06/22/19 UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST GENERAL ASSEMBLY GENERAL SESSION 2 ‑ 9 A.M. PT CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY HEAR INK HTTP://WWW.HEARINK.COM **********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********** KM >> I CAME TOO BUILD A LIBERAL PROTESTANT CHURCH IN OKLAHOMA, BUT I MADE THE MISTAKE OF USING LIBERAL. IF OKLAHOMA YOU CAN BE A DEMOCRAT OR YOU CAN BE A CHRISTIAN, BUT YOU CAN'T BE BOTH. WE HAVE MORE CHURCHES THAN ALMOST ANYONE, AND YET SOME OF THE WORST SOCIAL STATISTICS IN THE COUNTRY. >> ONE IN FOUR OKLAHOMA CHILDREN FACE FOOD INSECURITY. >> THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG WITH OUR WHOLE APPROACH TO RELIGION. >> DEMOCRATS HOLD ABOUT 28 OF THE SEATS. >> WE ARE OUTNUMBERED. OUR BALLOT BOX ACTS A LITTLE BIT LIKE A TIME MACHINE. >> THERE ARE NO HISTORICAL ERRORS IN THE BIBLE. >> THE BIBLE IS A MOVING TARGET. PEOPLE WHO SAY, WHOLE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIBLE IN ORDER TO BE CHRISTIAN, WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY CHRISTIANS UNTIL THE FOURTH CENTURY. >> WE NEED AS MANY PROGRESSIVE THINKERS IN THIS STATE AS POSSIBLE. >> CARLTON PEARSON, STRAIGHT FROM THE STORY AS IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN TOLD. >> THE WORLD IS SUSPICIOUS. I LOOK LIKE A SON OF A BITCH. THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK. >> WE STARTED MARRYING GAY PEOPLE LONG BEFORE IT WAS LEGAL. >> WE WERE GOING TO FIGHT FOR LAWS THAT TREATED IMMIGRANTS AS THE HUMAN BEINGS THAT THEY ARE. >> THE CONGREGATION HAS VOTED TO DECLARE ITSELF TO BE A SANCTUARY CHURCH. HERE WE GO. >> I THINK THAT ALL SOULS IS A PART OF A NEW SPIRITUAL PARADIGM RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF TULSA. >> OUR FOCUS IS NOT TO TRY TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM A HELL IN THE AFTERLIFE THAT WE CANNOT SEE, BUT TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM VERY REAL HELLS IN THIS LIFE THAT WE CAN SEE. >> I'VE NEVER THOUGHT ANYBODY WOULD EVER ATTRIBUTE THE WORD HERETIC TO DEVELOPING AN INDEPENDENT WAY OF THINKING. IT'S DANGEROUS. >> BEING WITH US AS WE DETERMINE OUR NEXT FAITH STEPS. >> THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY'RE CERTAIN, THEN YOU NEED NO FAITH. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD MORNING. IN GOOD FOOTBALL FORM, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, 2‑MINUTE WARNING BEFORE WE'LL START EVERYTHING. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE SECOND GENERAL SESSION OF THE 58TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION. ARE THE DELEGATES READY TO DO THE BUSINESS OF THE ASSOCIATION? PLEASE WELCOME TO THE PODIUM MEMBERS OF THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM AND SAFETY TEAM. >> HELLO. I'M CO‑CHAIR OF RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM. >> AND I'M SHERRY HALLIDAY QUAN. >> THIS YEAR WE ARE INVITED TO COME ALIVE TO THE POWER OF WE. IT BEGS THE QUESTION WHO IS WE? HOPEFULLY WHO AM I AND DO I RESPECT THE SPACES AND COMMUNITIES I'M IN? YOU ALL READY FOR SOME REALNESS? BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FEELS LIKE BULLYING FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR RELATIONAL IMPACT IN SOCIETY, BUT IT'S NOT. INTERPRETATION OF ATTACK IS THE VERY SAME EVIL, THE SAME OPPRESSION MAKING ITS MARK, THE SAME LIE WHICH WEST TERMS TO EACH OF US THAT WE'RE LOANERS OR WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL SHAME OR SMALL, TIMIDNESS. THE INVITATION WHEN INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES ARE LARGE NATIONAL EYES AND HAD PRIVILEGE IDENTITIES CALL IN THOSE WITH SOCIALLY PRIVILEGED IDENTITIES, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPASSION FOR SELF WHEN OPPRESSION EXCUSE OUR THINKING AND ANXIETY MOVES US TO DELAY CHANGE WITH LOGISTICS OR HEADY CONVERSATION. WE MUST CALL A THING A THING AND BE THE ANTIDOTE WITHIN OURSELVES WE HAVE BECK CALL A THING AND THING AND BE THE ANTIDOTE OUTSIDE OURSELVES. DISTRACTING FROM THE PROCESS IS NOT JUSTICE MAKING. [APPLAUSE] INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATIONS WHEN IGNORE THE EMOTIONS WHICH FABRICATE THOSE INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS AND IDEAS IS NOT LIBERATION. [APPLAUSE] UNITY IS BEING AFFECTED BY ONE ANOTHER AND ONE ANOTHER'S EXPERIENCES. LIBERATION IS IN MOVING INTO OUR DISCOMFORT. VULNERABILITY IS FACING THE SHAME AND FEAR, KNOWING THEY ARE MARKERS OF DEEPER MARK, NOT THE LANDING SPOT. COURAGE IS IN OUR TRANSPARENCY AND THE PRACTICE OF CALLING A THING A THING WITHIN OURSELVES, TOO. LIKE THAT, WE INVITED THE ANXIETY AND CONFUSION IN YESTERDAY'S SESSION MIRRORED ANXIETY AND CONFUSION FOR MANY IN OUR CHURCH'S COMMUNITIES WHEN TALKING ABOUT WHITE SUPREMACY AND OPPRESSION, AND WE MUST NAME IT AS UNCONSCIOUS DESIRE TO RESIST DISCOMFORT AND THE LOSS OF FAMILIARITY. BELOVEDS, PLEASE IN THESE MOMENTS PRACTICE RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS IN YOURSELF. INSIDE THE ANXIOUS PART OF YOURSELF WITH YOUR, WITH OUR SHARED VALUES. KNOW THAT THE ANXIETY IS NORMAL, BUT IT SERVES ONE TO REMAIN UNCHECKED BY OURSELVES. IN OTHER AND RELATED RIGHT RELATIONSHIP REMINDERS, SIGHTED PEDESTRIANS, PLEAD PLEASE BE AWARE HALLWAYS WE NAVIGATE TOGETHER ARE NARROW. BE AWARE OF OTHERS AROUND YOU LIKE FOLKS IN SCOOTERS BY NOT LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE OR PROGRAM BOOK WHILE WALKING. ALSO, LET US REMEMBER, NON‑VISIBLE DISABILITY AND EVEN NON‑VISIBLE MOBILITY DISABILITIES MOVE SHOULD HAVE US TO USE THE ELEVATOR ASK RAMP. MAY WE EACH TAKE RESPONSIBLE AND COMPASSIONATE INVENTORY OF OUR NEEDS AND UTILIZE THE RESOURCES WE NEED AND EXTEND EMPATHY FOR OUR UU SIBLINGS WHO IDEAL WAY DOING THE SAME. ALSO, SUPPORTING THE IDEA OF YOUTH AND OTHER INTERSECTING COMMUNITIES IS DIFFERENT FROM THE REAL WORK OF SHIFTING OUR FAMILIARITY OR OUR NORMS AND SHOWING UP. OUR NEW NORMAL OF BEING PRESENT AND WILLING TO BE TRANSFORMED. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. MAY WE CONTINUE. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M INDIA HARRIS, CO‑CHAIR OF THE SAFETY TEAM. >> AND I'M CHRIS CRASS, CO‑CHAIR OF THE SAFETY TEAM. >> ON THURSDAY, WE HAD AN AMAZING PUBLIC WITNESS IN WHICH WE DECLARED OUR SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY OF SPOKANE IN STOPPING THE EXPANSION OF THE SPOKANE COUNTY JAIL. WE WANT TO EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ORGANIZERS, ABOUT SAFETY TEAM MEMBERS THAT PROVIDED EXCELLENT PROGRAMMING AND CARE FOR EVERYBODY ATTENDING. [APPLAUSE] MAY WE BE REMINDED IN THE WORDS OR SONG, MUSIC OF TASHA COBBS THAT WE ARE RISING UP TO BREAK EVERY CHAIN. MAY WE BE REMINDED THAT THE PSALMIST DECLARE, LET US BURST THEIR BONDS APART AND CASA WAY THEIR CORDS FROM THEM. >> AS PART OF THE SAFETY TEAM FROM THE ENGAGEMENTS WE'VE HAD WITH SECURITY AROUND DISPROPORTIONATELY LOOKING AT BADGES, OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR IN PARTICULAR, CHECKING ABOUT FOOD, QUESTIONING ABOUT FOOD, AND ALSO ABOUT TARGETING AND FOLLOWING. AND JUST FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE WHITE, FOR MYSELF, HEARING ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS, IT CAN BE HARD TO REALLY CONTEXTUALIZE AND UNDERSTAND. JUST THE OTHER DAY I MADE A MISTAKE OF MINIMIZING THE IMPACT OF BEING FOLLOWED BY SECURITY ON PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR IN PARTICULAR. AND I HAD TO REMIND MYSELF THAT WE ARE IN THE NORTHWEST, WHICH WAS FOUNDED ON AND HAD LAWS FOR A LONG TIME, DECADES LONG OF A WHITE ONLY REGION OF THE COUNTRY TO FULFILL THE U.S. DREAM OF MANIFEST DESTINY OF A WHITE MAN'S NATION. WE ARE LIVING, WE ARE PARTICIPATING, OUR SPACE AND OUR WORK, ON LAND IN WHICH THE LAW, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, WAS THAT IF A BLACK PERSON REMAINED IN THIS REGION, THEY WOULD GET SIX PUBLIC LATCHINGS EVERY DAY THIS WILL THEY WILL HE HAVE. THIS WAS WIDELY SUPPORTED IN THE WIDE COMMUNITY. THIS WAS WIDELY SUPPORTED IN THE FOUNDING OF A WHITE NATION IN IT THIS REGION. FOR ME, MINIMIZING THE IMPACT OF BEING FOLLOWED, BEING TARGETED, BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY ASKED, PROOF OF BEING ABLE TO BE HERE, I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF THAT THAT HISTORY, THAT CURRENT REALITY DOESN'T LEAVE AND BREATHE IN MY BODY IN THE WAY I EXPERIENCED THE INTERACTIONS HERE. THE SPACE HERE. THE HISTORY HERE. AND SO FOR THE WHITE FOLKS HERE, I ASK AND I ASK MYSELF, BECAUSE I MAKE MISTAKES ALL THE TIME. BUT MY COMMITMENT IS NOT TO TRY TO PROVE TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT I'M A GOOD PERSON WITH GOOD INTENTIONS. MY COMMITMENT IS TO BE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO EARNED THE MIGHT MAYOR OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND TO BELIEVE PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THEIR EXPERIENCE AND HIS TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORIC AND CURRENT CONTEXT IN WHICH IT'S TAKING PLACE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE A GOOD PERSON. I WANT TO BE SOMEBODY WHO'S PART OF HE IS GETTING FREED. [APPLAUSE] I ALSO ENCOURAGE THOSE OF US WHO ARE WHITE, WHO DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE INAPPROPRIATELY JUST TOUCHING US, GRABBING OUR HAIR, MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT HOW EXOTIC OR DIFFERENT OR INTERESTING OUR NAMES ARE OR OUR SKIN IS OR OUR CLOTHING OR OUR STYLE. YOUTH OF COLOR, YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR IN PARTICULAR TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF INAPPROPRIATELY BEING TOUCHED, BEING LOOKED AT, BEING ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE FROM AND YOUR NAME AND THAT'S SO INTERESTING. THINGS THAT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL EXOTIC, DIFFERENT, ARE REMINDING PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE OTHER IN THE SPACE. AND SO ASKING FOR FOLKS TO BE RESPECTFUL OF SPACE AND BE RESPECTFUL OF WHAT KINDS OF COMMENTS OR INTERESTING THINGS YOU MIGHT THINK ARE A FUN THING TO TALK ABOUT AND HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS SPACE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE'RE PRACTICING TO GET FREE. EVERY WHITE PERSON IN THIS ROOM NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT WHITE SUPREMACY IS WHISPERING WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN DISRESPECTFUL AND DEHUMANIZING WAYS TO PEOPLE OF COLOR EVERYDAY, SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO SAY I'M NOT RACIST. WE HAVE TO SAY, I AM COMMITTED TO ENDING WHITE SUPREMACY AND MAKING CHOICES EVERY DAY TO PARTICIPATE IN LIBERATION RATHER THAN UNCONSCIOUSLY OR CONSCIOUSLY ENABLE WHITE SUPREMACY. [APPLAUSE] >> THE SAFETY TEAM IS INVITING EVERYONE INTO AN ENGAGEMENT WITH RADICAL IMAGINATION OF TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE WHICH ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES OF OPPRESSION AND STRIVE TO ADDRESS HARM WITHOUT BEING PUNITIVE. VALUING A HOLLOWED UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS IDEOLOGIES INSTEAD OF THE RELATIONSHIPS WHICH INFORM OUR DEVELOPMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF SUCH IDEOLOGIES WOULD HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD AS REASONABLE OR OBJECTIVE. IT IS STILL SHAPED BY THE PARTICULAR POSITIONALITY ROOTED IN THIS DOMINANCE AND CONTROL. THIS IS NOT ADMONISHMENT. THIS IS A REALITY CHECK. WE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WE DO AND SAY, FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH HAS NEVER BEEN FREE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY THAT HAVE NOT HAD TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS WHILE OTHERS HAVE HAD TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SIGN AND PRESCRIPTIVE IDENTITIES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE IS FUTURE‑ORIENTED WORK. IT CAUSES US TO RETURN TO OUR ROOTS IN ORDER TO MAP A WAY FORWARD. WHAT ARE WE BUILDING FOR THOSE THAT COME AFTER US? WHEN EMPLOYS A RADICAL IMAGINATION, WHAT ARE WE DREAMING UP IS THIS CONJURING UP FOR OUR DESCENDANT AND SHAPING INTO BEING? WE ARE HERE. WE INVITE YOU TO EMBRACE THIS JOURNEY, TO USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. SO HERE WE GO. WE'RE GOING TO DO A FEW QUICK REMINDERS AROUND RULES AND PROCESS OVERVIEW. I AM ALSO NOT DENNY DAVIDOFF. BARB AND I ARE NOT DENNY. I TALKED TO DENNY THIS MORNING. WE'RE ALSO NOT DENNY. AND SHE'S LIKE, [INDISCERNIBLE] SO SHOULD YOU ALL. SO JUST TO REMIND YOU, WE ARE NOT DENNY OR GINI. WE ARE BARB AND HE VAN TREE AN AND GREG AND KATHY. WE'RE HAPPY TO BE US. SUCH A GREAT THING. YOU MUST BE A DELEGATE TO SPEAK AT A MICROPHONE, AND IF YOU DO SPEAK, YOU ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES, AND YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK ONCE IF THERE'S OTHERS WAITING. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THROUGH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING TODAY, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE, BEFORE TOUCHING THE MIC, INCLUDING THE PROCEDURAL MIC, CONSIDER WHETHER WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO OFFER IS A NEW PERSPECTIVE OR A REPEAT OF SOMETHING OFFERED EARLIER. WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE, LIKE, A MINUTE OF INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH A COUNTDOWN TIMER TRACKING THE SCREEN BY THE SPEAKER TIMER, AND THIS DOES NOT COUNT FOR THE 30 MINUTES OF THE 30 MINUTES OF DEBATE TIME DOES INCLUDE TIME DEVOTED TO ANY AMENDMENT OR PROPOSED AMENDMENT. AMENDMENTS MUST HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE APPROPRIATE MINI‑ASSEMBLY. THERE HAS TO BE 15 MINUTES OF DISCUSSION BEFORE AMENDMENTS TO THE MAIN MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED. THERE ARE ZERO MINUTES TOTAL AGAIN, ALLOW FOR A BYLAW, RULE AMENDMENT FOR SOLUTIONS OR ACTION. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF DEBATE, EXPLOSIONS TO TABLE AS NEEDED. MOTIONS FROM THE PROCEDURAL MIC. A MOTION TO CALL THE PREVIOUS QUESTION IS IN ORDER WHEN TEN MINUTES HAS EXPIRED, AND WE WILL DO BETTER ON THIS TODAY. AND THE PEOPLE AT THE PRO AND CON MIC. ONCE FIVE MINUTES HAS EXPIRED AND ONE IS AT THE PRO OR CONCERN MICROPHONE, A MOTION TO CALL THE RECEIVE QUESTION THIS ORDER. TIME AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST DISCUSSION TIME, BUT MIGHT COUNT AGAINST YOUR LUNCH. [LAUGHTER] REMEMBER THAT DELEGATES CAN SUSPEND THE RULES AT ANY TIME BY GOING TO THE PROCEDURAL MIC. THERE ARE DELEGATES JOINING US ONLINE WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS DEBATE BY SUBMITTING TYPED STATEMENTS AND VOTING VIA SECURED APP. SUBMITTED STATEMENTS READ BY THE VOLUNTEER TELLER TEAM WHO WILL BE THE VOICE OF OFF‑SITE DELEGATES AND STATEMENTS THEY READ DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THEIR OWN PERSONAL VIEWS. THANK YOU ALL. [APPLAUSE] >> SO OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WILL BE ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS. SECTION 9.9, 9.3.9.10, RULES G‑9.11.1, G‑9.11.2, AND G‑9.11.3. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? FANTASTIC. I RECOGNIZE BOARD MEMBER SARAH DAN AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> GOOD MORNING. I MOVE TO ADOPT THIS BYLAW AMENDMENT 9.9, 9.10. 9.11, AND RULES G‑9.11.1, G‑9.11.2 AND G‑9.11.3. THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS PROVIDE THE CONDUCT OF ELECTION SECTIONS TO NORMALIZE ELECTRONIC VOTING, BOTH ON‑SITE AND REMOTELY, AS USED IN THE 2017UUA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WHILE PRESERVING THE ABILITY TO VOTE BY MAIL. ELECTRONIC VOTING HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL TOOL EXPANDING VOTING ACCESS AND SECURITY. THERE IS ALSO CLARIFICATION OF STANDARD VOTING PRACTICES, INCLUDING ABSENTEE VOTING, COUNTING OF BALLOTS, AND ELECTION PREPARATION. ADDITIONALLY, THE AMENDMENT PROVIDES RANKED CHOICE VOTING FROM MODERATOR AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND ADVISES HOW ELECTORAL TIES ARE DETERMINED. YOUR BOARD STRONGLY ENDORSES THIS BYLAW AMENDMENT TO MAKE THE VOTING PROCESS MORE EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND ACCESSIBLE. THANK YOU. >> SO WE HAVE A MOTION. I HEARD A SECTION? ALL RIGHT. ONE MINUTE FOR DISCUSSION. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CON MIC. >> JUSTIN TURNER FROM THE SACRAMENTO CONGREGATION. I KIND OF OPPOSE THE RULES CHANGES FOR 9.11.1, 9.11.2 WHEN IT COMES TO RESOLVING TIES. >> STOP YOU ONE SECOND. WE NEED ONE MINUTE OF DISCUSSION BEFORE WE START DEBATE. >> OH, OKAY. >> KATHY IS GOING TO LEAD US IN THAT. >> OKAY. SO TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBORS. HAVE A LITTLE CONVERSATION FOR A MINUTE ON THE AMENDMENT. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS, NOT WHETHER OR NOT WE DO ELECTRONIC VOTING. JUST HOW WE'RE TWEAKING THE SYSTEM. ONE MINUTE ON THE CLOCK, PLEASE. [DISCUSSION] >> OKAY. HAVING HAD CONVERSATION FOR ONE MINUTE, WE ARE KNOW READY TO DEBATE. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. I'M SPEAKING FOR SALLY JANE GELLERT, THE CHURCH AT PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. THE TYPING WAS A LITTLE OFF. SENT TO CSW BY E‑MAIL THIS MORNING. QUESTION ABOUT LINE NUMBERS ON UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS. >> EXCUSE ME. WE'RE NOTE ON THE CSW ISSUE. WE'RE MOVING TO AMEND CERTAIN SECTIONS RELATING TO VOTING AND ELECTIONS. THANK YOU. SALLY, I HOPE YOU'LL RAISE YOUR QUESTION AGAIN LATER. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CON MIC. >> JUSTIN FROM SACRAMENTO. THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE, I DON'T MIND IT TO BE VERY DEMOCRATIC OF A PROCESS TO ENDS IN A RANDOM SELECTION, AND I KIND OF LIKE THE EXISTING LANGUAGE OF THERE BEING A VOTE WITH JUST THE DELEGATES, AND A TIE CAN BE BROKEN BY THE MODERATOR. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. DAVE MICHELLE, EAST SHORE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, KIRKLAND, OHIO. SINCE A CALL OF THE QUESTION MAY OCCUR BEFORE ANY AMENDMENT TO A MOTION MAY BE PRESENTED, I MOVE THAT A MODIFICATION OF THE RULES TO SET THE TIME FOR PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENTS TO THE MOTION TO TEN MINUTES AND A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION TO 15 MINUTES. >> ALL RIGHT. THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES. IS THERE A SECOND? THERE IS A SECOND. I BELIEVE THIS REQUIRES A TWO‑THIRDS? TWO‑THIRDS. >> WHAT? >> SORRY. AS I THOUGHT, THIS IS NOT A DEBATABLE MOTION. SO CAN THE DELEGATES, CAN YOU PLEASE RESTATE THE PROPOSAL? JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE REMINDED OF IT? BECAUSE IT WILL GO VERY FAST WHEN IT'S BEING CAPTIONED. >> OKAY. >> SLOWLY READING AGAIN. DAVID MICHELLE, EAST SHORE UU CHURCH, KIRKLAND, OHIO. SINCE A CALL THE QUESTION MAY OCCUR BEFORE ANY AMENDMENT TO A MOTION MAY BE PRESENTED, I MOVE THAT A MODIFICATION. RULES TO SET THE TIME FOR PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENTS TO THE MOTION TO TEN MINUTES AND A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION TO 15 MINUTES. >> OKAY. ARE THERE ANY WHO ARE WILLING TO SUSPEND THE RULES SO THAT AMENDMENTS WILL BE IN ORDER A LITTLE EARLIER THAN IS PROVIDED FOR IN THE DRAFT THAT YOU RECEIVED? ALL IN FAVOR? THIS IS NOT A DEBATABLE MOTION. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR ORANGE CARDS. AND WE'LL WAIT FOR OFF‑SITE DELEGATES TO VOTE. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN THE HOUSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION? OTHER ABSTENTIONS? THERE ARE A FEW. THANK YOU. OKAY. THE JUDGMENT OF THE MODERATOR TEAM IS THAT WE DID NOT ACHIEVE THE TWO‑THIRDS NECESSARY TO SUSPEND THE RULES. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE NECESSITY PROCEDURAL MIC. >> TO ME THAT LOOKED VERY CLOSE. I REQUEST THAT WE COUNT THAT VOTE. >> OKAY. THE REQUEST IS IN ORDER. ARE THERE 100 DELEGATES WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A HAND COUNT? WE'LL WAIT FOR THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATES. WE DO NOT HAVE 100 VOTES ON THE HAND COUNT. WE ARE BACK ON THE MOTION UNDER THE CURRENT RULES. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CON MIC. >> DICK BURKHART [INDISCERNIBLE] IN WASHINGTON. I'M ALSO A MATHEMATICIAN, NOW SPECIALIZING IN MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING OF VOTING METHODS. ESPECIALLY METHODS WHICH RANK OR RATE CANDIDATES. I THOROUGHLY TESTED AND ANALYZED THINGS THAT RUN OFF ALGORITHM USED IN THE SECTION 9.11 AND 9.11.2 IT, AND ALSO THE METHOD DESCRIBED IN THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT A. AMENDMENT A METHOD IS NOT ONLY VASTLY SIMPLER THAN THE INSTANT RUNOFF FORMULA. IT'S ALSO BETTER SUITED TO NON‑PARTISAN ELECTIONS WHERE YOU WANT THE BEST CONSENSUS TYPE CANDIDATE TO BE ELECTED. THAT'S WHY THE BORDER HEALTH METHOD, WHICH THE SCIENCE POINTS TO RANKS, IS USED IN SURVEY MONKEY AND A WIDE VARIETY OF OTHER SITUATIONS TO GET PREFERRED OPTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN A THREE‑WAY RACE UNDER INSTANT RUNOFF, THE CANDIDATE WITH THE SMALLEST FOLLOWING CANNOT POSSIBLY WIN. HE GETS ELIMINATED FIRST. FOR THE BORDER COUNT, IF THAT CANDIDATE GETS A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SECOND PLACE RANKINGS THAN THE OTHER CANDIDATES, THEY CAN ACTUALLY WIN. THIS GIVES YOU A REAL POSSIBILITY OF COMPROMISE CANDIDATE BEING ELECT AND ONE REASON WHY WE HAVE MORE CONSENSUS TYPE OF FEEL, AS WELL AS SIMPLICITY, THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> YES. THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS AT THE PRO OR THE CON MIC, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION. >> I NEED TO BE ADVISED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE HAD FIVE MINUTES OF DEBATE. THE MOTION AND THE AMENDMENT CLOCKS [INDISCERNIBLE] NOT FIVE YET? OKAY. ACCORDING TO OUR RULES, WE STILL HAVE TO WAIT A COUPLE OF MINUTES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOTION. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> IT SEEMS FAIR TO HAVE A MOTION TO LIMIT DEBATE BEFORE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT, WHICH IS [INDISCERNIBLE] IN THIS CASE. >> I UNDERSTAND THE RULES ALLOW FOR THAT MOTION WHEN FIVE MINUTES HAS EXPIRED AND THERE IS NOBODY AT EITHER THE CON OR THE PRO MIC. THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES. >> YOUR NAME IN >> I APOLOGIZE. CARL PONAN, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURN OF GREATER LANSING. MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES, JUST TO ALLOW THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT TO BE PROPOSED SINCE WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE GOING ON WITH THIS DEBATE RIGHT NOW. >> DO WE NEED MORE SPECIFICS? OKAY. THE MOTION IS NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH TO BE ACTED ON. ARE THE DELEGATES READY TO VOTE? I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> AGAIN, DICK BURKHART, UU CHURCH IN DES MOINES, WASHINGTON. I'M THE ONE THAT MADE THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT A. I'LL START BY READING THAT AMENDMENT. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT LINES 246 TO 273 WERE THE CORRECT LINES IN THE PROGRAM BOOK. IN THE HANDOUT, CORRESPONDING LINES ARE ‑‑ >> A MOTION TO AMEND IS NOT IN ORDER, BECAUSE 15 MINUTES HAS NOT EXPIRED AND WE DID NOT SUSPEND THE RULES PREVIOUSLY. >> I THOUGHT I WAS DOING THAT. OKAY. >> THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO CALL THE QUESTION, WHICH IS IN ORDER AFTER WE HAD FIVE MINUTES OF DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION. AND NOBODY BEING AT EITHER THE CON OR THE PRO MIC, WHICH WAS THE CASE, AT LEAST A COUPLE MINUTES AGO. WE HAD OUR MOTION EARLIER TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE THINGS UP SO AMENDMENTS COULD BE OFFERED EARLIER AND THAT WAS OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED BY THE BODY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH, PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS COMPLETELY REPLACED SECTION 9.11 AND RULE G‑9.13.2, TIE VOTE, RANKED VOTING BRACKET MODERATOR RESPECTIVELY. CORRECT? THE LINE NUMBERS ON SHEETS NUMBERED ONE AND TWO ON WHICH THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS APPEAR TO HAVE DIFFERENT LINE NUMBERS THAT WERE USED TO IDENTIFY PLACEMENT OF THE TWO AMENDMENTS. FOR INSTANCE, LINE 246, WHICH IS GIVEN AS THE START OF THE FIRST UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT, NEITHER STARTS HER TO ENDS A SENTENCE. IN LINE 273, THE PURPORTED CLOSING IS THE SAME IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SECTION. >> I'LL RECOGNIZE THE PROPOSER FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING INFORMATION ONLY. AND YEAH. >> YEAH. THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT WAS PUT TOGETHER AT THE MINI ASSEMBLY, REFERRING TO THE LINES IN THE PROGRAM BOOK. THE LINES, THE CORRESPONDING LINES IN YOUR HANDOUT ARE DIFFERENT. SO ON THE HANDOUT, THE CORRESPONDING LINES ARE 222 TO 249 INSTEAD OF 246 TO 273 AND FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT THE LINES ARE 271 TO 280 INSTEAD OF 285 TO 293. >> SO YOU ARE REPLACING THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE RELATING TO TIES WITH A DIFFERENT SYSTEM. IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWER. >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF I SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES, WE CAN GET TO A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION? >> NO. >> AN WE'RE THERE NOW. >> WE ARE THERE NOW? OKAY. >> IT OKAY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. THE FIRST ONE IS FROM CHRISTINE HAAGER, RIVER ROAD UU CONGREGATION IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND. CALLING THE QUESTION REQUIRES A TWO‑THIRDS VOTE ON CALLING THE QUESTION. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> SORRY? >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> THEN A VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> IF RULES SAY FIVE MINUTES, THEN AS SOON AS THE FIVE MINUTES ARE UP, CALLING THE PREVIOUS QUESTION REQUIRES NO SECOND, BUT THE VOTE. >> THANK YOU. >> JEN [INDISCERNIBLE], OXFORD, OHIO. POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATES ARE NOT BEING HEARD ON ALL ISSUES. THIS IS RELEVANT TO ALL SUBJECTS. WILL THE CHAIR PLEASE HEAR THE ENTIRE COMMENTS FROM OFF‑SITE DELEGATES BEFORE RULING IT OUT OF ORDER? WHEN WE HAVE SMALL TYPOS AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR COMMENTS, WE ARE SHUT DOWN. WE HAVE NO WAY TO SAY, OOPS, WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS. PLEASE HEAR THE ENTIRE COMMENT BEFORE RULING IT OUT OF ORDER. >> THANK YOU. >> AND I'VE GOT ONE MORE. >> SUZANNE ROYER, LUTHERVILLE, MARYLAND. HOW CAN WE CALL THE QUESTION WHEN THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT PASSED IN THE MINI‑ASSEMBLY AND HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO BE INTRODUCED DUE TO THE RULES? >> OKAY. LET ME EXPLAIN. IT DID NOT PASS IN THE MINI ASSEMBLY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. [INDISCERNIBLE] CEDAR [INDISCERNIBLE] UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH. DO I UNDERSTAND THAT NOW A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION IS IN ORDER? >> ONE MORE MINUTE. LITERALLY TWO MINUTES. >> AND IF IT IS NOT IN ORDER, IS IT IN ORDER TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO CALL THE QUESTION, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A TWO‑THIRDS VOTE? >> IT WOULD BE, ALTHOUGH WE DID HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES? >> I WOULD MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ALLOW A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION TO BE CONSIDERED. >> IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> OKAY. THERE IS A SECOND. IT'S A NON‑DEBATED ANNUAL MOTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MOVING TO SPEND THE RULES TO ALLOW THIS DEBATE TO BE CLOSED NOW, PLEASE RAISE YOUR VOTING CARDS. WE'LL WIT TO HEAR FROM THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATES. LEES KEY YOUR CARDS UP. THANK YOU. ALL OPPOSED IN PLEASE PUT YOUR CARDS DOWN. ARE THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS? THERE ARE SOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET'S CONFER. ALL RIGHT. THE CONSENSUS OF THE MODERATOR TEAM IS WE HAVE TWO‑THIRDS TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ALLOW CLOSING DEBATE BEFORE THE FIVE MINUTES IS UP. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. OKAY. WE HAVE TO MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A VOTE. MY APOLOGIES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT AS WRITTEN, WITHOUT THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR VOTING CARDS. I NEED A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION. I'M SORRY. ED PROCEDURAL MIC, PLEASE. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THIS IS NOT REALLY CLEAR. IF WE CALL THE QUESTION, THEN IT WILL BE IN ORDER TO VOTE ON THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT? >> NO. >> WHY NOT? >> WE MOVED TO SUSPEND THE RULES. >> IS THAT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK? >> IF WE MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES SO THAT WE COULD CLOSED QUESTION NOW RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL FIVE MINUTES IS UP, SO NOW A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION IS IN ORDER. IF THAT PASSES, THEN WE WILL MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE ELECTION SECTION. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> [INDISCERNIBLE] MURPHY OF THE UU CHURCH IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND DELEGATES AND OTHER FOLKS ASKED TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE TO ALWAYS SAY THEIR NAME AND THEIR CONGREGATION OR POSITION. WE REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING THAT INFORMATION, AND TO ENCOURAGE THE MODERATORS TO HOLD US TO THAT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> WELL, SUZANNE ROYAL, TOWSON UU CHURCH, LUTHERVILLE, MARYLAND. I DISAGREE WITH THE MODERATOR'S STATEMENT THAT THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT DID NOT PASS IN MINI ASSEMBLY. IT PASSED A STRAW POLL SO THAT IT COULD BE BROUGHT TO GENERAL SESSION. >> THE PERSON WHO MADE THE MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES, COULD YOU COME TO THE PROCEDURAL MIC AND MAKE YOUR MOTION? >> THANK YOU, MA'AM MODERATOR. DINO [INDISCERNIBLE] UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH BETHESDA, MARYLAND. I LOVE TO CALL THE QUESTION. >> THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> ALL IN FAVOR OF STOPPING DEBATE SO WE CAN PROCEED TO A MOTION ON THE MAIN QUESTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR VOTING CARDS. WE'LL WAIT FOR OFF‑SITE DELEGATES TO VOTE. OKAY. PLEASE PUT YOUR CARDS DOWN. ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO STOPPING DEBATE. WE'LL WAIT FOR OUR OFF‑SITE DELEGATES. THANK YOU. AL PUT YOUR CARDS DOWN. ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY. THE MOTION TO CLOSE DEBATE HAS PASSED. WE WILL NOW PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE BYLAWS RELATING TO ELECTIONS. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> MODERATOR, MY NAME IS DENISE RIMES. I'M A MEMBER OF FIRST UU CHURCH IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, AND A MEMBER OF OUR UU BOARD OF TRUSTEES. IMPLORE ALL DELEGATES TO REMEMBER WHAT YOUR MOTHER TAUGHT YOU ABOUT BUTTING IN LINE. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING TO MAKE THEIR STATEMENTS. I UNDERSTAND THE SENSES OF URGENCY AND PASSION, BUT I BEG YOU, IN THE SPIRIT OF COVENANT AND RIGHT RELATIONSHIP, PLEASE LINE UP NICELY. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW READY TO VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS RELATING TO ELECTIONS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR VOTING CARDS. REPEAT IT? WE ARE MOVING TO AMEND SECTION 9.11 OF THE BYLAWS AND RULES G‑9.1.1.1 AND RULE G‑9.11.2 AND RULE G‑9.11.3 AS LISTED IN YOUR PROGRAM BOOK. I DON'T THINK INFLATABLE PALM TREES COUNT AS AN APPROPRIATE VOTING CARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. PLEASE PUT YOUR CARDS DOWN. ALL OPPOSED? PLEASE RAISE YOUR CARDS. AND ANY ABSTENTIONS? THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. CHRISTINE HAAGER, RIVER ROAD UU CONGREGATION, BETHESDA, MARYLAND. MOVE TO COUNT VOTES NEEDS TWO‑THIRDS. >> THANK YOU. NO, OUR RULES SAY 100. AGAIN, AS WE EXPLAINED YESTERDAY, ROBERTS RULES ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE WAY WE OPERATE EVERY SINGLE THING. THIS BODY ADOPTS RULES THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN SOME RESPECTS, BUT THANK YOU, CHRISTINE, FOR YOUR COMMENT, AND THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS OFFERED TO PROVIDE THE MODERATOR ADVICE ON PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. I REALLY SINCERELY DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. AND HAVING FUN IN IN THE PROCEDURAL CUE. IT STOPS THE CLOCK, BUT IT TAKES TIME OFF YOUR LUNCH. IT DOES TAKE TIME OFF OF YOUR LUNCH. ALL RIGHT. SO WE ARE READY TO HANDLE ‑‑ I'VE GOT IT. THANK YOU, MODERATOR HE PLAN TREE AL. WE ARE ABOUT TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENT TO SECTION 11.3 THAT TALKS ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP. TO THAT, AND I RECOGNIZE THE TRUSTEE AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I MOVE THAT WE CONSIDER AND ADOPTED THE AMENDMENT TO BYLAW SECTION 11.3 RELATED TO PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SUPPORTS COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE COLABORATORY REALIZATIONS THAT TAKE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT ONE CAN BE IN PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP OUT OF THE UUS BYLAWS, GIVING THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE POLICY ON THIS MATTER. THIS CHANGE WOULD GIVE THE MINISTERIAL FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE GREATER COMPLEX FLEXIBILITY IN MEETING CASE BY CASE SITUATIONS, ALLOWING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF GRANTING MORE TIME IN PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NEED IT FOR LIFE CIRCUMSTANCE REASONS. YOUR BOARD ENFORCES AND SUPPORTS THE ADOPTION OF THIS BYLAW AMENDMENT. >> THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO CHANGE THE TIMELINE OF PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP. IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO ONE MINUTE OF DISCUSSION. YOU'LL HEAR A CHIME AT THE END OF THAT. TURN TO A NEIGHBOR. MAYBE STRETCH. HAVE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR BODY. YOUR TIME BEGINS NOW. [DISCUSSION] >> ALL RIGHTY, EVERYBODY. SO THERE IS A DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC? NO? RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MICROPHONE. >> JAMES WILLIAMS ‑‑ >> HOLD ON ONE SECOND. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. NOW I CAN HEAR YOU. >> JAMES WILLIAMS, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA. POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF, IN IF THE FUTURE, WHEN WE PUBLISH AMENDMENTS WITH NUMBERED LINES THAT WE KEEP ONE CONSISTENT SET AND NOT HAVE DIFFERENT SETS FLOATING AROUND. THAT CAUSES ME A LOT OF ANGST AND I SUPPOSE IT BOTHERS OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> LESLIE TAKAHASHI. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. LESLIE TAKAHASHI, DELEGATE FROM MOUNT DIABLO UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA. I JUST WANT TO SAY BRIEFLY THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AMENDMENT THAT RECOGNIZES THAT NOT EVERY PERSON WHO COMES INTO OUR MINISTRY HAS EQUAL RESOURCES. SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO WORK. THAT TAKES THEM LONGER AND WE DON'T WANT AN ARBITRARY DEADLINE TO KEEP PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD TO ENTER INTO YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> ASSISTANT MINISTER IN ANN ARBOR, AND I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS, BECAUSE IF MY CIRCUMSTANCES HAPPEN WHERE ONE HAS TO TAKE CARE OF A CHILD WHO IS ILL OR MAYBE A PARENT WHO IS DYING OR CAN ONLY FIND A PATCHWORK OF WORK, IF ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE OUT OF, YOU KNOW, A MINISTER'S CONTROL, I WOULD NOT WANT US TO TRADE OUR HUMANITY IN TAKING CARE OF OUR LOVED ONES FOR AN ARBITRARY DEADLINE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. ANN WHITE, FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST NEW YORK CITY. I HAVE A QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT IN MY READING OF THE CURRENT BYLAW IS THAT IT'S A REQUIREMENT OF AT LEAST THREE YEARS, WHICH SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S THE ABILITY FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE LONGER THAN THREE YEARS. SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF A QUESTION, IF THAT'S AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IS CORRECT, OF THE CURRENT. SO MAYBE SOMEBODY FROM THE PRO CAN ANSWER THAT. I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT GREATLY. THANK YOU. >> MATTHEW, DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION? OR DENISE? >> THE MIC ON? OUR UNDERSTANDING IS ‑‑ IS THIS MIC ON? OUR UNDERSTANDING ‑‑ >> I RECOGNIZE ‑‑ CAN YOU ‑‑ I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> [INDISCERNIBLE] FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ANN ARBOR, AND ALSO A MEMBER OF OUR UUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES. IN OUR CONVERSATION THAT THE BOARD HAS PROPOSED THIS AMENDMENT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S INTENDED TO CREATED FLEXIBILITY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, SO THERE MAY BE OCCASIONS WHEN MORE TIME IS NEEDED IN PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP AND THERE MAY BE OCCASIONS WHEN LESS TIME, LESS THAN THREE YEARS IS NEEDED. SO THIS TAKES ANY TIME SPECIFICATION OUT OF THE BYLAWS AND ALLOWS THE COMMITTEE THAT HAS JURISDICTION OVER THIS MATTER TO MAKE THE DECISION AS BEST TO WHAT THE POLICIES WILL BE FOR WHAT SITUATIONS. >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. SPEAKING FOR SALLY GAIN GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH OF PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. QUESTIONS ABOUT ARBITRARY DEADLINES, IN QUOTES. DOES THE MSC HAVE AUTHORITY AS IT IS TO AMEND THOSE DEADLINES IN AND HOW DOES CHANGING TO COMPLETE FLEXIBILITY ALLOW FOR UNDERSTANDING OF A FORMAL PROCESS? >> SO THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC, THERE'S SOMEBODY BEHIND YOU THAT COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION. WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO ANSWER IT IN >> I THINK SHE WAS IN LINE. SHE SHOULD GO FIRST. >> RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> FRANNIE HOUSE FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF [INDISCERNIBLE] COUNTY IN SUNNY KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON. I AM HERE ‑‑ MY SPEAKER TIME ‑‑ THERE WE GO. I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES SO THAT WE CAN GET TO FIVE MINUTES OF DISCUSSION. I'M TAKING MY WHOLE TWO MINUTES. LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT WHY THIS AMENDMENT IS IMPORTANT. I'M THE ADVISOR FOR THE MAGIC THE GATHERING CLUB AT OREGON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> MAGIC PLAYERS IN THE HOUSE. WE ARE AN OFFICIAL STUDENT ORGANIZATION, AND WHEN I HELPED MY STUDENTS FOUND THIS CLUB, WE ADOPTED THE SAMPLE CONSTITUTION GIVEN TO US BY THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS WITHOUT ACTUALLY READING IT CAREFULLY, AND LET ME TELL YOU, HAVING OVERLY SPECIFIC RULES IN THE OFFICIAL SET OF RULES THAT GOVERNS THE ORGANIZATION IS REALLY INCONVENIENT WHEN YOU LATER REALIZE YOU HAVE TO HOLD ELECTIONS AND YOUR OFFICERS HAVE TO SERVE CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF TIME. SO HAVING A VERY SPECIFIC NUMBER OF YEARS IN OUR BYLAWS RELATED TO SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T BE GOVERNED BY THE BYLAWS SEEMS LIKE A PROBLEM. WHO THINKS THAT'S A PROBLEM? AM I ALLOWED TO DO THAT? >> I JUST DID IT. >> GREAT. [LAUGHTER] MAGIC THE GATHERING IS A HIGHLY RULE‑BASED GAME. IT IS POTENTIALLY THE MOST COMPLEX GAME KNOWN TO HUMANITY. THERE'S BEEN SOME COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH ON THIS RECENTLY. SO YOU KNOW, WE KNOW RULES. AND IF THIS EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME THAT OVERLY SPECIFIC RULES ARE NOT IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD VOTE TO REMOVE THIS RULE AND MAKE IT MORE CORRECTABLE SO THAT THE APPROPRIATE PERSON CAN MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT THE LEARNING OF TIME PEOPLE SHOULD BE SERVING IN PRELIMINARY FELLOWSHIP INSTEAD OF OUR LOVELY BYLAWS. 20 MORE SECONDS? THIS IS MY FIRST GA. THANKS EVERYONE FOR WELCOMING ME. [APPLAUSE] >> FIVE SECONDS? >> ALL RIGHT. THANKS, EVERYBODY. >> I'D LIKE ANY DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> MATHEW JOHNSON IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS. NOT NEARLY AS ENTERTAINING. I SAW THIS ON THE FILE AGENDA A WHILE AGO AND WAS SUPER CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT. THE TYPICAL PICTURE IN OUR MIND IS THAT A MINISTER GRADUATES FROM SEMINARY, GETS A JOB IN A CONGREGATION, WORKS THREE YEARS AT LEAST HALF TIME, AND EACH YEAR GOES WELL AND THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE RENEWS THEM. SO WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? I WENT TO THE MINI ASSEMBLY. I ASKED MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS AND HEARD STORIES, SOME LIKE I JUST HEARD ABOUT A MINISTER THAT WORKS IN A COMMUNITY SETTING, HAS A DIFFICULT PREGNANCY, AND IS FIRED FROM THEIR JOB. THAT WOULD DELAY THEIR ABILITY TO ENTER WHAT WE'RE NOW CALLING FULL FELLOWSHIP. A MINISTER ON DISABILITY AND CANNOT WORK MORE THAN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS WITHOUT LOSING NECESSARY BENEFITS AND SUPPORTS. THAT COULD DELAY OR EVEN PREVENT THEM FROM ACHIEVING FULL FELLOWSHIP UNDER OUR CURRENT RULES. SO I WAS PERSUADED BY THOSE STORIES THAT THIS IS A RULE THAT WE SHOULD TRUST THE MINISTERIAL FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE AND THE UUA BOARD TO DESIGN AND THAT WE NEED NOT KEEP IN OUR BYLAWS, SO I WOULD URGE THE DELEGATES TO VOTE YES. MOST OF YOU DON'T FLOW ABOUT THE INTRICACIES. I THINK I'M PRETTY AWARE OF THEM AND WAS PERSUADED BY PEOPLE IN CHARGE, THIS MADE A LOT OF SENT BASED ON PEOPLE'S REAL LIVES. SO I HOPE YOU VOTE YES. >> I'D LIKE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> LAURA ANDERSON FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND MAGIC THE GATHERING, BUT I BELIEVE I CAN CALL THE QUESTION ON THIS. [LAUGHTER] >> 21 MORE SECONDS. >> GO AHEAD. ALREADY A DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> I'M READING FOR [INDISCERNIBLE] WEST SHORE UU CHURCH, CLEVELAND, OHIO. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE GRADUATE SCHOOL WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN ANOTHER FIELD, I STRONGLY FAVOR THIS. AS I BELIEVE IT WILL HELP INCREASE DIVERSITY AND LIFE EXPERIENCE AND MAKE BECOMING A FULL MINISTER OF OUR FAITH MORE POSSIBLE FOR OUR LAY MINISTERS WITH DISABILITIES. [INDISCERNIBLE] >> CALL THE QUESTION. COME ON BACK. NOPE, SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY? I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> [INDISCERNIBLE] KELISON, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA. I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN CALL THE QUESTION YET, BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL DELEGATES AT THE PRO AND CON MICS. >> SO THIS IS A TELLER. >> I'M SORRY. >> AND THIS IS A TELLER. >> NEVER MIND. I'M LEAVING NOW. SORRY. [LAUGHTER] >> I KNOW WE ALL LIKE TO TALK. GO AHEAD. >> I'M STILL LAURA ANDERSON I'M STILL FROM FLORIDA. I'D STILL LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION. >> DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? CAN IT REQUIRES A TWO‑THIRDS MAJORITY. DID YOU. ALL OPPOSED? WOW, ABSTENTIONS? WE DID A THING. [APPLAUSE] >> NOW WE'RE VOTING ON THE ACTUAL THING. 11.3, ADMISSION TO FELLOWSHIP. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR VOTING CARDS. I LOVE ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER. NOT. WAITING FOR OFF‑SITE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ABSTENTIONS? THANK YOU. WE DID ANOTHER THING. [APPLAUSE] >> ALL RIGHT. DEAR ONES, WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO OUR STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. DID HAS A HIGHER THRESHOLD. THESE ARE THINGS WE USE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR FAITH IN THE WIDER WORLD. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE ENOUGH TIME. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A PROPOSED STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE YOU ELECTED LOOKED AT THE FEEDBACK THAT YOUR CONGREGATIONS GAVE THEM AND CREATED PROGRAMS. WE HAVE TO HAVE 40 MINUTES ON THE CLOCK FOR THIS ONE. WE HAVE TO DISCUSS FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES AND NO AMENDMENTS ARE IN ORDER UNTIL 15 MINUTES HAVE PASSED, IF THAT MUCH TIME IS NEEDED. I RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONER AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> I AM [INDISCERNIBLE] AND I SERVE IN WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, AND A COMMISSIONER ON THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITHIN. THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS MOVES THAT THE 2019 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION ADOPTS STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE CALLED DEMOCRACY UNCORRUPTED AS REVISED AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGH YESTERDAY'S CSW ALERT AND AVAILABLE ON THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY APP. >> A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSED STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE ONE MINUTE OF DISCUSSION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOU'LL HEAR A CHIME WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. [DISCUSSION] >> OKAY. LET'S COME ON BACK. THERE IS A QUESTION THAT I PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED IN THE OFF‑SITE PROCEDURAL CUE, SO I WOULD LIKE A COMMISSIONER TO COME TO THE AMENDMENT MIC SO WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. CAN I GET SOMEONE ON THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS TO A MIC SO THAT WE CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION QUICKLY ONCE IT'S ASKED? I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE OFF‑SITE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> REBECCA BERGER, UU CONGREGATION OF WYOMING AND WILKES‑BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA. IS LINE 159 IN THE REVISED SOC CORRECT? IS IT SUPPOSED TO SAY, OVERTURNING CORPORATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, INSTEAD OF OVERTURNING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS? >> I RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONER AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> IT IS A TYPO. WE HAVE CORRECTED IT ON THE VERSION THAT'S GOING TO THE TECH DECK. SO IT SHOULD ‑‑ WE DON'T WANT TO OVERTURN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. WE WANT TO OVERTURN CORPORATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. >> RIGHT? EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THERE IS A TYPO IN YOUR PRINTED COPY? BUT WHEN WE GET THE TEXT UP ON THE SCREEN, THEN YOU CAN SEE OUR WINDOWS UP THERE. WE'RE GOING TO GET UP THE CORRECT VERSION THERE, SO LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT THAT TOO MUCH. I NEED TO HAVE A CONSULT WITH ONE OF THE MODERATOR TEAM. GIVE ME SECOND A SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO PLAY THE MEMORY GAME. SO I'M GREG. I'M PART OF YOUR MODERATOR TEAM. THAT'S KATHY. SHE'S ALSO PART OF YOUR MODERATOR TEAM. ELANDRIA INTRODUCED US THIS MORNING. WE BOTH HAVE BEEN SERVING ON YOUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR A LONG TIME. OUR PICTURES ARE EVERYWHERE. WE'VE BEEN MODERATING SOME OF THE ASSEMBLY SINCE 2017 IN NEW ORLEANS. I FIND IT CURIOUS THAT WE WERE NOT REMEMBERED. HONESTLY. I WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT. HOW MANY BLACK MEN HAVE YOU ACTUALLY SEEN ON THIS STAGE? REMEMBER ME. REMEMBER MY FACE. REMEMBER KATHY. REMEMBER HER FACE. [APPLAUSE] I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> HI. RACHEL MURPHY FROM BOISE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP. COULD SOMEONE DIRECT US TO WHERE WE CAN FIND THE REVISIONS ON THE APP? >> CERTAINLY. I'M JUST TRYING TO CONFER WITH THE MISSION. IS THE CORRECT COPY ON THE APP? >> YES. IF IT YOU GO TO WHERE IT HAS MORE ON THE APP AT THE BOTTOM AND THEN YOU GO TO BUSINESS AND THEN YOU'LL SEE CSW ALERT FRIDAY AND THAT'S THE REVISION THAT'S ALSO IN THE PAPER VERSION. >> ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL JUST NAVIGATE THE APP. AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR JANUARY YOU SEE THREE LINES THAT SAY MORE. YOU SEE BUSINESS. IT HAS A GAVEL OR HAMMER. THEN YOU'LL SEE CSW ALERT, FRIDAY. THAT PDF, CLICK ON THAT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> GOOD MORNING. ORLANDO MONTOYA, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. NAY I ASK THE MODERATOR, THE MODERATOR ASKED THE PERSON OVER THERE, THE CSW, TO PLEASE SPEAK AT THE PRO MIC, BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING AT THE AMENDMENT MIC, THE CLOCK IS NOT COUNTING FOR THE DEBATE. >> CORRECT, AND THAT IS TRUE. WHENEVER THE COMMISSION OR THE BOARD ARE ANSWERING SIMPLE QUESTIONS OR SPEAKING IN FAVOR, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO SPEAK FROM THE AMENDMENT MIC SO IT DOES NOT COUNTED AGAINST THE TIME. THAT'S WHAT OUR RULES SAY. OKAY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> BOB GERKE FROM POKATELLO, IDAHO, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP. I AM EXPRESSING A CONCERN. NOT THE ENTIRE STATEMENT. UNDER INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE ACTION SUCH AS FOLLOWS, ELIMINATING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS REALLY SHIFTING THE VOTES TO THE TWO COASTS AND KIND OF CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLE SECRETARIES OF THE COUNTRIES. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. IT WILL CERTAINLY SUPPORT OUR BELIEFS, BUT IT WILL FLIP‑FLOP THE VOTE. >> THANK YOU. JUST CHECKING THE OFF‑SITE. I'M NOT SEEING ANYONE AT ANY OF THE MICS. DON'T RUN. DON'T RUN. IT'S ALL RIGHT. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. I CAN SEE YOU. WE HAVE SOMEONE APPROACHING IT IS PRO MIC, SO WE'LL JUST WAIT FOR THAT PERSONAL, BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT PERSON APPROACHING. TAKE A BREATH. >> THANK YOU, GREGORY. SO MY NAME IS CARLA GATES. I'M FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, AND I AM THE INCOMING BOARD PRESIDENT. [APPLAUSE] A CONGREGATIONAL PRESIDENT. EXCUSE ME. I'M VERY THRILLED, PERSONALLY, THAT WE HAVE SUCH A STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE, MAKING SURE I USE THE RIGHT TERMS. AND THAT WE ARE PROPOSING THIS. I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT TO END THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AS IT HAS DISENFRANCHISED AFRICAN‑AMERICAN AND LATINX FOLKS AND IT HAS OVER FRANCHISED PEOPLE IN LESS POPULATED CHAIRS AND THE HISTORY OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WAS THAT IT WAS CREATED IN ORDER TO PURPOSEFULLY REBALANCE THINGS AS THE SLAVES WERE BECOMING FREE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SUPPORT, AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, WHICH IS LINE 182 AND 183 ABOUT SUPPORTERS TO END THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. AND IN THE INTERIM, URGE STATES TO ALLOCATE ELECTORAL VOTES TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO WON THE POPULAR VOTE. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THERE'S A BIT OF A CONSULT AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. YOU'VE SPOKEN MANY TIMES. BEFORE I CALL ON ANOTHER MAN OR A WHITE PERSON AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC, I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE WE TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE FIRST AND TO MAKE SURE THAT YOURS IS THE VOICE THAT NEEDS TO BE HEARD. SO GO AND TALK TO THREE OTHER PEOPLE AND ONCE THE USHER VERIFIES THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED, WE'LL WELCOME YOU BACK, BUT YOU'VE SPOKEN A LOT. OKAY? IS THERE ANYONE AT THE CON MIC? I RECOGNIZE THE CONCERN MIC. >> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS MARY WILSON FROM THE BISMARK UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION AND FELLOWSHIP. I ALSO LIVE IN THE LANDS OF THE WOSCHE‑SHAKOE AND FANISHNPH. MY CONCERNS REGARDING THIS MEASURE, THIS STATEMENT IS THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE PERSPECTIVE OR EXPERIENCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED OR ACKNOWLEDGED. WHEN THE COLONIAL ROOTS OF DEMOCRACY ‑‑ [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> HI. MY NAME IS TATUM KENT. I AM FROM THE [INDISCERNIBLE] UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP IN MOUNT VERNON, WASHINGTON, AND THIS IS JUST IN REGARDS TO ELECTORAL COLLEGE. I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT RADICAL OF AN OPINION THAT EVERY PERSON SHOULD HAVE AN EQUAL VOTE. THAT'S IT. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE ON‑SITE CON MIC. >> HE WAS JUST HOLDING A SPACE FOR ME. >> ARE YOU THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE THIS >> I'M AN ON‑SITE DELEGATE. >> RIGHT. I'M RECOGNIZING YOU. >> I THOUGHT YOU SAID OFF‑SITE. I'M CYNTHIA LANDROM FROM THE [INDISCERNIBLE] IN STOWE, MASSACHUSETTS. I RISE TO THE CON MICROPHONE TODAY, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HEAR MORE VOICES RATHER THAN MORE PROCEDURES. AND I IN PARTICULAR RECOGNIZE WE HAVEN'T HEARD THE VOICES OF YOUTH TODAY. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M STANDING HERE AT THE CON MICROPHONE. >> YES I'M HEARING SOME COMMOTION FROM THE YOUTH CAUCUS SECTION. I THINK THEY'RE SAKE THEY CAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, AND YOUTH CAUCUS, I TRUST IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, YOU'LL APPROACH ONE OF THE MICS? DID EVERYONE HEAR THE YOUTH CAUCUS? AWESOME. ALL RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE OFF‑SITE CON MIC. >> THANK YOU. I SPEAK FOR SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH OF PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. I AGREE THERE'S A BIG ISSUE WITH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, BUT I WOULD PREFER TO ENCOURAGE STATES TO SPLIT THEIR EC, PRESUMABLY ELECTORAL COLLEGE, VOTES ACCORDING TO THE ACTUAL VOTE WITHIN THEIR STATE SO THAT CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO NO LONGER IGNORE SMALLER STATES TO FOCUS ONLY ON THE MOST POPULACE, KNOWING THAT THEY ARE WINNER TAKE ALL STATES. >> THANK YOU. >> VERY WELL. I HAVE CONFIRMED WITH THE USHER THAT THE DELEGATE HAS TALKED TO THREE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU, MR. MODERATOR. FIRST, THERE'S A SMALL ITEM OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. >> CAN YOU SAY YOUR NAME IN >> I AM DINO GUTE, CEDAR LANE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND. THE UUA HAS MUCH BETTER RACE DEFINITIONS THAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES, AND UNDER THOSE RACE DEFINITIONS, BECAUSE MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS ARE FROM LEXINGTON COUNTY I AM A MINORITY, NOT A WHITE PERSON. SO THANK YOU. BUT MY QUESTION APPLIES TO WHAT IS NOW LINE 140. REINSTATING THE 165 VOTING RIGHTS ACT PROVISIONS. I THINK THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE PROVISIONS WHICH ARE ON A 5‑4 VOTE THE SUPREME COURT FOUND WERE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. I AM CURIOUS AS TO HOW THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS BELIEVES THESE ITEMS MAY BE REINSTATED WITHOUT AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH IS WHAT'S MENTIONED IN THE NEXT LINE? >> CAN YOU ASK JUST THE QUESTION PART OF THAT AGAIN? >> I AM CURIOUS AS TO HOW THE PROVISIONS OF THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WHICH THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL, CAN BE REINSTATED AND HOW THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS BELIEVES THAT THAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION? >> I THINK THAT IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS DOCUMENT, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO GO HUDDLE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND MAYBE THEY CAN SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. AND WHEN YOU HAVE AN ANSWER THAT SEEMS TO WORK FOR ALL OF YOU, WE'LL BRING THAT BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY. WILL THAT WORK? >> THANK YOU. WHERE ARE THEY? >> THEY'RE RIGHT OVER HERE TO MY LEFT, TO YOUR RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE OFF‑SITE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. SPEAKING FOR FRED HAMMOND. EXCUSE ME, FRED L. HAMMOND, MANATEE UU FELLOWSHIP IN BRADENTON, FLORIDA. POINT OF CLARIFICATION. IN THE REVISED DOCUMENT, THERE ARE SECTIONS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW. WHAT DOES THIS HIGHLIGHT MEAN? FOR EXAMPLE, LINES 133 AND 134. >> I'M BELIEVING IT'S JUST THAT THEY WERE HIGHLIGHTED AND THEN PRINTED OUT THAT WAY, BUT I WILL NEED A COMMISSIONER TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT. CAN WE GET THE TEXT BACK ON THE SCREEN AS WELL? I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT ‑‑ CAN WE SEE THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE ON THE SCREEN? THERE WE GO. I RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONER AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> THAT HIGHLIGHT BEING THE ONLY HIGHLIGHT IS INADVERTENT. >> IT'S INADVERTENT? THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> REVEREND AMY WILLIAMS CLARK. I'M THE MINISTER AT CEDARHURST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, AND I HAVE A QUESTION. AND IT IS REGARDING THE STATEMENT OF CON EARLIER. IT'S A VERY ‑‑ I SUPPORT THE WAYS IN WHICH WE HAVE ‑‑ I DO NOT SUPPORT THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE IGNORED THE VOICES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. >> SO I'M NOT HEARING ‑‑ >> I'M SORRY. MY QUESTION IS IF WE PASS THIS, IF WE DO NOT PASS THIS, CAN WE AMEND IT OR DO WE GO STRAIGHT BACK TO STUDY AGAIN? >> WE WOULD GO STRAIGHT BACK TO STUDY. THE OPTIONS RIGHT NOW ARE TO INCORPORATE THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS AFTER EIGHT MORE MINUTES HAVE PASSED, THAT WOULD BE IN ORDER, TO GET RID OF IT. BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS HAS ALWAYS GONE THROUGH A 3‑YEAR STUDY PROCESS. IT'S GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK. SO MAKING THOSE TYPES OF SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS AT THIS LATE STAGE SETS US BACK OVER. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. I DON'T LIKE THAT WORD TODAY. >> I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT AS EASY ON YOU AS POSSIBLE. MY NAME IS SARA WADE SMITH. I AM A TRUSTEE AT ALLEGHENY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS STATE OF CONSCIENCE. I WANT YOU TO ACQUAINT YOU ALL WITH SOME HISTORY. IN MY NATIVE STATE OF TENNESSEE, IF YOU WANTED TO VOTE FOR YOUR CONGRESSMAN, YOU NEEDED TO OWN LAND WORTH AT LEAST $100, WHICH WAS A YEAR'S SALARY IN THOSE DAYS. AND YOU HAD TO BE MALE. WOMEN CANNOT RECEIVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN THIS COUNTRY UNTIL, IN MOST CASES, 1920. AND THAT WAS AFTER 78 YEARS OF STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE THAT RIGHT. IF YOU WANTED TO VOTE FOR A MEMBER OF THE STATE SENATE, YOU NEEDED TO OWN LAND WORTH $500. IF YOU WANTED TO VOTE FOR A UNITED STATES SENATOR, YOU NEEDED TO BE ELECTED TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BECAUSE DIRECT ELECTION OF SENATORS INSTEAD OF ELECTION BY STATE LEGISLATURES DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. AND IF YOU WANTED TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, YOU HAD TO GET THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO SELECT YOU AS ONE OF THE STATE'S ELECTORS. DEMOCRAT HAS BEEN AN EVOLVING PROJECT IN THIS COUNTRY. IT HAS TAKEN US ALMOST 200 YEARS TO GET AS CLOSE AS WE ARE TO ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE. AND WE ARE NOW FACING AN ORGANIZED MOVEMENT THAT WANT YOU TO ROLL VOTING RIGHTS BACK TO ELIMINATE ECONOMICALLY INSECURITY AND MARGINALIZED OF OUR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT AND THEIR OWN DESTINY. WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THIS. THIS STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE DOES THAT AND WE SHOULD SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. YOU GOT IT BEFORE I DID. SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH, PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. MR. BOYD, VERY RESPECTFULLY, RESPECTIVELY, I ASK YOU TO FRAME THE QUESTIONS AND PROCEDURES MORE NEUTRALLY. >> I WILL DO MY BEST. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> HI. PARISH TURNER OF FIRST UNITARIAN OF BROOKLYN. I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE CHANGE THAT WAS MADE IN THE AMENDMENTS FOR LINE 55, SPECIFICALLY AROUND SIS GENDER AND HETEROSEXUALS OVER LGBTQ‑PLUS. I HAVE A DRAMATIC CONCERN. THE WORLD CISGENDER IS ADJECTIVE AND HETEROSEXUAL IS A NOUN. IT SHOULD EITHER BE CISGENDER AND HETEROSEXUALS OR CISGENDER HETEROSEXUALS. AND I DO THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE IS IMPORTANT. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A CONCERN MIGHT SHOOT DOWN THE AMENDMENT OR WHERE TO DIRECT THIS TO. >> OKAY. SO HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THIS ONE. WAIT JUST A SECOND. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION ALREADY INCORPORATED, AND DOES THIS ASSEMBLY BELIEVE THAT CHANGING A WORD FROM A NOUN TO AN ADJECTIVE TO CONFORM TO THE MEANING OF THE SENTENCE IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE AS AN AMENDMENT? SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, WE'RE GOING TO DO A STRAW POLL ON THIS. IF WE HAVE TO CHANGE FROM HETEROSEXUALS TO HETEROSEXUAL OR TO MAKE THE MEANING OF THAT SENTENCER I'M GOING TO READ IT OUT LOUD TO YOU, THE NATION'S FOUNDING DOCUMENTS EXPRESS INSPIRING IDEALS OF DEMOCRATIC EQUALITY, UNEQUAL VALUATION, HOWEVER, HAS UNDERMINED OUR COUNTRY'S PROCESS FOR LIVING THE PROMISE OF TRUE DEMOCRACY. WHITE PEOPLE ARE VALUED MORE THAN PEOPLE OF COLOR, MEN MORE THAN WOMEN, THE RICH MORE THAN THE POOR, CISGENDER AND HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE OVER LGBTQ‑PLUS PEOPLE. I BELIEVE THAT IS THE INTEND OF THAT STATEMENT. THE COMMISSION IS CONFIRMING THAT THAT IS THE INTEND OF THAT STATEMENT. IF WE REMOVE THAT S SO IT BECOMES AN ADJECTIVE, HETEROSEXUAL BECOMES AN ADJECTIVE. WOULD EVERYONE BE OKAY WITH THAT? IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH THAT, GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR ORANGE VOTING CARDS. WE'RE GOING TO WAIT FOR THE OFF‑SITE. AGAIN, THE PALM TREE CAN'T VOTED. GO AHEAD AND LOWER THOSE. ANY OPPOSITION TO MAKING THAT CONFORMING CHANGE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS AN ADJECTIVE INSTEAD OF A NOUN? ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT HERE IN THE HALL? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY. SO WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF THAT. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. SAME PERSON? OKAY. THAT CUE IS CLEAR. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. CARL PONAN, UU CHURCH OF GREATER LANSING. MY MEMORY IS THAT IN PAST DEBATES ON ‑‑ WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? FROM PAST DEBATES ON THESE TIMES OF ISSUES, STRICTLY GRAMMATICAL CHANGES WE DIDN'T DISCUSS THOSE. IT COULD JUST BE HANDLED BY THE CSW WITHOUT A DISCUSSION OR A STRAW VOTE. WOULD THAT MAKE ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS MUCH EASIER? >> YEAH, IT WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS MUCH EASIER. IN THIS CASE WE WEREN'T ACTUALLY CLEAR, BECAUSE THAT SENTENCE, AS WRITTEN, MEANT SOMETHING SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS INTENDED. ALL RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. PETER CANDICE, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY IN BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO THE CONCEPT OF THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND THE ASSEMBLED DELEGATES THAT OUR SENATORS ARE ELECTED TWO PER STATE, REGARDLESS OF THE POPULATION OF THAT STATE, AND SO I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD PROTECTION IN THAT RESPECT FOR GUARDING AGAINST THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY AS CONCERNS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> JUDY WRIGHT. UUCLE OF LEHIGH VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA. WHAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF IN AMENDING CORPORATIONS, CORPORATE VALUES, BECAUSE WE COULD EASILY ALSO GIVE OTHERS THE RIGHT TO AMEND UNION AND NON‑NGO RIGHTS. THE OTHER THING THAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT ANGER, THE REASON TRUMP GOT ELECTED WAS ANGER, AND THAT THE ORIGINAL GREEK CONCEPT WAS THERE WOULD BE THE CITIZENS, BUT THERE WOULD ALSO BE PHILOSOPHER KINGS, AND THEY WOULD BE PEOPLE WHO WOULD KNOW THE WHOLE SITUATION AND SAY, GEE, THAT PERSON IS NOT RIGHT. AND SO POSSIBLY SOME SYSTEM WHERE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAS A WAY OF JOINING A STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN NUMBER JOIN A STATEMENT SAYING THIS GUY IS ABOUT TO GO CRAZY OR ABOUT TO DIE FROM A HEART ATTACK, THAT HE SHOULDN'T BE IN OFFICE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS JOSH MCCALL AND I AM FROM THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, REPRESENTING THE UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP OF HOUSTON. AND AS A DELEGATE, I REMIND US ALL THAT Y'ALL MEANS ALL, SO AS WE'RE REPRESENTING EVERYTHING, WE FEED TO REALIZE THAT DEMOCRACY AS A WHOLE REPRESENTS EVERY SINGLE PERSON AND EVERY SINGLE VOTE. AND WHENEVER WE HAVE A BODY THAT WE DID NOT ELECT, THAT DOES NOT REPRESENT US PROPERLY, IT KIND OF IS HYPOCRISY. WE DON'T ELECT THE PEOPLE IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. WE DON'T ELECT THESE PEOPLE. THEY CAN CHANGE THEIR VOTE ON A WHIM. AND IF WE DO NOT GET RID OF IT, THEY WILL BASICALLY BECOME ARCHAIC, BECAUSE STATES ARE SLOWLY GETTING RID OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND SAYING WE ARE GOING TO THROW OUR VOTE TO THE POPULAR VOTE. SO IF WE DON'T GET RID OF IT, THE STATES WILL SLOWLY GET RID OF IT AND THEN IT WILL BECOME ARCHAIC. EITHER WAY, IN A MOMENT OF BELOVED COMMUNITY, LET US REALIZE THAT THESE LINES MAY MEAN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT TOGETHER WE ARE ONE. WE ARE A DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> HI. MY NAME IS BEN BELLA RODENSWAG, EDUCATOR AT FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ST. LEWIS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE STATEMENT AND I RESPECT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT'S GONE INTO THIS. I KNOW I WILL VOTE FOR ITS PASSING. AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH ONE OF THE DELEGATES BEFORE ME THAT SAYS IT DOES NOT REPRESENT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ENOUGH, BUT UNDER ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE, AND I WILL STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY IF I HAVE MISSED THIS, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE WORD REPARATIONS IN THIS AND IF MACHINE AND POINT ME TO THAT, IF SOMEONE CAN POINT ME TO THIS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I REPRESENT AN ORGANIZATION IN ST. LOUIS THAT IS NATIONALLY CALLED THE BLACK [INAUDIBLE] THAT IS WORKING CLASS BLACK COMMUNITIES IN THE GHETTO THAT WAS CREATED BY THE WHITE GOVERNMENT OF ST. LOUIS AND IT'S THROUGH RED LINING, AND THE POINT BEING THAT WORDS HAVE POWER AND IF WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE LIVE FROM A WHITE SPECIALIST CULTURE WITH WHITE SUPREMACY INSTITUTIONS THAT INCLUDES WEALTH AND THAT THAT INCLUDES ALL WEALTH, THAT PEOPLE MAKE IN THEIR WEALTH THAT CONTRIBUTES TO ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATIONS, THAT MEANS THAT ALL MONEY HAS SOME PART IN WHITE SUPREMACY ACTIVITY. AND THAT UNDER ACTIONS THAT WE COULD TAKE, WE REALLY SHOULD BE PUTTING UNDER EVERYTHING, INDIVIDUALS, CONGREGATIONS, CLUSTERS, THE UUA, THAT WE OWE REPARATIONS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY WE HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR VALUES AND LIVE THEM OUT IN SOCIETY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> I'M JAMES WILLIAMS FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA. THERE WAS AN EARLIER QUESTION POSED, PERHAPS AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC, THAT SEEMED REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE CON MIC AND SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED IN HAD ORDER. THIS ANY EVENT, THE QUESTION WAS HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY CHANGE THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION ABOUT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT WITHOUT PASSING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT? THE ANSWER IS YOU SIMPLY WRITE A VOTING RIGHTS ACT CHANGE THAT MEETS THE PROBLEMS POINTED OUT BY THE SUPREME COURT. IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO DO THAT. MANY TIMES LEGISLATION IS PASSED THAT FAILS THE SUPREME COURT, BUT WHEN REWRITTEN PASSES. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH, PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. MOVE AMENDMENT ONE, LINE 36, BECAUSE IN OUR CURRENT POLITICAL SOCIAL CLIMATE, FREEDOM FROM RELIGION IS LESS RECOGNIZED THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. >> OKAY. TECH DECK, I'M GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP OVER HERE OR WHOEVER IS CREATING MY TABLET. I NEED AN AMENDMENT COLUMN AS WELL SO I KNOW WHERE IN THE PROCEDURAL CUE WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS. 15 MINUTES OF TIME HAS EXPIRED, SO AMENDMENTS ARE NOW IN ORDER, BUT WE TAKE AMENDMENTS SEPARATELY FROM THE WAY WE TAKE OTHER PROCEDURES. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO EVERYONE? I WANT ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS TO COME FROM THE AMENDMENT MIC, NOT THE PROCEDURE MIC. SO I NEED TO SEE IF SOMEONE HAS AN AMENDMENT AS OPPOSED TO A POINT OF INFORMATION OR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. DO WE UNDERSTAND THAT OVER THERE? IS THAT POSSIBLE TO DO? >> DO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE? >> OKAY. GIVE ME JUST A SECOND. THIS IS IN ORDER. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING THE RIGHT WAY. TURNING TO A NEIGHBOR. DISCUSS WHICH DEMOCRATIC VALUE IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU. YOUR TIME BEGINS NOW. [DISCUSSION] >> LET'S COME ON BACK. IN THREE, TWO, ONE. AND A HUSH FELL OVER THE HALL. >> WE ARE GOING TO LET THIS PLAY OUT AND WE ARE STILL GOING TO DO THE THEMED CONVERSATION TODAY. OKAY? SO JUST REMEMBER THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN THIS MORNING. >> SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, THE AMENDMENT IS IN ORDER, AND THE WAY WE NORMALLY TAKE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS ON A STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE IS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM OF THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS GO OUT TO DOUBLE I. SO IT IS A LOT EASIER IF WE TAKE THEM ALPHABETICALLY. I AM ALLOWING THE COMMISSION AND SOME OF THE USHERS ON THE FLOOR TO ARRANGE THE AMENDMENTS IN THE APPROPRIATE ORDER SO IT'S EASIER FOR US TO MOVE THROUGH THOSE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? >> WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, I'M HE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DELEGATION AT THE PRO MIC. [APPLAUSE] MY INSTRUCTION TO THE DELEGATES, OUR RULES ARE SILENT ON HOW LONG DELIGATIONS MAKE SPEAK. DON'T RUSH. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS JULIA LANDIS AND I AM A DELICATE FROM THE JEFFERSON [INDISCERNIBLE] UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST. I'M A SENIOR BUSINESS MANAGER AND I AM REPRESENTING THE YOUTH CAUCUS WITH SUPPORT FROM YA@GA. [APPLAUSE] UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS ARE CALLED TO ENSURE THAT DEMOCRACY HAS FREE ACCESS TO ALL WHO WANT IT, BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE THE DENOMINATION. IN OUR FIFTH PRINCIPLE, IT CALLS US TO BELIEVE IN OUR IDEAS AND ACT ON THEM. THIS STATEMENT FORCES OUR UUA TO REFLECT AND LOOK BACK ON THIS PRINCIPLE AND GUIDE OUR CONGREGATION'S ACTIONS. WITH THIS UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 2020, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT ALL VOICES WILL BE ABLE TO BE HEARD BY ADOPTING THIS STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. THE UUA AND ITS RESPECTIVE CONVENTIONAL COMMUNITY WILL BE COMMITTED TO RESTORING RIGHTS TO DISENFRANCHISED PEOPLE. WE RETURN TO YOU VOTE FOR THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO UU THE VOTE. [APPLAUSE] >> ALL RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE THE DELEGATION IS FINISHED SPEAKING. THANK YOU, YOUTH CAUCUS, WITH SUPPORT FROM YA@GA. [APPLAUSE] >> I'M GOING TO CHECK THIS WITH MY AMENDMENT MIC. DO WE HAVE THE AMENDMENTS ALPHABETIZED AT THIS POINT. THE AMENDMENT ARE FROM ORDER. ONE HAS BEEN MOVED. I WAS TAKING THAT PRO STATEMENT TO GIVE US SOME TIME. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> I'M KENDRA MUNTZ AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE UU CONGREGATION OF VENICE, FLORIDA, AND PRESIDENT OF THE UU JUSTICE FLORIDA STATE ACTION NETWORK. I AM PROPOSING WE INCORPORATE THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT A AT ENCOURAGE COURAGE LEADERS OF UUA AND OTHER FAITH TO JOIN THE INTERFAITH CAUCUS OF MOVE TO AMEND, GIVING THE LINK TO THE WEBSITE THERE, AND ADDING THAT AND A COMMA AFTER WEDEMANDDEMOCRACY.ORG AT LINE 194. THE REASON IS THAT WAY DEMAND DEMOCRACY, ENCOURAGING THE UUA TO, QUOTE, PARTICIPATE, LINE ON 194, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRACY SUPPORTING MOVEMENTS SUCH AS WE DEMAND DEMOCRACY.ORG IS A QUITE SPECIFIC REQUEST AS IS THE REQUEST IN LINE 192. THE MOVE TO AMEND INTERFAITH CAUCUS IS GOING TO BE VERY SIGNIFICANT IN MOVING FORWARD NOT ONLY THE UUA, UUS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT ALL FAITH TO WORK TOGETHER TO DEMAND THAT OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON ENACT MEANINGFUL LEGISLATION AND ULTIMATELY HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK TOWARDS AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION TO ELIMINATE CORPORATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND MONEY AS SPEECH SO WE CAN DO MEANINGFUL WORK AT THE STATES AND LOWER TO PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY AND OUR ENVIRON MINT AND OUR PLANET FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR THE FUTURE OF ALL OF OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> THIS REQUIRES A SIMPLE MAJORITY TO PASS. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON INCORPORATING THE AMENDMENT? ARE YOU READY TO VOTE ON INCORPORATING THE AMENDMENT? OKAY. I SEE AN OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> RICHARD [INDISCERNIBLE] UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA. HOW DOES THIS NEW AMENDMENT QUEUE GET HANDLED FOR OFF‑SITE DELEGATES? I THINK THAT MEANT HANDLED PROBABLY. >> HANDLED? YES. WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE AN AMENDMENT, MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER AMENDMENT YOU WANT TO MOVE HAS THE LETTER. I NEED TO KNOW THE LETTER SO THAT THE FOLKS ON THE FLOOR DOWN HERE CAN HANDLE IT IN ORDER. DOES THAT MAKE SENSES? >> WHAT LETTER ARE WE ON? >> WE ARE ON A RIGHT NOW. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? EVERYONE KNOW WHERE WE ARE? YOU DON'T SEEM TO WANT TO DISCUSS THE AMENDMENT. I THINK YOU'RE READY TO VOTE ON IT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF INCLUDING AND INCORPORATING AMENDMENT A FOUND ON PAGE 6 OF YOUR CSW ALERT OR IN THE APP, PLEASE RAISE YOUR ORANGE VOTING CARDS NOW. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? WE WILL BE INCORPORATING THAT. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO GO TO THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> HELLO. I'M [INDISCERNIBLE] JUNIOR, A BOARD TRUSTEE AT THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF AKRON, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION. >> THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION. IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. THIS IS NOT DEBATABLE. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO AN IMMEDIATE VOTE. WE NEED A TWO‑THIRDS MAJORITY IN ORDER TO CALL THE QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO STOP DISCUSSING THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. WE'VE MADE ONE INCORPORATED AMENDMENT, SO IT NOW IS THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE WITH THE INCORPORATED AMENDMENT A. EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HATCHES IF WE STOP DEBATE NOW? RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST VOTING TO STOP DEBATE. WE ARE NOT VOTING ON THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE AS AMENDED. MAKE SENSE? SO IF YOU WANT TO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT, WHICH MEANS NO MORE AMENDMENTS, GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR ORANGE VOTING CARD NOW. AGAIN, THIS REQUIRES A TWO‑THIRDS MAJORITY. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? I THINK YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE DEBATE. THE NEXT UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT IS IN ORDER. >> WE HAVE ME JUST A SECOND. THERE'S A QUEUING ISSUE. >> SO EVERYBODY, BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT. BREATHE IN AGAIN AND BREATHE OUT. PUT YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR. GROUND YOURSELF. STRETCH. STRETCHING IS GOOD. THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS NOT THE MODERATORS OR THE BOARD'S. SO THERE IS NO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WAY FROM US. SO IF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED, WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN. THE PROCEDURAL MIC TAKES PRECEDENTS, SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. >> PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW ME TO IGNORE YOU. IT IS NOT MY INTENTION, NOR MY DESIRE, TO DO SUCH A THING. WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY IS ENTIRELY TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO BE HEARD, THAT URGENTLY NEED TO BE HEARD. DO WE UNDERSTAND? [APPLAUSE] EVERY VOICE IN THIS ASSEMBLY CAN BE HEARD, SO LONG AS IT IS THE WILL OF THE ASSEMBLY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE OFF‑SITE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. RICHARD SANGUS, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA. PLEASE CLARIFY THAT OFF‑SITE DELEGATES MAKE MOVES TO AMEND IN THE PROCEDURAL QUEUE IF THAT IS THE CORRECT PLACE. >> THAT IS THE CORRECT ON PLACE. AND I'LL JUST ALSO EXPLAIN THIS FOR THE WHOLE HALL. IN A TRADITIONAL ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER FRAMEWORK, AMENDMENTS WOULD JUST BE IN THE ORDER FOR PROCEDURAL ISSUES TO MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR US, WE HAVE A SEPARATE AMENDMENTS MIC, AS WELL AS A PROCEDURE MIC. FOR OFF‑SITE, WE HAVE PRO, CONCERN, AND PROCEDURE. WE'RE GOING TO GET BETTER ON THAT NEXT YEAR. OKAY. SO THERE IS A SPEAKER AT THE AMENDMENT MIC IN ORDER. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> ASPEN, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP [INDISCERNIBLE] TEXAS. LINE B, UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL. I MOVE TO MAKE IT INCORPORATED INTO THE AMENDMENTS. >> OKAY. CAN I JUST SAY THE LETTER AGAIN? >> B. >> B? OKAY. THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION TO INCORPORATE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT B. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO FURTHER ADVOCATE FOR THAT? >> I WOULD JUST, IN THE LINING WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR, I JUST FEEL IT IS SORT OF UNSPECIFIC, ESPECIALLY AS I'M FROM THE BORDER LANDS AND I JUST THINK THAT WE MUST INCORPORATE FIGHTING THE BORDER WALL AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR AGAINST INCORPORATE THERE GO AMENDMENT? ? THE RATIONALE OF YOUR COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS IS THAT THAT SPECIFIC AMENDMENT IS ALREADY ADDRESSED IN IT A DIFFERENT STATEMENT OF CONNECTICUT INSURANCE, WHICH IS WHY THEY DID NOT I KNOW INCORPORATE IT. OKAY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> GOOD MORNING. [INDISCERNIBLE] AGUILAR, FIRST YOUNG CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO. I HAVE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I HAVE A SAFETY CONCERN AND I REMEMBER MODERATOR ELANDRIA YESTERDAY MENTIONED HER HIGHLY DANGEROUS ALLERGY TO CITRUS AND I SMELLED CITRUS OIL A FEW MINUTES AGO. IF THERE IS A DELEGATE WHO HAD ANYTHING WITH CITRUS OR IF ANYBODY HAS CITRUS PRODUCTS, PLEASE TAKE THEM OUT OF THE ROOM. WE DO NOT WANT TO KILL OUR MODERATOR. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. YOU'RE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT? >> YES. >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> KENDRA MUNTZ FROM UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF VENICE AND UU JUSTICE FLORIDA STATE ACTION KNELT, WOULD. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH INCORPORATING THIS AMENDMENT, WHICH SAYS COMPOUNDING THIS CORRUPTION IS THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF A GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS, OUR CURRENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS FAILING TO ADDRESS OF. THE IMPACT OF THIS CRISIS WILL FALL MOST HEAVILY ON LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., ONCE SAID THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS TOWARD JUSTICE. WE CAN NO LONGER WAIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. WE MUST ACT TO BEND THAT ARC NOW OR FACE THE UNTHINKABLE CONSEQUENCES OF A DESTROYED ENVIRONMENT AND UNLIVEABLE PLANET. IF WE ARE TO RISE TO THE MORAL CHALLENGE INHERENT IN THE CLIMATE CRISIS, WE MUST EMBRACE THE STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE AN UNCORRUPTED DEMOCRACY. I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT, AND YES, IT WILL AFFECT PEOPLE OF THE FIRST NATIONS AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN THIS COUNTRY. WE NEED THIS FOR OURSELVES, OUR CHILDREN, AND THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY AND THIS PLANET. I ENCOURAGE ‑‑ AND BY THE WAY, I DID LOOK UP THAT STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE YOU SAID EARLIER. THAT WAS IN 2006, 13 YEARS AGO. I MEAN, COME ON. WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT MUCH TO IMPROVE ANYTHING. IT'S GOTTEN WORSE. AND WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT AND NOW IS THE TIME TO ENFORCE THIS STRONGLY. AGAIN BE IT'S CRITICAL FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET AND OUR EXISTENCE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I JUST NEED TO DOUBLE‑CHECK. IS THE DELEGATE I HAVE IN IT THE OFF‑SITE PROCEDURAL MIC, IS THAT AN AMENDMENT OR ANOTHER POINT OF PROCEDURE? OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE DELEGATE AT THE ON‑SITE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> MY NAME IS SANDRA KERN FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. I PARTICIPATED IN THE MINI ASSEMBLY ON THIS, AND MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE ROLE OF THE HAVE TO POLLS THAT WERE TAKEN THERE. THERE IS A REFERENCE TO THAT IN REGARD TO THE MINI ASSEMBLY ON THE AMENDMENTS, THE BYLAWS, AND I JUST WONDERED, PARTICULARLY MAYBE A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION CAN EXPLAIN WHAT ROLE DID THAT PLAY FROM THESE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS? THANK YOU. >> I CAN HANDLE THIS ONE, BECAUSE A STRAW POLL IS JUST A NONBINDING PROCEDURE. IT ALLOWS THE GROUP TO SEE, OKAY, IS THIS STRONGLY SUPPORT? NOT VERY STRONGLY SUPPORTED? FINAL DETERMINATIONS GET MADE BY THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS, WHICH IS IN OUR BYLAWS. >> WHICH TOUCHDOWN A ROLE IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE PLACED ON THE FINAL IN >> WOULD A COMMISSIONER LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT? >> YES. >> I RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONER AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> HI. THIS IS SOPHIA CHRISTOFF ROGERS FROM FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF NEW ORLEANS AND MEMBER OF THE CSW. WHEN WE DID THE STRAW POLL, WE DIVIDED INTO FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS AND WE COLLECTED ABOUT MANY OF THE THINGS THAT GOT RAISED. THERE WAS CONVERSATIONS. WAY DID A STRAW POLL AND NODE IT ON THE FORMS. WHEN WE CAME BACK INTO THE ROOM AND WE HAD TO GO THROUGH WHICH AMENDMENTS TO INCORPORATE AND WHICH ONES NOT TO, WE USED THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STRAW POLLS AND EACH OF US TOTALLY HEARD AN ARC IN OUR GROUPS THAT DISCUSSED THE STATEMENT AND WE USED THAT INFORMATION TO MAKE THE DECISIONS. THE ONES THAT WE THOUGHT MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO, BUT WE FELT LIKE IT NEEDED TO BE THE DECISION OF ‑‑ THERE IS A MOST IMPORTANT FOR THIS BODY TO CONSIDER WERE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING READ RIGHT NOW, ARE THEY THE ONES THAT HAVE THE STRONGEST IN THE STRAW POLLS. IS THAT CLEAR? SO EVERY SINGLE AMENDMENT THAT WAS SUBMITTED WAS TURNED IN. NOT ALL OF THEM MERITED A STRAW POLL, BUT THE ONES THAT WERE SUBSTANTIVE, WE DID STRAW POLLS ON AND WE DISCUSSED THAT AND THAT WAS HOW WE PRIORITIZED THE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. >> THAT SEEMS TO HAVE SATISFIED THE DELEGATE'S CURIOSITY. THAT WAS A CONFIRMATION WAVY JUST GOT. I HAVE AN UPDATE FROM OUR USHER TELLER CREW. WE ARE OUT OF PAPER COPIES OF THE CSW ALERT AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AS PEOPLE NEED ONE OR COULD SHARE ONE, CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND OR RAISE YOUR ORANGE CARD? ANYONE NEED A COPY? WE HAVE EYE FEW. JUST KEEP THOSE RAISED. OKAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> IS IT GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LORI STEVENS FROM THE FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF NASHVILLE. OF COURSE, LIKE MANY MILLENNIALS, I FEEL VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT FIGHTING AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. I AM EXCITED THAT WE HAVE AN ACTION OF IMMEDIATE WITNESSES COMING UP THAT HAS VERY SPECIFIC ACTIONS INCLUDED IN IT IN ORDER TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS I WORRY SLIGHTLY MAY MUDDLE THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE, BECAUSE IT STILL HAS TO BE FOCUSED ON DEMOCRACY. AND WHILE OF COURSE THESE THINGS ARE INTERTWINED, I THINK WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO GET A MESSAGE OUT ABOUT ONE ANYTHING, WE SHOULD FOCUS ON IT AND THEN ALSO HAVE THE ACTION OF IMMEDIATE WITNESSES REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE TO PROCEDURAL MIC. >> MR. MODERATOR, I'M JERRY MISNER FROM RALEIGH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. I WANT YOU TO ASK A NAIVE QUESTION. IS THERE ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO CONSIDER THESE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS EXCEPT ONE AT A TIME? CAN WE GROUP THEM OR IS THERE ANY WAY TO SPEED IT UP? >> I MEAN, WILL THE COMMISSIONERS SPEAK TO THAT? RECOGNIZING THE COMMISSIONER AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> TO ALLAY FEARS, WE'RE NOT GOING THROUGH ALL OF THESE UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS OF THE ONLY ONES WE WILL GO THROUGH ARE ONES THAT SOMEONE FEELS STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT IN, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE'S ONLY ONE ADDITIONAL ONE THAT ANYONE WANTS TO BRING FORWARD AFTER WE DECIDE ON THIS ONE. >> WE'RE CLOSE FRIENDS. WE'RE CLOSE. WE NEED TO END IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES, AND I THINK WE'LL TAKE ABOUT THAT MUCH TIME. IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ALLY BART. I AM A MEMBER AND DELEGATE OF THE WILDFIRE UU CHURCH IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. I'M ALSO THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR OUR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST WIN TASKFORCE FOR EARTH. I REALLY THINK THAT THE PERSON WHO BROUGHT UP THIS AMENDMENT, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT LITTLE THAT OUR DEMOCRACY HAS CORRUPTED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS KILLING OUR PLANET AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE IT IN THIS STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. SO I WANT YOU TO BRING UP TWO THINGS IN PARTICULAR. LEVI DRAHEIM, WHO LIT THE CHALICE FOR US TWICE, IS SUING OUR GOVERNMENT FOR FAILURE TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS HAD HE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE SUPREME COURT TWICE ALREADY AND HASN'T EVEN GONE TO TRIAL YET, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO THROW IT OUT AND PREVENT IT FROM EVEN GOING TO TRIAL. SO THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF OUR GOVERNMENT FOR CAUSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS A 5‑YEAR MONKEY WRENCH OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT LEVI AND INCLUDE THIS IN SAYING OUR DEMOCRACY IS CORRUPTED TO THE POINT THAT IT'S KILLING OUR PLANET. AND IT'S COMPROMISING OUR ABILITY TO LIVE. SECONDLY, THE UUA HAS ALREADY ENDORSED A STATEMENT ON THE RIGHT TO CIVIL RESISTANCE OF FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE. I'M FROM TEXAS. THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT HAS MADE IT A FELONY TO DO THE KIND OF ACTIVISM THAT I DO AND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY IS CRIMINALIZING PROTESTS AGAINST FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE OF CLIMATE ACTIVISTS. THE UUA HAS ENDORSED A STATEMENT ON CLIMATE CIVIL RESISTANCE THAT SAYS POPULAR CONSENTED IS THE PREDICATE OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS AND MAY BE REVOKED WHEN THE INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT HAVE LOST THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THE PUBLIC. THE BASIC RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO REPLACE A CORRUPT REGIME WITH A NEW SOCIAL ORDER BASED ON JUSTICE AND EQUALITY IS IMMUTABLE AND THE LAW RECOGNIZES THIS PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE RESISTANCE. SO I WANT YOU TO SAY, FRANKLY, THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED IN THIS STATEMENT OF CONSCIOUS FOR NOT RECOGNIZING OUR RIGHTS TO OVERTHROW AN UNJUST REGIME. I SUPPORT IT. I DON'T THINK IT'S STRONG ENOUGH. I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER OUR REVOLUTIONARY RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION AND THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> THANK YOU. I SPEAK FOR ABIGAIL HUMPHRIES OF THE FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF TOLEDO, TOLEDO, OHIO. STATEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE ARE STATEMENTS THAT INFORM THE WORLD OF OUR STANCE ON ISSUES AS A DENOMINATION. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LONG AGO THESE STATEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE WAS MADE. OUR STANCE AS A DENOMINATION HAS NOT CHANGED. I GUESS THAT WOULD BE OUR DENOMINATION AS A STANCE THAT HAS NOT CHANGED. THEY ARE NOT ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN. INSTEAD, THE CSW PROVIDES ACTION KITS TO CONGREGATIONS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ACTIONS THEY CAN TAKE ON THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. THE STATEMENTS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE UUS. IT IS FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE. >> OKAY. SO THAT WAS NOT A CONCERN. THAT SHOULD HAVE COME AS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE FROM THE PROCEDURAL MIC. ALL RIGHT? SO THAT'S A PROCEDURE. SHE WAS GIVING US INFORMATION. SHE WAS NOT SPEAKING IN FAVOR OR AGAINST THE AMENDMENT. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> SAM KING, UU SAN FRANCISCO, WOULD I BE IN ORDER TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON AMENDMENT B? >> YOU WOULD BE, BUT THERE'S ONE AT THE PRO MIC, SO YOU DON'T NEED TO. SO RIGHT NOW, WE ALTERNATE BACK AND FORTH. NOW WE CAN JUST GO, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S IN ORDER. WE DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS THIS ANYMORE. LET'S DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO AHEAD. LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE READY TO VOTE ON INCORPORATING AMENDMENT B. ALL RIGHT. IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF INCORPORATING UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT B FOUND ON PAGE 6 AND CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 OF YOUR CSW ALERT OR IN THE APP, GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR ORANGE VOTING CARD NOW. AND PUT THEM DOWN. IF YOU'RE OPPOSED TO INCORPORATING THIS AMENDMENT, RAISE YOUR HARD NOW. THIS REQUIRES A SIMPLE MAJORITY TO BE INCORPORATED. ANY ABSTENTIONS? WE WILL BE INCORPORATING AMENDMENT B. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE, THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH, PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. MOVE THAT AMENDMENT I, LINE 36, BE INCORPORATED, BECAUSE IN OUR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CLIMATE, FREEDOM FROM RELIGION IS LESS RECOGNIZED THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. >> SO THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO INCORPORATE AMENDMENT I, UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENT I. IS THERE A SECOND? I SEE SEVERAL SECONDS. ALL RIGHT. SALLY OR ANYONE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT? SHE'S OFF‑SITE, SO I'M GOING TO GIVE HER A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. >> CAN I SPEAK FOR IT? >> THERE ANYONE THAT IS CONCERNED? I SEE YOU APPROACHING THE PROCEDURAL MIC. YOU'RE GOING TO THE CONCERN MIC? GREAT. WE'LL WAIT UNTIL YOU GET THERE. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> NOW IT'S NOT ON THE SCREEN ANYMORE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE LANGUAGE ‑‑ >> CAN I KNOW YOUR NAME? >> GOSH. I GET SO EXCITED. I'M TOM ZELLER FROM THE [INDISCERNIBLE] CHURCH IN MARYLAND. AS I READ THIS LANGUAGE, I LIKE THE FREEDOM BOTH OF AND FROM RELIGION, BUT DOES THAT INCLUDE THAT I HAVE FREEDOM FROM THE PRESS AND FROM SPEECH? JUST AS A MATHEMATICIAN WHO READS A LITTLE BIT. JUST THE LANGUAGE TO ME IS A LITTLE FUNKY. IF IT'S NOT FUNKY TO EVERYBODY ELSE, FINE. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE OH PRO MIC. >> READING FOR SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH, PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. BASICALLY, THAT THE NEED TO STATE CLEARLY BOTH FREEDOM OF AND FREEDOM FROM RELIGION. >> RIGHT. COMMISSIONERS? YOU HAVE A STATEMENT ABOUT HOW THESE CONCEPTS ARE ALREADY SUBSUMED. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE A GRAMMATICAL ISSUE. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE COLLECTING THAT FOR US? I RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONER AT THE AMENDMENT MIC. >> IF THE DELEGATES DECIDE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS ADDITION, THEN WE CAN DO GRAMMATICAL PERCHING. >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CONCERN MIC. >> HI. I REMEMBER YOU. >> I REMEMBER YOU. >> AND I LOVE ALL OF THE CO‑MODERATORS. YOU ALL ARE GREAT. >> WE APPRECIATE THAT. [APPLAUSE] >> ANN FISHER ASHROWE, DELEGATE FROM THE RECENTLY FOUNDED [INDISCERNIBLE] CHURCH OF HOUSTON AND VICE PRESIDENT OF UUS FOR JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. I'M A LITTLE UNCLEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS AROUND THIS AMENDMENT FROM THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE. I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THE WORDING. I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE DON'T WANT RELIGION IMPOSED ON US AND THAT'S PART OF THE INTENT, BUT IT IS GRAMMATICALLY AWKWARD, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, AND I THINK THERE IS A STATEMENT FROM THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE THAT FREEDOM OF RELIGION IS NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN, AND I WOULD QUESTION THAT, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD ISLAMOPHOBIA, OF COURSE, WOMEN WEARING HIJABS ARE BEING ATTACKED ON THE STREET AND DENIED JOBS. THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE. AND PEOPLE ARE BEING SHOT IN‑HOUSES OF WORSHIP, AND I THINK THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION. SO I'M JUST NEEDING A LITTLE MORE CLARIFICATION: I'M NOT SURE IF I WANT THE AMENDMENT. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> I'M SPEAKING FOR CHRISTY STOCKMAN, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN CORPUS CHRISTI, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS. I SUBMITTED THIS AMENDMENT. CHRISTY STOCKMAN FROM UTC3, CORPUS CHRISTI. THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE ATHEISTS ARE RARELY RECOGNIZED. >> OKAY. THAT WHOLE STATEMENT. ALL RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, I HAVE TWO. JAN TADERO, UU CONGREGATION OF GWINNETT, LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA. THE HIGHLIGHTED PHRASING ON THE SCREEN DOES NOT SEEM TO PRESENT THE AMENDMENT AS I UNDERSTAND IT. I UNDERSTAND IT ALREADY STATES FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND WE ARE ADDING AND FROM. >> CAN WE GO AHEAD AND POP THE TEXT BACK ON THE SCREEN? JUST WAIT A SECOND. CAN WE GET THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE BACK ON THE SCREEN? OKAY. THANK YOU. >> AND A SECOND PERSON DROPPED OFF. >> SECOND PERSON DROPPED OFF? NO PROBLEM. OKAY. LET ME JUST READ THAT MYSELF. LOOKS LIKE WE JUST DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT ENOUGH OF IT. IS THAT CORRECT? THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. GIVE THEM A SECOND, JAN. THERE WE GO. PERFECT. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC. >> SALLY JANE GELLERT, CENTRAL UNITARIAN CHURCH OF PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY. AS THE PERSON WHO MOVED THE AMENDMENT, MY INTENTION IS NOT TO DOWN PLAY THE NEED FOR FREEDOM OF RELIGION, BUT TO EQUALLY EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR FREEDOM FROM. >> AGAIN, THAT WASN'T PROCEDURE. THAT WAS A PRO STATEMENT. SHE WAS ADVOCATING FOR HER AMENDMENT. THAT SHOULD COME FROM THE PRO MIC. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> THANK YOU. CARL PONAN, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF GREATER LANSING. I'M AN ATTORNEY, SO SINCE I'VE BEEN TO LAW SCHOOL, I'VE SAT IN CLASS WHERE WE WERE TAUGHT FREEDOM OF RELIGION INCLUDES FREEDOM FROM RELIGION. AND THAT'S BEEN RULED BY THE SUPREME COURT. WE ALL HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE ANY RELIGION, SUCH AS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. THE SUPREME COURT HAS ALSO RULED THAT THAT ALSO MEANS WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE ANY RELIGION. BUT I DO THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY WILL READ THIS, WILL BE AN ATTORNEY LIKE ME OR WILL HAVE GONE TO LAW SCHOOL. SO JUST READING THE CONSTITUTION IT SAYS FREEDOM OF RELIGION. WE NEED TO READ THIS TO CLARIFY THAT WE ARE ALSO SUPPORTING FREEDOM FROM RELIGION, WHICH TECHNICALLY THE CSW IS CORRECT. THE SUPREME COURT RULED FREEDOM OF RELIGION INCLUDES FREEDOM FROM RELIGION. WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT SO ANY NONLAWYERS READING THIS DOCUMENT NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE CON MIC. >> HEY. ERIN WHITE, FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, NEW YORK CITY. I'M A LAWYER, TOO, IF THAT MATTERS. AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE OUGHT TO GIVE MORE CREDIT TO FOLKS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INSTANCES IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE THE SUPREME COURT JUST DECIDED ONE RECENTLY ABOUT ANTI‑ESTABLISHMENT AND WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD BE CROSSED AT A PARTICULAR PLACE. SO I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT THAT THERE IS BOTH THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE RELIGION AND ALSO NOT HAVE ONE IMPOSED ON YOU. I THINK THAT'S WIDELY TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS. I HOPE SO. BUT MY OTHER CONCERN, TOO, IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR SECTION, YOU KNOW, OFTEN REFERS TO THINGS THAT HAVE MORE THAT WE COULD SAY ABOUT THEM, SUCH AS PRESS AND SPEECH, BECAUSE SPEECH ALSO INCLUDES THE RIGHT OF AN SIMPLY, ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, GO ON THIS PATH, WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE A LONG TIME TO REALLY INCLUDE ALL THIS. SO I THINK FACT IT SIMPLY SAYS INCLUDE IS ENOUGH FOR ME, BECAUSE THAT MEANS IT'S NOT AN EXCLUSIVE LIST. SO GIVEN BOTH THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING, I THINK [INDISCERNIBLE] ABOUT THE RELIGION AND WHAT THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION INCLUDES. AND ALSO, THE FACT THAT THE STATEMENT IS BROAD ENOUGH IN AND OF ITSELF. I WOULD OPPOSE THE AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHTY. I RECOGNIZE THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE AT THE PROCEDURAL MIC? NO. THAT'S FALSE IN THE QUEUE? I'VE GOT FOUR SPEAKERS IN THE OFF‑SITE DELEGATE QUEUE AND A COUPLE IN PERSON. THERE'S ONE LEFT AT THE CONCERN MIC. SO DO YOU STILL WANT TO SPEAK? OKAY. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE PRO MIC. >> I'M SPEAKING FOR CARMEN BELL DELGADO, FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF BLOOMINGTON, DELAWARE, WILMINGTON. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT IS ALSO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE PART OF THE LANGUAGE IN OUR BYLAWS. AND WE SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO ABIDE BY IT AND FIGHT FOR IT. >> THANK YOU. THERE IS ONE LEFT IN THE CONCERN QUEUE, WHICH LETS ME KNOW THAT YOU ARE READY TO VOTE. ARE I JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE WE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT? YOU DON'T NEED TO. THERE'S ONE ELSE LEFT TO DISCUSS THIS, SO IT IS TIME TO VOTE. ALL RIGHT. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF INCORPORATING UNINCORPORATED AMENDMENTS, I WANT TO CLARIFY SOME INFORMATION ABOUT FREEDOM OF AND FREEDOM FROM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR ORANGE CARDS NOW. THIS REQUIRES A SIMPLE MAJORITY. IF YOU'RE OPPOSED TO INCORPORATING AMENDMENT I, RAISE THOSE VOTING CARDS. ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY. CAN I SEE THOSE IN FAVOR AGAIN? GO AHEAD AND PUT THEM DOWN. WE'RE GOING TO WAIT FOR OFF‑SITE. THAT PASSES. WE HAVE INCLUDED AMENDMENT I. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE AS AMENDED? I SEE HER. I SEE HER. YOU ARE OUT OF TIME. YOU ARE OUT OF TIME. TECHNICALLY, IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO HEAR A PRO STATEMENT. THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL CONCERNS. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE READY TO VOTE ON THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE AS AMENDED. THIS REQUIRES A TWO‑THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE AS AMENDED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR ORANGE VOTING CARDS NOW. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? I THINK YOU REALLY LIKED THIS. WE HAVE PASSED THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. [APPLAUSE] >> HOW ARE YOU DOING? ALL RIGHTY. CAREY? SHE'S COMING. ALL RIGHTY. SO HERE WHAT IS LEFT TO DO TODAY. WE'RE ABOUT TO SING. AREN'T YOU EXCITED? ALL RIGHTY. SO YESTERDAY THINGS HAPPENED. RIGHT? FOR ALL OF US. AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARDER TO BE WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR US TO BE HERE IN BRAVE SPACE. RIGHT? SO THERE'S A SONG THAT ALWAYS HELPS ME BRING BACK, AND IT GOES LIKE THIS. SOLID AS A ROCK. [APPLAUSE] >> SO I WANT YOU TO SAY A THING, THAT WE ARE ALL IN OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE. OKAY? SO HYPOCRISY IS A THING. YOU CAN DO ONE THING IN THE WORLD AND DO ANOTHER THING IN OUR OWN HOUSE. SO OUR JOB IS TO MAKE THEM BE EQUAL. RIGHT? SO WE CANNOT FIGHT FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE IN THE WORLD AND NOT UNROOT IT IN OUR OWN HOUSE. WHEN THEY'RE ACTING MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCHES. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO TREAT EACH OTHER IN LOVE AND BE ABLE TO DIALOGUE. RIGHT? SO WE JUST PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE AND SAY A THING AND NOT BE WILLING TO GO BACK AND FORTH. I'M BOUND TO MAKE MISTAKES. I DO THEM ALL THE TIME. I AM THE SAME IN PUBLIC AND ON THE STAGE. WE ALSO HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO THAT. WE'RE ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN A WHOLE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE POWER OF WE AND WE ARE THANKING YOU FOR BEING HERE. [APPLAUSE] **********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********** KM 06/22/19 UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST GENERAL ASSEMBLY GENERAL SESSION 2 ‑ 9 A.M. PT CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY HEAR INK HTTP://WWW.HEARINK.COM