chaplains, and some of us are both. We are youth and young adults who are here to worship in an embodied and noisy way. And we are folks with hearing issues for whom background noise makes it difficult to pay attention. And some of us are both. We are UUA staff and volunteers and war people whose identities have an marginalized by the structures of the UUA and many of us are both. Looking forward from that. Several times throughout this General Assembly, folks who have privileged identities, particularly White folks, have come to myself and other members of the team and asked how do I do better? And there are no single answers. We invite you to use the plethora of education resources that exist in our faith tradition. Allies for racial equity, various tapestry of faith curricula, outreach materials from the UUA A, and resources from grassroots efforts like the White supremacy teach in. And that is just what I thought of in the last half minute. There's a lot out there. Use it. And before I say this next sentence, I will say that Steve and I wrote our statements separately and then read each other's, and here's what I also wrote. Dear 1f I may be candid with you for a moment, I am tired. And I know no matter how tired this work has made me, with the intersections of my identities, I cannot begin to fathom how exhausted UU's of color are in this moment. Showing up again and again and again and again with generosity of spirit demands more of the folks whose identities are furthest from the dominant culture. And so as our team prepares to enter its curious state of suspended animation for the next 300 or so days, I've been wondering what it will take for us to gather again in a better way. And there's lots of possibilities. I just want to lift up one methodology that I feel like has been critical for my own growth and invite you into it. When we feel one of our privileged identities being pushed against and we're getting uncomfortable, I invite us to say WTF. Wasn't that fascinating? To be curious, open, and remember that discomfort is not injury. Have a fascinating year and I'll see you in Kansas City. [Applause] >> We believe it's not what you do, but how you do it. When we say that's how we do KC, people are taking notice. They feel the energy. They're joining the momentum. As for us, we're running with it. We're on a winning streak. One that's not stopping any time soon. Because our passion, hard work, creativity, and innovation is built to last. And we're building with our hands, doing, making, and creating from the heart. All day, every day. It's not just a movement or an idea. It's a foundation. And it's speaking volumes. Now is not the time to slow down and get quiet. Now we just get louder. That's how we do KC. [Applause] >> I give you Gaby Kusko from Kansas City. [Applause] >> Hello. This has been the most wonderful experience. New Orleans is the most hospitable place. We have quite a challenge in front of us. So how do I get to you come to KC, to GA next year in 2018? Kansas City is a Crossroads in so many ways. We still have the visible ruts from the pioneers who traveled the Santa Fe and Oregon trails and the painful history of the Shawnee Mission Indian School. But living in the middle of the map has the unique benefits of also being a cultural hub ..a virtual... Paris of the Plains. So why should you come to GA in Kansas City next year and make it a vacation to remember? Because your bi‑state, UU hosts will help you explore the riches of a crossroad that is experiencing a renaissance. The arts run the gamut of the grand Chinese collection of art and Buddhist temple at the Nelson Atkins Museum to the tiny treasures at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. The eats are more than BBQ, although we are proud of our meaty traditions. We boast some of the freshest innovative eateries in the U.S. Our breweries such as Boulevard are world renowned as are our coffee roasters and growing distilleries. They'll give you a free tour and many samples if you don't believe me. The topic of music is near and dear to my heart. Kansas City's music scene is spectacular. From classical music and Ballet at the Kauffman Center of performing arts to the historic 18th and Vine jazz district, to the blues at Knuckleheads honky tonk in the East Bottoms. Kansas City is a music town. Think Charlie Parker, Pat Metheny, Joyce Didonato, Janelle Monae and Tech9 as just a few of the musicians who launched their careers in Kansas City Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. [Applause] I want you to take a quick little trolley tour right with me. We just installed a free 2‑mile trolley right through the heart of our industry. And on that trolley, we're going to visit the city market, the steamboat Arabia museum. We're going to enjoy libations together at the Power & Light district. We're going to then head down to young I don't know station and science city and our beautiful Planetarium. Then we will go to the world renowned WWI museum which is directly below the Liberty memorial and we'll hop across the street to crown center and the aquarium and Lego land. So bring those kiddos with you. We also have an amazing theatre scene with plays at the Missouri Repertory theatre on the UMKC campus, modern works at the Unicorn and family friendly offerings at the Coterie. If you plan your trip to come early you can also partake in the delights of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in Westmoreland park next to All Souls UU Church which is celebrating 150 years of liberal religion and activism in Kansas City. [Applause] >> So friends, Kansas City will not disappoint. So, visit our city and leave your own ruts in this vibrant crossroad. [Applause] Thank you. >> thanks so much, Gaby. Gaby will serve as our local area coordinator next year. I'd like to call on our new friend and wonderful supporter Natalie Jeffers for our final process observation. >> Peace and love, family. Thank you so much. I'm going to do unabridged version of my reflection and then write it up for you, because we all need to sing and celebrate in joy with each other before we leave. But I do want to give deep gratitude for this opportunity that you have all gifted us for the past day to witness in this truly transformative moment for UU. John had to return to his family, but on behalf of both of under the circumstances, we feel deeply blessed to have been trusted as witnesses of this journey and also be lovingly held by you all so we can share honestly our reflections with you. So thank you all for your love and your trust. We want to give deep Hart felt thanks to the GA board, Tri‑Moderators and Jim for their vision and support in bridging us here and to the Black Lives of UU and Leslie Mac for their unapologetic leadership in making the connections between UU and the outside world. As we all seek the sustainable solutions to our global struggle against oppression, cis heteronormative, ableism, and White supremacy. We have witnessed a carrying and creating of traumas old and new, the hearing and listening to truth. We ever seen the hands and urgency of time, motivated and limiting the practice of principles that we have witnessed. And we have witnessed a questioning and building of trust with each other. There is influence and impacted our interactions with each other at this GA. We want to commend the right relationship team, Denise, Greg, Elandria, and Kathy for their loving co‑leader snip moderating throughout, where they've modeled consistently over the past four days best practice examples of how in moments of uncertainty, mistakes, and feeling uncomfortable, that it's okay. And that in stepping over ego and moving with honesty and authenticity, that we will pass through traumatic moments with laughter, love, and humility. I believe in you achieving your vision is so strong. But that is lot of difficult work for you to do. We have witnessed unique UU tours already present that should be drawn upon in times of trauma, tension, and your transformation. One of such tools is about to come and bless and guide us all once more. As UU moves forward and from our witnessing, we believe that you will move forward. You know that you have important work to do in both policy making and in carrying out these policies at a congregational and a personal level. We want to enclose and record to you four things that you have named that may support moving through some of these tensions and traumas that will play a role in your transformation. Firstly, the Reverend Betancourt reminded us all that in these moments of challenge, what holds us back is our own sense and societal sense of scarcity. The fear that there's not enough to go around. This is a Colonial and capitalist toll to restrict our imagination and our innovation. [Applause] Energy, power, spirit is infinite. And you have an abundant community. Abundance of love, of hope, of wisdom, and that sense of abundance in moments of decision‑making is fundamental to your transformation. The second is in your creativity. What Jean‑Paul called the moral imagination. The ingenuity and the power of the creative to imagine things that have not yet been and to collectively call them into being. We know there is knock new under the sun, but there are new suns. The third is to continue to have graceful perseverance and a persevering grace with each other. This is long haul work and these two paired values will support your journey and your healing. Finally, in saying Black Lives Matter, you are saying that when black people of color, Indigenous and trans‑folk get free, then we all get free. So build your trust in black and people of color leadership. Give your trust to BLUU and trust in the heart and soul of UU to reclaim your place as a spiritual and thought leader in this movement. It has been such a deeply inspiring and emotional space and time to be in. Thank you so much for this opportunity to be here, to share, and to build with you. It's been a true honor. Let's go onward. Ashe. >> One more thing. You've been hearing the thunder perhaps and I think it's thunder and that's Jim who said don't forget to say thank you. So I have a few people that I need to thank. And while I'm doing this, if the co‑presidents could join me up here, I hate to mess up your routine, but if you're in the house, come on up. But in the meantime, I want us to thank our tellers and ushers. It's really uncomfortable wearing those ugly vests, so stand up if you are a teller or an usher. Let's thank them. [Applause] I also want to thank our right relationship team. I want to thank our chaplains, if you're in the house. If you would rise in body or spirit. Thank you so much for your work. For our youth and young adults who brought us new learnings out of the mouth of our young people, we can go forward. Thank you all so very much. [Applause] To the many groups who are making space for people throughout our association, Black Lives of UU, DRUUMM, Equal Access, our accessibility team, thank you, thank you, thank you for making the space for people. [Applause] For our friends in LREDA. Faith education is all we do and these are the people who do it. Thank you. [Applause] to all of our ministers who lead us and guide us, we are blessed to be among you. To all of our fabulous musicians from the woman who can't carry a tune in a bucket with a handle, thank you. To our amazing staff who keep the wheels on this bus that we are on day in and day out, thank you so much. [Applause] To our amazing tech deck who work in the dark. Thank you, thank you, thank you. [Applause] To our Board of Trustees, I love you so much. Thank you. [Applause] And finally, let me see if I can get through this. A lot has been said by and about our co‑presidents this week. And rightly so. What we have said about them and what they have brought to us reflects their very deep commitment to our faith. Their pastoral presence, embracing of all constituents, it is inquiry that they have undertaken to learn more from all of us, the administration that we have had to Wade through, and the challenges that they have faced, it seems like they've been with us for a lot longer than 11 or 12 weeks. We have a small token of our appreciation, and if the tech deck could bring up the picture, this is an amazing print done by an artist by the name of Daniel Nevins. It's called a trembling world waiting to be born. And we give it to each of you. It will be sent to your homes, because the airplane wouldn't have room. It's call the trembling world waiting to be born and sent to each of you as a small token of our appreciation for all that you have done in the past few weeks. Thank you so much. [Applause] And to all of you who joined us this year to make this such a successful GA, we thank you very much. And with that, I believe I declare us finished. So let us begin our closing celebration. [Applause] and I forgot to say thank you to the General Assembly planning committee. You hardly ever know they're there, but they do so much work. Thank you, and I'm sorry. **********DISCLAIMER********** THE FOLLOWING IS AN UNEDITED ROUGH DRAFT TRANSLATION FROM THE CART CAPTIONER'S OUTPUT FILE. THIS TRANSCRIPT IS NOT VERBATIM AND HAS NOT BEEN PROOFREAD. TO DO SO IS AN EXTRA FEE. THIS FILE MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. PLEASE CHECK WITH THE SPEAKER(S) FOR ANY CLARIFICATION. 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