B2016 0624 GENERAL SESSION 2 0800AM EST CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY HEARING 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********** >> THERE ARE LITERALLY TWO AMERICAS. ONE AMERICA IS OVERFLOWING WITH THE MILK OF PROSPERITY AND THE HONEY OF OPPORTUNITY. TRAGICALLY, THERE IS ANOTHER AMERICA. THIS OTHER AMERICA HAS AN UGLINESS ABOUT IT THAT SIMPLY TRANSFORMS THE BUOYANCY OF HOPE AND TRANSFORMS TO DESPAIR. WE SEE IT HAS AN ARENA OF BLASTED HOPES AND SHATTERED DREAMS. >> AND WE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT AT THE SAME MOMENT WE'RE THE WEALTHIEST NATION IN THE WORD, WE'RE THE POOREST NATION IN THE WORLD. >> IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE BREAD TO EAT OR SOMETHING TO NOURISH THE BODY, THAT'S POVERTY. IF SOMEONE DOES NOT HAVE A DECENT EDUCATION, THAT'S POVERTY. OR IF THEY GET AN EDUCATION AND THEY DON'T HAVE A DECENT JOB, THAT'S POVERTY. OR IF THEY GET A DECENT JOB AND DON'T GET DECENT WAGES, A LIVING WAGE, THAT'S POVERTY. >> TO BE BOTHERED BY THE FACTS THAT THE GAPS BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR ARE GREATER, AND WE KNOW THAT GOD MADE THIS WORLD SUFFICIENT FOR ALL OF US. WE OUGHT TO BE BOTHERED WHEN WE HAVE 62 MILLION AMERICANS, 54% OF AFRICAN‑AMERICANS WORKING AT LESS THAN A LIVING WAGE. AND WE ARE LOCKING PEOPLE UP FOR FIGHTING FOR 15 WHILE CORPORATE CROOKS ARE GOING FREE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CURRENT DRIVERS OF POVERTY RIGHT NOW IS LOW WAGES. 68% OF THE CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY LIVE IN FAMILIES WHERE THERE ARE WORKING PARENTS. 68%. 82% OF CHILDREN LIVING IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES BELOW TWICE THE POVERTY LINE ARE LIVING IN FAMILIES WITH WORKING PARENTS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCKS FOR ADULTS IN POVERTY IS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. FOR ME, THE EXPANSION OF HEALTHCARE IS A PRO LIFE ISSUE. 8 MILLION POOR WORKING PEOPLE ARE NOT HAVING HEALTHCARE TODAY BECAUSE OF GOVERNORS AND LEGISLATORS ALL OVER THE COUNTRIES DENYING MEDICAID EXPANSION. 30,000 PEOPLE ARE DYING EVERY YEAR, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS THEIR TIME TO DIE, BUT BECAUSE A GOVERNOR OR A LEGISLATURE WOULD NOT GIVE THEM HEALTHCARE. >> GOD RESPECTS THE POOR. GOD EXALTS THE POOR. GOD SCARES FOR THE POOR. GOD FEEDS THE POOR. GOD REMEMBERS THE POOR. GOD HELPS THE POOR. >> THERE IS A DANGEROUS AGENDA AFOOT. THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US. THE WAY TO A GREAT NATION IS TO ATTACK PUBLIC EDUCATION AND TEACHERS. IT IS TO ATTACK HEALTHCARE AND THE SICK. IT IS TO ATTACK THE POOR AND UNDERMINE POLICIES OF UPLIFT AND FIGHT $15 AN HOUR OTHERS A MINIMUM WAGE AND FIGHT FAIR TRADE AND SAFETY NETS, ALL WHILE WE HAVE 14 MILLION POOR CHILDREN. IN 2009, MORE PEOPLE DIED FROM POVERTY THAN DIED FROM CANCER, HEART ATTACKS, AND STROKES. DANGEROUS AGENDA WHERE WE ARE A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS ARE ATTACKING IMMIGRANTS AND LABOR RIGHTS. IT'S A DANGEROUS AGENDA AFOOT THAT SAYS ATTACK VOTING RIGHTS IN WAYS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE THE 19th CENTURY. AND THEN WHEN YOU'VE DONE ALL OF THIS, MAKE SURE IT'S EASIER TO GET A GUN THAN IT IS TO VOTE. THIS IS THE AGENDA THAT'S BEING SANCTIONED. MORAL DISSENTERS MUST STAND UP AGAIN TO THE, NOT JUST IN OUR SANCTUARIES OF SAFE, BUT WE MUST BRING THE SANCTUARY INTO THE PUBLIC SQUARE. BUILD UP. >> SOMEBODY MUST STAND AND SAY, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT PARTY IS IN POWER, WHO HAS THE POLITICAL SUPER MAJORITY. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT TRANSCEND POLITICAL MAJORITY THAN MERE MAJORITY POLITICS AND THE NARROW CATEGORIES OF LIBERAL VERSUS CONSERVATIVE. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT MUST BE CHALLENGED BECAUSE THEY ARE WRONG, THEY ARE EXTREME, AND THEY'RE MORAL. >> THIS NATION IS IN BAD SHAPE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN TO ENCOURAGE AMERICA TO LIVE UP TO THE BETTER ANGEL OF HER NATURE. WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE? WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE? BUT TO DO JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH THY GOD. WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE? WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE? BUT TO DO JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD. WHOA UNTO THEE. WHO ISSUE OPPRESSIVE DECREE. THEY SHOULD DO JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD. WE SHOULD DO JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD. >> GOOD MORNING. I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE SECOND GENERAL SESSION OF THE 55TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OUR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION. NOW, I KNOW THAT DENNY DAVIDOFF HAS BEEN TO ABOUT 35, 36 GA'S AND LAST YEAR SOMEONE BEAT THAT RECORD. SO I WANT TO KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ATTENDED MORE THAN 35 GENERAL ASSEMBLIES? RAISE YOUR CARD. SLEEPING IN? OH, THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO. WOULD THE TELLERS, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR NAME TO THE TELLER AND I'LL GIVE YOU A SHOUT‑OUT. THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN AT MORE THAN 35 GENERAL SESSIONS. THAT'S LONGER THAN I'M OLD. [LAUGHTER] WE'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT‑OUT LATER. MAYBE WE CAN GET YOU BETTER SEATS, TOO. SO I WANT TO WELCOME BACK THE SECRETARY OF OUR ASSOCIATION, ROB ELLER‑ISAACS, FOR THE PRELIMINARY CREDENTIALS REPORT. >> GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS. OUR SUPERB REGISTRATION STAFF REPORTS TO US THAT 154 DELEGATES ARE WITH US VIRTUALLY, A GROWING NUMBER AS WE PERFECT OUR SKILLS AT INVOLVING PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO CAN'T BE HERE IN PERSON. AND THAT THERE ARE 1061 DELEGATES IN ATTENDANCE HERE REPRESENTING 757 OF OUR CONGREGATIONS. TOTAL REGISTRATION, INCLUDING OVER 200 YOUTH REGISTRY ADMINISTRATIONS IS 3,754. A SOLID GATHERING, FRIENDS. >> BEFORE I CALL OUT THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM FOR THEIR REPORT, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO ADD TO THE AGENDA THIS MORNING. I REGRET THAT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S OPENING WORSHIP CEREMONY, ONE OF OUR GUESTS INSERTED HIMSELF INTO A FAMILY DISCUSSION AND DEBATE. ABOUT THIS DEBATE I HAD PLANNED AN ARC OF DISCERNMENT BEGINING WITH A PANEL DISCUSSION TODAY. UUJME IS GOING TO HAVE THEIR WORKSHOP ON THE ISSUE THIS AFTERNOON. I THINK THE AT 1:15. AND OF COURSE WE'LL DEBATE AND VOTE TOMORROW I WANTED THE DELEGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT I HOPED TO BE A NEW WAY OF DISCERNING TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR US, AND SO I, UNFORTUNATELY, OUR GUESTS' COMMENTS TRIGGERED REACTIONS FROM SOME OF YOU AND I DEEPLY REGRET THAT. AND NOW PLEASE WELCOME LISA BOVEE‑KEMPER WITH THE REPORT. THESE HYPHENATED NAMES ARE GETTING TO ME, YOU KNOW? >> IT'S OKAY. JUST TRY SPELLING IT ON THE PHONE. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. NO, IT'S A HYPHEN IN THE MIDDLE. GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS. AND THANK YOU, JIM, FOR THAT APOLOGY. WE KNOW ON THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM THAT THAT MOMENT WAS CHALLENGING FOR MANY AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORDS. OUR FIRST FULL DAY OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN COMPLETED. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST FULL DAY. [APPLAUSE] THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM HAS BORNE WITNESS TO FRUITFUL CONVERSATION AND ENGAGEMENT AS WE NAVIGATE CONFLICT AND HOLD SPACE FOR SO MANY IDENTITIES, HISTORIES, AND BELIEFS REPRESENTED IN THIS BELOVED COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ISSUES ON THE TABLE AT THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT AREAL CHALLENGING ABOUT WHICH WE ALL HAVE DEEPLY HELD OPINIONS AND BELIEFS AND ABOUT WHICH WE MAY NOT AGREE. THE WORK OF OUR FAITH, THE WORK OF THIS COVENANTED COMMUNITY IS TO STAY AT THE TABLE WHEN THINGS GET CHALLENGING, AND I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WAYS THAT WE ARE DOING THAT AT THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY. I WANT TO REMIND YOU AGAIN TO TAKE DEEP BREATHS, TO BE COMPASSIONATE THE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND TO ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND TO HOLD THAT TABLE FOR ALL OF US. LOOK, AS ALWAYS, FOR OUR ORANGE SHIRTS AND BANDANNAS. DRINK YOUR WATER AND HAVE A GOOD DAY AT GA. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, LISA. IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME TO THE PODIUM THE PRESIDENT OF OUR ASSOCIATION, THE REVEREND PETER MORALES FOR HIS PENULTIMATE REPORT TO THIS DELEGATE BODY. PETER? [APPLAUSE] >> WELL, GOOD MORNING. WOW, WHAT A START. THE PUBLIC WITNESS, THE AMAZING SERVICE OF THE LIVING TRADITION. WOW. I SAW A FASCINATING PIECE OF RESEARCH. I OFTEN DESCRIBE MYSELF AS A RECOVERING SOCIAL SCIENTIST, SO I LOVE THESE THINGS. ABOUT GROWING AND DECLINING CONGREGATIONS. IT WAS A PIECE OF RESEARCH I SAW A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED BY WHY SOME CONGREGATIONS GROW AND OTHERS GET SMALLER. SO THIS STUDY LOOKED AT A LARGE NUMBER OF FACTORS ACROSS THE NATION. AND THINGS THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, LIKE THE AGE AND GENDER OF THE MINISTER, MADE NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL. BUT ONE FACTOR HAD THE ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE EFFECT OF WHAT I WOULD HAVE GUESSED. CONGREGATIONS THAT DESCRIBED THEMSELVES AS FEELING LIKE A CLOSE‑KNIT FAMILY WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE ON DECLINE. ON THE OTHER HAND, CONGREGATIONS THAT SAW THEMSELVES AS MORAL BEACONS IN THEIR COMMUNITY WERE LIKELY TO BE GROWING. I THOUGHT FEELING LOOK A CLOSE‑KNIT FAMILY WOULD BE A POSITIVE THING, AND A COLLEAGUE POINTED OUT THAT IT'S HARD TO JOIN A CLOSE‑KNIT FAMILY. ON THE OTHER HAND, CONGREGATIONS THAT WERE ENGAGED IN THE MORAL ISSUES OF THEIR COMMUNITIES ATTRACTED NEW MEMBERS. WHEN A CONGREGATION IS TOO FOCUSED INTERNALLY, IT TENDS TO SHRINK. AND WHEN IT LOOKS OUTWARD AND IS ENGAGED AND INVOLVED, IT TENDS TO GROW. I THINK THE SAME THING IS TRUE FOR EACH ONE OF US. IF WE BECOME PREOCCUPIED WITH OURSELVES IN OUR IMMEDIATE CIRCLE, WE SHRINK SPIRITUALLY. WHEN WE LOOK BEYOND OURSELVES AND BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE INTIMATE CIRCLE, WHEN WE ENGAGE WITH OUR WORLD, WE MISS LIFE. EVERY GREAT RELIGIOUS TRADITION TEACHES US THAT WE TRULY FIND OURSELVES WHEN WE LOSE OURSELVES, WHEN WE LOSE OURSELVES IN SOMETHING GREATER. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT ENGAGING OUR WORLD. WE'VE ALWAYS REALIZED THAT WE BECOME OUR BEST SELVES IN RELATIONSHIP. THAT'S WHAT COVENANTAL THEOLOGY IS ALL ABOUT. AND WHAT IS TRUE FOR EVERY ONE OF US, WHAT'S TRUE FOR OUR CONGREGATIONS, IS ALSO TRUE FOR OUR ASSOCIATION. WE'RE AT OUR BEST WHEN WE REACH OUT, WHEN WE ENGAGE, WHEN WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. WHEN I THINK OF WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF OVER THE SEVEN YEARS I HAVE SERVED AS YOUR PRESIDENT, IT ALWAYS HAS TO DO WITH FORMING PARTNERSHIPS THAT CREATE NEW POSSIBILITIES. I THINK BACK TO OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN PHOENIX, OUR JUSTICE GA IN 2012. OUR VIGIL JUST OUTSIDE SHERIFF ARPAIO'S INFAMOUS TENT CITY PRISON MEANS A LOT TO ME. I STILL GET EMOTIONAL LOOKING AT THE IMAGES. WERE ANY OF YOU THERE? ALL RIGHT. BUT WHAT MADE THAT SPECIAL, WHAT MADE IT POSSIBLE, WHAT MADE IT POSSIBLE WERE A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS, PARTNERSHIPS AMONG OUR CONGREGATIONS IN ARIZONA. PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE PUENTE. WITH THE UUA DISTRICT STAFF AND THE UUA NATIONAL STAFF AND THE NATIONAL STAFF'S PARTNERSHIPS WITH NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE NATIONAL DAY LABORER ORGANIZING NETWORK. THAT PATTERN OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS HAS CONTINUED IN OUR PUBLIC WITNESS. UU MINISTERS AND CONGREGATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE REVEREND WILLIAM BARBER, PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH CAROLINA NAACP, AND OTHER FAITH GROUPS IN THE MORAL MONDAYS MOVEMENT. THAT ETHIC OF BEING A GOOD PARTNER, OFTEN FOLLOWING RATHER THAN LEADING, EXTENDS TO OUR WORK TODAY WITH A MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES AND IN CLIMATE JUSTICE. I'M SO PROUD OF OUR PIONEERING WORK IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINISTRY TRAINING PROGRAM. THIS IS A UNIQUE AND YES, ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM FOR RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS THAT BRINGS IN TOP BUSINESS SCHOOL FACULTY AND RELIGIOUS INNOVATORS. THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT'S BEEN MADE POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THE UUA IS PARTNERING AS IT NEVER HAS BEFORE WITH THE UU MINISTERS ASSOCIATION AND WITH BUSINESS SCHOOL FACULTY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR NEXT CHALLENGE, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR US, IS TO TAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR MINISTERS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NEXT MONTH, AT STARR KING SCHOOL FOR THE MINISTRY IN BERKLEY, WE'LL HAVE THE FOURTH SUMMER SEMINARY, A PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING A CAREER AS RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AMAZING AND INSPIRING. HERE'S A PHOTO OF LAST YEAR'S GROUP MEETING IN DENVER. NURTURING THEIR COMMITMENT IS CRITICAL TO OUR FUTURE. GUESS WHAT MAKES THIS INNOVATIVE PROGRAM POSSIBLE? RIGHT. PARTNERSHIPS AMONG UUA STAFF AND OUR SEMINARIES AND A NUMBER OF CONGREGATIONS. ANOTHER WAY WE'RE INVOLVING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND HELPING THEM ENGAGE OUR VALUES IN THE WORLD IS WITH THE UU COLLEGE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UU SERVICE COMMITTEE. THE COLLEGE PROVIDES IMMERSION EXPERIENCES IN JUSTICE WORK AND CREATES A CONTEXT FOR CROSSING THE BOUNDARIES OF CULTURE AND CLASS. CREATING RELATIONSHIPS CONTINUES TO CREATE NEW POSSIBILITIES. OUR GROWING PRESENCE IN MILITARY CHAPLAINCY PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL FROM MAIN FAITH TRADITIONS, AND FOR THE GROWING NUMBER WHO IDENTIFY WITH NO RELIGIOUS FAITH. SARAH LAMMERT, OUR DIRECTOR OF MINISTRIES AND FAITH DEVELOPMENT STAFF GROUP, IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MINISTRY TO THE ARMED FORCES. [APPLAUSE] YOU KNOW, MILITARY MINISTRY AND CHAPLAINCY HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICALS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND AS YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN, WE'RE FORMING STRONGER BONDS WITH OTHER FAITH TRADITIONS. WE'RE EXPLORING NEW WAYS OF WORKING TOGETHER, NOT ONLY TO WORK FOR JUSTICE, BUT TO REACH OUT TO THE MILLIONS OF SPIRITUALLY HOMELESS IN AMERICA. WE'RE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH ONE ANOTHER. WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH FEAR, WITH IGNORANCE, WITH GREED, WITH RACISM, AND WITH THE BANALITY OF CONSUMER CULTURE. RELATIONSHIPS MAKE US STRONGER AND RELATIONSHIPS CREATE BUT POSSIBILITIES. NONE OF THE TERRIFIC WORK I'VE MENTIONED, AND THERE'S SO MUCH MORE OF IT, BUT NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE FOR THE UUA TO DO ALONE. IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT BEING BETTER TOGETHER AND STRONGER TOGETHER, ALTHOUGH THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE. RELATIONSHIPS CREATE POSSIBILITIES. RELATIONSHIPS GROW OUR SOULS. NOW, I BEGAN BY MENTIONING A STUDY THAT SHOWED THAT INWARD LOOKING CONGREGATIONS, CONGREGATIONS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON INTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS, TEND TO DECLINE. AND CONGREGATIONS THAT LOOK BEYOND THEIR WALLS AND BEYOND THEIR IMMEDIATE MEMBERS TEND TO GROW. THEY GROW BECAUSE THEY FEED A DEEP HUNGER IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT. BECAUSE WE ARE, AFTER ALL, RELATIONAL CREATURES. AND SO IT IS WITH OUR ASSOCIATION. YES, WE ARE AN ASSOCIATION OF MEMBER CONGREGATIONS. AND YET UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF CONGREGATION. WE ARE THE EMBODIMENT, THE EXPRESSION, THE INCARNATION, IF YOU WILL, OF A RELIGIOUS VISION OF INTERDEPENDENCE, OF OPENNESS, OF COMMUNITY. WE ARE A LIVING AND EVOLVING TRADITION. WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO MORE THAN OUR CURRENT MEMBERS. WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR HISTORY, TO THE FUTURE, TO SEEKERS WHO LONG FOR A SPIRITUAL HOME. HAS AN ASSOCIATION, WE HAVE TO DO TWO THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY. FIRST, WE HAVE TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR MEMBERS. WE HAVE TO STRIVE TO BE RELENTLESSLY USEFUL, A PHRASE I'VE COME TO LOVE. RELENTLESSLY USEFUL. AND THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING WE DO THAT SERVES OUR MEMBERS. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE WE'RE AN ELECTRICAL UTILITY. WE ONLY NOTICE AN ELECTRICAL UTILITY WHEN THE GRID GOES DOWN OR WHEN WE GET THE MONTHLY BILL. SO MUCH OF THE ESSENTIAL WORK OF YOUR UUA STAFF IS INVISIBLE UNLESS SOMETHING GOES WRONG. HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO THAT ARE USUALLY TAKEN FOR GRANTED. WE RUN A HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM THAT MADE HEALTH INSURANCE AVAILABLE TO SAME SEX COUPLES WHEN THEY COULD NOT GET IT LOCALLY. [APPLAUSE] WE MANAGE THE ENDOWMENTS FOR HUNDREDS OF CONGREGATIONS AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS SOUND FINANCIALLY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE. [APPLAUSE] WE PUBLISH EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND ADULTS. AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SPECIAL SEEKER ISSUE OF UU WORLD. IT'S A SPECIAL ISSUE THAT'S GOING TO BE AN OUTREACH TOOL. IT'S HOT OFF THE PRESS. I WANT YOU TO CHECK OUT AT THE IN SPIRIT BOOK STORE IN THE EXHIBIT HALL. AND SKINNER HOUSE AND BEACON PRESS, I WISH I HAD THE TIME, THEY JUST KEEP KNOCK IT GO OUT OF THE PARK WITH THEIR BOOKS. [APPLAUSE] WE'RE THERE EVERY TIME THERE'S A MINISTERIAL TRANSITION. AND WE DO ALL KINDS OF CONSULTING AND TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. WE'RE ALSO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL VOICE OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. WE ARE YOUR VOICE AT THE UNITED NATIONS, IN WASHINGTON, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CONGREGATIONS, ALL OVER THIS NATION. YOUR UUA IS ALSO CALLED UPON TO LEAD. IN A TIME OF UNBELIEVABLY RAPID CHANGE, THIS IS VITAL. THAT IS WHY WE PARTNER WITH OTHER FAITH, AS YOU'VE SEEN, TO EXPLORE HOW TO ENGAGE THE UNAFFILIATED. IT'S WHY WE DEVELOP A PROGRAM LIKE THE ONE IN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINISTRY. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BEST WORK OF OUR ASSOCIATION IS AT RISK GOING FORWARD. IF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM IS TO IT THRIVE, IF WE'RE GOING TO SEIZE THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE US, WE HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG ASSOCIATION, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE STRONG ASSOCIATION IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO RE‑THINK HOW WE FUND IT. WE NEED TO HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION AMONG OURSELVES ABOUT WHAT IS FAIR FOR EVERYONE. SADLY, THE SYSTEM WE HAVE NOW IS NOT FAIR. LET ME SHARE SOME TROUBLING NUMBERS WITH YOU. THIS CHART SHOWS THE TOTAL ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND REQUEST, THE FAIR SHARE REQUESTS THAT WE MAKE OF CONGREGATIONS AND THE PERCENT THAT IS CONTRIBUTED. THAT SOLID LINE IS THE PERCENT CONTRIBUTED. THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT HERE IS THAT THE LINE THAT SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF THE ASK THAT CONGREGATIONS GIVE HAS DROPPED FROM THE LOW 80% TO 71% IN A DECADE. THAT IS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. IF WE WERE GIVING THE SAME PERCENT TEN YEARS AGO, WE WOULD HAVE A MILLION MORE DOLLARS TO SPEND ON ESSENTIAL AND VITAL PROGRAMS. NOW, THE DROP ISN'T BECAUSE CONGREGATIONAL BUDGETS HAVE GONE DOWN. A DECADE AGO, CONGREGATIONS GAVE 4% OF THEIR BUDGETS. TODAY THAT HAS DROPPED TO 2.8%. AND EVEN MORE TROUBLE TO GO ME IS THE FACT THAT 47 CONGREGATIONS CONTRIBUTED NOTHING AT ALL LAST YEAR. 175 CONGREGATIONS CONTRIBUTED LESS THAN ONE‑QUARTER OF THEIR REQUESTED CONTRIBUTION, AND 279 CONGREGATIONS, OR 27% OF THE TOTAL, CONTRIBUTED LESS THAN HALF. THAT IS SIMPLY UNFAIR TO EVERYONE ELSE. THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ALONG WITH LEADERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HAVE BEGUN A CONVERSATION ABOUT FINDING A BETTER WAY TO FUND OUR WORK TOGETHER. AND I'D LIKE TO ASK MARY KATHERINE MORN WHO HEADS OUR STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT STAFF TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THIS EFFORT. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, PETER. AFTER OVER 25 YEARS SERVING AS A MINISTER IN SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE CONGREGATIONS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE JOYS AND THE CHALLENGES OF CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP. AND IT'S TRUE. SOMETIMES I FELT LIKE WE WERE OUT THERE ALL ON OUR OWN DOING REALLY GOOD WORK, BUT NOT SUPPORTED ENOUGH TO REALIZE OUR FULL POTENTIAL. IN FACT, THOUGH I HOPE PETER NEVER HEARS IT, I SOMETIMES COMPLAINED ABOUT THE UUA. WHY WEREN'T WE DOING IT THE WAY I WOULD HAVE DONE IT? IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT IN THE MIDST OF THE ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY OF CONGREGATIONAL LIFE, I WAS OFTEN VIVIDLY AWARE OF BEING HELD BY ALL OF YOU, CONGREGATIONS, STAFF, AND LEADERS THAT ARE OUR UUA. THOSE TIMES WHEN I KNEW OUR WORK IN THE CONGREGATION WAS TRULY AMPLIFIED BECAUSE OF OUR LARGER RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT. AND NOW FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE THIS, SEAT IN THE HOUSE, I KNOW THIS MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. THAT IS WHY WE ARE WORKING SO HARD TO FIND THE RIGHT WAY TO FUND OUR WORK. WE'RE NOT AT ALL UNLIKE CONGREGATIONS IN THIS WORK, TRYING TO HELP YOU, OUR MEMBERS, UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR SHARED MISSION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOARD'S APF TASKFORCE, WE ARE REACHING OUT. SOME OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED OUR SURVEY ALREADY FOR YOUR INPUT AND YOUR QUESTIONS. PLEASE LET US HEAR FROM YOU. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF THIS ON THE UU AMOUNT'S WEB PAGE. WE WANT TO FIND A PLAN THAT BRINGS US INTO RIGHT RELATIONSHIP, WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE TO ASK FOR TOO MUCH AND YOU CAN GIVE WHAT IS ASKED. WE WANT ALL OF OUR CONGREGATIONS TO KNOW WE HONOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND NEIGHBORING CONVERSATIONS TO SEE THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FUNDING OUR LARGER FAITH IS SHARED IN AS EQUITABLE A WAY AS POSSIBLE. WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES. WE KNOW THAT THE LANDSCAPE OF GIVING IS SHIFTING AND WE WANT TO BE WITH YOU THROUGH ALL OF THIS. AND WE ARE ASKING YOU TO BE WITH US AND WITH EACH OTHER DIFFERENTLY NOW. WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR CONGREGATIONS AND OUR UUA THROUGH YOUR GIVING TO IT THE APF AND GIFT. WHEN YOUR CONGREGATION DOES THIS, THE POSSIBILITIES FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WILL GROW BEYOND WHAT WE HAVE YET IMAGINED. LET'S MAKE THIS A NEW BEGINNING, A TRUSTING, COURAGEOUS, GENEROUS COVENANT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, MARY KATHERINE. MY OWN SLOPE THAT WE RE‑BOOT THE WHOLE THING, THAT WE ASK FOR LESS MONEY, BUT GET EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATE. IT JUST SEEMS A LOT FAIRER TO ME. [APPLAUSE] NOW, NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO TAKE EFFECT DURING MY PRESIDENCY, BUT LET'S GET THIS FIXED SO THE NEXT PRESIDENT, WHO WILL BE THE FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE UUA ‑‑ [APPLAUSE] ‑‑ SO THAT SHE HAS THE RESOURCES TO SUCCEED. ONE OF THE JOYS OF BEING PRESIDENT IS WORKING WITH A STAFF THAT IS PASSIONATE AND CAPABLE. YOU HAVE A TERRIFIC STAFF. YOU REALLY DO. AND I WOULD LIKE THE UUA STAFF TO STAND AS THEY'RE ABLE AND BE RECOGNIZED RIGHT NOW. THERE THEY ARE. OVER THERE. [APPLAUSE] AS I ENTER MY FINAL YEAR AS YOUR PRESIDENT, I'M AS CONVINCED AS EVER OF THE POTENTIAL OF OUR FAITH TO FEED THE SPIRITUALLY HUNGRY AND TO BE A BLESSING IN A BROKEN WORLD. WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER WE CAN DO AMAZING THINGS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, PETER. THE UU SERVICE COMMITTEE IS A UU RELATED ORGANIZATION THAT, WHILE INDEPENDENT OF THE UUA, ENJOYS A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UUA. THE REVEREND BILL SCHULZ IS THE U USC PRESIDENT AND I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE FOR HIS LAST PRESENTATION AS U USC PRESIDENT, AND I THINK HE MAY HAVE AN INTRODUCTION TO MAKE AS WELL. BILL? [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, MR. MODERATOR, AND GOOD MORNING TO YOU. BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO ATTEND UUC'S GALA TOMORROW NIGHT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE WARE LECTURE, WHERE OUR GUEST WILL BE MARTIN LUTHER KING THE THIRD. HE WILL BE SPEAKING WITH ME ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS FATHER'S ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. [APPLAUSE] IT'S IN THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THERE WILL BE DESSERT. I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US. THIS IS MY SIXTH AND FINAL REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY ON BEHALF OF U USC. ON JULY 1ST, I WILL BE RETIRING, BOTH FROM U USC AND FROM FULL‑TIME MINISTRY. WHENEVER I TELL PEOPLE I'M RETIRING, THEY INVARIABLY ASK, YES, BUT WHAT'S YOUR NEXT JOB? SO I USUALLY REPEAT, I'M RETIRING, AND FOLKS SAY, SURE, WE UNDERSTAND, BUT WHERE WILL YOU BE WORKING? I GOT SO FRUSTRATED THAT I DECIDED TO INCREASE MY TEACHING HOURS AT MEADVILLE LOCAL WARD THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL AND AFFILIATE WITH THE KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AT HARVARD JUST SO I COULD ASSURE PEOPLE THAT EVEN THOUGH I'M NO LONGER WORKING, I STILL HAVE A JOB. [LAUGHTER] OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, COME TO THINK OF IT, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO STOPPED WORKING, EVEN THOUGH THEY STILL HAD A JOB. [LAUGHTER] RECENTLY, I STUMBLED UPON A LIST OF FOREIGN PHRASES DESCRIBING WHAT PEOPLE DO IN THEIR RETIREMENT. THIS IS WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE, THAT I'LL BE KUKELURING, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH MEANS TO SIT AND PONDER WITHOUT ENGAGING IN ACTIVITY. I'LL PROBABLY ALSO DO A BIT OF TYVSMAKING WHICH IS EAT FOOD WHEN YOU THINK NOBODY IS LOOKING. SOUNDS LIKE A PARTICULARLY PLEASANT THING TO DO. IN ANY CASING I'M RETIRING, AND NONE TOO SOON, BECAUSE U USC IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND I DON'T WANT TO RISK IT GOING TO THE DOGS ON MY WATCH, SO I'M GIVING UP THE WATCH WHILE GIVING IS GOOD. AND WHEN I SAY THAT U USC IS IN GREAT SHAPE, I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE HAVE RAISED JUST OVER $24 MILLION IN OUR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR HELPING PEOPLE. [APPLAUSE] I MEAN THAT FOR FIVE YEARS A ROW, NOW FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE RECEIVED A FOUR STAR RATING FROM CHARITY NAVIGATOR, THE HIGHEST YOU CAN GET FOR EFFICIENT USE OF FUNDS. [APPLAUSE] I MEAN THAT WE CAN NOW MEASURE EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WE ARE SERVE AND GO FOR HOW MUCH MONEY. IN HAITI, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR PROJECTS HAVE IMPROVED THE LIVES OF 20,813 PEOPLE AT AN AVERAGE COST OF $77 WITH MORE THAN 80,000 MORE THE INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF OUR WORK. I MEAN ‑‑ [APPLAUSE] I KNOWN OUR JUSTICE‑BUILDING PROGRAM IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE WAY WE HELP LOCAL CONGREGATIONS BECOME THE MOST EFFECTIVE AGENTS OF CHANGE THEY CAN BE. AND I MEAN THAT WE ARE RUSHING THE LIVES OF SYRIAN REFUGEES IN EASTERN EUROPE, IMMIGRANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN TEXAS, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS IN NEPAL AND ECUADOR, LGBTQ FOLKS IN AFRICA, AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS MORE. IT'S ALL GOOD, SO I'M RETIRING. [LAUGHTER] AND I COULD NOT BE MORE DELIGHTED THAT WHILE I WILL BE KUKELURING AND TYVSMAKING, THE ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF A DEVOTED UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, ONE OF THE MOST SAVVY SOCIAL CHANGE STRATEGISTS I KNOW AND THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF U USC, WHO I WANT TO INTRODUCE TO YOU NOW, MY DEAR FRIEND OF MORE THAN 30 YEARS, FORMER CONGRESSMAN TOM ANDREWS. (APPLIES.) [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, BILL. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RETIREMENT, AND I THINK I SPEAK FOR ALL ASSEMBLED WHEN WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST OF TYVSMAKING IN YOUR NEXT INCARNATION. BUT THANK YOU, BILL SCHULZ, FOR THE ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION THAT YOU HAVE MADE TO THE CAUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. [APPLAUSE] FOR NOT BEING CONTENT TO JUST TALK THE TALK, BUT TO WALK THE WALK SO POWERFULLY AND SUCCESSFULLY. THANK YOU, BILL, FOR MAKING OUR ORGANIZATION AND, INDEED, OUR WORLD A MUCH BETTER AND JUST PLACE. I AM DEEPLY HONORED TO BE PRESIDENT‑ELECT OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE AND SOMEWHAT DAUNTED BY THE ENORMOUS SHOES THAT I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO FILL. SINCE SURVIVING A BOUT OF CANCER AT THE AGE OF 16, I HAVE BEEN AN ACTIVIST FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE HUMAN RIGHTS. AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME, AT LEAST IN MY LIFETIME, THAT THE MISSION AND THE VALUES OF THE U USC HAVE BEEN MORE DESPERATELY NEEDED IN OUR WORLD. THE STAKES ARE SO HIGH FOR SO MANY. TAKE GLOBAL WARMING. THE CASAS TROPHIC CONSEQUENCES OF YEARS OF UNMITIGATED ASSAULT ON OUR PLANET ARE BEING PAID, FIRST AND FOREMOST, BY THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THE LEAST TO DO ABOUT IT. THEY ARE THE FIRST IN LINE TO LOSE THEIR LAND, TO LOSE THEIR WATER, TO LOSE THEIR HEALTH, TO LOSE THEIR LIVELIHOODS, TO LOSE THEIR LIVES. UUSC IS STANDING WITH THEM AND FOR THEM, NOT JUST AS ENVIRONMENTALISTS, BUT AS A GENTLE, ANGRY PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. AND WE ARE STANDING WITH AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON THE VERY BOTTOM OF A FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR ECONOMIC POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT CONTINUES TO GENERATE GROTESQUE DISPARITIES IN INCOME AND OPPORTUNITY. AND WE ARE STANDING WITH AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE MOST AT RISK DURING A HUMANITARIAN OR A NATURAL DISASTER. THE MOST MARGINALIZED, THE MOST FORGOTTEN. AND WHEN I THINK OF THE MISSION OF THE UUSC, I THINK OF THE WORDS OF THE LATE BOBBY KENNEDY WHO DELIVERED A SPEECH TO A GROUP OF STUDENTS IN CAPETOWN DURING THE DARKEST DAYS OF APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA. HE SAID THIS. IT IS FROM THE NUMBERLESS ACTS OF COURAGE AND BELIEF THAT HUMAN HISTORY IS SHAPED. EACH TIME A MAN OR A WOMAN STANDS UP FOR AN IDEAL OR ACTS TO IMPROVE THE LOT OF OTHERS OR STRIKES OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE, HE OR SHE SENDS FORTH A TINY RIPPLE OF HOPE AND CROSSING EACH OTHER FROM A MILLION DIFFERENT CENTERS OF ENERGY AND DARING, THOSE RIPPLES BUILD A CURRENT WHICH CAN SWEEP DOWN THE MIGHTIEST WALLS OF OPPRESSION AND RESISTANCE. I AM DEEPLY HONORED AND TRULY EXCITED TO BE JOINING THE UUSC AND THIS COMMUNITY OF GENTLE, CARING, ANGRY PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER AND TO TAKE ACTION TO ADVANCE THE RIGHT, THE DIGNITY, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE MOST MARGINALIZED. [APPLAUSE] BUT LET'S NOT JUST MAKE RIPPLES, AS BOBBY KENNEDY SUGGESTED. LET'S MAKE WAVES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, BILL, AND A WARM WELCOME TO TOM ANDREWS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU FOR OUR JUSTICE‑CENTERED GA IN NEW ORLEANS NEXT YEAR. THE UU WOMEN'S FEDERATION WAS FORMED IN 1963 BY JOINING TWO PREVIOUS WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS. THE ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSALIST WOMEN WHO WAS FOUNDED IN 1869 AND THE UNITARIAN WOMEN'S ALLIANCE FOUNDED IN 1890. WOMEN IN OUR UU MOVEMENT HAVE BEEN SPEAKING AND ACTING ON BEHALF OF WOMEN AND GIRLS FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE RELEVANT THAN THEY ARE TODAY CERTAINLY IN AN ERA WHEN RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM AND PATRIARCHAL ATTITUDES ARE ERODING THE RIGHTS OF FEMALE‑IDENTIFIED PEOPLE ON MANY IMPORTANT. KIRSTIE LEWIS IS ITS CURRENT BOARD PRESIDENT, AND I'M PRIVILEGED AND DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO HER NOW. KIRSTIE? [APPLAUSE] >> HELLO THERE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A THEME GOING ON OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRING OR LEAVING THEIR POSITIONS. I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT THIS IS ALSO MY LAST YEAR AS PRESIDENT OF THE UUWF, AND I WANT TO SAY TO YOU, I HAVE MANY THINGS I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT B WHAT THE UUWF HAS BEEN DOING, AND THIS IS MY LAST CHANCE. I WANT, ALSO, TO TELL YOU THAT MY FATHER WAS A PREACHER. MY MOTHER WAS A TEACHER. SO SOMETIMES IT'S DANGEROUS TO PUT A MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF ME. I WILL TRY TO STAY ON SCRIPT. I PROMISE. THIS YEAR, THE GA THEME IS HEARTLAND, WHERE FAITH CONNECT. IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO SHARE YOU THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH THE UU WOMEN'S FEDERATION IS CONNECTING ACROSS OUR NATION, ACROSS GENERATIONS, ACROSS CULTURES AND FAITH. SO WE HAVE MANY CONNECTIONS WITH UU WOMEN IN THE CONGREGATIONS AND GROUPS THROUGHOUT OUR UU. WE INCREASE OUR CONNECTIONS WITH EXPANDING AND DEVELOPING OUR WEBSITE AND OUR FACEBOOK PRESENCE. WE SEND E‑MAIL BLASTS OF OUR NEWSLETTER TO MORE THAN 2500 MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING OUR WORK AND WE ALSO CREATE FREQUENT AND TIMELY AND PASSIONATE BLOGS, WHICH ARE WRITTEN BY OUR AFFILIATED MINISTER, REFERENT MARTI KELLER, AND OTHER GUEST BLOGGERS. THESE POSTS KEEP US INFORMED ABOUT CURRENT PUBLIC POLICY REGARDING WOMEN'S ISSUES, CULTURAL TRENDS FROM SUPERGIRL TO GIRL SCOUT COOKIE BOYCOTTS. I RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND HAVE A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PASSIONATE ESSAYS. LAST YEAR AT GA IN PORTLAND, WE OFFERED A SURVEY ASKING WHICH WOMEN'S JUSTICE ISSUES MOST CONCERNED UU WOMEN? THE ANSWERS ARE NOT TOO UNEXPECTED, BUT THEY ARE RE‑PRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. SO AS THE BOARD OF UUFWF, WE ARE LOOKING IN THOSE AREAS. WE ASKED RESPONDERS TO OUR SURVEY TO DESCRIBE THEIR LOCAL WOMEN'S GROUPS AND NAME UU MINISTERS WHO PROMOTE WOMEN'S JUSTICE ISSUES IN THE PULPIT AND IN THEIR CONGREGATIONAL FOCUS. RECENTLY, WE SHARED TWO SUCH EXEMPLARY WOMEN MINISTERS IN OUR ONLINE NEWS. THIS IS REVEREND LEAH HART‑LANSBERG AND AMY ZUCKER‑MORGENSTERN. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN UU MINISTERIAL PROFESSIONALS AND LAY WOMEN, WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO UU FEMALE IDENTIFIED MINISTERS IN OUR NEW PROPHETIC SISTERHOOD PROJECT. THIS WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE A FORUM AND RESOURCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF NEARLY 150 WOMEN MINISTERS WHO HAVE CONNECTED WITH THIS PROJECT AND WHO ARE SIGNING ON TO A COVENANT OF COMMITMENT, PREPARED BY THE NPS LEADERSHIP CIRCLE. REFERENT BETH DANA AND REFERENT MARTI KELLER CO‑LEAD THIS ONGOING PROJECT. WE HAVE ALSO STRENGTHENED OUR SECTIONS WITH OTHER UU GROUPS, ESPECIALLY THE UUA'S MULTICULTURAL GROWTH AND WITNESS PROGRAM. IT'S ILLUSTRATED BY OUR PARTNERSHIP IN FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING OUR WORKING WITH THE CLARA BARTON INTERN FOR WOMEN'S JUSTICE. OUR CURRENT INTERN IS SHAYA FRENCH, WHO IS AIMING TO DO SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK AND ADVOCATING ORGANIZING WITH AN EXPANDING FOCUS THAT INCLUDES ANTI‑RACISM, HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, CLASSISM AND ABLEISM. I WISH HER WELL IN HER EFFORTS. SHE IS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN EFFORTS TO PROMOTE RE‑PRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, OUR RECENT UUA STATEMENT OF CONSCIOUS, THROUGHOUT UU CONGREGATION. ANOTHER COLLABORATION I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IS WITH THE UUA'S STANDING ON THE SIDE OF LOVE CAMPAIGN. THIS WAS APPROVED BY OUR BOARD ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO. IN THIS JOINT PROJECT, THE UUWF WILL PROVIDE TEN‑1,000‑DOLLAR STIPENDS TO WOMEN LEADERS IN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT. [APPLAUSE] OUR AIM IS FOR THESE FUNDS TO HELP DID HE FRAY THE COST OF CHILD CARE AND CARE OF DEPENDENT FAMILY MEMBERS AND THE FAMILIES OF THESE WOMEN LEADERS SO THEY MAY PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY IN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTIVIST WORK. [APPLAUSE] THE UUWT ALSO CONTINUES CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER GROUPS, SUCH AS THE UU WOMEN AND RELIGION GROUP AND THE INTERNATIONAL UU WOMEN'S CONVOCATION, WHICH IS HOLDING ITS NEXT MAJOR GATHERING IN FEBRUARY 2017. BEYOND OUR CONNECTIONS WITH UU WOMEN, WE ARE CONNECT TO GO MULTIFAITH AND MULTICULTURAL GROUPS WITH SHARED INTERESTS IN WOMEN'S ISSUES, WHIP'S JUSTICE ISSUES. FOR MANY YEARS WE'VE BEEN CONNECTED OTHER FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RE‑PRODUCTIVE COALITION FOR RE‑PRODUCTIVE CHOICE. TOGETHER, WITH OTHER GROUPS, WE HAVE SIGNED ON TO MANY INTERFAITH AMICUS BRIEFS WRITTEN TO PROTEST THE DIMINISHMENT OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND INCLUDING THE TEXAS ABORTION CLINIC CASE, WHICH WAS HEARD BY THE SUPREME COURT AND WHICH WE'LL BE COMING OUT WITH A FURTHER DECISION ON MONDAY. WE HAVE MADE STATEMENTS AND JOINED MANY LETTERS REQUESTING CONTINUING ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT INCREASES TO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PREGNANT WOMEN. WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH SECULAR GROUPS THAT SHARE OUR VALUES AND GOALS, AND THIS IS INCLUDING CONNECTIONS WITH SISTER SONG A GROUP OF WOMEN OF COLOR WORKING FOR RE‑PRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FOR ALL WOMEN, INCLUDING THEIR TRUST BLACK WOMEN CAMPAIGN AND LINKS TO BLACK LIVES MATTER. THIS YEAR WE FOCUSED ON A LARGE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION, TOO, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD. [APPLAUSE] ESPECIALLY VICIOUS AND DECEITFUL EFFORTS TO SHUT IT DOWN. YESTERDAY IN OUR WORKSHOP, THE UUWF HONORED THE LEADERS OF SISTER SONG, MONICA SIMPSON, AND THE LEADER OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD, CECILE RICHARD, WITH OUR MINISTRY AWARDS. IT WAS A RICH AND STIMULATE AND GO WONDERFUL WORKSHOP. I'M SURE THAT MANY OF YOU WERE THERE. [APPLAUSE] WE HAVE RECENTLY MADE A STRONG CONNECTION, ALSO, TALKING ABOUT CONNECTING ACROSS THE GENRES. WE'VE MADE A STRONG CONNECTION WITH MEADVILLE LOMBARD THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL. WE ARE HOPING THAT TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE A CROSS‑BE GENERATIONAL ARCHIVE FEATURING HERSTORIES OF OUR UU WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS AND FEMINIST UU LEADERS. WE HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING SUCH LEADERS WITHIN OUR RANKS BY FEATURING THE UUWR ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE RED NOTEBOOK OF LUCILLE LONGVILLE. WHO WAS THE PRIMARY AUTHOR OF THE 1977 UU WOMEN AND RELIGION RESOLUTION? WE KNOW THERE MAY BE MANY PEOPLE HERE WHO WORKED ON THAT RESOLUTION. THAT URGED UU'S TO EXAMINE THE RELIGIOUS ROOTS OF SEXISM WITHIN OUR OWN DENOMINATION. AND THEY DID FIND SOME. KNOWING THAT WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF OUR STRONG COMMITTED FOUR MOTHERS, THE UUWF CREATED THE CLARA BARTON SISTERHOOD TO HONOR LIVING UU WOMEN OVER THE AGE OF 80 IN CONGREGATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UU WORLD. THESE THREE IN THE SLIDES ARE NEWLY HONORED MEMBERS OF THE CLARA PARTON SISTERHOOD FROM MASSACHUSETTS. EMANUEL MINEFIELD, SUZANNE MURRAY, AND SARA DRURY. AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL? [APPLAUSE] WE ARE ALSO WANT TO INCREASE THE MARGERY BOWEN WHEATLEY SCHOLARSHIP FUND WHEN PROVIDES STIPENDS FOR WOMEN OF COLOR IN ANY AGE ENROLLED IN UU MINISTRY OR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR'S RECIPIENT WAS CLAUDIA HEMENEZ, AND THIS MORNING AT THE MEADVILLE LOCAL WARD BREAKFAST, I HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH THE MEADVILLE LOCAL PARDON FOLKS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE MORE YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR TO APPLY FOR OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT HONORS MARJORIE BOWENS‑WHEATLEY. MANY OF YOU KNEW HER. THE OTHER WAY IN WHICH WE ARE DEEPENING OUR INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTIONS IS BY FUNDING WHAT WE ARE CALLING A BADASS CONVERGENCE OF WOMEN. [APPLAUSE] >> THIS IS GOING TO BE HELD IN THE FALL OF 2017. THIS EVENT WILL FOCUS ESPECIALLY ON MULTIGENERATIONAL, MULTICULTURAL, AND INTERSECTIONAL CONCERNS THAT ARE COMPELLING TO TODAY'S WOMEN. JESSICA HALPERIN, A CURRENT THEOLOGICAL STUDENT AND PRIOR CLARA BARTON INTERN OF OURS, HAS BEEN COMMISSIONED TO DEVELOP A TWO OR THREE‑DAY EVENT TO APPEAL TO ALL‑GENERATIONAL GROUP OF WOMEN‑IDENTIFIED LEADERS AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO EMERGING ISSUES OF FLUID GENDER IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT OF GENDER‑BASED VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION. THE IUWF CONTINUES TO BE THE LEADING VOICE WITHIN OUR FAITH MOVEMENT IN THE COUNTRY ON BEHALF OF WOMEN'S JUSTICE. WE ARE NOT YET A POST GENDER SOCIETY. SEXISM IS REAL. JUST AS MUCH AS RACISM IS REAL. OUR VISION IS THAT ON ALL FEMALE IDENTIFIED PEOPLE WILL BE SAFE AND FREE AND WHOLE. WE ASK YOU TO JOIN US IN THIS WORK. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, KIRSTIE. I LIKE THE TIMING OF THIS NEXT INTRODUCTION FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION OF UU WOMEN'S FEDERATION. I'M VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME TO THE MAD FORM AND I KNOW PRODUCE TO YOU A VERY SPECIAL GUEST TO THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY. REAR ADMIRAL MARGARET KIBBEN. [APPLAUSE] >> THE 26TH CHIEF OF NAVY CHAPLAINS AND THE FIRST WOMAN TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE. [APPLAUSE] CHAPLAIN KIBBEN WILL BE PRESENTING A WORKSHOP TODAY AT 11:15 ON MILITARY MINISTRY, FREE EXERCISE AND PLURALISM. JOIN HERE IN THE UNION STATION BALLROOM C. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT INTERFAITH MINISTRY AT ITS BEST FROM OUR MILITARY CHAPLAINS. I THANK ADMIRAL KIBBEN AND ALL THOSE WHO SERVE OUR NATION IN UNIFORM. OUR CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM UNDER REFERENT SARAH LAMMERT, DIRECTOR OF MINISTRIES AND FAITH DEVELOPMENT, IS ONE THAT I AM VERY PROUD OF AND KNOW YOU ARE AS WELL. IT'S GOOD TO SEE OUR CHAPLAINS IN UNIFORM SUPPORTING THE WOMEN AND MEN WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AROUND THE WORLD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. [APPLAUSE] BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH OUR BUSINESS THIS MORNING, I WANT TO INVITE TO THE STAGE, AND WHO MADE JUST A GRAND ENTRANCE HERE JUST A MOMENT AGO, OUR ATTORNEY, TOM BEAN. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE UNITARIAN SOCIETY OF HARTFORD. HE'S BEEN OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND VETERAN OF MANY GENERAL ASSEMBLIES. I'M SORRY. HE'S A MEMBER OF THE FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY IN NEWTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS. I HAD WANTED YOU TO INTRODUCE YOU TO JUSTICE NINA ELGO. SHE IS A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AND A MEMBER OF THE UNITARIAN SOCIETY IN HARTFORD, BUT SHE'S BEEN DELAYED WITH HER PLANE ARRIVAL. WE EXPECT HER SOMETIME THIS MORNING AND I WILL RE‑INTRODUCE TO YOU HER. SO LET ME BRING BACK DR. SUSAN GOEKLER TO REPORT ON THE CONGRESSIONAL STUDY/ACTION ISSUES OR THE CSAI'S, AS THEY ARE COMMONLY KNOWN. >> BASED ON THE RESULTS. CONGREGATIONAL POLL DONE LAST FALL, THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS SUBMITS THE FOLLOWING ISSUES FROM WHICH DELEGATES MAY SELECT ONE FOR FOUR YEARS OF STUDY AND ACTION AS A NEW CONGREGATIONAL STUDY/ACTION ISSUE OR CSAI. YOU CAN SEE WHEN THE CSW ALERT THAT WAS HANDED OUT THIS MORNING THE SUMMARY AND THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A CSAI. THE TEXT OF THE CSAI'S IS FOUND IN OUR PROGRAM BOOKS ON PAGE 93 TO 96. THE ISSUES THAT YOU WILL HAVE A CHOICE AMONG ARE CSAI1, WHICH IS CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. ROBERT MURRAY IS THE PROPOSE FOR THAT ONE. A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE. DEBRA GREENWOOD IS THE PROPOSE OKAY THAT ONE. ENDING GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA. MACK GOEKLER IS THE PROPOSER ON THAT ONE. AND THE CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY. KENDRA MUNSON IS THE PROPOSER ON THAT ONE. AND MODERATOR KEY WILL EXPLAIN THE PROCESS WE'LL GO THROUGH. >> SO NOW WE'RE AT THAT POINT IN OUR AGENDA WHERE WE'LL TAKE ACTION TO DECIDE ON WHICH OF THE FOUR PROPOSED CONGREGATIONAL STUDY/ACTION ISSUES WILL APPEAR IN THE FINAL AGENDA TOMORROW. SO THIS IS YOUR CUE TO REACH TOWARD THINGS LIKE YOUR VOTING CARDS AND THE PROGRAM SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH US THIS MORNING. WE'RE NOT GOING FOR VOTE FOR A WHILE, BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT. SEE BYLAW SECTION 4‑12, STATEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE, FOR A COMPLETE OUTLINE OF THE PROCESS. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU WENT TO THE MINI‑ASSEMBLIES. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN A PROCESS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY PRODUCE A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION STATEMENT OF CONSCIOUS THAT EMERGES FROM ONE OF THESE 4CSAI'S. YOU HEARD THE REPORT ON THE 4CSAI'S UNDER CONSIDERATION. AS NOTED ON PAGE 11 FOR THE RULES FOR PROCEDURE, THE SPONSOR OF EACH ISSUE WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR. ISSUE. THE FIRST PROPOSED CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUE ELIGIBLE FOR REFERRAL TO MEMBER CONGREGATIONS IS FOUND ON PAGE 93 OF THE PROGRAM BOOK AND IS ENTITLED CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. SO WILL THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION OF SOCIAL WITNESS PLEASE INTRODUCE THE SPONSOR? WELL, SHE'S NOT UP HERE, SO I WILL. SO THE SPONSOR OF THAT IS ROBERT MURPHY. THERE HE IS. SO THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE DELEGATE AT THE MICROPHONE ONE. >> GOOD MORNING, DELEGATES. I AM BOB MURPHY FROM TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA, GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WE DON'T WANT TO SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AT THE EXPENSE OF PEOPLE WHO ALREADY SUFFER IN THE ENERGY ECONOMY. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS, AFRICAN‑AMERICANS, LATINOS, OTHERS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN VICTIMIZED. WE WANT TO FORM NEW PARTNERSHIPS. WE WANT TO REACH OUT OF OUR SILOS. WE WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW TO BUILD THIS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT. THAT MEANS TAKING SOME RISKS, THINKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN NEW WAYS. BECAUSE OF THIS DESIRE TO WORK FOR NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND TO DO THINGS IN NEW WAYS, I'M GOING TO TRY SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL. I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU NOT VOTE FOR THIS ISSUE. I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW MY SUPPORT AND I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THE CALL FOR DISCUSSION ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE. [APPLAUSE] NOW, ENVIRONMENTALISTS ESPECIALLY, IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, SUPPORT THE RACIAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION. AND NEXT YEAR, COME DOWN TO NEW ORLEANS AND JOIN ME AND WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE AND WE'LL BUILD THAT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT. SO YOU ALL COME TO NEW ORLEANS AND I'LL TAKE YOU OUT FOR A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. THE SECOND PROPOSED CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUE ELIGIBLE FOR REFERRAL TO MEMBER CONGREGATIONS IS FOUND ON PAGE 94 OF THE FINAL AGENDA, AND IT'S ENTITLED A NATIONAL COVERINGS RACE. I RECOGNIZE DEBRA ‑‑ I CAN'T READ THE NAME. DEBRA GREENWOOD AT MICROPHONE TWO. >> THANK YOU, REVEREND BOB. [APPLAUSE] WE MUST FIGHT FOR RACIAL RECONCILIATION. RACIAL RECONCILIATION OCCURS WHEN WE HUMANS REALIZE THAT WE ARE MORE ALIKE THAN DIFFERENT AND THAT OUR COMMON SELF‑INTERESTS ARE MORE ALIGNED THAN WE HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE. WITH RACIAL RECONCILIATION, WE CAN OVERCOME THE SUPERFICIAL BARRIERS THAT HAVE DIMINISHED OUR POWER AROUND ALL THE ISSUES WE CARE ABOUT: CLIMATE CHANGE, GUN CONTROL, CITIZENS UNITED, MASS INCARCERATION AND MORE. WE HAVE COMMON SELF‑INTERESTS. IF YOU ARE THINKING, BUT WE'VE ALREADY DONE OUR ANTI‑RACISM WORK WITH OUR SUPPORT OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT. THEN YOU ARE EXACTLY THE PERSON THIS CSAI IS FOR. [APPLAUSE] YOU THINK YOU KNOW OUR ISSUES, BUT YOU HAVEN'T ALLOWED OTHERS TO HELP YOU WITH YOURS. REMEMBER THAT ARROGANCE REVEREND SINKFORD MENTIONED LAST NIGHT? WHAT WOULD OUR FAITH COMMUNITY BE IF IT WERE MORE INCLUSIVE? WHO MIGHT YOU BE IF YOU WERE IN SUCH A COMMUNITY? THIS CONVERSATION IS DESIGNED TO BRING LIKE AND UNLIKE PEOPLE TOGETHER, BOTH WITHIN AND WITHOUT OUR CONGREGATIONS. IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE WORLD, WE NEED ALLIES. WE NEED PARTNERS, AND WE NEED TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE FROM NELSON MAN DEAL WHO MAKES THE ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT FAR BETTER THAN I. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO EASY ROAD TO FREEDOM. WE KNOW IT WELL THAT NONE OF US ACTING ALONE REQUEST ACHIEVE SUCCESS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THE THIRD PROPOSED CONGRESSIONAL STUDY/ACTION ISSUE ELIGIBLE FOR REFERRAL TO MEMBER CONGREGATIONS IS FOUND ON PAGE 95 OF YOUR PROGRAM BOOK AND ENTITLED ENDING GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA. I RECOGNIZE MACK GOEKLER AT MICROPHONE THREE. >> I'M DELEGATE FROM DAVIES MEMORIAL UU CHURCH IN CAMP SPRINGS, MARYLAND. I WANT TO THANK THOSE OFF‑SITE DELEGATES FOR THEIR INPUT AND ALSO THE INPUT WE GOT FROM THE MINI ASSEMBLY. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL. 33,000 GUN DEATHS A YEAR. ONE‑THIRD OF THOSE ARE HOMICIDE, MURDERS. THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY ACCIDENTAL, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY ACCIDENTAL. TWO‑THIRDS, 22,000 SUICIDES A YEAR. 22,000. I'VE LOST FIVE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES TO SUICIDE. THE COMMONALITIES ARE NONE WERE ELDERLY, NONE HAD TERMINAL DISEASE, ALL HAD HANDGUNS. AND THAT'S HOW THEY WENT. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. IN YOUR CSW ALERT YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE LIST OF ALL THE CSAI'S THEY'VE DONE AND SOC'S, GUN VIOLENCE DOES NOT APPEAR. IT IS TIME WE TAKE THIS ISSUE ON. THERE'S MUCH WE CAN DO. WE NEED TO LISTEN. WE NEED TO LEARN. WE NEED TO GET BEHIND AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ARE WORKING. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES, SUICIDE INTERVENTION, WE NEED TO KEEP GUNS AWAY FROM THIS IS PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE GUNS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. THE FOURTH PROPOSED CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUE ELIGIBLE FOR REFERRAL TO CONGREGATIONS IS ON PAGE 96 OF YOUR PROGRAM BOOK. AND I RECOGNIZE KENDRA MUNSON AT THE MICROPHONE FOUR. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS KENDRA MUNCIE. I'M FROM THE UNITARIAN CONGREGATION FROM VENICE FLORIDA AND OUR FLORIDA STATEWIDE ACTION NETWORK, UU JUSTICE FLORIDA. OUR FIFTH PRINCIPLE CALLS US TO CHAMPION DEMOCRACY. NOW WE MUST ADDRESS THE CORRUPTION THAT UNDERLIES ALL ISSUES. WE WILL NEVER SOLVE GUN VIOLENCE, RACISM, AND CLIMATE CHANGE UNTIL WE GET THE BIG MONEY OUT OF CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT. HOW LONG MUST WE SURF MASS MURDERS LIKE THE ONE IN ORLANDO WHILE CONGRESS IS ENTHRALLED TO THE NRA? HOW LONG WILL LEGISLATORS DENY CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE THEY ARE FUNDED BY THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY? HOW LONG WILL OUR BLOATED CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM CONSUME OUTRAGEOUS SUMS OF MONEY WHILE WORKERS FIGHT FOR 15? WOMEN FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF THEIR OWN BODIES AND LGBTQ FOLKS FIGHT FOR THEIR OWN BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. ENOUGH. LET'S EXPLORE ALL THE WAYS TO FIX OUR BROKEN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. YES, WE MUST ADDRESS MASS INCARCERATION, WHITE SUPREMACY, VOTING RIGHTS, GERRYMANDERING AND PUBLIC FINANCING OF PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS. WE NEED A MORAL REVOLUTION, A FUSION COALITION TO WORK TOGETHER FOR RESPECT AND DIGNITY FOR ALL. THANK YOU, REVEREND BARBER, FOR LEADING US FORWARD TOGETHER, NOT ONE STEP BACK. AND YES, TO GET BIG MONEY AND HATE MESSAGING OUT, WE MUST OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITE. WE MUST GO TO THE ROOT OF PROBLEMS AND ELIMINATE CORPORATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND MONEY AS SPEECH. THE CONSTITUTION WAS FOR WE, THE PEOPLE, NOT WE, THE CORPORATIONS. LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO RESTORE THAT PROMISE. 22UU CONGREGATIONS IN FLORIDA HAVE PASSED A RESOLUTION FOR THE 28TH AMENDMENT. YOURS CAN, TOO. 700 RESOLUTIONS AND BALLOT INITIATIVES HAVE PASSED IN CITIES AND COUNTIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. NEW YORK JUST BECAME THE 17TH STATE TO PASS A RESOLUTION. WASHINGTON STATE VOTES IN NOVEMBER. CALIFORNIA MAY BE NEXT. WILL YOU JOIN THIS CRITICAL EFFORT? LET'S EXPLORE ALL AVENUES FOR FIXING OUR BROKEN SYSTEM. LET'S START WITH VOTING AT ALL LEVELS, AND YES, AMEND THE CONSTITUTION IF NEEDED. PLEASE VOTE FOR CSA PROPOSAL NUMBER FOUR, THE COLLAPSE OF OUR DEMOCRACY. LET'S STOP THE MADNESS. LET'S SOLVE THIS FOR ALL OUR ISSUES. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> SO YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE SPONSORS OF THE FOUR PROPOSED CSAI'S AND NOW WE HAVE TIME FOR UP TO FOUR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR EACH OF THE ISSUES. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT WE HAVE NO ONE OFF‑SITE THAT WANTS TO SPEAK TO THE ISSUES, SO LET ME SUGGEST THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. CSAI‑1 IS ESSENTIALLY DEFERRED, IF YOU WILL. WE WILL BE HEARING FIRST FROM MICROPHONE TWO, THE NATIONAL DISCUSSION ON RACE. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THEM ALL THROUGH, THAN THE SECOND GROUP, THEN THE THIRD GROUP. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT MIC TWO. >> I'M ED MIDDLETON FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF WOODBURY. WHY DO WE NEED A CONVERSATION ON RACE NOW? MANY OF US HOPE THAT THE ELECTION OF BARAK OBAMA ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO WOULD LEAD FOR WORDS LIKE A POST RACIAL SOCIETY. WITH CRUEL EYE REASON, WE FOUND OURSELVES IN AN ERA OF HEIGHTENED RACISM. ELECTED LEADERS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS VOWED TO DO ALL THEY COULD DO TO STOP ANY INITIATIVE OF THE NEW PRESIDENT AND WORK FOR HIS FAILURE. THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS. THIS IS NOT TYPICAL PARTISAN RHETORIC, BUT THE WORDS SUPPORTED BY MANY OF RACIAL HATRED. IT CANNOT TAKE LONG FOR IT TO LEAD TO THE FEAR, HATRED, VIOLENCE, AND MASS INCARCERATION. PRESIDENT OBAMA CHOSE TO FOCUS ON GETTING HIS WORK DONE BY IGNORING THE ISSUE OF RACE IN ORDER THAT HE COULD KEEP THE NATION TO ADDRESS THE GREAT ECONOMIC RECESSION HE INHERITED AND FOCUS ON THE DECADES' LONG STRUGGLE TO ADDRESS THE 40 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE OR WORLDWIDE AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE. BUT IT WAS COST OF POSTPONING THE IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ON RACE THAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDED TO CONTINUE AND NOW NEEDS MORE THAN EVER IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUED TO BEND THE ARC OF HISTORY TOWARDS JUSTICE. THAT IS WHY I SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS CSAI SO THAT UUA DELEGATES CAN SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR ADDRESSING THE HEIGHTENED RACISM THAT IS NOT ONLY IMMORAL, BUT UNDERMINES OUR NATION AND ITS ROLE IN THE WORLD. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE TWO. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JOANNE WISE AND I'M WITH THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF GWINNETT IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA. PROGRAMS FOR SOME PEOPLE, THE FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE CSAI IS THAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING THE WORK ON RACIAL JUSTICE. OUR CONGREGATIONS HAVE DISPLAYED BANNERS, READ BOOKS, ATTENDED PROTESTS, AND LIT UP FACEBOOK WITH COMMENTS. WE FEEL THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. THE MISSING PIECE, HOWEVER, IS LISTENING TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE MAY TRULY KNOW EACH OTHER AS WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER. WE MUST WORK TOWARDS TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE AND TRUE RECONCILIATION. THIS IS THE GOAL OF THIS CSAI. LAST YEAR, WE VOTED TO SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER THROUGH OUR ACTION OF IMMEDIATE WITNESS. THIS IS CSAI IS A DEEPENING OF THAT SUPPORT. A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE IS THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE IN OUR WORK ON RACIAL JUSTICE. IN ADDITION, I SUPPORT THIS CSAI, BECAUSE I LIKE THE PRACTICALITY. LOCAL FOCUS. IT ENGAGES US WITHIN OUR CONGREGATION AND ENCOURAGES US TO MEET WITH OUR NEIGHBORING FAITH COMMUNITIES IN A WAY THAT WE LISTEN AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER SO THAT WE CAN CREATE A MORE COMPASSIONATE WORLD. I ASK YOU TO VOTE FOR A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE NUMBER TWO. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M JACKIE C. WILLIAMS FROM THE FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF ALBANY, NEW YORK. LAST NIGHT, FOR THOSE OF US THAT ATTENDED THE SERVICE OF THE LIVING TRADITION, REVEREND SINKFORD TALKED ABOUT THE SERVICE OF THE LIVING TRADITION IN 1966 AND THE WARE LECTURE SPEAKER, WHO WAS DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING. AT THAT TIME, THE UUA WAS ASKED NOT TO SLEEP THROUGH REVOLUTION AND WAS GIVEN ALL KINDS OF REASONS AND WAS GIVEN SOME STEP‑BY‑STEP THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE. REVEREND SINKFORD REMINDED US, THOSE OF US OF A CERTAIN AGE, AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE BORN LATER, ABOUT THE ASSEMBLING AND ASSOCIATION EXCITEMENT, INTEREST, AND SUPPORT OF THOSE STEPS AND WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE THAT LATER WAS TALKED ABOUT AS THE JOURNEY TOWARD WHOLENESS. IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING A NUMBER OF 50TH ANNIVERSARIES. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MERGER OF THE UUA. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS BILLS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EVENTS LIKE THE MARSH TO SELMA AND EVEN WHAT MOST REFER TO AS THE BLACK WALKOUT. TO RECONCILE TRUTHS, PLURAL, MUST BE TOLD. AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND CONVENIENT TRUTH REGARDING RACE IS THAT IN THIS NATION IS THAT WE HAVE AGAIN REACHED A CRISIS MOMENT IN TIME WHEN CHANGE MUST HAPPEN. PEOPLE CONSIDERED DIFFERENT OR OTHER HAVE BEEN DYING OR INJURED WITH IMPUNITY. AS MUCH AS WE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS MAY BELIEVE THAT WE DO AFFECT THE ENTIRE WORLD, WHAT WE BELIEVE AND HOW WE FEEL, IN FACT, IN THE SIXTIES, EIGHTIES, NINETIES, AND EVEN IN THIS CENTURY, IS ESSENTIAL. REVEREND SINKFORD DID SAY WE FAILED AND I REPEAT, MANY OF THE RESOLUTION, AIWS, AND PREVIOUS CSAI'S HAVE INCLUDED RACE. HOWEVER, THE WORK IS NOT DONE. REVEREND BARBER TALKED ABOUT IT BEING A MORAL MOVEMENT AND BEING PART OF A FUSION MOVEMENT. ALL OF US HAVE RACE. WE NEED A BETTER ‑‑ >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE NUMBER TWO. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M CONNIE COLE‑EMBER FROM MATTATUCK UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY IN WOODBURY, CONNECTICUT. TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT THIS CONVERSATION ON RACE IS A CSAI FOR RIGHT NOW? DR. DEBRA GREENWOOD'S PASSION AND ELOQUENCE BROUGHT OUR ATTENTION FOR THIS NEED FOR A VERY NECESSARY CONVERSATION ON RACE. WE, AS A FAITH, ARE AT A TIPPING POINT. YESTERDAY WE WERE ELECTRIFIED BY THE WORDS OF REVEREND WILLIAM BARBER AND FURTHER INSPIRED BY REVEREND SINKFORD. I CANNOT COUNT HOW MANY TIMES YESTERDAY IN THIS ROOM AND IN OTHERS WE WERE ON OUR FEET, DRIVEN THERE BY THE TRUTH BEING TOLD, BY THE TRUTH WE EACH HEARD AND FELT IN OUR BONES AND HEARTS. THIS CONVERSATION HAS ALREADY BEGUN AND WE, AS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS, CAN ONLY BENEFIT FROM TAKING UP THIS CONVERSATION ON RACE, CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUE. THE MESSAGE OF THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY THUS FAR HAS BEEN THE TIME HAS COME FOR EACH OF US TO GALVANIZE OUR CONGREGATIONS, TO PUT OUR SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL, AND BEND THAT ARC TOWARD JUSTICE. REMEMBERING THAT WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER, REFUSING TO BE DIVIDED BY RACE IS KEY TO SUCCESS IN THIS BATTLE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE, BUILDING BRIDGES INSTEAD OF WALLS WILL DELIVER US TO THE GOAL THAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES. FREEDOM EQUALITY FOR ALL. VOTING FOR THIS CSAI FOR THIS CONVERSATION ON RACE COULD BE THE KEY TO OUR MOVEMENT FORWARD. WE WHO HAVE BEEN AWOKENED CAN SHARE THE POWER AND DETERMINATION WE HAVE FOUND HERE AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY WITH OTHERS AT HOME. THIS CSAI WILL GIVE US THE TOOLS TO DO JUST THAT. I REMIND YOU OF THE BLESSING WE SHARED WITH ONE ANOTHER YESTERDAY. I PUT MY HAND IN YOURS SO THAT WE MAY DO TOGETHER WHAT I CANNOT DO ALONE. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> AND NOW WE TURN TO MICROPHONE THREE, WHERE PROPONENTS OF ENDING GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA, AND I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE NUMBER THREE. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MORGAN JOHNSTONE FROM ARLINGTON STREET IN BOSTON. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LOUISIANA, AND IN LOUISIANA AND THE SOUTH IN GENERAL, GUNS AND GUN LAWS AND THE NRA ARE RAMPANT. THERE'S NO PROTECTION. THE CRISIS AND THE HORRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO SCARED ME. IT SCARED ME SO I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE MY HOUSE. I DIDN'T WANT FOR HOLD MY PARTNER'S HAND IN PUBLIC. I AM SCARED TO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY IN THE SOUTH. WE HAVE NO PROTECTION. HAPPENED IN ORLANDO COULD HAPPEN AGAIN UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I URGE THE CONGREGATION, I URGE THE DELEGATES TO VOTE FOR THIS CSAI, AND IF WE DO THIS, I THINK WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE IN NOT ONLY THE UUA, BUT IN THE COUNTRY AND WORLD AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE SECOND OF FOUR DELEGATES TO BE SPEAKING AT MICROPHONE THREE. I RECOGNIZED DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE THREE. >> I AM ELEANOR HELPER, DELEGATE FROM THE OHIO UU DELEGATIONS. AT THE LONG BEACH GA, I LEAD THE EFFORT TO PASS THE AIW SEEKING TO RENEW THE THEN BAN ON ASSAULT WEBS. THE AIW PASSED GA UNANIMOUSLY, BUT CONGRESS CANNOT RENEW THE BAN. ASSAULT WEAPONS NOW ARE THE MOST USED WEAPONS EN MASSE SHOOTINGS. I BECAME ACTIVE IN SEEKING SEVEN I BELIEVE GUN LAWS AFTER MAY 9, 2003. WHY? ON THAT DAY, A DISGRUNTLED GRADUATE FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY FORCED HIS WAY INTO A BUILDING, SHOT DISCRIMINATELY USING AN ASSAULT WEAPON AND A PISTOL. HE KILLED ONE STUDENT, WOUNDED ANOTHER, AND WOUNDED A PROFESSOR, WHILE 92 TERRIFIED STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF DESPERATELY TRIED TO FIND PLACES TO HIDE. THAT PROFESSION IS MY DAUGHTER. SHE HEARD THE GUNSHOTS, RETURNED TO HER OFFICE, TURNED, AND SAW THE GUNMAN 6 FEET AWAY. SHE SLAMMED HER OFFICE DOOR CLOSED JUST AS HE SHOT WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN A LETHAL BULLET THROUGH THE DOOR. SHE REALIZED SHE COULD BE SEEN THROUGH THE TRANSLUCENT GLASS, SO SHE HID IN A CLOSET FOR THE NEXT FOUR HOURS, STANDING THE WHOLE TIME. BEFORE THE GUNMAN WAS CAUGHT, A SWAT TEAM RESCUED HER, LET HER OUT OF THE BUILDING, COVERED HER ESCAPE WITH RAISED RIFLES SHOWN IN A WIDELY PUBLISHED DRAMATIC PHOTO OF A TERROR I IDENTIFIED WOMAN, MY DAUGHTER. HER CHEST WOUND WAS NOT SERIOUS. THE BULLET HIT HER STERNUM AND BOUNCED OFF. BUT WHAT IF IT HAD BEEN HALF AN INCH TO ONE SIDE? HER PTSD LASTED FIVE YEARS, DESPITE SKILLED COUNSELING AND HER HUSBAND'S SUPPORT. SHE MANAGED HER TEACHING LOAD, BUT HER RESEARCH SUFFERED GREATLY. BUT NO ONE REMEMBERS THIS 13 YEARS AGO. ONLY ONE DEATH, BUT THOSE PRESENT THAT DAY REMEMBER AND THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. I CALL ON ALL UU'S. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE THIRD DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE THREE TO SPEAK ON GUN VIOLENCE. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ERIC SWENSON. >>> LET'S START THE BLOCK OVER AGAIN. >> I AM ERIC SWENSON WITH FIRST PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST IN LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I'M HERE WITH MY SON WHO QUO WROTE THIS STATEMENT. GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA IS A PROBLEM OF EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS. 33,000 GUN DEATHS EVERY YEAR, 90 EVERY DAY, GUN POSSESSION IS NO LONGER A CONSTITUTIONAL MATTER FOR CONGRESS. IT'S A MATTER FOR OUR SOCIETY. WHEN BLACK PEOPLE ARE TEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY GUNS THAN WHITE PEOPLE, THIS IS AN ISSUE OF RACE INEQUALITY. WHEN AMERICANS ARE 25 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE MURDERED WITH A GUN THAN ANY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRY, THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR OUR CULTURE. WHEN 50% OF SUICIDES ARE COMMITTED WITH HANDGUNS, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. RACE, SUICIDE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND POVERTY ARE INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED TO GUN VIOLENCE AND WE CAN NO LONGER IGNORE HOW IT HAS AFFECTED OUR COMMUNITIES, NOR CAN WE WAIT FOR OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE NRA WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THE ONLY WAY TO STOP A BAD GUY WITH A GUN IS A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN WHEN THE TRUTH IS VERY DIFFERENT. LESS THAN ONE% OF VIOLENT CRIME IS PREVENTED WITH A GUN. GUN POSSESSION IS NOT PROVIDING PERSONAL SAFETY. IN FACT, IT IS VERY MUCH THE OPPOSITE. GUN OWNERS ARE FOUR AND A HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE SHOT BY A GUN. THE CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN OUR PERCEPTION AND THE REALITY SHOWS THAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY EXAMINE THE ROLE THAT GUNS PLAY IN PROVIDING SECURITY. IF OUR GOAL IS TRULY A WORLD COMMUNITY WITH PEACE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON A FREE AND RESPONSIBLE SEARCH FOR THAT TRUTH AND MEANING WITHIN THIS ISSUE. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND AN IMPERATIVE AS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS TO BEGIN THAT EXAMINATION AND DIALOGUE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR CONGREGATIONS. WE CAN BREAK THIS CYCLE OF GUNS LEADING TO VIOLENCE, LEADING TO MORE GUNS, AND SHAPE THE NARRATIVE FROM ONE OF FEAR TO ONE OF HEALING FROM THE STARS LEFT ON THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY. WE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS CSAI. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE LAST DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE THREE TO SPEAK ON GUN VIOLENCE. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M LEE MYER FROM FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH CINCINNATI AND I AM HERE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSED CSAI ON GUN VIOLENCE. UNDERSTAND IF OUR CURRENT RATE OF GENOCIDE CONTINUES, MOST OF THE OTHER ISSUES WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WON'T REALLY MATTER. WE LIVE IN THE MOST VIOLENCE‑AFFLICTED PEACE TIME SOCIETY IN THE WORLD. COMPARATIVE STATISTICS FROM A NUMBER OF SOURCES REVEAL A DISPROPORTIONATE LEVEL OF DEATHS FROM GUNSHOTS IN THE U.S.A. A REPORT LAST WEEK IN "USA TODAY" SHOWED A LEVEL OF GUN‑RELATED FATALITIES HERE THAT IS 160% HIGHER THAN THAT IN THE U.K. A MUCH MORE DENSELY POPULATED COUNTRY. A WIKIPEDIA REPORT SHOWS U.S. DEATHS FROM GUNSHOTS AT 105 PER MILLION POPULATION, COMPARED WITH LESS THAN NINE PER MILLION IN AUSTRALIA AND TWO PER MILLION IN THE U.K. IF YOU ARE BLACK, YOU ARE TEN TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN A WHITE TO DIE FROM GUNS IN THE UNITED STATES. WE KNOW THE RATE OF INCIDENTS OF MASS SHOOTINGS IS ACCELERATING IN THIS COUNTRY. RECENT POLICE SHOOTINGS FROM FERGUSON TO CHICAGO AND ALL AROUND OHIO HAVE URBANITES AND SUBURBANITES, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR LIVING IN FEAR OF THE VERY PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM. [APPLAUSE] MANY OF US BELIEVE THAT OUR GUN CULTURE HAS NOT MADE US SAFER. IT HAS MADE US MORE VULNERABLE. BUT NOW, WITH ATTENTION DRAWN TO THE ESCALATION OF GUN‑RELATED EVENTS, THE TIME FOR US TO SUPPORT SERIOUS STUDY OF THE PROLIFERATION OF DEADLY WEAPONS IN OUR SOCIETY AND THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL INERTIA THAT SUSTAINS IT IS HERE. IF DONALD TRUMP IS WRONG WHEN HE STATES THAT WE WILL BE SAFER FROM ALL GOOD AMERICANS OWN THEIR OWN ASSAULT RIFLES TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, THEN WE NEED TO BE COMPILING THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT OUR POSITION. THIS IS THE TIME TO WORK ‑‑ >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> AND THE FOUR DELEGATES SPEAKING FOR CSAI‑4 ON CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE MICROPHONE. >> I'M JASPER DAVIDOFF AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE CHILDREN. LARGER FELLOWSHIP FROM EVANSTON, ILLINOIS. DIDN'T START YET. OKAY. AS A YOUTH, I WANT TO IMAGINE THAT I KNOW WHAT YOUTH ARE INTERESTED IN, SO I THINK THAT AS A CONGREGATIONAL STUDY, THE CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY GIVES US A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO ENGAGE MORE PEOPLE IN OUR CONGREGATIONS. IT'S BEING PROPOSED DURING A YEAR IN WHICH I'VE WATCHED MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW TEENS GET MORE INTERESTED IN POLITICS AND POLICY THAN I'VE EVER NOTICED BEFORE. WE'RE TURNING OUT IN DROVES TO SUPPORT CANDIDATES WHO ARE ACTUALLY MAKING AN EFFORT TO SPEAK TO US. WE'RE VOLUNTEERING FOR THEM. WE WANT A STAKE IN OUR COUNTRY. WE WANT A NATIONAL VOICE MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. AND WE'VE BEEN EXPRESSING DISCONTENT THIS YEAR AS WELL. MY FRIENDS IN COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE INFURIATED THAT THEIR STATE‑ISSUED PHOTO ID'S WON'T PERMIT THEM TO VOTE. MANY OF US HAVE BEEN DISPLEASED WITH A SYSTEM THAT WITH POWERFUL CORPORATE FUNDING, SUPER DELEGATES, AND CLOSED PARTY REGISTRATION PERIODS SEEMS LIKE IT'S TRYING TO SILENCE OUR VOICES AND WHEN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES INSULT THE REFUGEES THAT WE'VE BEFRIENDED AT SCHOOL OR REFUSE TO DEAL WITH THE GUN EPIDEMIC THAT CAUSED THE EMPTY SEAT AT MY HIGH SCHOOL'S GRADUATION THIS YEAR, WE WANT TO IMAGINE THAT OUR VOTES AND OUR ORGANIZING EFFORTS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. JUST THIS YEAR, 400 OF US UU'S JOINED 400 PEOPLE ARRESTED THIS YEAR IN DC FOR DEMOCRACY SPRING AND DEMOCRACY AWAKENING. THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS, SPECIAL INTERESTS, AND GERRYMANDERING, BECAUSE WE HAVE AGAINST, TOO. OPINIONS, TOO. WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM SO WE CAN FEEL LIKE OUR PASSION TRANSLATES TO ACTUAL CHANGE. IF OUR CONGREGATIONS BEGIN TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO REBUILD OUR DEMOCRACY, WE'LL JOIN IN AND HAVING MORE YOUTH IN THE CONVERSATION IS ALWAYS A BETTER THING. SO PLEASE, VOTE TO LET US BY SUPPORTING CSAI NUMBER FOUR, THE CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I SPOT A PROUD GRANDMOTHER OUT THERE. JUST SAYING. I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT THE MICROPHONE. >> THANK YOU. I AM GLADYS SANCHEZ. I REPRESENT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF DEKALB IN DEKALB, ILLINOIS. TO MY PROUD AFRICAN‑AMERICAN SEVEN‑YEAR‑OLD SON, I AM A STRONG FILIPINO WOMAN WHO SERVES BE AS BOTH HIS MOTHER AND FATHER. TO MANY RICH MIDDLE‑CLASS WHITE GUYS WITH FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, I AM IDENTIFIED HAS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN, LOW INCOME, SINGLE MOTHER THAT SHOULD NOT COMPLAIN AND ACCEPT CHEAP LABOR OR BE DEPORTED BACK TO THE COUNTY LEFT AT THE AGE OF SEVEN. TO MY CLOSE UU FRIENDS IN THIS ROOM, I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATES, BALANCING THREE JOBS AND SERVING AS A DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR AT MY HOME CHURCH. THE DEMOCRACY I ENVISION SHOULD SIMPLIFY ME AS A TAXPAYER HUMAN BEING. [APPLAUSE] HOW IS IT THAT EVEN WITH A COLLEGE DEGREE, I STILL HAVE TO JUGGLE THREE JOBS AND STILL LIVE AT THE POVERTY RATE? IS IT DEMOCRACY TO PUT ME IN A CATEGORY IN WHICH I RUN THE RISK OF GOING BACK TO MY COUNTRY I LEFT AT SEVEN OR BE TREATED AS A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN? IS IT FAIR, EQUAL, OR JUST TO HAVE A SINGLE MINORITY MOTHER LIKE MYSELF MAKE 79 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR EARNED BY MEN WHEN I AM THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD? [APPLAUSE] MY DEAR FRIENDS, IN ORDER FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARD A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, WE MUST REFRAME, RE‑CREATE, AND REVITALIZE OUR DEFINITION OF A FAIR, JUST DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. THIS IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN RESTORING OUR DEMOCRACY SO WE CAN TRULY SERVE OUR PEOPLE. OUR GOAL IN MOVING FORWARD SUPPORTS GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION MOVEMENTS AS THEY ORGANICALLY FORM FROM THE BOTTOM UP. THE CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY IS THE MAIN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH FIRST. IT IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO TWO OF OUR UU PRINCIPLES, WHICH IS FIRST TO RESPECT THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF EVERY PERSON, AND FIFTH, WHICH IS THE RIGHT OF CONSCIOUS AND USE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS WITH ‑‑ >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> I RECOGNIZE THE DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE FOUR. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ALLEN LINTROP. I'M A DELEGATE FROM THE FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY OF CHICAGO. IN LINE WITH OUR FIFTH PRINCIPLE, I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR PROPOSAL, CONGRESSIONAL STUDY/ACTION ISSUE NUMBER FOUR. IT HAS MULTIPLE ASPECTS WORTHY OF STUDY AND ACTION. THAT'S WHY A FOUR‑YEAR PROCESS IS NEEDED. PLUS IT IS TIMELY IN THAT PROGRESS ON MANY OF THE ISSUES WILL BE AFFECTED BY HOW MUCH WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ON OTHER ISSUES IS AFFECTED BY HOW MUCH WE CAN PROGRESS ON THIS. STUDYING AND ACTING TO MOVE OUR COUNTRY TOWARD A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS TO OVERTURN THE SUPREME COURT'S CITIZENS UNITED DECISION VERSUS ADVANCING A COURT CHALLENGE BEFORE A SUPREME COURT WITH A NEW MAKEUP IS ONE OF THE FOCUSES. STUDYING AND ACTING TO MOVE OUR HOME STATES AWAY FROM PROCEDURES THAT CREATE GERRYMANDERED AND NON‑COMPETITIVE STATE AND LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS IS ANOTHER. FIGHTING MEASURES THAT TRY TO RESTRICT WHO CAN VOTE AND WORKING TO MAKE OUR MAKING ACCESSIBLE VOTING FOR AS MANY CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE IS ANOTHER. JOIN US IN VOTING TO HELP RESTORE THE DEMOCRACY THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF PEOPLE POWER. VOTE FOR CSAI NUMBER FOUR, CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE IT IS DELEGATE AT MICROPHONE FOUR. >> THANK YOU. I'M REVEREND DR. MICHELLE WALSH AND I'M AN AFFILIATE COMMUNITY MINISTER WITH AND A DELEGATE FOR THE UNITED FIRST PARISH CHURCH IN QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE, RACIAL JUSTICE, AND GUN VIOLENCE IN THIS COUNTRY AND OUR LARGER WORLD. HAS AN URBAN COMMUNITY MINISTER, I HAVE SEEN FAR TOO MANY BLACK CHILDREN I HAVE LOVED AND HELPED TO RAISE DIE FROM GUN VIOLENCE, INCLUDING MY AFRICAN‑AMERICAN GOD DAUGHTER'S NEPHEW, KENNY HALL. AS A QUEER PERSON, I FEEL HEAVILY THE TRAUMATIC IMPACT OF THE MOST RECENT MASS SHOOTING IN ORLANDO ON THE LGBTQ COMMUNITIES. I ALSO FEAR FOR THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS, SUCH AS MY NIECES, NEPHEWS, AND GOD DAUGHTER AND GOD GRANDCHILD IN THE COMING DECADES, AS WELL AS THE IMPACT AND BURDEN ALREADY BEING CARRIED BY THE MOST OPPRESS AND HAD MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AS THEY EXPERIENCE DROUGHTS, HURRICANES, TSUNAMIS, AND RISING SEA LEVELS WITH ALL OF THE NEGATIVE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES IN THE AFTERMATH. THIS IS WHY I HAVE CHOSEN TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF STUDYING FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS OUR CORRUPTED DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. AND HOW WE CAN EMPOWER OURSELVES TO MAKE THIS PROCESS EQUITABLE AND JUST FOR ALL PERSONS. I DESPERATELY WANTED AND NEED EACH PERSON TO HAVE A VOICE AND CAPACITY FOR ACTION IN THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE EACH OF THESE ISSUES AND SO MANY MORE ARE NEEDED TO CREATE THE MORE BELOVED AND FLOURISHING WORLD WE DREAM ABOUT, ISSUES THAT INCLUDE SEVERE ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY, MASS INCARCERATION, XENOPHOBIA, INADEQUATE HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE. THE INTERSECTION OF ALL OF THESE ISSUES REQUIRES A MORAL FUSION OF COMMUNITIES OF RESISTANCE TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY FOR ACTION. IT REQUIRES US TO DEEPEN INTO UNDERSTANDING HOW WE HAVE PROGRESSIVELY LOST OUR DEMOCRACY TO OLIGARCHY IN THIS OPPORTUNITY. IT REQUIRES US TO STUDY HOW WE CAN REGAIN OUR DEMOCRACY BY CHANGING THE SYSTEM. IT REQUIRES US TO ACTS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> SO YOU HAVE HEARD THE DELEGATES SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THESE FOUR CSAI'S. WHICH ONE TO BRING TO THE FINAL AGENDA? NOW IT'S TIME TO VOTE. NOW, LET ME EXPLAIN THE VOTING CARD EACH DELEGATE SHOULD HAVE BY NOW. IT IS USED TO VOTE FOR A CSAI TODAY AND AN AIW TOMORROW. SO YOU'VE GOT TWO VOTING ACTIVITIES ON THAT ONE CARD, AND I WANT TO YOU USE ONLY THE BOTTOM STUB AND ENTER A NUMBER THAT REPRESENTS THE CSAI YOU WISH TO SUPPORT. IT'S PRETTY CLEAR, BUT IF YOU WISH TO VOTE FOR CSAI‑1, DESPITE THE MAG ANY THEM IN AT THIS OF THE PROPOSER, YOU MAY STILL VOTE FOR CSAI‑1 ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WRITES A ONE IN THE BOX. IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT TWO, A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE, WRITE TWO IN THE BOX BE. IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORTED THREE, ENDING GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA, WRITE THREE IN THE BOX. I THINK YOU'RE GETTING IT NOW. AND IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT FOUR, CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY, RIGHT FOUR IN THE BOX. THEN DETACH IT FROM YOUR VOTING CARD AND PASS IT TO THE TELLERS, WHICH ARE STANDING BY. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THEM BY THOSE GREAT VESTS THEY WEAR. THESE BALLOTS WILL BE COUNTED WHILE WE DO THE REST OF OUR BUSINESS F1 DOES NOT HAVE A PLURALITY, WE WILL HAVE A RUNOFF WHEN WE KNOW THE RESULTS. OCCASIONALLY SOMEONE WILL VOTE FOR MORE THAN ONE AND THEY WRITE TWO NUMBERS IN THERE. IF YOU WRITE MORE THAN ONE NUMBER OR NUMBER FIVE OR HIGHER, YOUR BALLOT WILL NOT BE COUNTED. YOU ONLY GET TO VOTE FOR ONE. I KNOW, THEY ALL HAVE MERIT AND THEY REALLY DO ALL HAVE MERIT, BUT YOU ONLY GET TO VOTE FOR ONE. SO NOW THE TELLERS WILL COLLECT AND COUNT THE BALLOTS AND WE'LL ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS BY THE END OF THIS GENERAL SESSION. WE GOOD? I THINK IT'S TIME TO SING, DON'T YOU? AND I'M LOOKING WHO OUR MUSIC LEADER IS THIS MORNING, AND I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE SARA [INDISCERNIBLE] A GOOD FRIEND AND I KNOW COMING TRUSTEE ON THE UUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES. >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. FIND A VOICE. FIND OUR STILLNESS. IT'S SO GOOD TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL. I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO SING AN OLDS HYMN FROM SINGING THE LIVING TRADITION IN THE SPANISH TRANSLATION CREATED BY REVEREND LILIAS CUERVA FROM LAS VOCES DEL CAMINO. THE ORIGINAL TEXT, FIND A STILLNESS, IS BY CARL SEABURG. IT'S AN OLD TRANSYLVANIA HYMN TUNE. THE NEW SPANISH SETTING IS BUSCA CALMA. MY FRIENDS, I INVITE YOU TO RISE IN BODY AND SPIRIT AND SING WITH US. [SINGING] >> THANK YOU. I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE DELEGATES TO A NEW WAY OF DISCERNING COMPLEX ISSUES. I SPOKE TO IT A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING. BEFORE WE HAVE TO DEBATE AND VOTE ON THEM, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR REACTIONS WILL BE AND THE SURVEYS THAT FOLLOW THIS GENERAL SESSION, WE'LL EXPAND THAT AS WE GO FORWARD. UU'S FOR JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAVE SECURED THE NECESSARY SIGNATURES REQUIRED BY OUR BYLAWS TO BRING A BUSINESS RESOLUTION TO THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE DELEGATES TO EMBRACE OR REJECT. HAD HAS BEEN PERFECTED AND DISTRIBUTED TO YOU THIS MORNING, AND THAT WILL BE THE BASIS OF THE MITCH A ASSEMBLY THIS AFTERNOON TO MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THAT AS THE DELEGATES SEE FIT. AS THIS BUSINESS RESOLUTION HAS MOVED THROUGH THE PROCESS, THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN CONCURRENTLY DOING THEIR JOB OF RENEWING HOLDINGS IN THE COMMON ENDOWMENT FUND. IN THIS ROLE, THEY HAVE BEEN UTILIZING THE SERVICES OF SUSTAINALYTICS, WHICH APPLIED SCREENS BASED UPON THE CRITERIA DIRECTED BY THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE GUIDED BY THE VOTES OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY DELEGATES AND THE UUA BOARD. THE RECENT SCREENING RESULTED IN THE ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN HOLDINGS THAT CANNOT PASS THE SUSTAINALYTICS HUMAN RIGHTS AGAIN. THERE WAS NO VOTE TAKEN WITH REGARD TO DIVESTMENT, BUT THE USUAL BALANCING OF THE FUND AND THE USUAL COURSE OF THE COMMITTEE'S WORK. WE ARE NOW AT A PLACE WHERE THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN PRESENTED NOT THE PROGRAM BOOK AS MODIFIED BY THE HANDOUT THAT YOU GOT THIS MORNING IN CONJUNCTION WITH COUNSEL. UU'S FOR THE JUSTICE MAKERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST MODIFIED THE LANGUAGE TO REFLECT THIS NEW REALITY, AND THAT WILL BE WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED THIS AFTERNOON IN THE MINI ASSEMBLY. IT WILL BE HELD AT 4:45 IN UNION STATION BALLROOM C. SO THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO INFLUENCE THE LANGUAGE OF THIS BUSINESS RESOLUTION SHOULD PLAN ON BEING THERE. IT IS NOT THE PLACE TO DEBATE THE PROS AND CONS. THAT WILL BE HERE. TOMORROW. WITH THAT AS A BACKDROP, I WANT TO INVITE FIVE PEOPLE FOR THE STAGE. DANA ASHRAWI, MEMBER OF THE FIRST UU CHURCH OF HOUSTON. FARRELL BRODY, MEMBER OF THE FIRST UU CHURCH OF COLUMBUS. HE DIDN'T DRIVE FAR. DENNY DAVIDOFF, MEMBER OF THE WESTPORT CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT. REVEREND JAY WOLEN, MINISTER OF THE UU CONGREGATION OF QUAD CITIES IN DAVENPORT, IOWA. AND JOHN SARROUF, PRINCIPLE OF PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS PROJECT IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS. THE PROJECT FOSTER CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WHERE THERE IS CONFLICT DRIVEN BY DIFFERENCES IN IDENTITY, BELIEFS, AND VALUES. SO I'VE INVITED JOHN TO FACILITATE A CONVERSATION AMONG THESE FOUR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THE BUSINESS RESOLUTION TO HELP THE DELEGATES UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF WHAT YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT OR OPPOSE. AND FRANKLY, I ALSO WANTED TO MODEL A BETTER WAY OF DISCERNING HOW WE UU'S LIVE OUT OUR SIGNALS A COMPLEX WORLD THAT CHALLENGE COMPETING VALUES OR PUT US AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER AND FRANKLY, MAY BE DIFFICULT TO REDUCE TO A SIMPLE YES OR NO. PRO OR CON. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, JIM. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS IMPORTANT SPACE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE. PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS PROJECT IS HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, ONE THAT WE KNOW CARRIES WITH IT A LOT OF FEELINGS AND CONVICTIONS THAT UNDERSTANDABLY RUN DEEP. WE KNOW THAT BEHIND EVERY BELIEF IS A STORY. AND THAT BEHIND EVERY STORY IS A PERSON. CAN WE, IN OUR DELIBERATIONS OVER THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS HEAR EACH OTHER'S STORIES? CAN WE SEE EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE? AND EVEN ACROSS THE GREAT DIFFERENCES THAT DIVIDE US, CAN PEOPLE STAY IN COMMUNITY AND CONTINUE THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THEY WANT TO DO TOGETHER. THE DEBATE WILL HAPPEN. IT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW, AND IT WILL CONTINUE, NO DOUBT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MODEL A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT, A DIFFERENT KIND OF DISCERNMENT. TO BE ADVOCATES IN RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER ADVOCATES. REMAINING CURIOUS AND WILLING TO ENGAGE. AND THAT IS WHAT OUR FOUR GUESTS HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO DO TODAY, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SHARE SO OPENLY IN SUCH A PUBLIC WAY. AND ALL OF THEM HAVE AGREED TO KEEP TO THE TIME LIMITS THAT WE'LL HAVE SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE HEARD EQUALLY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED, TO REFRAIN FROM TRYING TO CONVINCE OTHER PEOPLE ON STAGE TO CHANGE THEIR POSITION, TO CRITIQUE POSITIONS AND NOT THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES, AND TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND NOT ON BEHALF OF SOME GROUP. SO I'M GOING TO JUST START BY ASKING YOU, JAY, AND EACH PERSON WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ANSWER, CAN YOU SPEAK OF AN EXPERIENCE YOU'VE HAD THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAME TO YOUR VIEWS ON THE ISSUE OF HOW TO DECIDE WHETHER THE UU'S SHOULD HOLD INVESTMENTS RELATED TO HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND MAYBE SPEAK ABOUT A CORE VALUE THAT HELPS YOUR DISCERNMENT? >> CERTAINLY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE REFORMED JEWISH TRADITION AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT INFORMS ME IS ANTI‑SEMITISM. THROUGHOUT THE LONG HISTORY OF MY FAMILY AND OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. MY GRANDPARENTS, WHO WERE BORN IN LITHUANIA, BEATEN, HOUSE BURNED DOWN, FORCED TO LEAVE LITHUANIA TO COME TO AMERICA. AND THANKFULLY, BECAUSE OTHERWISE ALL LIKELIHOOD THEY MIGHT HAVE DIED IN THE HOLOCAUST. AND FORCED, THEN, WHEN THEY CAME TO AMERICA TO WORK IN JUST WHATEVER THEY COULD DO TO EARN MONEY. MY PARENTS, MY FATHER, ONE CHILD OF FIVE SISTERS, THEY ALL SAVED TO SEND HIM TO COLLEGE AND HIS OPPORTUNITIES, WHAT COLLEGES HE COULD GO TO, WERE LIMITED AS HE WAS EXCLUDED FROM MANY COLLEGES BECAUSE OF HIS RELIGION. WHAT JOBS HE COULD GET WERE LIMITED BECAUSE OF HIS RELIGION. AND THEN MYSELF. PRIOR TO GOING INTO MINISTRY, I WAS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. MANY TIMES I, MYSELF, WAS SUBJECTED TO BEING CALLED A KIKE. BEING TOLD JEW THEM DOWN. EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW I WAS A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, BUT YOU SEE, JUST BECAUSE I WAS BORN AND RAISED, THEY ATTRIBUTED THE SAME ANTISEMITISM, THE SAME DISCRIMINATION THAT THEY WERE RAISED TO BELIEVE IN. AND AS WELL, I THINK ABOUT MY LOCAL TEMPLE WHERE I LIVE IN IOWA HAS TO HAVE POLICE GUARDS EVERY SERVICE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SWASTIKAS PUT ON THEIR TEMPLE. THEY HAVE THREATS ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AND SO THE VALUE THAT I PRESENT THAT REALLY INFORMS ME ABOUT THIS IS REFUGE. THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS A PLACE OF REFUGE FOR JEWISH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY OPPRESSED, WHO HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT OF COUNTRIES, THROWN OUT OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY. FIRST BY THE BABYLONIANS AND THEN BY THE ROMANS AND THEN AS THE DIASPORA WENT, THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, EVEN ONES THEY WERE VERY HIGHLY INTEGRATED IN. AND SO THEY MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THE HISTORIC HOMELAND AND THEN EVEN BEFORE WORLD WAR II AND AFTER THE HOLOCAUST, THAT JUST INCREASED. AND THEN AFTER, OF COURSE, THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, OTHER JEWS NOW ARE SURROUNDING AREAS IN THE AIRPORT WORLD AND AS WELL IN AFRICA AND EVEN FARTHER, EVEN AMERICA. THEY KNOW IT IS A PLACE OF LAST REFUGE THAT THEY CAN GO TO. A JEWISH HOMELAND. WHERE THEY WILL STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES AND WILL NOT SACRIFICE THEMSELVES AND BE A SCAPEGOAT FOR OTHERS' DISCRIMINATION. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JAY. FOR THREE MINUTES, FARRELL. >> I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A DIFFICULT ONE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE READ THE RESOLUTION, THIS IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL RESOLUTION, IN MY OPINION. FIRST, AS A JEW, I HAVE TO SAY THAT MOST OF MY LIFE I'VE TRIED TO LIVE UP TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE BEST IN JUDAISM, WHICH IS CALLED TIKKUN OLAM, FIXING THE WORLD. NOT DESTROYING PEOPLE, NOT SUBJUGATING PEOPLE. BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR SPECIES OR ALL OF OUR SPECIES AND FOR THE PLANET. SO THIS RESOLUTION REPRESENTS ME AS A JEW, AS A UU, EVERYTHING I BELIEVE IN IN OUR SEVEN PRINCIPLES IS REALLY HERE, ESPECIALLY THE PARTS THAT TALK ABOUT OUR COMPASSION, OUR DESIRE FOR HE CAN WHITNEY HUMAN RELATIONS. ALL OF THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO ME HAS AN INDIVIDUAL, AS A JEW, AS A U UUA WHEN I LOOK AT THE COMPANIES JEWELED IN THIS RESOLUTION, THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MY JEWISH ETHICS OR MY UU ETHICS, MY UU BELIEFS. THEY'RE INTERESTED IN MONEY AND I WOULD CALL IT BLOOD MONEY, BECAUSE WHAT THEY ARE GETTING IS MONEY FROM AN OCCUPATION OF PALESTINIANS. >> FARRELL, I WONDER IF WE CAN JUST CALL YOU BACK TO THE VALUE AND WHERE THAT COMES FROM. >> THAT COMES FROM SEVERAL PLACES. ONE IS THAT IN 1957, I WAS DRIVING A CATERPILLAR TRACTOR ON A KIBBUTZ AND RIGHT UP TO THE GAZA STRIP IS WHERE I WAS WORKING. ACROSS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT LITTLE DITCH THAT SEPARATED ISRAEL FROM WHAT WAS THEN EGYPT WERE POOR PALESTINIAN FARMERS. I RECOGNIZED IMMEDIATELY THE INCREDIBLE IMBALANCE OF POWER THAT EVEN EXISTED THEN, AND OF COURSE I FEEL STILL EXISTS TODAY AND ONE MORE. IN 1963, I ASKED A VERY WISEMAN, WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION? AND HE SAID TO ME, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT THE SITUATION? ARE YOU JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT? ARE YOU GOING TO WORK TO DO SOMETHING? AND I SAID THANK YOU, DR. BUBER. IT WAS MARTIN BUBER WHO TOLD ME TO DO SOMETHING. SO FROM THAT MOMENT ON, I REALIZED THAT THAT'S WHAT I HAD TO DO IN THE SITUATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FARRELL. DENNY? >> I WAS BORN IN MARCH OF 1932 TO EDUCATED PARENTS WHO WERE FIRST GENERATION AMERICANS, THE CHILDREN OF ASHKENAZI IMMIGRANTS FROM EASTERN EUROPE, UKRAINE, POLAND, LATVIA. MY EXTENDED FAMILY CHILDHOOD IN THE BEACH SIDE COMMUNITY IN QUEENS, NEW YORK, WAS MIDDLE CLASS CONSERVATIVE JEWISH NEW DEAL POLITICAL AND MATERIALLY SAFE. BUT THE NAZI MARK AND DEATH OF FAMILY MEMBERS IN EUROPE, THE HOLOCAUST, WORLD WAR II, AND THE NEED FOR ESTABLISHING THE JEWISH HOMELAND IN ISRAEL WERE ALWAYS THE DOMINANT THEMES IN MY HOME AND THE TEMPLE BETHEL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL, AT FAMILY AND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS. MY DAD WORKED WITH THE PTA FOR UNDO THE INFLUENCE ON KINDERGARTENERS AND FIRST GRADERS AT PUBLIC SCHOOL 114 WHOSE TEACHERS WERE DISCIPLES OF FATHER COGLIN AND GERALD LK SMITH AND THEIR AMERICA FIRST MOVEMENT. MY DAD AND HIS FRIENDS FROM THE TEMPLE BETHEL MEN'S GROUP RAISED MONEY FOR THE HAGANAU. I LEARNED EARLY ON TO ALWAYS BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE WHO, WERE I EVER IN DANGER BECAUSE I WAS A JEW, COULD BE COUNTED ON FOR UNCONDITIONAL HELP. THE BARRICADES. WE USED TO CALL IT, AMONG MY COUSINS. SO I AM A BIRTHRIGHT ZIONIST. ZIONISM IS IN MY BONES AND IN MY SOUL. I BELIEVE IN THE RIGHT OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. MY JEWISH PEOPLE TO HAVE AN UNDISPUTED HOMELAND IN ISRAEL. >> THANK YOU, DENNY. APPRECIATE IT. [APPLAUSE] >> DANA? >> GOOD MORNING. I WAS SENSITIZED SINCE BIRTH TO THE UU PRINCIPLE OF RESPECT FOR THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF ALL HUMAN LIFE AND TO THE CORE VALUE OF LOVE IN ACTION. I'M A THIRD GENERATION UU AND THE REVEREND THEODORE PARKER IS IN MY FAMILY TREE. I WAS VERY PROUD TO HEAR AS A CHILD OF HIS COURAGE IN BEING PART OF A MINORITY OF CLERGY WHO SPOKE OUT AGAINST SLAVERY. MY GRANDMOTHER, EDITH PARKER, MODIFIED THE UNITARIAN COVENANT GRACE AND STILL SAW IT TODAY. LOVE IS THE SPIRIT OF THIS HOME TO DWELL TOGETHER IN PEACE TO SEEK THE TRUTH IN LOVE AND TO HELP ONE ANOTHER. I CAME HOME FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ONE DAY WITH MY FIRST ETHNIC JOKE AND PROCEEDED TO TELL IT TO MY MOTHER, THE DAUGHTER OF POLISH IMMIGRANTS. IT CANNOT GO WELL. BUT USING HER UU VALUES, HE GENTLY EDUCATED ME THAT WE DO NOT TELL ETHNIC JOKES BECAUSE THEY'RE HURTFUL, AND FURTHER, DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH AT THEM EVER. SO SENSITIZED TO THESE VALUES, I EVENTUALLY MET MY LIFE PARTNER, IBRAHIM, WHO HAPPENED TO BE A PALESTINIAN AND ODDLY VERY MUCH LIKE MY PARTNER WHO WAS NOT PALESTINIAN. TOGETHER WE RAISED THREE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM MANY UU AFFILIATIONS AND I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO VISIT ISRAEL, AS WELL AS THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES TWICE, WEST BANK, GAZA, AND EAST JERUSALEM. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LAND. DYNAMIC PEOPLE, DEEP HISTORY, AND SO MUCH OPPRESSION. I'VE ALSO BEEN TO SOUTH AFRICA DURING APARTHEID AND I SEE IN THAT TIME AND PLACE AND THE VISITS THAT I'VE MADE DENIAL OF DIGNITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I SAW MILITARY CHECKPOINTS BLOCKING ACCESS TO NORMAL LIFE. I THINK 500 OR SO IN A PLACE THE SIZE OF MARYLAND. VERY UNSERVED TO SEE ARMED SOLDIERS VERY MUCH PRESENT. IT WAS VERY INTIMIDATING TO ME. HORRIFIED THAT A RELATIVE WITH A MEDICAL EMERGENCY HAVE TO GO FROM ONE AMBULANCE TO ANOTHER AT A CHECKPOINT, WHICH IS VERY OTHER TEEN, AND THE SAME RELATIVE WAS FORCED TO KNEEL IN THE HOT SUN FOR FOUR HOURS ON A SIDEWALK BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO GET HIS ID OUT IMMEDIATELY FOR A SOLDIER'S PERUSAL. I SAW PALESTINIAN HOMES THAT WERE BULLDOZED BY MILITARY ORDERS BECAUSE ONE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY HAD BEEN ARRESTED. THE WHOLE FAMILY WAS MADE HOMELESS AND THIS JUST REALLY DISTURBED ME DEEPLY. SO THESE ARE THE EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE INFORMED ME TO BE THE PERSONALLY AM TODAY THAT FEELS THAT WE NEED TO NOT PROFIT FROM COMPANIES THAT ENABLE THE TYPES OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES THAT I HAVE SEEN. >> THANK YOU, DANA. SO THESE ISSUES ARE COMPLEX. CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT WAYS THAT YOU FEEL PULLED IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS ABOUT THIS QUESTION, EITHER BECAUSE OF COMPETING VALUES OR BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU HAVE? AND BECAUSE WE'RE LIMITED IN TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU EACH TO SPEAK FOR ABOUT ONE MINUTE ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH YOU FEEL SORT OF PULLED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS ABOUT THIS. CAN I START WITH YOU, JAY? >> SURE. OF COURSE, THERE IS HUMAN SUFFERING. THE PALESTINIANS ARE SUFFERING AS A PEOPLE AND THAT PAINS ME, AND IT DOES. I DON'T AGREE WITH MANY OF THE ACTIONS OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, THEIR EXPANSION OF THE SETTLEMENTS, AND SO I STRUGGLE WITH THAT AS WELL. AND YET MY GOAL IS HOW DO WE FIND PEACE SO THAT BOTH ISRAELIS, BOTH JEWISH AND ARAB ISRAELIS, CAN KNOW THAT THEY BE THEY CAN LIVE IN PEACE WHERE LEADERS OF THE PALESTINIANS HAVE CONSISTENTLY OVER THE YEARS CALLED FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL. AND SO HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT AGAINST THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING? HOW DO WE FIND PEACE? ULTIMATELY THAT WAS THE QUESTION OF HOW DO WE FIND PEACE WITHOUT PUNISHMENT OF A PEOPLE. >> GREAT, THANK YOU. FARRELL? >> I UNDERSTAND. I FEEL MUCH THE SAME WAY. AND I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THIS RESOLUTION IS FOR DENNY AND FOR REVEREND JAY, BUT IT'S NOT AN ANTI‑SEMITIC, IT'S NOT AN ANTI JEWISH RESOLUTION. IF ANYTHING, IT'S ANTI THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE CARRYING OUT WHAT I FEEL IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY AGAINST MY PRINCIPLES AS A UU AND AS A JEW. SO I'M CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, FEELING AN UNDERSTANDING, WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, HOPING THAT WE CAN BOTH END UP WORKING FOR THE SAME THING IN OUR FUTURE, BECAUSE OUR CHURCH IS WORTH MORE, IT'S MORE VALUABLE THAN WHAT THESE COMPANIES ARE DOING. WE'RE WORTH MORE THAN. WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT, AND THAT'S A STRUGGLE FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THE RESOLUTION. >> THANK YOU. DENNY? >> I WROTE DOWN PRETTY MUCH WHAT JAY HAS SAID, BUT I'VE JUST SAT HERE AND HAD AN AMAZING INSIGHT LEARNED FROM MY GRANDSON WHO SPOKE TO THE CSAI ON WHAT CORPORATIONS ARE DOING TO US AS A CULTURE. ALL OF US TO OUR COUNTRY. CITIZENS UNITED AND ALL OF THAT. FARRELL JUST AWOKENED THAT IN ME. I DON'T WANT TO BE HELD HOSTAGE BY CATERPILLAR. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THE JEWS' RIGHT TO A HOMELAND OR MY DISGUST AT BENJAMIN NETENYAHU'S GOVERNMENT AND WHAT'S BEING DONE WITH THE SETTLEMENTS ON THE LEFT BANK. BUT THE ISSUE IS ACTUALLY NOT ABOUT THAT. THIS ISSUE OF DIVESTITURE HAS TO DO WITH THE GREED AND CORRUPTION OF CORPORATE AMERICA HOLDING ALL OF US HOSTAGE. OH, MY GOD. >> THANK YOU, DENNY. DANA? >> WELL, I THANK THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT FOR GIVING ME AN EPIPHANY LAST YEAR FOR REALIZING REALLY THE UU MOVEMENT SOMETIMES KICK AND GO SCREAMING OVER THE CENTURY AND A HALF OR SO HAS BEEN ABOUT HOLDING UP OPPRESSED LIVES AS MATTERING. WE HAVE SUCH A GOOD HISTORY OF SUPPORTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GAY RIGHTS, LGBTQ RIGHTS, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, WOMEN'S RE‑PRODUCTIVE FREEDOM. JEWISH RIGHTS, THE SAINTS BE THE SHARPS TO EUROPE WENT TO EUROPE AND SAVED JEWISH CHILDREN FROM THE HOLOCAUST, AND I THINK THE TRICK IN THIS ISSUE IS TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING UP JEWISH LIVES AS MATTERING, ISRAELI LIVES AS MATTERING, AND PALESTINIAN LIVES AS MATTERING, AND I AGREE WITH DEN THAT I WITH WE'RE BEING HELD AS A CORPORATE HOSTAGE BY CORPORATION IN HIS AMERICA AND BLOOD MONEY. >> THANK YOU FOR SHARING. A LARGE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION IS TO MODEL THE ENGAGEMENT THAT THE UUA WANTS TO INSPIRE ACROSS ITS FAITH COMMUNITY. ONE WAY THAT THE PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS PROJECT DOES THIS IS TO INVITE PEOPLE TO ASK GENUINE CURIOUS QUESTIONS OF ONE ANOTHER. TO TRY TO COME TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OTHERS BELIEVE AND TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE MORE FULLY UNDERSTOOD. SO I WOULD LIKE TO USE THE FEW MINUTES THAT WE HAVE LEFT TO ALLOW EACH OF YOU TO ASK ANOTHER PERSON ON STAGE A GENUINE CURIOUS QUESTION. THE PURPOSE OF THAT QUESTION IS TO UNDERSTAND SOME PARTS OF THAT PERSON'S EXPERIENCE OR PERSPECTIVE MORE DEEPLY. AND WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES, SO WE'LL TRY TO SPEAK BRIEFLY. >> SO FARRELL, TOMORROW WE WILL DEBATE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHICH SIDE I'M GOING TO BE ON. [LAUGHTER] >> YOU CAN BE ON MY SIDE. [LAUGHTER] >> BUT HERE'S MY QUESTION. IF WE VOTE YES TO A RESOLUTION WHICH WILL ASK THE UUA TO DO SOMETHING IT'S ALREADY DONE, WILL THAT MAKE US FEEL GOOD? I MEAN, WILL WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO BRING PEACE AMONG THE JEWS AND THE PALESTINIANS? I MEAN, IS THAT THE ISSUE? TO GET SO EXCITED ABOUT? I MEAN, IS THAT THE REAL WORK, FARRELL? >> WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF REAL WORK TO BE DONE. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ENDING HERE. IT'S NOT ENDING AT THIS GA. IT'S GOING ON INTO THE FUTURE. AND IT'S A STEP FORWARD, IN MY OPINION. IT'S A STEP FORWARD. IT'S NOT AN END. IT WILL NOT GIVE US PEACE TOMORROW, BUT IT IS A STEP FORWARD. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE DOING THIS. THERE ARE CHURCHES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY WHO ARE DOING THE SAME THING. AND PRETTY MUCH FOR THE SAME REASONS. I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. I KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO CRY. YOU EVEN SAID YOU MIGHT CRY UP HERE ON THE STAGE. BUT I THINK IT IS A STEP FORWARD. I THINK THIS CHURCH DESERVES TO DO THIS, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL REALLY, I THINK, BELIEVE IN DOWN DEEP AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL WORK FOR IN THE FUTURE AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. >> I KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO VOTE TOMORROW. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE THERE WAS AN EVENT LAST MIGHT AND THERE WAS SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL TESTIMONIES FROM SOME PALESTINIAN AMERICANS AND PALESTINIANS, BUT ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WAS OCCUPATION FOR 50 YEARS. AND SO WHAT I HEAR WHEN I HEAR THAT, NOT SAYING THEY MEANT THIS, BUT WHAT I HEAR IS THAT MEANS THEY DO NOT ACCEPT THE EXISTENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, DO YOU ACCEPT THE EXISTENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE? AND WOULD YOU PROMOTE THAT IN OUR WORK FOR PEACE? >> I WOULD. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE NEED A STATE OF ISRAEL SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE STATE OF PALESTINE. EVEN MY 17‑YEAR‑OLD DAUGHTER, I ASKED HER, I SAID, WHAT DO YOU THINK? ONE STATE OR TWO STATES. AND SHE SAID, ARE YOU CRAZY? THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH VIOLENCE. PEOPLE NEED TO BE SEPARATED. SO YES, WE NEED A JEWISH STATE AND WE NEED A PALESTINIAN STATE AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A LONG PROCESS OF HEALING AND RECONCILIATION, WHICH IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THERE ARE MANY GROUPS THAT WORK ON THAT AND I COMPLETELY SUPPORT SUCH GROUPS THAT TRY TO BUILD THE CONVERSATIONS AND HELP THE WAY FORWARD. YOU WANT TO ANSWER? >> OH, NO. >> YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION? >> YEAH, A QUESTION. I WOULD ASK DENNY AND REVEREND JAY, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THIS RESOLUTION THAT OFFENDS YOU? >> IT DOESN'T OFFEND ME. IT JUST DOESN'T SATISFY ME. IT DOESN'T SATISFY ME BECAUSE OF WHAT I JUST SAID. IT'S NOT REALLY THE SOLUTION. BUT WHAT I FIND TROUBLING, AND YES, OFFENSIVE, ABOUT THIS WORK ON DIVESTITURE WHICH IS PART OF THE GREATER MOVEMENT YOU REFERRED TO BEFORE, BALD BSD, WHICH MEAN OF ITS LEADERS DO NOT, IN FACT, RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF ISRAEL TO EXIST, AT YOUR OWN BOOTH YESTERDAY THERE ARE PEOPLE, FELLOW UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS, WHO TRIED TO PERSUADE ME THAT THE JEWS HAD NO RIGHT TO A HOMELAND IN ISRAEL. IT WAS LIKE BEING RAPED. IT WAS HORRIBLE. SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO GOOD AT HAVING AIWS AND BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS THAT MAKE US FEEL GOOD. WELL, THAT'S DONE. NOW WE CAN GO HOME AND FEEL GOOD. IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH. >> AND TO ME, IT'S VERY ONE‑SIDED AND IT'S TAKING ONE SIDE OF THIS CONFLICT, A WAR BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION, WHICH INCLUDES SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND BOMBING ATTACKS FROM HAMAS AGAINST ISRAEL. AND NOT JUST AGAINST JEWS IN ISRAEL. IT'S AGAINST ARAB IN HIS ISRAEL. BOMBS ARE CONSISTENTLY ‑‑ NOW, THEY FOUND A WAY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IN SOME WAYS AGAINST IT SO THEY CAN LIMIT THE DAMAGE, BUT THEY ARE CONSISTENTLY ATTACKED BY THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND SO THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO, FOR ONCE IN THE HISTORY OF MILLENNIUM, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE SACRIFICED. IT IS NOT OKAY TO SAY IT'S OKAY FOR JEWS TO DIE, AND WE SAY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DIE. THEY WANT TO LIVE. AND SO THEY STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES. AND I WOULD LIKE AT LEAST SOME RECOGNITION OF THAT, SINCE YOU ASKED. YOU CAN CLAP. [APPLAUSE] >> ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD A QUESTION. YOU TALKED ABOUT REFUGE. CAN YOU SHARE, I ASSUME YOU'VE BEEN TO ISRAEL? >> NO. >> NO? NEVER? THEN CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT ISRAEL, JUST THE IDEA OF ISRAEL MEANS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF REFUGE, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T LIVE THERE? I MEAN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU? >> SO IT COMES FROM A HISTORY, A LONG HISTORY OF OPPRESSION. AND AS MY MOTHER SAID TO ME MANY YEARS AGO, SHE SAID JUST BECAUSE YOU CALL YOURSELF A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO COME FOR YOU IF THEY COME FOR THE JEWS. >> THEY'RE GOING TO COME FOR ME. >> AND SO IT IS A MINDSET OF A PLACE OF LAST RESORT, THAT NOBODY IN GERMANY THOUGHT ‑‑ I MEAN, THEY WERE INTEGRATED. MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND WERE ALMOST EXTERMINATED. AND SO THERE IS ALWAYS THAT FEAR. WE SEE THE RISE OF A POLITICAL RIGHT, A HATE IN OUR COUNTRY HERE AND NOW TODAY. IT COULD VERY EASILY TURN AS HISTORICALLY CHRISTIANS HAVE IN THE PAST AGAINST JEWS, AND SO IT IS A MINDSET OF A PLACE OF LAST RESORT THAT WE COULD GO TO. >> FARRELL, DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? >> WELL, I WANT TO SAY IN THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT AN ANTI ISRAEL RESOLUTION. IT'S A RESOLUTION THAT'S AGAINST THESE COMPANIES WHO ARE DOING THIS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN AREA. I'M VERY SENSITIVE, AS A JEW, TO ANTISEMITISM AS WELL, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE, THIS IS AS IMPORTANT TO ISRAEL AND ISRAELIS AS IT IS TO PALESTINIANS, BECAUSE THE MORAL FIBER ‑‑ [APPLAUSE] >> THE MORAL FIBER OF ISRAEL, IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, YOU SHOULD FIND OUT, IS GOING DOWN AND DOWN AND DOWN WITHIN THE NETENYAHU GOVERNMENT AND OTHERS. THAT'S WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW THAT THIS AFFECTS ISRAELIS AS WELL AS IT AFFECTS PALESTINIANS. NOT AS MUCH, BECAUSE THE PALESTINIANS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE REALLY SUFFERING FROM THE OCCUPATION, BUT THE ISRAELIS SUFFERED, TOO, AS A RESULT OF THIS INCREDIBLE SITUATION OF IMBALANCE, ENORMOUS IMBALANCE IN POWER. [APPLAUSE] >> I'M SAD ABOUT THE APPLAUSE. WE'VE TURNED IT INTO A DEBATE. I'M SAD ABOUT THE APPLAUSE FOR ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER. >> YEAH. >> YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE. WE HADN'T TALKED ABOUT APPLAUSE AND REACTION. >> IT'S NOT WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. >> YEAH. I GUESS WE HADN'T ‑‑ AND WE SHOULD HAVE SORT OF MAYBE MADE SOME GROUND RULES. I DIDN'T EXPECT IT IN SOME WAYS. >> AND IT'S SAD. >> IT'S A PUBLIC EVENT. >> EVERYTHING IS A DEBATE. >> WELL, I HOPE THAT WE'RE HEARING SOME SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE AND FOR THE STORIES THAT YOU'VE TOLD AND FOR SOME OF THE DEEP SHARING THAT YOU'VE GIVEN AS WELL. [APPLAUSE] >> I HAVE A QUESTION. >> YEAH. >> COULD WE JUST BE SILENT FOR A WHILE? JUST ALL OF US? COULD WE JUST BE SILENT WITH IT? I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE TIME TO REFLECT. IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT. DANA, I KNEW YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. DURING THE APPLAUSE, MAYBE IT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN THIS DISCUSSION AND THAT MAYBE EVEN DURING THE DEBATE ON SATURDAY, WE COULD REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING AND CHEERING, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL ONE ASSOCIATION, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HOLD EACH OTHER UP IN LIGHT AND LOVE AND THE CLAPPING AND THE APPLAUSE. I REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S NEEDED. >> THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE FOR THE MOMENT OF REFLECTION IN SILENCE. THERE'S NEVER A GOOD TIME TO END A CONVERSATION LIKE THIS AND HOPEFULLY IT WON'T END. HOPEFULLY IT WILL GO FROM THIS OUT INTO THE HALLS AND WILL CONTINUE AND THAT WILL BRING A SIMILAR KIND OF DISCERNMENT, A SIMILAR KIND OF REFLECTION. CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER OUT INTO OUR CONVERSATIONS AND INTO TOMORROW'S DEBATE AND BEYOND AND DO THE WORK OF PEACE WHICH I THINK AS IT WAS EXPRESSED HERE IS THE GOAL OF EVERYBODY. SO I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I TURN IT BACK TO THE MODERATOR. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU TO THE PANELIST FOR HIS SURE FOR BEING HONEST, VULNERABLE, COMPASSIONATE FOR THE OTHERS ON THE PLATFORM, AND THANK JOHN FOR I THINK A PROFESSIONAL FACILITATION OF A VERY, VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT. [APPLAUSE] >> APPLAUSE IS APPROPRIATE. THE ANGUS H. MACLEAN AWARD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1972 BY THE ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE UUA. IT IS AWARDED EACH YEAR TO SOMEONE WHO HAS MADE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. THIS YEAR, THE HONOR GOES TO JUDITH A. FREDIANI. PLEASE WELCOME JESSICA FORKER, FAITH DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE ANGUS MACLEAN AWARD. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, JIM. GOOD MORNING. AS I GO ABOUT MY WORK IN SERVICE TO OUR FAITH, I'M AWARE OF THE GREAT NEED FOR THOSE WHO KEEP THE FLAME. KEEPING THE CLAIM IS NOT ABOUT A PASSIVE ROLE. IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN CARING ON A LEGACY. A KEEPER CAN HOLD A LIFE SO IT CAN KEEP STATED GOALS IN SIGHT. THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME CAN KEEP ITS STATED GOALS IN SIGHT. THE ONES THAT ARE SOMETIMES HIDDEN OR WHICH WE MAY BE TOO SCARED TO SPEAK, LEST THEY PROOF TOO AMBITIOUS. IN OUR FAITH, WE NEED THOSE WHO KEEP THE FLAME OF JUSTICE, THE FLAME OF A BURNING DESIRE TO MAKE MEANING OF OUR DAILY EXISTENCE, THE FLAME OF THE COMMUNAL FIRE, THE FLAME OF A MIGHTY LOVE STRONG ENOUGH TO TEAR DOWN LAWS, PERSISTENT ENOUGH TO BE PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. THIS AWARD IS ABOUT NOTHING IF NOT A SIGN OF OUR GRATITUDE FOR THOSE WHO KEEP THE FLAME. WHEN JUDITH FREDIANI LEFT HER POSITION AS THE DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT FIRST PARISH BEDFORD TO BECOME THE CURRICULUM DIRECTOR AT UUA IN 1985, SHE ACCEPTED A FLAME. OVER THE NEXT 28 YEARS, MOVING FROM THAT POSITION TO DIRECTOR OF LIFE SPAN FAITH DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, JUDITH CREATED CURRICULA, FACILITATED WORKSHOPS, AND SUPERVISED STAFF AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. BUT SHE ALSO USED HER POSITION TO LIFT UP SOCIAL JUSTICE, LIFELONG LEARNING, AND THE VERY PROFESSION OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. UNDER JUDITH'S DIRECTION, RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CURRICULA AND RESOURCES ASKED US TO ENGAGE WITH THEMES OF JUSTICE AS A FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENT OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST. HER OWN PASSION FOR ANTI‑RACISM, ANTI‑OPPRESSION WORK, MELDED WITH THAT OF OUR ASSOCIATION'S. RACE TO JUSTICE, RAINBOW CHILDREN, WEAVING THE FABRIC OF DIVERSITY, AND IN OUR HANDS ARE JUST SOME OF THE KIRK LOS ANGELES CREATED DURING JUDITH'S FIRST DECADE AT THE UUA. IN LATER YEARS, JUDITH BROUGHT TO LIFE TWO OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS AND SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS OF THE UUA, BOTH OF WHICH ARE ALSO FILLED WITH A CALL FOR JUSTICE. OUR WHOLE LIVES HAS CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION. [APPLAUSE] IT IS CURRENTLY USED NOT ONLY IN CONGREGATIONS, BUT IN MANY SECULAR SETTINGS. JUDITH WAS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR OUR WHOLE LIVES, EDITOR AND AUTHOR OF THE ADULT LEVEL SEXUALITY IN OUR FAITH. TAPESTRY OF FAITH, THE NEW CORE CURRICULA, WAS A DECADE IN THE MAKING. MANY STAKEHOLDERS HELPED SHAPE THE VISION OF A FREE, ONLINE, LIFE SPAN CURRICULUM THAT WOULD ENSURE A RICH, COMMON LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS. JUDITH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING ALL THOSE IDEAS AND MAKING SOMETHING FOCUSED AND COMPLETE OUT OF THEM. TODAY WE HAVE OVER 15,000 PAGES ONLINE OF 40 PROGRAMS FOR PRESCHOOLERS TO ELDERS. [APPLAUSE] A MASTER'S LEVEL CREDENTIALED RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR, JUDITH DIRECTED THE RENAISSANCE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS AND OTHER CONGREGATIONAL LEADERS. SHE TAUGHT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL AND 13 YEARS, INSPIRING AND INFORMING DIVINITY STUDENTS WITH A BROAD UNDERSTANDING AND AN ACTIVE COMMITMENT TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND THEIR FUTURE MINISTRIES. COLLABORATION AMONGST RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS AND BETWEEN THE STAFF GROUPS SHE DEVELOPED WITHIN OTHER TEAMS FROM WITHIN THE UUA AND OUTSIDE, HAS BEEN A HALLMARK OF HER TENURE. SHE RECRUITED STAFF AMONGST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS OF COLOR AND THOSE WHO BRING THE SAME ANTI‑OPPRESSION LENS AND COLLABORATIVE SKILLS TO THEIR WORK THAT SHE HERSELF POSSESSES. YET ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND FLAMES JUDITH HAS KEPT ALIVE IS HAS AN ADVOCATE FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS AS CENTRAL TO THE VERY CORE OF OUR FAITH. [APPLAUSE] JUDITH UNDERSTANDS THAT THE TEACHING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO A LIBERAL RELIGIOUS FAITH AS THE PREACHING. FOR HOW CAN WE BE INFORMED ENOUGH TO MAKE FAITHFUL CHOICES IN OUR LIFE WITHOUT THE REFLECTION AND PRACTICE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION BRINGS? JUDITH RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR INSPIRATIONAL SUPPORT FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS WHO FOCUS ON FAITH DEVELOPMENT. THEY FOCUSED ON THIS NEED AT DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL GATHERINGS AS A MEMBER OF THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION AND AT THE UUA'S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL WHEREFORE OPINIONS YEARS SHE WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS AS LEADERS IN OUR FAITH. [APPLAUSE] JUDITH HAS KEPT A BURNING FAITH IN THE WORTH OF OUR COMMUNITY OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS. SPARKS OF MEANING MAKING HAVE BEEN FED BY HER DEVOTION TO EDUCATING A GENERATION OF CHILDREN, YOUTH, YOUNG ADULTS, ADULTS, ELDERS, LAY LEADERS, ORDAINED MINISTERS, AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS. THE FLAME OF JUSTICE AND UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM TRULY BURNS BRIGHTER BECAUSE OF JUDITH FREDIANI. [APPLAUSE] SO TODAY I HONOR A WISE TEACHER, A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS, A MENTOR, AND A PROPHETIC LEADER. THE 2016 ANGUS H. MACLEAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION GOES TO JUDITH A. FREDIANI. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JESSICA, FOR YOUR REMARKABLY HUMBLING WORDS AND FOR THE BRIGHT FLAME THAT YOU CARRY FOR OUR FAITH. ANGUS MACLEAN WROTE, TO BE A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ALL THE TIME IS ALMOST TOO MUCH TO ASK. HE WAS REFERRING TO THE SOMETIMES BURDEN OF OUR THEOLOGICAL FREEDOM AND THE LOFTY GOALS TO WHICH WE ASPIRE. YET WE CHERISH THAT BURDEN, A BURDEN MADE TOLERABLE BY COMMUNITIES OF ALL AGES, ENGAGED IN LIFELONG LEARNING, MEANING MAKING, CELEBRATING, AND JUST TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I CALL THAT ENGAGEMENT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. PLEASE KEEP IT UP, AND THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> CONGRATULATIONS, JUDITH. FAITH DON'T IS NOT JUST CENTRAL TO WHAT WE DO. IT'S ALL WE DO. THE UUA BYLAWS STATE A CONGREGATION BECOMES A MEMBER UPON ACCEPTANCE BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ITS WRITTEN APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP IN WHICH IT SUBSCRIBES TO THE PRINCIPLES OF AND PLEDGES TO SUPPORT THE ASSOCIATION. OUR PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSES CLOSE WITH THIS PROMISE: AS FREE CONGREGATIONS, WE ENTER INTO COVENANT, PROMISE TO GO ONE ANOTHER OUR MUTUAL TRUST AND SUPPORT. SO LET'S BRING BACK DENISE RIMES, WHO HAS ANOTHER ROLE BEYOND REFER VICE‑MODERATOR IS, AND THAT'S WITH APF, OUR ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND. [APPLAUSE] >> THANKS SO MUCH, JIM. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED TO SERVE ON YOUR STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE IN YOUR CONGREGATION, WHETHER YOU CHOSE TO OR NOT? RAISE YOUR HAND. AND I BET SOME MEASURE OF YOU HAVE SAID, NOPE, I CAN'T ASK FOR MONEY. WELL, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. AS A MEMBER OF FIRST UU IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, I WAS ASKED OVER AND OVER TO PLEASE HELP RAISE MONEY. AND FINALLY, I CAVED TO THE PRESSURE AND NOW I HAVE THE GREAT JOY AND PRIVILEGE, ALONG WITH MY DEAR FRIEND NEIL LICKMAN FROM NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS. NEIL, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A WAVE? AS A CO‑CHAIR OF THE GENEROSITY NETWORK, A GROUP THAT SEEKS TO INCREASE ALL OF OUR CONGREGATIONS' UNDERSTANDING ABOUT AND COMMITMENT TO THE ANNUAL FUND AND TO THE GIFT IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. I AM HERE TO SAY THANK YOU. WE GATHER TOGETHER IN COLUMBUS FROM NEAR AND FAR, DEPENDING ON YOUR CONTEXT THERE, MAY BE TIMES WHEN YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT REMOVED FROM OTHER CONGREGATIONS. GENERAL ASSEMBLY GIVES US ONE OF THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THE STRENGTH OF OUR CONNECTIONS TO ONE ANOTHER. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS EVENT AND MANY OTHER EVENTS POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND AND GIFT. NOW, AS I GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, WHEN I SAY THESE WORDS‑TOGETHER WE SHARE A VISION AND A PROMISE ‑‑ I HOPE THAT YOU WILL RESPOND BY SAYING THROUGH APF AND GIFT, WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND AMPLIFY THE BEST OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. SO HOLD THAT THOUGHT AND WE'LL BE THERE IN A MOMENT. WE'RE AN ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONS BOUND TOGETHER IN COVENANT. THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A VERY THEORETICAL, SORT OF FANCY CONCEPT, BUT WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY MEAN TO US? IT MEANS THAT WE, ALL OF US PROMISE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER IN TANGIBLE AND I KNOW TANGIBLE WAYS, THROUGH GOOD TIMES AND BAD. IT MEANS WE ARE HERE FOR EACH OTHER. IT MEANS THAT NONE OF OUR CONGREGATIONS EXIST IN ISOLATION. IT MEANS WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER. WHEN THE UU CONGREGATION OF NORTHERN NEVADA IN RENO HAD THE BLACK LIVES MATTER DEFACED, THEN A SECOND BANNER STOLEN, INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE CONGREGATION WENT AHEAD AND BOUGHT THREE REPLACEMENTS. A SAD TESTAMENT TO TODAY'S WORLD, BUT THREE REPLACEMENTS JUST IN CASE THEY'D BE NEEDED. THEN THE UU CHURCH OF OGDEN, UTAH, HAD THEIR BLACK LIVES MATTER BANNER STOLEN AND THE FOLKS IN RENO HEARD ABOUT IT. GUESS WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? THE GENEROUS LETTERS IN RENO CENTERING ON GETTING UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS A NEW BANNER. TOGETHER WE SHARE A VISION AND A PROMISE. THROUGH APF AND GIFT, WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND AMPLIFY THE BEST OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. WHEN THE MINISTER OF OUR UU CONGREGATION IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, DIED TRAGICALLY, THE BOARD OF MY CONGREGATION IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, EMPOWERED OUR MINISTER TO GO SERVE THE NORFOLK CONGREGATION THROUGH THEIR PERIOD OF GRIEF AND CONFUSION. WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD WANT SOMEONE TO DO THE VERY SAME THING FOR US. WE KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL CONNECTED. TOGETHER WE SHARE A VISION AND A PROMISE THROUGH APF AND GIFT, WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND AMPLIFY THE BEST OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. THINK OF SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE PROVIDE OF IN YOUR CONGREGATION. THE BUILDING YOUR CHURCH PURCHASED IN WHICH YOU OFFER TRANSITIONAL HOUSING TO REFUGEES IN THE COMMUNITY. THE OWL CURRICULUM TAKEN OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. A MINISTRY OF PRESENCE ON THE STREET CORNER EVERY WEEK, SHOWING THAT YOU STAND ON THE SIDE OF LOVE. PERHAPS YOU'RE PROUD OF THE YOUTH SERVICE THAT REMINDS I JUST HOW REMARKABLE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THAT WE COLLECTIVELY RAISE FOR THE FAIR WAGES THAT YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR HARD WORKING STAFF. WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS YOU MADE THAT ARE BUILDING GREATER JUSTICE IN YOUR TOWN? THE GARDEN THAT YOU GROW. THE MUSIC THAT YOU MAKE. THE FOOD YOU BACK FOR THE HUNGRY. FRIENDS, WE ARE PART OF WIN ANOTHER'S STORIES. NOT ONLY DO WE STRENGTHEN ONE ANOTHER. WE ALSO LEARN BEST PRACTICES FROM ONE ANOTHER. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM IS MORE INTERESTING, MORE CHALLENGING, AND MORE ENRICHING BECAUSE OF YOU. YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND AND GIFT IS A CONCRETE EXPRESSION OF OUR PLEDGE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND EACH OTHER AND ALLOWS US TO DO FAR MORE THAN WE COULD AS INDIVIDUAL CONGREGATIONS. AND WE HEAR AND WE LEARN FROM YOU. WE DON'T DISCUSS CONGREGATIONAL MEMBERSHIP DUES TO THE ASSOCIATION. YOU HEARD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT EARLIER. EARLIER THIS YEAR, A JOINT BOARD AND STAFF TASKFORCE UNDERTOOK THE CHALLENGE OF EXAMINING HOW WE MIGHT SHARE OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN A MORE EQUITABLE AND CONSISTENT WAY. HOW MIGHT WE REASSESS GIVING SO THAT THE FUNDING OF THE ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND IS SHARED MORE EVENLY ACROSS OUR UUA? THERE'S NOT A SIMPLE SOLUTION AND EVEN THE ANSWERS LIE VERY DEEP IN OUR VALUES AS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS. WE'RE TALKING TO A LOT OF YOU ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS AND WOULD WELCOME YOUR FURTHER CONVERSATION AND IDEAS AT THE STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT BOOTH. THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE INFORMATION TO COME THIS FALL ABOUT OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, SO PLEASE, PLEASE STAY TUNED, BECAUSE THE IMPACT WILL EVENTUALLY FIND ITS WAY TO ALL OF US. TOGETHER WE SHARE A VISION AND A PROMISE. THROUGH ACTUAL PF AND GIFT, WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND AMPLIFY THE BEST OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. YOU WERE THERE IN BLACK LIVES MATTER IN RENO, NEVADA; OGDEN, UTAH; AND COUNTLESS OTHER COMMUNITIES. YOU ARE SHOWING UP TO CHAMPION A GROWING CHURCH IN THE TIME OF CONGREGATIONAL CRISIS IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, AND COUNTLESS OTHER PLACES. YOU ARE MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR OWL TO BE TAKEN OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR GREAT COUNTRY. YOU ARE INCREASING THE ODDS FOR LOVE, JUSTICE, AND JOY THROUGH YOUR GIFTS. WHEN YOUR CONGREGATION BECAME A MEMBER OF OUR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONS, A PART OF THE PROCESS WAS MAKING A PROMISE, A COVENANT, A PLEDGE OF SUPPORT. AND ITS MEMBER CONGREGATIONS. YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND IS THE CONCRETE EXPRESSION OF THIS PLEDGE AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO APF AND GIFT ARE THE FULFILLMENT OF A PROMISE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. YOU MAKE ALL OF THIS AND MORE VERY POSSIBLE. AND WE ASK YOU TO STRENGTHEN YOUR SUPPORT AND RE‑COMMIT TO CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER. YOU'RE ENCOURAGE TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT OUR LARGER FAITH FROM A SENSE OF INTERCONNECTEDNESS AND WITH GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE WAYS, LARGE AND SMALL, THAT OTHER UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS ARE SUPPORTING YOUR COMMUNITY, JUST AS YOU ARE SUPPORTING THEIRS, WHETHER YOU EVEN KNOW IT OR NOT. YOU ARE ASKED TO GIVE TO FULFILL THE PROMISE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE AS TOGETHER WE PROCLAIM WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER THROUGH OUR SUPPORT OF THE ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND AND GIFT. WE AMPLIFY THE BEST OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. ON BEHALF OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS ACROSS OUR ASSOCIATION WHO BENEFIT FROM YOUR GIVING, WE THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COLLECTIVE GENEROSITY. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, DENISE. I NOW WANT TO BRING BACK REVEREND MARY KATHERINE MORN, DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT AND SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT. MARY KATHERINE? [APPLAUSE] >> FRIENDS, WE RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE. THE REVEREND DR. PETER RAIBLE, INSPIRED BY HEBREW SCRIPTURE, DESCRIBES OUR INHERITANCE THIS WAY. WE WARM OURSELVES BY FIRES WE CANNOT LIGHT. WE SIT IN THE SHADE OF TREES WHERE HE CANNOT PLANT. WE DRINK FROM WELLS WE CANNOT DIG. NOW WE HONOR SOME OF THE GENEROUS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS WHO HAVE DIED THIS YEAR. HERE ARE PEOPLE WHO IN OUR CONVERSATIONS AND IN OUR LARGER ASSOCIATION HAVE BEEN LIGHTING THE FIRES THAT WARM AND GUIDE OUR WORK TODAY. IN GRATITUDE, WE REMEMBER. >> WE HONOR THESE LIVES, FRIEND SHIPS, AND MEMORIES AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO NURTURE AND GROW UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM ACROSS OUR ASSOCIATION AND OUR THE WORLD, KNOWING THAT WHAT THEY DREAMED BE BE OURS TO DO. AMEN. >> I'M PLEASED TO BRING YOU A GREETING FROM KEN BURNS. >> HI. I'M KEN BURNS. I'M SORRY I COULD NOT JOIN YOU, BUT I AM HONORED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND TO PROVIDE AN EARLY LOOK AT OUR NEW FILM, DEFYING THE NAZIS, THE SHARPS' WAR. MY CO‑DIRECTOR ARTEMIS JOUKOWSKY AND I ARE DELIGHTED TO SHARE THIS STORY OF TWO UNITARIANS WHOSE LIVES FULLY EMBODY THE IDEALS YOU HOLDS AS A COMMUNITY. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE UNITARIANS AS A PARTNER ON THIS FILM AND GREATLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE BROADCAST AND THE DEEPER VALUES THAT THE SHARPS SO PERSONIFIED. YOU SHOULD, OF COURSE, BE PROUD OF THEIR WORK AND THE WORK OF SO MANY OTHER UNITARIANS TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS HERE AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FILM, PLEASE VISIT DEFYING THE NAZIS.ORG. [APPLAUSE] >> THE COMFORT OF PEACEFULLY IN SMALL MASSACHUSETTS HOME IN ORDER TO GO INTO EUROPE ON THE VERGE OF WAR. THEY WERE MOTIVATED FROM THE BEGINNING TO GO OUT THERE INTO THE KINGDOM OF HELL AND TRY TO RESCUE PEOPLE. >> IT WAS THE SECOND SUNDAY NIGHT OF 1939. I HAD DONE A FULL DAY'S WORK AT THE CHURCH AND DECIDED TO SPEND AN EVENING IN FRONT OF OUR FIREPLACE. THE TELEPHONE RANG AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST MOMENTOUS TELEPHONE CALL THAT I EVER RECEIVED. HELLO, AND WHOSE VOICE IT WAS, THE VOICE OF MY CLOSEST FRIEND, EVERETT BAKER. WOULD YOU AND MARTHA COME OVER TO TALK WITH ME AT OUR HOUSE HERE? YES. HE SAID, WAIT STILL, MARTHA. I AM INVITING YOU TO UNDERTAKE THE FIRST INTERVENTION OF EVIL BY THE DENOMINATION TO BE STARTED IMMEDIATELY OVERSEAS. >> MY HUSBAND AND I FELT THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. REFUGEES IN THE SUDAN LAND HAD BEEN MURDERED AND PEOPLE HAD BEEN IMPRISON AND HAD HURT. WE HAD TWO SMALL KIDS, INCLUDING A VERY TINY DAUGHTER. WHEN I SAID, HOW MANY MEN HAVE YOU OFFERED THIS TO? 17, HE SAID. I SAID, DO I UNDERSTAND THEY'VE ALL TURNED YOU DOWN? YES. THEY THINK A WAR IS DEFINITELY COP AND GO THEY DON'T TO BE IN DANGER. I REASSURED MARTHA, MISSIONARIES LEAVE THEIR CHILDREN. I'M SURE OURS CAN BE LEFT IN GOOD HANDS. I WANT TO BE, BUT I WON'T GO WITHOUT YOU. >> I KNEW I WOULD MISS THE CHILDREN TERRIBLY, BUT WE WOULD ONLY BE AWAY FOR A FEW MONTHS. I WAS TORN BETWEEN MY LOVE AND DUTY TO MY CHILDREN AND TO MY HUSBAND. >> AS MY WIFE MARTHA AND I WENT HOME UNDER STARRY SKIES, WE WENT HOME WITH THE PROMISE. >> THE CORE BELIEF OF MOVEMENTS LIKE THE UNITARIAN AND UNIVERSALIST MOVEMENTS BELIEVE IN FREEDOM, FREEDOM OF THOUGHT IN THE USE OF REASON AND TOLERANCE OF DIFFERENCE. >> IT'S A FAITH THAT VERY IMPORTANTLY STRESSES THAT THE SHAPE OF HUMAN HISTORY, THE FUTURE OF HISTORY IS IN HUMAN HANDS. A UNITARIAN MINISTER WITH PROFOUND CONVICTION, A WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN DEEPLY COMMITTED ALL HER LIFE TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, TWO PEOPLE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM WERE HANDED AN INVITATION, A VERY FRIGHTENING INVITATION, A VERY DEMANDING INVITATION BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR CHURCH, BUT AN ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY CHANGE HISTORY. [APPLAUSE] >> THIS SEPTEMBER, WITH THE FILM'S PBS BROADCAST AND THE PUBLICATION OF BEACON PRESS COMPANION BOOK, EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE SHARPS' POWERFUL STORY. WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE OUR VALUES OF JUSTICE, COMPASSION, EQUITY, AND CARRY ON THE SHARPS' BRAVE LEGACY. CERTAINLY THERE'S MUCH TO DO IN THE WORLD, AND YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT THIS WEEK. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP YOUR CONGREGATION TO JOIN THE DEFYING THE NAZIS UUS PROJECT, CO‑SPONSORED BY THE UUA, UU SERVICE COMMITTEE, AND THE COLLABORATIVE AT MEADVILLE LOMBARD SCHOOL. THE PROJECT ASKS UU'S TO USE INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP TO ADDRESS ANTI‑MUSLIM BIG TROY AND THE REFUGEE CRISIS AS MODERN DAY PARALLELS TO THE SHARPS' WORK. HERE ARE TWO CONGREGATIONS WHO ARE ALREADY TAKING ACTION. FIRST, THE BELL STREET CHAPEL IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, PARTNERED WITH THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS AND HIS OTHER INTERFAITH AND RIDICULOUS OTHER ALREADY ALLIES TO COUNTER PROTEST ANTI‑REFUGEE SPEAKERS AT THE RHODE ISLAND STATEHOUSE, PROCLAIMING THEIR MESSAGES EVER WELCOME WITH THEIR STANDING ON THE SIDE OF LOVE EXPERTS. SHIRTS, AND SECOND, THE UU CHURCH IN OF HOUSTON GOT NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR THE SOLIDARITY EVENT THEY ORGANIZED WITH THE CLEAR LAKE ISLAMIC CENTER WITH THE DECREE FROM THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER BARING SYRIAN REFUGEES FROM THE STATE. VISIT UUA.ORGANIZE/SHARPSTORY TO SHARE WHAT YOUR CONGREGATION IS DOING ABOUT ISLAMOPHOBIA AND REFUGEE SOLIDARITY. ADD YOURSELF TO THE MAP AND DOWNLOAD KEY RESOURCES, INCLUDING A CONGREGATIONAL ACTION GUIDE WITH SUGGESTED EVENTS, A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND THE REFUGEE ADVOCACY TOOLKIT. VISIT THE UUA AND UUSC BOOTHS TO THE EXHIBIT HALL TO USE THE #WEDEFY TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA. EVERYONE TAKE OUT YOUR PHONES OR NOTE WORKS OR HOWEVER YOU RECORD DATES AND MARK SEPTEMBER 20TH IN YOUR CALENDAR AS THE DATE WHEN THE DOCUMENTARY AIRS ON PBS AND WRITE DOWN A REMINDER TO GET CONNECTED WITH THE DEFYING THE NAZIS UU ACTION PROJECT ONLINE OR HERE AT GA. A WORD OF THANKS FOR ARTEMIS JOUKOWSKY, WHO IS NOT ONLY THE FILM'S DIRECTOR, BUT ALSO GRANDSON OF THE SHARPS AND WHOSE TIRELESS EFFORTS HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE. IF WE HAVE THE CAMERA ON ARTEMIS, I BELIEVE HE'S SOMEWHERE IN THE FRONT ROW SOMEWHERE. THERE HE IS RIGHT THERE. PUT THE CAMERA ON ARTEMIS. [APPLAUSE] WHEN I WAS A CANDIDATE FOR MODERATOR AND HAD A BOOTH IN THE EXHIBIT HALL, ARTEMIS HAD A BOOTH ACROSS AND TAGGED ON MY SLEEVE ONE DAY AND GAVE ME THIS CD, DVD OF SORT OF THE FIRST ITERATION OF WHAT I JUST SAW, A TRAILER, AND IT CAPTURED MY ATTENTION AND I HOPE IT WILL CAPTURE YOURS. THANK YOU, ARTEMIS. THANKS, ALSO, BE TO THE STAFF OF UUA, UUSC, MEADVILLE LOMBARD AND THE UU CONGREGATION AT SHELTER ROCK AND OTHER LEADERS WHO ARE MAKING THIS ALL HAPPEN. SO WE CAN CARRY ON THE SHARPS' LEGACY TO DEFY HATRED, BIGOTRY AND FEAR BY TAKING ACTION FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND SOLIDARITY. REMEMBER, #WEDEFY. NOW WELCOME TO THE PODIUM OUR FINANCIAL ADVISER, LARRY LADD. LARRY LADD IS AN INSTITUTION AND FORCE OF NATURE WITHIN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. THREE YEARS AGO, AS THE NEW MODERATOR, TWO WEEKS INTO MY NEW ROLE, TWO WEEKS, THE DOWN MONTH WHEN NOTHING HAPPENS IN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM, THE FINANCIAL ADVISER WHO IS JUST BEEN ELECTED RESIGNED. SO LARRY CAME TO MY RESCUE AND SAVED MY BACON. I'LL LET HIM TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT. [APPLAUSE] >> IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO. I WAS IN NORTH CAROLINA, DRIVING ALONG U.S. ROUTE 70 HEADING NORTH TO MY CLIENT WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY. IT HAD BEEN ALMOST TWO WEEKS SINCE I HAD COMPLETED MY WORK AS CHAIR OF THE UUA NOMINATING COMMITTEE. A YEAR SINCE I GAVE UP MY WORK AS BOARD CHAIR OF THE MEADVILLE LOMBARD THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL. AND EIGHT YEARS SINCE MY TWO TERMS AS UUA FINANCIAL ADVISER HAD REACHED THEIR CONCLUSION. 20 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE. THEN A CALL CAME ON MY CELL PHONE. I ANSWERED THE CALL. IT WAS JIM KEY. THE PERSON WHO HAD JUST BEEN ELECTED FINANCIAL ADVISER HAD QUIT. WOULD I CONSIDER SERVING AS FINANCIAL ADVISER ONCE AGAIN? I HEMMED AND HAWED FOR AT LEAST A MINUTE, BECAUSE THEN I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAVE. [APPLAUSE] I STILL RECALL THE VERY FIRST CALL. IT WAS IN 1964, AND FROM ANN DAVIDSON, THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE LIBERAL RELIGIOUS YOUTH GROUP OF MY CHURCH IN GRAFTON, MASSACHUSETTS. SHE ASKED IF I WOULD SERVE AS CORRESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE GROUP. MY JOB WAS TO REMIND AND ENTICE THE YOUTH GROUP MEMBERS TO COME EACH WEEK TO OUR MEETINGS. I KNEW THAT IT WAS THE PROGRAM THAT WOULD ATTRACT, SO I FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE WE HAD SUBSTANCE TO OFFER. AND I HAVEN'T STOPPED SINCE. EVENTUALLY, I BECAME THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF LRY AND WAS ELECTED IN 1969 TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION ON APPRAISAL, AT THAT POINT THE YOUNGEST PERSON ELECTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO AN OFFICE. SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN ELECTED BY GA TO ONE OFFICE OR ANOTHER IN FOUR DIFFERENT DECADES. EACH TIME, I ANSWERED THE CALL IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. NOW I STAND BEFORE YOU THREE YEARS OF THAT MOST RECENT CALL. HAPPY. EVERY DAY OF SERVICE IS AN HONOR AND A JOY. YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ME GROAN AND COMPLAIN. [APPLAUSE] I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CALL. THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE UUA IS STABLE. OUR BALANCE SHEET IS VERY STRONG. THE QUALITY OF OVERSIGHT IS EXCELLENT. OUR FINANCIAL PRACTICES ARE ABOVE AVERAGE FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF OUR SIZE. THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION TAKE THEIR STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES VERY SERIOUSLY. WE MAKE OUR MISSION TAKES BUT THEY ARE CORRECTED AND WE MOVE ON. THE GOVERNANCE CONDITION OF THE UUA IS GENERALLY VERY GOOD. THE SMALLER BOARD SIZE AND THE END OF DISTRICT REPRESENTATION HAVE IMPROVED BOARD PERFORMANCE. THERE IS MORE DIVERSITY. THE BOARD CAN THINK MORE DEEPLY AND FOCUS ONLY ONBOARD‑LEVEL MATTERS. THE UUA, LIKE YOUR CONGREGATION, STILL HAS TOO MANY COMMITTEES. THEY MISDIRECT VOLUNTEER ENERGY AWAY FROM MISSION‑FOCUSED WORK. THE SHORTER TERMS OF OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES, COUPLED WITH ANNUAL ELECTIONS, ARE INHIBITING THE LONG‑TERM FOCUS THAT MAKES CHANGE POSSIBLE. I SEE THE DECLINE OF OUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS AND R ENROLLMENTS AS TROUBLING, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THOSE ARE FLAWED MEASURES. AS A HISTORY BUFF, I KNOW THAT THE UNITARIAN MOVEMENT SUFFERED SIMILARLY IN THE 1930S AND REVIVED ITSELF. AND THAT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM SUFFERED SIMILARLY IN THE 1970S AND REVIVED ITSELF. BUT THERE IS ALSO THE STORY OF UNIVERSALISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY, WHICH SUFFERED A GRADUAL DECLINE WITHOUT REVIVING ITSELF, ALL THE WHILE CONGRATULATING ITSELF ON ITS VIRTUES. I AM HOPEFUL AND DEVOTE ALL OF MY VOLUNTEER ENERGIES TOWARD JUSTIFYING THAT HOPE. I SEE HOPE IN THE MINISTERS WHO ARE ASSUMING LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR MOVEMENT AND OUR MOST VIBRANT CONGREGATIONS. MY FAMILY IS DOING ITS PART TO CONTRIBUTE SOME OF THOSE MINISTERS. I SEE HOPE IN THE CONGREGATIONS THAT ARE THRIVING BECAUSE OF THEIR SPIRITUAL DEPTH AND MISSION FOCUS. I SEE HOPE IN OUR COMMITMENT TO BLACK LIVES MATTER AND LGBTQ WORK. AND IN OUR COMMITMENT TO BECOMING AN ANTI‑RACIST, ANTI‑OPPRESSIVE, MULTICULTURAL MOVEMENT. I SEE HOPE WHEN I SEE US CAST ASIDE OLD STRUCTURES, LIKE COMMITTEES AND DISTRICTS, THAT DIVERT OUR ENERGIES INWARD RATHER THAN ON MISSION. I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE UUA IN SO MANY WAYS, INCLUDING STRENGTHENING THE CLERGY COMPENSATION PROGRAM INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A UNIFIED RETIREMENT PLAN, IMPROVING OVERSIGHT BY CREATING AN AUDIT COMMITTEE AMONG MANY OTHER STEPS, INSTITUTIONALIZING OUR COMMITMENT TO SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING, AND FINDING QUALIFIED AND COMMITTED PEOPLE TO SERVE OUR ASSOCIATION. I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE HELPED THE MEADVILLE LOMBARD THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL TRANSFORM ITSELF AND THRIVE. AND I'M GLAD THAT I HELPED THE STARR KING SCHOOL FOR THE MINISTRY AT THE TIME OF GREAT NEED. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP AND ATTENDING SUNDAY SCHOOL, THERE WERE CERTAIN PHRASES THAT SEEM ALMOST ANTIQUE THAT HAVE STAYED WITH ME AND THAT I REPEAT OFTEN AS SILENT MANTRAS. THE FIRST IS THE JAMES FREEMAN CLARK PHRASE, SALVATION BY CHARACTER. NOT THE REST OF THE STATEMENT, BUT JUST THOSE THREE WORDS. SALVATION BY CHARACTER. THE SECOND IS THE RE‑WORKING OF THE LINES THAT ORIGINATED WITH JAMES VILA BLAKE: LOVE IS THE DOCTRINE OF THIS SEARCH AND SERVICE IS ITS PRAYER. AND SERVICE IS ITS PRAYER. I AM GRATEFUL FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR SERVICE. I ANSWER EACH CALL AND SAY YES. THAT IS MY PRAYER. AMEN. [APPLAUSE] >> HE SAVED MY BACON AND HE SAVED YOURS. THE GENERAL SESSION SEEMS TO BE FOCUSED ON FINANCIAL ISSUES AND I HAVE GATHERED THE SIX PRESIDENTS OF THE UUA, UUSC, UUMA, CLF, STARR KING, AND MEADVILLE LOMBARD, SUCH POWER. I WANT TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU SOME GREAT NEWS. THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR SOMETIME TO SHARE RESOURCES AND COORDINATE CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS SO DONORS COULD SHARE THEIR GIFTS WITH ALL OF OUR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST INSTITUTIONS. WELL TODAY, WE CAN ANNOUNCE THE WAKE NOW OUR VISION CAMPAIGN, A COLLABORATIVE CAMPAIGN THAT HAS RECEIVED A $5 MILLION GRANT FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION AT SHELTER ROCK. SHELTER ROCK ‑‑ YOU MAY APPLAUD. [APPLAUSE] >> SHELTER ROCK IS CALLING ON US TO CONSIDER OUR LEGACY, TO PLANT FOR THE FUTURE, TO WAKE TO A VISION OF OUR SHARED FUTURE IN FAITH. THIS CHALLENGE GRANT FROM SHELTER ROCK REFLECTS THEIR OWN REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE STEWARDING THE GIFT OF CAROLYN VEATCH THAT HAS TAUGHT THEM THE POWER OF LEGACY GIFTS AND NOW THEY ARE INSPIRING US TO BUILD OUR OWN BRIGHT FUTURE THROUGH THIS CHALLENGE. WHAT A GIFT, AND WE THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THE RESULTS ARE IN ON THE CSAI VOTE AND GO WE HAVE TWO, CSAI TWO AND FOUR THAT WE'LL NEED TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF TO DO A RUNOFF, IF YOU WILL, TO SEE WHICH CSAI ADVANCES. SO IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO GET YOUR VOTING CARDS OUT, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR CARDS IF YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR TWO, WHICH IS GIVE ME THE NAME OF THE TWO. DO WE HAVE THAT ON THE SCREEN IN I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME. I SHOULD KNOW IT. RACE, NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE IS CSAI‑2. SO IF YOU FAVOR THAT, WHEN I CALL FOR THE VOTE, NOT YET, WHEN I CALL FOR THE VOTE, YOU RAISE YOUR CARD FOR THAT ONE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU WANT TO VOTE ON CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY, CSAI‑4, THEN YOU RAISE YOUR CARD FOR THAT. IT WILL DETERMINE WHICH ONE GETS THE MOST VOTES OF ALL OF THOSE VOTING. ARE WE READY? CSAI‑2, A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE. THANK YOU. LOWER YOUR CARDS, PLEASE. LOWER YOUR CARDS, PLEASE. THOSE WHO WISH TO VOTE FOR CSAI 4:00 THE CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY, RAISE YOUR CARDS. WE THINK WE AGREE, WITH YOU WE WOULD ASK TO DO THIS AGAIN. WE DON'T NEED ANY SHOUT‑OUTS HERE. WE JUST NEED TO YOU RAISE YOUR CARD FOR EITHER TWO OR FOUR. THOSE THAT SUPPORT A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE, CSAI‑2, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HARD AND HOLD THEM UP FOR A WHILE LOWER THE CARDS. THOSE WHO WISH TO SUPPORT CSAI‑4, IT IS CORRUPTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY, RAISE YOUR CARDS. SORRY, FOLKS. I'M GOING TO KEEP FOR YOU A WHILE IT SEEMS SO CLOSE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CALL IF A COUNT. I'M GOING ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR HANDS IN A MINUTE AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HOLD THEM UP FOR A WHILE WE DO THE COUNTS. I'M GOING ASK THE TELLERS TO BE ORGANIZED SO WE CAN COUNT THEIR SECTION. THEY'RE ALREADY PREPARED TO DO THIS, AND THEY WILL HAND ME THE RESULTS. AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE YOU GO TO LUNCH. AND WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. IS THIS NOT COOL OR WHAT? TELLERS R YOU READY TO COUNT? I NEED A HIGH SCENE FROM THE TELLERS. THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING CSAI‑2, A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON RACE, RAISE YOUR CARDS AND HOLD THEM FOR A WHILE, EACH IF YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR HAND UNDER YOUR ELBOW TO DO THAT. SUPPORT THE ELBOW. WE CAN DO THIS. WE'RE PEOPLE OF FAITH AND COURAGE AND STAMINA. AND CREAMY ELBOWS. AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE TELLERS TO TELL WHICH SECTION TO LOWER THEIR HANDS. UNTIL YOU GET A HIGH SIGN FROM A TELLER. THOSE POOR FOLKS IN THE BACK, THEY REALLY HAD TO HOLD THEM UP FOR A LONG TIME. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE IS, FOLKS. I KNOW YOUR STOMACH IS GRUMBLING. THIS IS WORTHWHILE, FOLKS. BOTH OF THESE ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. NO MATTER WHICH ONE GETS THE MAJORITY, THEY BOTH CERTAINLY SHOULD OCCUPY OUR CONGREGATIONS AND OUR ASSOCIATIONS' INTENTIONS AND DIRECTION. TELLERS, HOW ARE WE DOING? I SHOULD LEARN TO SING, I THINK. NO, IT'S PROBABLY BETTER THAT I DON'T LEARN TO SING. TELLERS, SPEAK TO ME. IF ONE OF YOU IS JUST ADDING UP ALL THE SECTIONS, WE CAN VOTE THE SECOND PROCESS. WE HAVE FINISHED TWO? SO WE'LL BE COLLECTING THOSE VOTES. SO NOW I'M GOING TO ASK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT VOTED TO VOTE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WISH TO VOTE FOR CSAI‑4, THE CRUMBS OF OUR DEMOCRACY. THE SAME ADVICE. JUST PUT THE HAND UNDER THE ELBOW AND HOLD IT UP THERE UNTIL YOU GET THE SIGN FROM THE TELLERS. THANK YOU FOR THIS. HOW HAS THE MORNING BEEN FOR YOU? YOU NEED A TELLER TO HELP HOLD UP YOUR ELBOW? WAS THE PANEL DISCUSSION WORTHWHILE FOR YOU TO HELP IN YOUR OWN DISCERNMENT? WE OUGHT TO HAVE SOME VIDEOS ON STAND BY THAT WE COULD RUN TO ENTERTAIN YOU WHILE WE DO THESE COUNTS. WE'RE TRYING GET THE ONLINE COUNTS AS WELL. 110 VOTES COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE MAY DEFER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE COUNT UNTIL WE GET THE ONLINE IN. ONCE WE GET THIS COUNT IN, WE WILL MOVE FOR SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS WHILE WE SORT THROUGH THE COUNTS IN THE HOUSE AND THE COUNTS OFFLINE. HOLD ONE MOMENT. >> ONE, TWO. >> THANK YOU, SARA. WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE OFF‑SITE VOTES, SO I'M GOING TO DELAY ANNOUNCING THE VOTE UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT THE VOTE IS. DO YOU THINK THAT'S FAIR? IN THE MEANTIME, WE'LL GO WITH SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SEE IF WE CAN COLLECT ALL OF THE VOTES. BEFORE I CALL ON THE SECRETARY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE ANOTHER SPECIAL CONGREGATION. THE ACCESSIBILITY AND I KNOW COLLUSION MINISTRY, THE AIM PROGRAM, A JOINT PROGRAM OF THE UUA AND EQUAL ACCESS, WAS ANNOUNCED IN 2015 AND HAS GRAND CERTIFICATION TO THE FIRST CONGREGATION TO HAVE COME THROUGH THE PROGRAM. DRUM ROLL. THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ANN ARBOR. [APPLAUSE] THIS HAS COME AFTER THREE YEARS OF HARD AND SIGNIFICANT WORK BY THE ANN ARBOR CONGREGATION ON DISABILITY ISSUES. SOME OF THINGS THEY'VE DONE, TWO WORSHIP SERVICES FOCUSED ON DISABILITY ISSUES. FOUR WORKSHOPS ON INCLUSION, DEPRESSION FORUM, MEMORY IMPROVEMENT, INTERGENERATIONAL WORKSHOP. ACCESSIBILITY PROJECTS, LIKE PRINT HYMNALS, SIGNAGE, PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS. INCLUSION PROJECTS THAT INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH. SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECTS: DETROIT AIRPORT ACCESSIBILITY. FUNDING GRANT TO LOCAL DISABILITY AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ANN ARBOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING THE FIRST. [APPLAUSE] ROB, WE'RE NOW READY FOR YOU. >> UP HERE WE HAVE CONVENED THE FIRST GATHERING, OFFICIAL GATHERING OF OLDER WHITE BALD MEN SUPPORTING UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR ILL DULL GENERALS. [APPLAUSE] IT'S A CLICHE, BUT I REPRESENT THAT REMARK. >> FIRST A SHOUT‑OUT TO THE YOUTH CAUCUS. ARE YOU HERE? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO THE REASON I'M ANNOUNCING THE YOUTH CAUCUS IS BECAUSE I WANT TO CELEBRATE THE MINISTRY AND WORK OF LARRY LADD, WHO JUST OFFERED HIS FINAL REPORT AS FINANCIAL ADVISER, BECAUSE HE COMES FROM THERE, FRIENDS. [APPLAUSE] AND I COME FROM THERE, AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORT THE DEEPENING INVOLVEMENT AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS MOVEMENT, THANK YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONVOCATION OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST WOMEN WILL BE HELD THIS COMING FEBRUARY. 16TH THROUGH 19th 2017 AT THE HISTORIC AND GORGEOUS CONFERENCE CENTER IN MONTERREY, CALIFORNIA. THIS IS THE THIRD SUCH GATHERING. THE FIRST TWO ATTRACTED OVER 600 WOMEN FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO MAKE A POWERFUL IMPACT ON WOMEN'S LIVES, TO NETWORK WITH OTHERS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE, TO LEARN ABOUT GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVES THAT TRANSFORM LIVES, AND TO MEET COMMITTED UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND IN THIS PARTICULAR ITERATION, TO RENEW SPIRITS OVERLOOKING THE PACIFIC. THEY WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO VISIT THEIR BOOTH IN THE EXHIBIT HALL OR TO VISIT THEM ON THEIR WEBSITE. THAT'S THE INTERNATIONAL CONVOCATION OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST WOMEN. AND LASTLY, I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER, WE WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THE COVENANTAL QUESTION: WHAT SHALL WE PROMISE EACH OTHER AND IN WHAT INTEREST? IT IS THAT QUESTION WE WILL BE ASKING AS WE ENGAGE IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SEASON THIS COMING YEAR. THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FORUM WILL BE HELD TOMORROW IN THIS ROOM AT 1:15 AND YOUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES URGES YOU TO BE HERE TO MEET THE CANDIDATES, HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, AND ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS AT DEPTH, BECAUSE MY FRIENDS, COVENANT IS NOT A NOUN. IT'S A VERB AND IT'S THE HEART OF OUR RELIGIOUS PRACTICE. [APPLAUSE] >> YESTERDAY I DID A SHOUT‑OUT, PEOPLE RAISED THEIR HANDS IF THEY'D BEEN TO GA MORE THAN 35 YEARS. AND I GOT SOME RESPONSE. GARY SMITH, WHO IS ONLINE, HAS BEEN TO AT LEAST 35 GENERAL ASSEMBLIES. HARRY HICKS HAS BEEN TO 39. WE HAVE A TIE FOR 44. JAY ATKINSON, BEVERLY AND MARGARET LINK, ALL HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 44 YEARS. AND I THINK I HAVE SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU. ONE MOMENT. I CAN ANNOUNCE THAT ‑‑ LET'S NOT BE TOO ROWDY. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE WINNER AND LOSERS HERE. THESE ARE VERY, VERY WORTHY CSAI'S. I WOULD JUST CAUTION TOO MANY EXUBERANCE AND BE THANKFUL WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROCESS. BOTH SHOULD GO FORWARD. BUT CSAI‑4, CONVERSATION ON DEMOCRACY, IS THE CSAI THAT WILL GO FORWARD TO POSSIBLY BECOME A STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE. SO THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THERE KNOCK FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE US IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCHEDULE SETH FORTH IN YOUR PROGRAM BOOK, I DECLARE THAT THIS GENERAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 8:30:00 A.M. ON SATURDAY, JUNE 25TH, 2016. BE THERE. [BUSINESS SESSION 2 CONCLUDES] EVENT: B2016 0624 GENERAL SESSION 2 0800AM EST CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY HEARING 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. 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