EVENT:  B2018 0621 GENERAL SESSION 2 9:15AM
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>>  GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.  PLEASE COME TO YOUR SEATS SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR.
I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE SECOND GENERAL SESSION OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION. ARE THE DELEGATES READY TO DO THE BUSINESS OF THIS ASSOCIATION?
>>  I'M DENISE RIMES AND HONORED TO SERVE ON THE UUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES.  OUR OPENING WORDS THIS MORNING COME FROM PARKER PALMER, WHO IS THE FOUNDER AND SENIOR PARTNER EMERITUS FOR THE CENTER FOR COURAGE AND RENEWAL AND WORLD-RENOWNED WRITER, SPEAKER, AND ACTIVIST WHO FOCUSES ON ISSUES IN EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, LEADERSHIP, SPIRITUALITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE.
LET'S NOT FORGET THAT AMERICAN DEMOCRACY STARTED WITH 'WE THE PEOPLE' AGREEING TO WORK HARD TO CREATE 'A MORE PERFECT UNION.' WE'VE LOST THE IDEA THAT POLITICS BEGINS AT HOME WITH WHAT HAPPENS IN FAMILIES, IN NEIGHBORHOODS, IN CLASSROOMS, IN CONGREGATIONS. WE CALLED THIS DEMOCRACY INTO BEING - AND IF WE WANT TO CALL THIS DEMOCRACY BACK TO ITS HIGHEST VALUES, IT'S GOT TO BE THE US DOING THAT CALLING. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IF 'WE THE PEOPLE' DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER WITH CIVILITY AND HOLD OUR DIFFERENCES IN A CREATIVE, LIFE- GIVING WAY.PARKER PALMER SPEAKS WORDS TO WHO WE WANT TO BECOME.
>>  ELANDRIA: WELCOME BACK THE SECRETARY OF OUR ASSOCIATION, CHRISTINA RIVERA, FOR THE PRELIMINARY CREDENTIALS REPORT.
>>  BUENOS DIAZ, EVERYONE.  SO THERE ARE OVER 2,666 OF US GATHERED HERE, BOTH ON-SITE AND OUR REMOTE DELEGATES AND REMOTE PARTICIPANTS.  SO HI EVERYBODY OUT THERE IN VIRTUAL LAND.  I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT FOR THE YOUTH CAUCUS, DOES THOSE NUMBERS INCLUDE OUR YOUTH.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.  AND WE HAVE OVER 500 CONGREGATIONS REPRESENTED FROM THE U.S. AND CANADA AND PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND MEXICO.  I ALMOST MISSED MEXICO.  IF WE CAN'T GET YOU IN THERE AND YOUR CONGREGATION WASN'T NAMED, PLEASE COME AND FIND ME.  I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET YOU NAMED IN YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL U.S.  THANKS SO MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
>>  BEFORE WE BEGIN THE BUSINESS OF THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REMIND US ABOUT WHO WE ARE GIST IN CASE YOU OVERSLEPT AND FORGOT.  IN OUR BYLAWS, ARTICLE TWO IN PARTICULAR REMINDS US OF OUR SEVEN PRINCIPLES AND THE SOURCES FOR OUR FAITH.  AND AT THE VERY END OF THAT SECTION OF THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES AND SOURCES, THE VERY LAST SENTENCE READS AS FOLLOWS:  AS FREE CONGREGATIONS, WE ENTER INTO THIS COVENANT, PROMISING TO ONE ANOTHER OUR MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT.  MY FRIENDS, THESE FOUR DAYS ARE A CHANCE FOR US TO PROVE THAT TO THE WORLD TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.  AS WE GO THROUGH THESE GENERAL SESSIONS, OUR WORKSHOPS, CELEBRATIONS, WORSHIP, AND OUR TIME IN THE CITY, IN KANSAS CITY, LET US REMEMBER OUR COVENANTS AND OUR PROMISES AND OUR INVESTIGATION HE BELOVED COMMUNITY.  IF WE CAN'T DO IT HERE AS ONE POD BY AND SHOW THE WORLD WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE INTEND TO BE IN THIS WORLD, THEN IT CONDITION BE DONE ANYWHERE.  SO I REMIND YOU AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY AND AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS YOU CAN THAT YOU DO IT WITH A SPIRIT OF RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER, RESPECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY OF KANSAS CITY, AND RESPECT FOR THE BROADER WORLD.  THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO BE IN COVENANT WITH ONE ANOTHER.  AS OUR CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM REMINDS US FROM THE VERY BEGINNINGS OF OUR FAITH, ONE OF OUR JOBS AS MEMBERS AND MEMBER CONGREGATIONS IS TO HELP EACH OTHER BE OUR BETTER SELVES.  SO WHILE WE ARE IN COVENANT AND WHILE WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE ESSENCE OF BELOVED COMMUNITY, BE NOT AFRAID TO TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, THAT HURT MY FEELINGS.  SO IF YOU SEE BEHAVIOR THAT MAYBE NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF HELP, TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, CAN I HELP YOU WITH THAT?  AS OPPOSED TO OTHER WAYS THAT YOU MAY BE USED TO SEEING OTHERS CALL PEOPLE OUT.  OUR CHAPLAIN ARE HIS HERE TO HELP YOU.  OUR RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM IS HERE TO HELP YOU.  YOUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SO MANY OTHERS ARE HERE TO HELP WITH YOU THAT, BUT WE MUST REMEMBER WHO AND WHAT WE ARE, BOTH FOR OURSELVES AND IN THE BROADER WORLD.  THANK YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
>>  I NOW INVITE YOUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, COME ON UP.  FIRST OFF, PEOPLE FEEL THEY NEED TO TALK TO ONE PERSON, TWO PEOPLE, YOU CAN TALK TO ALL THESE PEOPLE.  WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.  IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY R.R. ARE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[APPLAUSE]
IS THIS ANYBODY'S SECOND?  IF YOU'VE BEEN TO MORE THAN FIVE?
MORE THAN TEN?  MORE THAN 20?  WOW.  SO IF YOU'VE BEEN TO MORE THAN 20, GO TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE, TOO, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN I HAVE.  SO WHAT TO EXPECT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IN GENERAL SESSION.  THERE WILL BE REPORTS.  REPORTS.  THERE WILL BE GOOD REPORTS.  SOME BY VIDEO.  SOME BY MUSIC.  SOME BY JUST TALKING.  THEY'RE REALLY GOOD REPORTS.  WE'RE GOING TO GIVE SOME AMAZING AWARDS.  YOU SHOULD BE HERE FOR THE AWARDS.  THEY'RE GOING TO SOME REALLY COOL PEOPLE I LOVE A LOT.  RULES OF PROCEDURE.  SO EXCITING.  PLEASE READ THOSE ON YOUR OWN.  GOING TO BE BYLAW AMENDMENTS, LIKE NINE.  THERE'S GOING TO BE AIW'S, ACCOUNTS OF IMMEDIATE WITNESSES.  THERE'S GOING TO BE CSAI.  CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUES, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER.  AND ELECTIONS.  THERE'S GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE PUBLIC WITNESS, WHICH ARE AMAZING FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT LATER.  AND TONS OF WORSHIP.  SO WE WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THREE SLIDES.  FIRST IS THE GA GRID WHICH MY HIGH HOPE IS EVERYONE HAS SEEN.  IF NOT, PLEASE GET IT.  IF YOU TURN YOUR BADGE AROUND, IT'S ALSO ON THE BACK OF YOUR BADGE, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.  WE HAVE A GA APP.  AND SO IT'S ONLY FOR SMARTPHONES.  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SMARTPHONE, FOR MYRIADS OF REASONS, SOMEONE ELSE CAN BE YOUR GA APP FOR THE PROGRAM BOOK.  AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES THIS YEAR HAVE OFFICE HOURS IN A ROOM.  IF YOU NEED SOMETHING YOU CAN BOTHER ALL OF THESE FINE PEOPLE AT THIS ROOM AT THESE TIMES OR AS THEY'RE WALKING AROUND THE HALL.  I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE DISTURBED BY THE RED HATS.  RED IS MY FAVORITE COLOR AND I REFUSE TO LET SOMEBODY WHO IS IN OFFICE TAKE MY FAVORITE COLOR FROM ME.
[APPLAUSE]
IT'S A COLOR.  IF WE CEDE OVER AN ENTIRE COLOR, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR WHAT WE ARE WILLING TO CEDE OVER?  SO I KNOW IT'S A LOT, BUT IT'S A COLOR THAT WE ARE CEDING OVER TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T?-- WELL, OKAY.  SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
[APPLAUSE]
SO WE'RE NOW GOING TO TALK TO THE SAFETY TEAM AND THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM.  SO THEY CAN COME ON UP.  FIRST WE HAVE THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TEAM.
>>  GOOD MORNING, ALL.  I'M YADANEE HAILU.
>> LET'S TAKE A COLLECTIVE BREATH AND BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST RIGHT RELATIONS TEAM REPORTS.  ALL RIGHT.  OUR SPIRIT OF HOSPITALITY NEEDS A MIND.  EMPHASIS.  WE ARE A PEOPLE THAT VALUE PARTICIPATION WHICH CELEBRATES LIFE AND LIBERATES THE OPPRESSED.  PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY THAT TRANSFORMS OUR TIGHT AND OWE IMPRESSIVE LABELING INTO THE FULLNESS OF OUR PERSONHOOD AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY.  SO WHETHER IT IS A PERSON SELECTING A RESTROOM OR SOMEONE UTILIZING ACCOMMODATIONS WITH OR WITHOUT VISIBLE DISABILITIES, LET US ASSUME OUR PEERS HAVE SELECTED THE APPROPRIATE MEANS FOR THEIR FULLEST PARTICIPATION.
>>  LIVING INTO THESE GROWING EDGES WON'T ALWAYS BE SIMPLE OR COMFORTABLE, BUT YOU LET US DO IT IN LOVE, GRACE, AND HOSPITALITY, FOR THE DIVINE IN ALL OF US.
>>  ANOTHER UPDATE IS ELIZABETH MOUNT IS OUR RIGHT RELATIONS TEAM MEMBER WHO WILL SERVE OUR OFF-SITE GA COMMUNITY.
>>  WHAT WHAT?
>>  STARTING LATER TODAY, ONLINE PARTICIPANTS CAN CONTACT ELIZABETH IN THE OFF-SITE CHAT ROOM DURING GENERAL SESSIONS.  PLEASE.  AWESOME.  THAT WAS OUR FIRST REPORT.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>>  SO I MAY BE ALL ABOUT OVERTHROWING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TODAY OR TOMORROW.  BUT FOR MANY OF US, WHEN THE TRUMP ELECTION HAPPENED, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE WHITE, WHEN THE TRUMP ELECTION HAPPENED, IT WAS LIKE OH, MY GOSH.  HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN MARK?  AND THE DEEPER REALITY IS THAT THIS IS AMERICA.  IN TERMS OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND RACISM ENDEMIC IN THIS COUNTRY, AND HOW MANY OF US WANT TO CHANGE ALL OF THAT?  [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
SO WE NEED TO BUILD UP ALTERNATIVES TO THE WAYS THAT WE INTERACT AS A COMMUNITY.  AND THE SAFETY TEAM IS CREATING AN ALTERNATIVE OF A WAY OF DEALING WITH ISSUES OF CONFLICT AND SAFETY THAT IS NOT LOOKING TO THE POLICE TO TRY TO SOLVE THE ISSUES, BECAUSE THE POLICE OFTEN CREATE MORE PROBLEMS WHEN THEY COME INTO COMMUNITIES AND BRING VIOLENCE INTO COMMUNITIES AND CREATE MORE HARM.  DOES THAT SOUND TRUE?  AND SO THE SAFETY TEAM IS TRYING TO CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE WAY OF BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH ISSUES OF HARM OR CONFLICT THAT COME, AND IN PARTICULAR, SAFETY TEAM IS CONCERNED WITH KEEPING AN EYE ON SECURITY AND POLICE HARASSING PARTICULARLY YOUNG PEOPLE OR YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO BE ABLE TO HELP US HAVE A POWERFUL CONVENTION AND A POWERFUL TIME TOGETHER.  DOES THAT SOUND GOOD?
>>  AND MANY OF OUR SAFETY TEAM MEMBERS ARE ALREADY ON DUTY.  YOU'LL SEE THEM THIS MORNING IN THEIR ORANGE VESTS.  THEY'RE HERE TO TALK WITH YOU, TO LISTEN TO YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES THUS FAR, ANY CONFLICTS OR ISSUES THAT YOU MAY HAVE HAD WITH PARTICIPANTS, WITH THE SECURITY, WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.  THEY REALLY WANT TO HEAR THAT, AND SO DO CHRIS AND I.
>>  AND SO TO HELP US HAVE A POWERFUL GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WE ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES, STAY HYDRATED, EAT, REST, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU.  TO BE ALERT.  KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS WHEN WE'RE GOING OUT.  AND FOR MANY OF US, INTO A CITY THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TO BEFORE.  GO OUT IN SMALL GROUPS OR HAVE A BUDDY WITH YOU TO BE ABLE TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT.  AND IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY WHO SEEMS TO NEED HELP, OFFER HELP.  IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK FOR IT.  BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER.  BUILD UP A TEAM OF COOPERATION TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER, TO BE IN THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO HAVE A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE.
>>  IF YOU ARE FEELING HARASSED AND UNSAFE, ACCOSTED BY ANYONE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE SAFETY TEAM.  YOU CAN REACH OUT TO CHRIS AND I.  WE ARE ASKING YOU TO CONTACT THE SAFETY TEAM BEFORE YOU CONTACT THE POLICE OR IF YOU ALREADY HAVE INTERACTIONS WITH THE POLICE OR SECURITY, TO LET THE SAFETY TEAM IN AND WE'LL BE HERE FOR YOU.  THANK YOU.
>>  THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  SO WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US TODAY AND THE REST OF THIS WEEK.  IF OUR LAKOTA FRIENDS CAN PLEASE STAND?
[APPLAUSE]
WE HAVE JULIA BROWN WOLF, ARTIST ACTIVIST FROM STANDING ROCK.
BEN ELK EAGLE, FORMAL COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE FROM CHEYENNE RIVER.
AND JOHNNY ESTERON FROM THE INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE ON TRANSFORMATIVE COLLABORATION
AND OSHANTE SAKWE.
[APPLAUSE]
IF SOMEONE CAN PLEASE EXTEND A HANG SHAKE, AND WELCOME.
[APPLAUSE]
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, AND THEY'LL BE DOING WORKSHOPS ON SATURDAY, SO PLEASE GO AND TALK TO THEM AND LEARN FROM THEM.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PLANNING COMMITTEE IS A COMMITTEE OF THE ASSOCIATION AUTHORIZED BY THE BYLAWS, ARTICLE 5, SECTION 5.8. IT IS A COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN EITHER ELECTED BY THE GA DELEGATES OR APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THE GAPC, AS IT IS KNOWN, IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE DELEGATES. IT IS ALSO IN COVENANT WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE STAFF OF OUR ASSOCIATION AND WORKS IN TANGENT WITH ALL INVOLVED TO PUT ON THIS YEARLY EVENT, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONS. THE CHAIR OF THE GAPC, A VOLUNTEER (AS ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE GAPC), IS ILA KLION FROM LAUDERHILL, FLORIDA. WELCOME ILA.
>>  ILA KLION: THANK YOU.GOOD MORNING, GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THIS YEAR, I HAVE BEEN HONORED AND HUMBLED TO WORK WITH THIS DIVERSE GROUP OF TALENTED AND HARDWORKING FOLKS WHO CREATE THE STRUCTURE BY WHICH THE SPEAKERS, MUSICIANS, OFFICERS, USHERS, VENDORS, STAFF PERSONNEL, DELEGATES, WORSHIP LEADERS AND MANY MORE CREATE THE TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT WE KNOW AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
HERE, IN KANSAS CITY, WE ARE CALLED TO DO THE BUSINESS OF OUR ASSOCIATION. WE ARE ALSO CALLED HERE TO CELEBRATE, LEARN, WORSHIP, WITNESS AND SING TOGETHER. OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL PERSONALLY LEAVE TRANSFORMED AND THAT COLLECTIVELY WE WILL TRANSFORM AND GROW UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM AND OUR OWN UUA.
BEFORE I START TO RAMBLE ON, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PLANNING COMMITS THEY YEAR HAS STARTED ITS OWN RACISM WORK.  IN SEPTEMBER WE BEGAN WORKING WITH THE REVEREND MARTA VALENTINE SO WE CAN LEARN HOW TO SEE WHITENESS IN OUR OWN LIVES SO WE CAN HELP DE-CENTER IT FROM THIS ASSEMBLY.
[APPLAUSE]
BEFORE I START TO RAMBLE ON, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THIS YEAR'S GENERAL ASSEMBLY IT IS MY HONOR TO SERVE WITH THESE
FINE PEOPLE. STARTING IN THE BACK ROW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: TULI PATEL AND JENN GRACEN; THE NEXT ROW DOWN: ME, ILA KLION, OSHARA MEESHA, AND THIS YEAR'S LOCAL AREA COORDINATOR GABY KUSKO; IN FRONT OF GABY IS DEBRA GRAY-BOYD AND IN FRONT OF DEBRA IS CHELSEA SURFUS. BEFORE I GO, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PLANNING COMMITTEE IS BLESSED TO WORK WITH DR. JAN SNEEGAS, THE DIRECTOR OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONFERENCE SERVICES, AND HER STAFF. WITHOUT THEM, ALL THAT WE DO AND ALL THAT YOU SEE HERE WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
ENJOY YOUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY.  AND WE HAVE THE FASHIONABLE BLUE SHIRTS IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US.  THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  ELANDRIA: PLEASE WELCOME YOUTH CAUCUS DEANS JAIDYN BRYANT, FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA AND KARI GOTTFRIED, FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF CORVALLIS, OREGON!
[APPLAUSE]
YOUTH CAUCUS PROVIDES WORKSHOPS AND WORSHIPS THAT HELP US DEEPEN OUR COLLECTIVE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SPIRITUALITY AND HELPS YOUTH MAKE AN IMPACT ON OUR ASSOCIATION.AND ALLOWS PEOPLE LIKE ME TO ACTUALLY STAND UP HERE.
>>  JAIDYN BRYANT: GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! LET ME HEAR WHO'S EXCITED THAT YOUTH CAUCUS IS HERE THIS WEEK!
WE'RE THRILLED TO BE HERE TOO.
>>  KARI GOTTFRIED: WE INVITE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO SHARE THE SPACE WE HAVE IN ROOM 2505 OF THE CONVENTION CENTER. ALL WEEK, WE WILL PROVIDE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMMING, WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR PROGRAM BOOK OR IN THE GA APP.
>>  JAIDYN BRYANT: THIS YEAR, WE'RE INVITING ALL YOUTH WHO FEEL CALLED, TO HELP MAKE YOUTH CAUCUS RADICALLY INCLUSIVE AND THEOLOGICALLY DEEP. TO CENTER YOUTH VOICES, WE'LL ALSO BE HOSTING CHECK-IN GROUPS IN HALL D AND EVENING CHECK-INS IN THE YOUTH CAUCUS ROOM TO GET CONNECTED. FIND THE SCHEDULE IN ROOM 2505.
>>  KARI GOTTFRIED: ALL ARE CALLED IS THE PERFECT THEME FOR YOUTH CAUCUS, FOR A TIME WHEN YOUTH ARE ONCE AGAIN SPEAKING UP AND OUT. GENERAL SESSION IS ANOTHER TIME WHEN ALL ARE CALLED. MANY TIMES, WHEN YOUTH ARE TALKING, IT IS TO PROCESS, CLARIFY OR STRATEGIZE.
>>  JAIDYN BRYANT: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE YOUTH CAUCUS, OUR STAFF MEMBERS CAN BE FOUND WEARING PINK BANDANNAS.
>>  ELLIOT: MY NAME IS ELLIOT FERRELL-CARRETEY
>>  EHLONA: AND I'M EHLONA WALKER, AND WE ARE THE THRIVE@GA YOUTH COORDINATORS.AND WE ARE WEARING THE GREEN BANDANNAS IN CASE YOU WANT TO FIND US.
>>  ELLIOT: WE SUPPORT YOUTH OF COLOR. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH OTHER UUS OF COLOR! LOOK FOR US IN THE SILVER BANDANNAS.
>>  ELANDRIA: I NOW WELCOME TO THE STAGE THE CO- FACILITATORS OF YOUNG ADULTS AT GA, KNOWN AS YA@GA: AISHA ANSANO AND CASSIE WITHEY- RILA.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  AISHA: HELLO! I'M AISHA ANSANO, A MEMBER AT FIRST PARISH UU OF ARLINGTON, MA.
>>  CASSIE: AND I'M CASSIE WITHEY-RILA, I AM A DELEGATE FOR AUCKLAND UNITARIAN IN AOTEAROA-NEW ZEALAND. WE ARE THE CO-FACILITATORS FOR YOUNG ADULTS AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ALSO KNOWN AS YA@GA.
>>  AISHA: WE ARE SO EXCITED TO OFFER A VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING TO YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE ATTENDING GA! WHILE THE YOUNG ADULT AGE RANGE IS 18-35, WE INVITE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO SPEND TIME WITH YA@GA IN ROOM 2504A IN THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHERE WE WILL HAVE WORSHIP, WORKSHOPS, AND INFORMAL EVENTS IN OUR EFFORT TO CONNECT AND SUPPORT YOUNG ADULTS HERE AT GA, AND TO TRANSFORM OUR FAITH.
>>  CASSIE: THE TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE YA@GA STAFF TEAM ARE LAUREN HULSE AS COMMUNITY SUPPORT STAFF AND CAMELLIA JAHANSHAHI AS SPIRITUAL SUPPORT STAFF. WE ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE RONNIE BOYD, WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING YOUNG ADULTS OF COLOR AS THE THRIVE@GA YOUNG ADULT STAFF.
>>  AISHA: THIS WEEK, YA@GA STAFF WILL BE WEARING BLUE BANDANNAS AND THE THRIVE@GA STAFF WILL HAVE SILVER BANDANNAS.
>>  CASSIE: WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING HERE IN KANSAS CITY WITH YOU ALL. HAVE A WONDERFUL GA!
[APPLAUSE]
>>  BARB: COVENANTING COMMUNITIES CLAIM A UU IDENTITY AND ADVANCE UU VALUES, BUT THEY LOOK AND FEEL DIFFERENT FROM A TRADITIONAL CONGREGATION. COVENANTING COMMUNITIES INCLUDE SMALL MEETING GROUPS, MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES, INTENTIONAL LIVING COOPERATIVES, NATIONAL NETWORKS, AND MORE. RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION, COVENANTING COMMUNITIES ARE HELPING PEOPLE IMAGINE NEW WAYS OF LIVING OUT THEIR UU FAITH AND VALUES WHILE STAYING OFFICIALLY CONNECTED TO THE WIDER UU FAMILY. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, AGAIN THIS YEAR, TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE NEW COVENANTING COMMUNITIES OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION.
THE OLEAN UU COMMUNITY, IN OLEAN, NEW YORK, PROVIDES AN OPEN, NURTURING, SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENT MADE VISIBLE BY THE JOY OF OUR ACTIONS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE WORLD. FOUNDED IN 2009. WE WELCOMED THE COMMUNITY AS AN EMERGING CONGREGATION, AND WE ARE DELIGHTED TO EMBRACE THEM THIS YEAR AS A COVENANTING COMMUNITY.
THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS OF CHARLESTOWN IN MARYLAND MEET MONTHLY TO CONNECT RESIDENTS WHO ARE UU AND OTHER RESIDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PROGRESSIVE RELIGIOUS THINKING. ORGANIZED IN 1984, WE WELCOME THEM AS A COVENANTING COMMUNITY.
CELEBRATING ITS 25TH YEAR IN 2017, GROVELAND FELLOWSHIP IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, IS A SMALL URBAN COMMUNITY OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS. FOUNDED IN 1992 BY THREE WOMEN WHO WANTED TO CREATE A SMALL FELLOWSHIP WHERE THERE WOULD PERSONAL INTERACTION WITH ECLECTIC SERVICES. WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU JOIN US AS A COVENANTING COMMUNITY.
THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF SOUTHWESTERN UTAH IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH, HAS A TWO- PRONGED MISSION: A FOCUS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND A FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL GROWTH THAT ALLOWS ITS MEMBERS TO COME TOGETHER AS A CONGREGATION TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF LIFE ON THEIR OWN TERMS. THANK YOU FOR OFFICIALLY REPRESENTING OUR FAITH IN UTAH AS A COVENANTING COMMUNITY.
LOCATED IN ANGELUS OAKS, CALIFORNIA, CAMP DE BENNEVILLE PINES WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1962 AS A PUBLIC BENEFIT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE A MOUNTAIN RETREAT WHERE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST PRINCIPLES AND VALUES ARE LIVED AND CELEBRATED IN COMMUNITY. WITH THEIR LONG AND RICH HISTORY, WE CELEBRATE YOU AS A COVENANTING COMMUNITY.
ESTABLISHED IN 2005, METHOW
 YEP.  GIVE IT UP FOR THEM.
ESTABLISHED IN 2005, METHOW VALLEY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP IN TWISP, WASHINGTON, IS A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A COMMON INTEREST IN A FREE SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND MEANING IN A VERY DIVERSE, OFTEN CONFUSING AND EVER-EVOLVING WORLD. WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST!
WELCOME, LYCOMING! FOUNDED IN 1992 IN WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, LYCOMING UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OFFERS THE COMMUNITY A PLACE TO PRACTICE, AFFIRM AND STUDY RELIGION WITHOUT DOGMA AND IN HARMONY WITH REASON AND CONSCIENCE. MEMBERS WELCOME
ALL WHO BELIEVE THAT SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IS WIDER THAN ANY SECT AND DEEPER THAN ANY SET OF OPINIONS.
ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION MINISTRY (AIM) FOCUSES ON WELCOMING, EMBRACING, INTEGRATING, AND SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN OUR CONGREGATIONS. ITS SACRED CHALLENGE FOR CONGREGATIONS IS RECOGNIZING THE HUMANITY AND GIFTS OF ALL PEOPLE. AIM IS A JOINT PROGRAM OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION AND EQUUAL ACCESS, A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ORGANIZATION WORKING TO ENABLE THE FULL ENGAGEMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN OUR CONGREGATIONS. I AM HAPPY TO INTRODUCE TWO NEW AIM-CERTIFIED CONGREGATIONS THIS YEAR: FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, AND THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK. WE ARE INDEBTED TO BOTH CONGREGATIONS FOR THEIR ACTS OF LOVE BY DOING THE WORK TO BECOME AIM CERTIFIED.AND LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR ALL OF THE NEW COVENANTED COMMUNITIES AND CONGREGATIONS THIS YEAR.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  ELANDRIA: PRESENTING THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS IS SUSAN GOEKLER.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU, AND WELCOME TO ALL THE DELEGATES HERE AND OFF-SITE.  ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS, I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS REPORT.  THE COMMISSION REPORTS DIRECTLY TO YOU, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND NOT TO THE U.  A BOARD.
YOU ELECT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, WHO YOU CAN IDENTIFY BY THE BLUE BASEBALL CAPS WE WEAR WHEN ON DUTY. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE OPPORTUNITIES AT GA TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL WITNESS STATEMENTS.
WE HAVE TWO KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - TO FACILITATE THE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING UUA POSITION STATEMENTS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF POSITION STATEMENTS - STATEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE AND ACTIONS OF
IMMEDIATE WITNESS. DELEGATES CONSIDER ONE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE EVERY ODD NUMBERED YEAR, SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 2018, SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS NOT A STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE THIS YEAR.  BECAUSE WE'RE 2018.  ODD NUMBERED YEARS WHO HAVE BEEN 17 AND 19.  BUT IT IS ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT WAS SELECTED THREE YEARS
PRIOR AS A CONGREGATIONAL STUDY ACTION ISSUE CSAI. THIS YEAR YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SELECT A NEW CSAI.
BECAUSE ISSUES SOMETIMES ARISE THAT CALL FOR A MORE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, ANOTHER TYPE OF POSITION STATEMENT IS AN ACTION OF IMMEDIATE WITNESS. BECAUSE THESE ISSUES ARE PROPOSED AND ACTED ON DURING 1 GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR CONGREGATION STUDY AND INPUT. THUS AIWS ONLY CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE DELEGATES PRESENT AT ONE GA.  BUT THEY STILL HAVE VALUE.
OUR SECOND KEY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENCOURAGE CONGREGATIONAL ENGAGEMENT ON COMMON UUA SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES.SO LET ME GIVE THE REPORT ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE THIS YEAR, SINCE I'M REPORTING TO YOU.  BETWEEN 2017 AND
2018 GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE UUA, THE COMMISSION ON SOCIAL WITNESS (CSW) REVIEWED COMMENTS WE RECEIVED FROM CONGREGATIONS ON OUR CURRENT CSAI - THE CORRUPTION OF DEMOCRACY, WHICH THE 2016 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SELECTED. WE ALSO INVITED PROPOSALS FOR NEW CSAIS AND RECEIVED THREE PROPOSALS. BECAUSE TWO WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL, WE ASKED THE PROPOSERS TO COMBINE THEM AND THEY DID. THEN, AT THE REQUEST OF ONE OF THE PROPOSERS, WE FACILITATED MEETINGS OF THE PROPOSERS OF THE REMAINING TWO TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIND COMMON GROUND AND THUS SUBMIT ONLY ONE CSAI FOR CONSIDERATION. WE ALL HOPED THAT IN THE SPIRIT OF BEING MORE COOPERATIVE AND LESS COMPETITIVE WE COULD AVOID
PITTING ONE ISSUE AGAINST ANOTHER, AND THUS FORCING DELEGATES TO SELECT ONLY ONE ISSUE EVEN THOUGH ALL PROPOSED CSAIS ARE WORTHY OF STUDY AND ACTION. WE GOT CLOSE, BUT DID NOT SUCCEED, SO YOU HAVE TWO TO CHOOSE FROM. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH PLEASE COME TO THE CSAI MINI-ASSEMBLY THIS AFTERNOON AT 4:30.AND ALSO TO READ THEM IN YOUR PROGRAM BOOK ON PAGES 73 THROUGH?75.
ONE WAY WE FULFILL OUR SECOND KEY RESPONSIBILITY OF ENCOURAGING CONGREGATIONS TO ENGAGE WITH SELECTED CSAIS IS BY WORKING WITH THE UU MINISTERS ASSOCIATION TO SPONSOR A SOCIAL JUSTICE SERMON CONTEST. THE WINNING SERMON WILL BE PRESENTED AT 3:00?O'CLOCK TODAY.  THE SERMON TITLE IS WHY THE RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AND THE LEFT JUST DOESN'T GET IT.
RECOGNIZING THAT THE PRESCRIPTIVE NATURE OF THE CSW- RELEVANT SECTIONS OF UUA BYLAWS HINDERS INNOVATION, WE WORKED WITH THE UUA BOARD TO SUGGEST CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS. THESE PROPOSED BY-LAWS CHANGES DO NOT CHANGE ANY PROCESSES, THEY JUST REMOVE FROM THE BYLAWS THE DETAILS, WHICH ARE STILL INCLUDED IN THE CSW'S PROPOSERS' GUIDES FOR BOTH CSAIS AND AIWS. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS THAT THE BYLAWS WOULD NOT REQUIRE GATHERING SIGNATURES AT GA FOR ACTIONS OF IMMEDIATE WITNESS, ALLOWING THE CSW TO CONSIDER MODIFICATIONS OF THAT PROCESS. IF YOU, THE DELEGATES, DECIDED TO APPROVE THAT.
FACILITATION OF THE CSAI PROCESS ALSO REQUIRES GETTING INPUT FROM CONGREGATIONS - THE UUA'S MEMBERS. AS PART OF THE ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL POLL, CONGREGATIONS CAN VOTE ON WHETHER TO INCLUDE PROPOSED CSAIS ON THE FINAL GA AGENDA. THIS YEAR, SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HALF THE CERTIFIED CONGREGATIONS DID VOTE AND THE VAST MAJORITY VOTED TO INCLUDE BOTH PROPOSED CSAIS FOR CONSIDERATION.
NOW, YOU HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY ALSO. IF YOU ARE A DELEGATE, YOU WILL VOTE TO SELECT ONE OF THE PROPOSED CSAIS. HERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INFORMED. YOU CAN SEE THEM OR THAT I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED.
AFTER YOU RETURN TO YOUR CONGREGATION, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL INFORM THEM ABOUT THE SELECTED STUDY ACTION ISSUES. A STUDY GUIDE IS AVAILABLE FOR THE CORRUPTION OF DEMOCRACY AVAILABLE ON THE UUA WEBSITE AND BY NOVEMBER THERE WILL BE A STUDY
GUIDE FOR ISSUE YOU SELECT HERE STUDY DIED THAT IS TO HELP YOU ENGAGE WITH YOUR CONGREGATION IN THAT STUDY AND ACTION.
TO MEET OUR BYLAW REQUIREMENTS, THE CSW WILL CONDUCT A MINI-ASSEMBLY ON THE TWO PROPOSED CSAIS. WE ARE ALSO HOSTING A WORKSHOP WITH ACTIVISTS ENGAGED IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN OUR DEMOCRACY AND FACILITATING A WORSHIP SERVICE FEATURING THE WINNING SERMON.  AND FACILITATING THE SHARING AT 1:30 TODAY OF HOW CONGREGATIONS HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE ADOPTED LAST YEAR ON ESCALATING ECONOMIC INEQUITY.
ACTION OF IMMEDIATE WITNESS PROPOSALS ARE DUE AT THE CSW BOOTH BY 5 TODAY - IF THERE IS AN ISSUE YOU FEEL CALLED TO SUGGEST THAT THE UUA HAVE A POSITION ABOUT, COME TO THE -- COME TO THE NUMBER OF THE BOOTH 610 AND FIND OUT HOW TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS 68 YESTERDAY 6AIW'S WERE ALREADY POSTED AND ON-SITE DELEGATES CAN ACCESS THOSE AT THE BOOTH.  OFF-SITE DELEGATES CAN ACCESS THEM ONLINE ALREADY.  AND THERE ARE ALSO PETITION SHEETS AVAILABLE FOR THE OFF-SITE DELEGATES IF THEY CHOOSE TO SUPPORT ONE OR MORE OF THEM.  FOR ON-SITE DELEGATES, THE PETITION SHEETS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE BOOTH.  ANY NEW AIW'S THAT ARE SUBMITTED TODAY BY 5:00?O'CLOCK WILL BE POSTED TONIGHT FOR OFF-SITE DELEGATES TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW.  KELLY GAS WILL ALSO RECEIVE ALERTS AS AN E-MAIL ATTACHMENT.  YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THAT IF YOU ARE A DELEGATE.  TO SAVE TREES, DELEGATES WITH SMART ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE ENCOURAGED TO DOWNLOAD THE CSW ALERT AND USE THAT VERSION WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.  DELEGATES WHO NEED PAPER COPIES IN EITHER REGULAR OR LARGE FONT MAY REQUEST THE PAPER COPIES FROM USHERS AS YOU LEAVE OR COME TO THE CSW BOOTH.  AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY FOR THE OFF-SITE DELEGATES.
THE CSW IS OFFERING A THIRD OPPORTUNITY FOR WITNESSING THIS YEAR. WE WILL OFFER ROOM AT THE CSW BOOTH IN THE EXHIBIT HALL (#610) FOR PEOPLE WISHING TO COLLECT SIGNATURES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE -RELATED PETITIONS.SO AIW'S ARE PETITIONS FOR OUR ACTION AS AN ASSOCIATION, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO GET PETITIONS FOR SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SEND TO A MEMBER OF CONGRESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND YOU WANTED A PLACES, YOU COULD COLLECT THEM.  YOU MAY DO THAT.
WE WOULD LOVE TO LEARN HOW YOUR CONGREGATION HAS USED ANY ADOPTED STATEMENTS. PLEASE STOP BY OUR BOOTH OR SEND AN EMAIL TO SHARE WHAT YOUR CONGREGATION HAS DONE. THEN WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH OTHERS.  IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE LOOK FOR THE BLUE HATS OR ACCEPTED AN E-MAIL.  THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  ELANDRIA: LET'S PLEASE WELCOME LESLIE MACFAYDEN AND PAIGE INGRAM OF BLUU FOR AN INTRODUCTION FOR OUR PUBLIC WITNESS THIS YEAR. THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO FOR BLACK UUS AND UU ADJACENT FOLKS.
>>  GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.  I THINK IT'S AFTERNOON NOW, BUT YOU CLOSE ENOUGH.  RIGHT?
GOOD MORNING! I'M LESLIE MAC, LEAD ORGANIZER WITH BLACK LIVES OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM OR BLUU
>>  PAIGE INGRAM: AND I'M PAIGE INGRAM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH BLUU. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE HERE IN KANSAS CITY COORDINATING THIS YEAR'S PUBLIC WITNESS EFFORTS.
>>  LESLIE MAC: THIS PAST YEAR BLUU TOOK TIME TO CONNECT WITH LOCAL ORGANIZERS HERE IN KANSAS CITY WITH THE GOAL OF UNDERSTANDING THEIR NEEDS AND THE WAYS THAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY ATTENDEES COULD HELP THEM DO THEIR WORK. OUT OF THOSE CONNECTIONS, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THIS COMMUNITY DID NOT NEED A RALLY OR PRESS CONFERENCE. IT WAS IN NEED OF SUPPORT FOR 2 MAJOR ISSUES THAT BUBBLED TO THE TOP
>>  PAIGE INGRAM: THE FIRST IS KANSAS CITY'S ENTRY INTO THE NATIONAL #ENDMONEYBAIL EFFORTS - WHICH LED TO THE "ANATOMY OF A BAIL OUT" PANEL HAPPENING IN ABOUT TODAY AT 1:00 PM IN ROOM 2105 WHERE YOU WILL LEARN HOW THE FIRST KC BAILOUT WAS CREATED AND MORE ABOUT WHY THE #ENDMONEYBAIL MOVEMENT IS ONE THAT OUR FAITH SHOULD GET INVOLVED WITH.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  LESLIE MAC: WE WILL ALSO TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT THOSE ADDRESSING MATERNAL & INFANT HEALTH ISSUES IN LOCAL BLACK & BROWN COMMUNITIES - THIS SAT AFTERNOON POCI ATTENDEES ARE INVITED TO JOIN US UZAZI VILLAGE TO HELP BUILD AN OUTDOOR GARDEN & CHILDREN'S CLOSET AT THIS SPECTACULAR COMMUNITY SPACE WHOSE MISSION: "FOR EVERY FAMILY, A HEALTHY BABY' FOR EVERY BABY, A HEALTHY VILLAGE" RESONATES SO STRONGLY WITH OUR UU PRINCIPLES.
>>  PAIGE INGRAM: FINALLY - WE SAW AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS MATERIALLY - IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, WE ARE BUILDING 1,000 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR CARE PACKAGES IN EXHIBIT HALL D - THESE CARE -- YES.  YOU CAN CLAP.  WE CAN CLAP.
[APPLAUSE]
THESE CARE PACKAGES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BY THE REALE JUSTICE NETWORK TO PEOPLE FLEEING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. THIS INCREDIBLE GIFT TO THE KC ORGANIZING COMMUNITY WILL KEEP THEM STOCKED THROUGH THE WINTER AND ALLOW ORGANIZERS TIME & RESOURCES TO INVEST IN OTHER PROJECTS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.  MY ASK TO ALL OF YOU IS STOP BY ANY TIME IN HALL D TO HELP BUILD THESE PACKAGES AND TO
DROP OFF YOUR PURSE IF YOU BROUGHT ONE TO DONATE TO THE PROJECT
>>  LESLIE MAC: FOR BLUU THIS YEAR'S EFFORTS ARE A RETURN THE ROOTS OF PUBLIC WITNESS IN PHOENIX - WHERE WE AS UUS STOOD WITH AND FOLLOWED THE LEAD OF LOCAL ORGANIZERS FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE. THIS YEAR WE EXTEND THAT EXAMPLE TO MATERIALLY SUPPORT THOSE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM THE WORK WE DO HERE THIS WEEK.
>>  PAIGE INGRAM: THANK YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, MAKING THESE PROJECTS COME TO LIFE!AND WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INVITE BLACK UUS HERE IN KANSAS CITY TO VISIT US IN OUR HEALING SPACE.  WE'LL BE HAVING A WELCOME RECEPTION AT 3:30:00?P.M. TODAY AND IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING.  SO PLEASE COME.
>>  AND THAT'S 1501C.  THANKS SO MUCH.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME SINGING HAPPENING UP NEXT WITH THE FANTASTIC LEON.
>> THERE WILL BE NO SINGING HERE.
>>  PLEASE?
>>  NO.
>>  PLEASE?
>>  OH, ALL RIGHT.
>>  THANKS, LEON.
>>  GOOD MORNING, GA.  HOW IS EVERYONE DOING?  ALL RIGHT.  I'M SO PROUD TO INTRODUCE MY AN SUMMIST FOR TODAY.  SEAN MA CAN IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST MUSICIANS NETWORK.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  ALSO MY GOOD FRIEND.  I WOULD LIKE TO SING FOR THIS BREAK AN OLD MELODY WITH NEW WORDS.  AS A MATTER OF FACT, OUR RETIRED COMMUNITY MINISTER, MICHAEL HANNON, WROTE THROUGH WORDS TO FINLANDEA, THE BELOVED SONG, AND HIS IDEA WAS WHICH WAS SUCH A POWERFUL SONG FROM LLRY, LIBERAL RELIGIOUS YOUTH, THAT HE WANTED TO HAVE NEW WORDS, AND THESE WORDS SPEAK TO TODAY.  I INVITE TO YOU RISE IN BODY OR SPIRIT AND WE'LL HAVE A PROJECTION OF THE WORDS AND JOIN ME IN SINGING THIS OLD CLASSIC WITH NEW WORDS.  HIT IT.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  WE ENCOURAGE IF YOU YOU WANT TO USE THESE WORDS, HE HAS GIVEN THEM AWAY TO US ALL.
>>  FANTASTIC.
>>  THANK YOU, LEON.
>>  THE THEME OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIS YEAR, "ALL ARE CALLED," REMINDS US THAT NO ONE GETS TO TAKE A BACK SEAT IN THE WORK OF TRANSFORMING OUR FAITH COMMUNITIES AND INSTITUTIONS SO THAT WE MAY PERSONIFY THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM OUR WORLD NEEDS TODAY.
THIS LAST YEAR HAS BEEN FAR FROM EASY. THE THING ABOUT BEING CALLED IS THAT THE SORT OF CALL WE'RE HERE TO ENGAGE WITH TOGETHER RARELY COMES FROM THE PATH THAT IS SMOOTH, WELL- WORN, OBVIOUS, AND EASY. IT COMES FROM THE PATH THAT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND, CHALLENGING TO STAY TRUE TO, AND ARDUOUS TO MAKE PROGRESS ON.
WHEN WE ANSWERED THE CALL TO BECOME YOUR INTERIM CO-MODERATORS, WE DID SO IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR DENOMINATION'S MOST RECENT AWAKENING TO AND GRAPPLING WITH THE WAYS WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE OPERATES IN OUR MIDST. WE ALSO DID SO WHILE OUR FAITH COMMUNITY WAS STILL MOURNING THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF FORMER MODERATOR JIM KEY AND CELEBRATING THE ELECTION OF REV. SUSAN FREDERICK-GRAY. IT WAS A MOMENT OF TURMOIL, AND LOSS; OF HOPE, AND CHANGE.
WE SAID "YES" TO THIS CALL, IN PART, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T BE MORE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THIS MOVEMENT IN EMBRACING WHAT THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE HAS FRAMED AS AN "URGENCY AROUND TRANSFORMING THE ASSOCIATION" TO EMBRACE "THE FULLNESS OF A TRANSFORMATIVE MULTICULTURALISM AS A FULFILLMENT OF OUR PRINCIPLES AND HERITAGE."
WE WERE EXCITED TO EXPLORE COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP TOGETHER, NOT JUST IN OUR ROLE AS CO-MODERATORS BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THE WORK OF THE BOARD AND THE LARGER CONTEXT OF OUR MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE. WE WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO SHARE SOME OF OUR LEARNINGS FROM THE PAST YEAR WITH YOU, AS WELL AS OUR HOPES AND PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR.
>>  SO ONE, A TRANSFORMED UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM REQUIRES TRANSFORMED LEADERSHIP MODELS.  WE HAVE TO BE A LEADERFUL MOVEMENT.  DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?  NOT HIERARCHICAL, BUT LEADERFUL.  AND COLLABORATIVELY LEADERSHIP LOOKS SO MANY WAYS.  AT THE BOARD TABLE EVERYONE MUST FACILITATE.  IT MEANS IF YOU COME TO A BOARD MEETING, YOU ALL SHALL PARTICIPATE.  IT MEANS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ALL ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS AND WE NEED ALL OF OUR CONGREGATIONS TO BE ACTIVE IN CREATING THE WORLD THAT WE WANT NOT JUST THREE OR 42, OR THE ONES THAT ARE BIGGEST OR THE ONES WITH MOST MONEY.
MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS.  THE MODERATOR POSITION IS VOLUNTEER.  THE SCOPE OF THE WORK IS A LOT.  ONE OR TWO TRIPS EACH MONTH.  THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF E-MAILS AND COUNTLESS ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS.  BARB AND I HAVE FULL TIME JOBS.
>>  AND PART-TIME JOBS.
>>  AND PART-TIME JOBS.  AND MORE JOBS.  SO WHAT IT MEANS IS IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF MODERATOR.  WE ACTUALLY HAVE LIVES AND FAMILIES ON TOP OF I WORK LIKE 80 HOURS A WEEK.  YES.  WHEW!  SO WHAT IT MEANS IS WE'RE NOT RETIRED AT 2:00?O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.  WITH WE'RE AT WORK LIKE SOME OF YOU AND SO IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.  WHO IS ABLE TO SERVE AND WHO ISN'T?  AND IT'S A COST TO OUR MOVEMENT, BECAUSE IT LITERALLY MEANS THAT IT IS HARD TO DO THIS JOB AS A TRUE VOLUNTEER IF YOU HAVE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES OR ARE NOT INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY, WHICH NEITHER OF US ARE.  WE'RE QUEER.  WE'RE FIERCE, WE'RE YOUNGER, WE HAVE NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION PATHS, IE NOT REAL DEGREES.  BUT WE'RE SMART AS A WHIP.  YOU DON'T NEED A DEGREE TO BE SMART.  WE ALL HAVE ABILITIES AND WE'RE NONBINARY.  WE ALSO REALLY HOLD TO OUR OBJECT SUCCESS TRY.  THERE ARE THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE US WHICH WE WILL NAME LATER THAT MADE US STANDING ON THIS STAGE POSSIBLE.  WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM WITHOUT YOUTH CAUCUS, WITHOUT YRUU AND LRY, WITHOUT ALL THE WAYS THAT THE YOUTH ADULT OFFICE AND OTHER FOLKS, SO MANY THINGS BROUGHT US UP.  WE COULDN'T BE HERE.  THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN IT OUR FAITH IS MASSIVE, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE WILL NOT HAVE NEW FOLKS BEING ABLE TO TAKE OVER THESE POSITIONS.
>>  THAT'S THE FUN OF SHARED LEADERSHIP.  LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT N A TRANSFORMED UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM.
TRANSFORMED LEADERSHIP MODELS, THIS YEAR WE'VE BEEN REIMAGINING THE WAY LEADERSHIP WORKS WITHIN THE BOARD. INSTEAD OF TOP-DOWN LEADERSHIP, ALL BOARD MEMBERS SHARE LEADERSHIP. SO YOU'LL BE SEEING ALL BOARD MEMBERS UP ON STAGE THIS YEAR HELPING TO RUN DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW OUR UNDERSTANDINGS OF VOLUNTEER WORK WITHIN OUR MOVEMENT NEED TO SHIFT AND BE MORE EQUITABLE. FOR ONE THING, WE'RE WORKING TO SCALE THE POSITION OF MODERATOR DOWN. ALTHOUGH THE MODERATOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE DID A FAITHFUL JOB IN SEEKING CANDIDATES FOR THE NEXT MODERATOR ELECTION, THE SORTS OF LEADERS THEY WERE LOOKING FOR COULD NOT COMMIT TO A VOLUNTEER ROLE OF THIS POSITION'S CURRENT SCOPE. THEREFORE, THE BOARD DECIDED TO POSTPONE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2019 ELECTION FOR MODERATOR AND WORK TO REIMAGINE THE MODERATOR POSITION IN LINE WITH THE ASPIRATIONS OF OUR FAITH COMMUNITY.
A SECOND LEARNING FROM THIS YEAR IS THAT COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP REQUIRES DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS AND INCREASED COMMUNICATION. NOT ONLY WOULD IT HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO SERVE AS INTERIM CO-MODERATORS IF WE DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE A LONG AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP, BUT COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP TAKES PUTTING MORE TIME AND ATTENTION INTO OUR RELATIONSHIP. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THE TWO OF US ARE SIMILAR AND AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT IN FACT WE'RE REALLY DIFFERENT, SO WORKING TOGETHER TAKES HARD WORK AND LOTS OF COMMUNICATION.
THIS EXTENDS TO THE BOARD AND THE GOVERNANCE OF OUR DENOMINATION AS WELL. SO THIS YEAR THE BOARD SPENT A LOT OF TIME BUILDING DEEP GROUP AGREEMENTS. AND WE ASKED FELLOW UUS WHAT YOU WANT FROM THE BOARD IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
WE AND THE BOARD HAVE ALSO BEEN ENGAGING IN COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP WITH THE UUA ADMINISTRATION IN NEW WAYS. IT'S BEEN PARTICULARLY GRATIFYING TO LEARN AND LEAD WITH PRESIDENT SUSAN FREDERICK-GRAY AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT CAREY MCDONALD. ALL FOUR OF US CAME INTO OUR NEW ROLES AT THE SAME TIME, SO WE ARE ABLE TO COLLECTIVELY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NORMS AND PATTERNS THAT EXIST AND MAKE INTENTIONAL CHOICES ABOUT WHICH TO FOLLOW AND WHICH TO DISRUPT IN SERVICE OF POSITIVE CHANGE. WE ARE ALSO ALL LIFELONG UUS AND YOUNGER THAN 50
(ALONG WITH ALL HOLDING OTHER MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES AS WELL), AND OUR DEEP ROOTEDNESS IN THE FAITH SUPPORTS OUR DEDICATION TO WORKING TOGETHER.
BECAUSE OF OUR COLLECTIVE DEDICATION TO PRACTICING COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNICATION, AND COLLABORATION GROWING BETWEEN THE BOARD, THE ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED GROUPS AND COMMITTEES-INCLUDING THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE.
>>  YOU NOTICE WE TALK DIFFERENT?  SO I HAVE THE TIMER.  SO ANOTHER LEARNING.  THIS IS A BIGGY.  SO WE ALREADY KNEW THAT SOME PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FELT UNWANTED, UNHEARD, UNEMPOWERRED.  THE BIG KICK IN THE GUT WAS THAT EVERY COMMITTEE WE TALKED TO FELT THE EXACT SAME WAY.  THAT IS A REALLY SAD AND DEEP THING WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING VOLUNTEER WORK IN OUR FAITH FEEL UNCARED FOR.  THAT AIN'T COOL.  DO WE ALL AGREE?  YES.  AND SO THIS YEAR WE WERE LIKE, WE WERE GOING TO DO ANOTHER COMMITMENT TO GOING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETINGS.  WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMITTEES AND GROUPS THAT SERVE OUR FAITH, BECAUSE WE NEED THEM, WE NEED YOU SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE OUR FAITH FORWARD.  WE NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THOSE THAT ARE IN CONGREGATIONS AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT.  BECAUSE WE HAVE A CHALLENGE IN OUR FAITH AROUND WHO FEELS THEY CAN STAY.  SO IF YOU'VE BEEN A UU FOR A LONG TIME, YOU MOVE TO A PLACE AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE THE CONGREGATION MATCHES YOUR VALUES, ARE YOU JUST THROWN AWAY?  NO LONGER TO BE A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST?  HOW DO WE HOLD UP BOTH ENDS?  TO PREFACE THIS, WE DID A COUPLE OF THINGS.  ONE, WE DID AWAY WITH OBSERVERS AT THE OCTOBER BOARD MEETING TO MAKE WAY FOR AUTOMATIC VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES HERE AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND OTHER PLACES.  WE WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND HOW WE OVERHAUL OUR BYLAWS, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY COMPLICATED, TO MAKE THEM MORE LIBERATE AND GO LESS CONFINING.  BUT TO BE REAL, THE QUESTION ISN'T ABOUT BYLAWS.  THE QUESTION IS ABOUT FUNDAMENTALLY WHO DO WE WANT TO BE IN AND THAT'S THE FISSION AND VALUES CONVERSATION.  WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH OUR CURRENT MODEL AND REPRESENTATION AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY.  AND SO TO COME, THERE IS SO MUCH.  JUST WAIT.
>>  SO HOW CAN YOU HELP?  OUR CHARGE TO YOU THIS WEEK, IF YOU ACCEPT IT, AND WE SURE HOPE YOU WILL, IS TO JOIN US IN PRACTICING LIVING
OUR HIGHEST VALUES IN COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT A LIGHT OR EASY ASK, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO LIVE OUR VALUES TOGETHER WHEN WE DON'T ALL AGREE. BUT WE ARE ALL CALLED, AS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS, TO DO SO. DURING THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN THE NEXT YEAR, AND BEYOND, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO DISMANTLE SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION IN OUR MOVEMENT AND IN THE WORLD, WE HOPE THAT YOU AND UUS EVERYWHERE WILL ENGAGE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS FULLY. LET US PRIORITIZE CURIOSITY OVER FEAR OF CHANGE, HUMILITY OVER JUDGMENT, AND CARE OVER CRITIQUE FOR CRITIQUE'S SAKE.
REIMAGINING OUR BYLAWS AND OUR GOVERNANCE IS GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US-INCLUDING THOSE WHOSE PERSPECTIVES HAVE HISTORICALLY NOT BEEN IN THE ROOM. SO IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED A LOT OF COMFORT IN UU CIRCLES, WE CALL ON YOU TO WORK TO MAKE SPACE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT. IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO HAS STRUGGLED TO REMAIN HERE, WE URGE YOU TO BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE FORWARD.
>>  SO NEXT YEAR, GA WILL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT.  WE LIKE DIFFERENT.  RIGHT?  CHANGE IS GOOD.  SO WE'RE MOVING TO A PROCESS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THEOLOGICALLY RIGOROUS.  WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE ACTUAL DEEP GOVERNANCE, WHICH IS NOT VOTING, BECAUSE VOTING IS THE LAST STAGE OF DEMOCRACY.  I HOPE PEOPLE KNOW THIS.  AND SO R. SO WE ARE MEANING TO MOVE INTO A TIME WHERE WE ACTUALLY DISCUSS, WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN NEW WAYS ABOUT WHO WE WANT TO BE AS A FAITH, WHERE WE WANT TO GO, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BOTH IN OUR CONGREGATIONS, COVENANTAL COMMUNITIES, AND OUT IN THE WORLD.  DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?  WE NEED ALL OF YOU.  WE NEED ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS.  THERE WILL BE COVENANTS.  THERE WILL BE GUIDES.  THERE WILL BE LOTS OF THINGS TO IV ALL THE OF YOU ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS.  WE WILL BE CALLING YOU.  YOU WILL BE BOTHERED AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY CALLING ME A LOT.  BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE CALLED.  ALL ARE CALLED TO HELP MOVE THIS MOVEMENT AND OUR FAITH.  ALL ARE CALLED TO BUILD PHASES FOR COMMUNITY, REFUGE, AND FAITH.  CAN BE ONE AND THE SAME.  ALL ARE CALLED TO PLAY A ROLE AND TO FIND THE ROLE THAT BEST HONORS OUR PURPOSE AND OUR POWER.  ALL ARE CALLED TO BE IN DEEP RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH ONE OF YOU.  SO WITH WE WANT TO END BY GIVING THANKS TO SOME OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED THE CALL.  SO THIS IS SUCH A LONG LIST.  SO HERE'S WHAT INSTEAD I WANT TO DO.  IF YOU HAVE BEEN A MENTOR TO ME, IF YOU HAVE GIVEN ME A JOB, THERE'S A COUPLE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM, IF YOU HAVE BEEN A PEER MENTOR, IF YOU HAVE BEEN SOMEBODY THAT I MET WHEN YOU WERE 14 AND ARE NOW, LIKE, 25, 35, CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND?  AND LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE.  THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME IN MY LIFE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY, I CAN'T DO THE NAMES, BUT THANK YOU, AND I LOVE YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
I DO HAVE TO SAY MY PARENTS ARE IN THE HOUSE.  THEY ARE?-- SO WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY HOLD THE PARENTS.
>>  AND MY PARENTS ARE NOT IN THE ROOM, BUT HOPEFULLY WATCHING ONLINE.  SO THANK YOU, MOM AND DAD.
[APPLAUSE]
IF YOU ARE BISEXUAL, GAY, LESBIAN, TRANSGENDER, GENDER NON-CONFORMING, OR JUST QUEER IN ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WAYS AND YOU HAVE BEEN IN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM FOR FIVE DAYS OR MORE, THANK YOU.  THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  , PARTICULARLY FOR THE ELDER QUEER AND LIZ BETWEEN, TRANSGENDER FOLKS IN YOUR MIDST, ONLINE, WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK OF MAKING SPACE FOR THE YOUNG ONES THAT I FIRST WAS WHEN I CAME OUT 20 YEARS AGO AS A TRANSGUY.  THANK YOU FOR MAKING SPACE FOR ME TO BE HERE NOW YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  IF YOU HAVE ENGAGED IN JUSTICE WORK, IN YOUTH WORK, IF YOU HAVE CHALLENGED YOURSELF TO CHANGE WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM CAN BE SO THAT MORE OF US ARE AT THE TABLE AND IN THE HALL AND IN LEADERSHIP, THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, IT'S OKAY, BECAUSE THERE ARE YOUNG'UNS COMING UP BEHIND US, WITH US, AND WE ALL NEED HELP NOW.  IN FRONT OF US.  WE ALL HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE SPACE FOR MORE TO BE A PART OF OUR BELOVED COMMUNITY.  SO THANK YOU YOU FOR DOING YOUR PART IN ANSWERING THE CALL TODAY.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THIS IS A REMARKABLE TIME IN OUR FAITH. AS WE UNCOVER AND SHINE A LIGHT ON THE PAIN OF OUR HISTORY FOR SO MANY, WE ALSO HAVE AN HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO FULFILL OUR CALLING TO LIVE INTO THE BELOVED COMMUNITY, WHERE EVERY PERSON IS CHERISHED.
>>  SUSAN: THIS CALLING TO STEWARD OUR THEOLOGICAL VALUES BY SUPPORTING BLACK LIVES OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM AND CHOOSING TO FULLY VALUE THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF BLACK UUS BEGAN WITH THE BOLD ACTION OF OUR BOARD IN THE FALL OF 2016. THE BOARD'S DECISION WAS ONLY THE FIRST STAGE - IT WILL REQUIRE ALL OF US TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT REAL.
>>  CAREY: THE PROMISE AND PRACTICE CAMPAIGN IS THE WAY UU'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE MAKING THEMSELVES A PART OF THE COMMITMENT TO BLACK LIVES UU. THE CAMPAIGN IS A CALL NOT ONLY TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT BLACK LEADERSHIP WITHIN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM, BUT ALSO TO CENTER THE VOICES AND EXPERIENCES OF BLACK UUS THAT HAVE LONG GONE UNHEARD. AND TO INSPIRE AND IGNITE CONGREGATIONAL PARTICIPATION, GENEROUS DONORS BRAD AND JULIE BRADBURD MADE A MATCHING GIFT OF $1 MILLION.
>>    BARB: WE THANK YOU, BRAD AND JULIE, FOR THIS COURAGEOUS ACT OF STEWARDSHIP THAT COMES FROM YOUR LOVE FOR OUR FAITH AND YOUR BELIEF THAT WE CAN BE BETTER.
IN RESPONSE, MANY OF OUR CONGREGATIONS HAVE JOINED THIS CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT OUR UUA BOARD'S COMMITMENT TO BLACK LIVES OF UU AND DOUBLE THEIR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION THROUGH THE MATCH GIFT.
>>  WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
>>  SUSAN: THIS IS NO ORDINARY CAMPAIGN. THIS CAMPAIGN IS A DEPARTURE FROM TRADITIONAL "ASKS" OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT-IN ASKING FOR BOTH A PROMISE AND A PRACTICE, IT DEMANDS WE LOOK WITHIN OURSELVES AS LEADERS AND FAITH COMMUNITIES TO DISCERN "WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE PAIN OF MANY BLACK UUS AND FULFILL A PROMISE TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF BLACK LEADERSHIP AND THE WORK OF BLUU."
>>  BARB: THIS IS NO ORDINARY CAMPAIGN. THIS CAMPAIGN IS INSPIRED BY BLACK LIVES OF UU WHICH IS ALREADY DOING DYNAMIC WORK-PROVIDING MINISTRY AND PASTORAL CARE FOR BLACK UUS, LIFTING UP THE VOICES AND LEADERSHIP OF BLACK UUS, AND CONNECTING UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM WITH VITAL MOVEMENT WORK. BLUU IS TRULY THE MOST INNOVATIVE MINISTRY IN OUR FAITH RIGHT NOW.
>>  ELANDRIA: THIS CAMPAIGN IS NO ORDINARY CAMPAIGN. THIS CAMPAIGN IS IGNITED BY BEAUTIFUL AND POWERFUL WORSHIP MATERIALS CREATED BY SOME OF OUR ESTEEMED RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR. THESE POWERFUL PERSPECTIVES AND STORIES ARE GIFTS OF JOY AND PAIN GENEROUSLY OFFERED. GIFTS THAT WILL INSPIRE FOR YEARS TO COME.
>>  CAREY: THIS CAMPAIGN IS NO ORDINARY CAMPAIGN.310 CONGREGATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS, UU ORGANIZATIONS AND CONGREGATIONS, HAVE PARTICIPATED SO FAR.
[APPLAUSE]
WE HAVE HEARD FROM MANY ABOUT THE WAYS THE PROMISE AND PRACTICE IS TRANSFORMING AND UPLIFTING CONGREGATIONS.
WE THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE WAY IN TRUSTING BLACK LEADERSHIP, INVESTING IN BLACK LEADERSHIP, AND UPLIFTING BLACK LEADERSHIP!THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED SO FAR.
>> YES, AMEN.  AMEN.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  SUSAN: FOR THE PROMISE TO BE FULFILLED AND THE PRACTICE TO BE TRANSFORMING, WE NEED ALL OF YOU AND ALL OF YOUR FAITH COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE.  IF YOUR CONGREGATION HAS NOT YET HELD A PROMISE AND PRACTICE SUNDAY- THERE IS STILL TIME!
I'M DELIGHTED TO SHARE THAT BRAD AND JULIE BRADBURD ARE EXTENDING THEIR MATCH THROUGH THE END OF THE NEXT CONGREGATIONAL YEAR SO THAT MORE CONGREGATIONS CAN JOIN US ON THIS JOURNEY OF SUPPORTING BLACK LIVES AND BLACK LEADERSHIP.
[APPLAUSE]
EVERY DOLLAR RAISED WILL BE MATCHED THROUGH JUNE 2019.
FOR CONGREGATIONS THAT HAVEN'T PARTICIPATED WE'RE GLAD TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND FUNDRAISING IDEAS. FOR CONGREGATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY PARTICIPATED-CONSIDER A SECOND YEAR OF PARTICIPATION TO INCREASE YOUR IMPACT AT THIS VITAL MOMENT.  VISIT
UUA.ORG/BLUU-CAMPAIGN TO GET STARTED.OR GOOGLE UUA, THE PROMISE AND THE PRACTICE.
ON BEHALF OF THE PROMISE OF OUR FUTURE AS A FAITH, WE THANK YOU.FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.  THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  BARB: SECTION 10.3 OF THE UUA BYLAWS SET FORTH THE FOLLOWING DUTIES OF THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR:
THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR SHALL ADVISE THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON FINANCIAL POLICY AND SHALL ASSIST THE BOARD IN LONG-RANGE PLANNING BY REVIEWING THE SOURCES OF FUNDS, THE APPLICATION OF FUNDS DESIGNATED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, THE BALANCE BETWEEN FORESEEABLE INCOME AND PROPOSED EXPENDITURES, AND THE OVERALL FINANCIAL WELFARE OF THE ASSOCIATION. FROM TIME TO TIME, THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR SHALL REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RESPECTING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING. THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR SERVES ON THE UUA BOARD, THE HEALTH PLAN BOARD, THE RETIREMENT PLAN COMMITTEE, THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE, THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE AND THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. PLEASE WELCOME THE FABULOUS AND HARD WORKING
FINANCIAL ADVISOR LUCIA SANTINI FIELD.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.  AS YOU MAY KNOW,
THE UUA IS A COMPLEX STRUCTURE WITH A COMPELLING MISSION AND COMMITMENT. THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE SUPPORTING THIS MISSION IS NO LESS COMPLEX. THE ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONS HAS JUST COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR OF BOTH A NEW ADMINISTRATION, UNDER THE POWERFUL, THOUGHTFUL, PASSIONATE AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP OF REV. SUSAN FREDERICK-GRAY AND VISIONARY AND EFFECTIVE NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP, WITH CO-MODERATORS ELANDRIA WILLIAMS AND BARB GREVE.IT HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR.
CONGREGATIONAL COVENANT IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH MOVEMENT AND THE CORE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR MISSION AND VISION. THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW, MORE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE (ALSO COMPLEX!) FORMULA FOR CONGREGATIONAL COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT OUR FAITH MOVEMENT WAS TESTED, REVISED AND MUCH DISCUSSED OVER THE PAST YEAR OR MORE. I ASK FOR YOUR STRONG CONGREGATIONAL SUPPORT OF THE NEW APF AND YOUR PATIENCE WITH INEVITABLE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES YOU MAY ENCOUNTER. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD I THANK YOU FOR YOUR FLEXIBILITY, ENGAGEMENT AND CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF OUR FAITH IN THIS CRITICAL TIME.
I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND RELATED ENTITIES, AS REFLECTED IN THE UUA'S BUDGET, COMMON ENDOWMENT FUND, RETIREMENT PLAN, HEALTH PLAN AND BEACON PRESS ARE ALL HEALTHY AND WELL MANAGED, IN THE HANDS OF COMPETENT AND EXPERIENCED STAFF AND OVERSEEN BY COMMITTEES OF COMPETENT AND EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS. AS I --
[APPLAUSE]
AND I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING AND IF YOU HAVE FINANCIAL EXPERTISE OF ANY SORT AND ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING OUR FAITH, PLEASE LOOK FOR ME.  I WILL APPRECIATE IT.
AS I NOTED LAST YEAR, FINANCIAL RESULTS IN THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS ARE HIGHLY VARIABLE AND DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, WITH EVER SHRINKING MARGINS. BEACON PRESS HAS MIRACULOUSLY AVOIDED LOSSES FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, BUT WE (PERSONALLY AND AS A FAITH, I BELIEVE) MUST BE PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE PROPHETIC VOICE OF THEIR PUBLICATIONS, WHICH POWERFULLY EXPRESSES OUR FAITH COMMITMENT, IF AND WHEN THE TREND TURNS.
THE UUA'S AUDIT COMMITTEE WILL BE REVIEWING RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE BOARD TO FORMALLY EXPAND ITS CHARTER TO INCLUDE OVERSIGHT OF RISK MANAGEMENT, IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL AUDIT MATTERS. ENTERPRISE WIDE RISK MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES ARE IN PLACE AT THE UUA AND THIS ENHANCEMENT WOULD SERVE TO IMPROVE OVERSIGHT AND REPORTING.
THE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION HAS INCREASINGLY BEEN FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANT WORK OF DISMANTLING SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION AND WHITE SUPREMACY. THIS IS CRITICAL WORK FOR OUR FAITH AT ANY TIME, BUT IT IS LONG OVERDUE IN OUR FAITH AND OUR COUNTRY AND IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. AS WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH, WE MUST RECOGNIZE IT WILL NOT BE EASY AND OUR EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT WILL ALL BE CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS.
I AM THANKFUL FOR UU'S COMMITMENT AND GENEROSITY. I AM THANKFUL FOR OUR FAITH LEADERS AND COMMITMENT OF SO MANY. I GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO BARB AND ELANDRIA FOR THEIR FOCUS ON OUR FIDUCIARY DUTY TO THE MISSION OF OUR FAITH.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  I NOW INVITE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TIM ATKINS AND UUA TREASURER & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TIM BRENNAN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE TIMS," TO PRESENT THE UUA BUDGET.
>>  WELL, GOOD MORNING.  MY NAME IS TIM MATHEWS AND I SERVE AS THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ON THE UUA BOARD.  SOMETHING SIMILAR TO YOUR CONGREGATIONAL BOARD AS CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.  AND I HAVE HERE TIM BRENNAN AND SUSAN FREDERICK GRAY.  AT THE UUA BOARD MEETING, THE BOARD RECEIVED THE ANNUAL BUDGET FROM STAFF, WHICH WEIGH PROVED.  I HAVE TO SAY THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PRESENTATION WAS THE BEST I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.  SO WE WANT TO MAKE TIME DURING THIS GENERAL SESSION FOR YOU YOU TO HEAR WHAT THE BOARD HEARD IN APRIL.  SO SUSAN, MY FIRST QUESTION, WHEN THE STAFF PRESENTED THE BOARD WITH THE BUDGET IN APRIL AND THE BOARD APPROVED IT, YOU INTRODUCED A NEW WAY FOR EXAMINING THE UUA BUDGET, A MISSIONAL BASED BUDGET.  I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT THIS CHANGE.
>>  THANK YOU, TIM.  SO MISSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE DO, AND BEING CLEAR ABOUT HOW THE RESOURCES OF THE ASSOCIATION AND THE RESOURCES THAT YOU AND YOUR CONGREGATIONS GIVE TO THE UUA, HOW THAT IS IN LINE WITH OUR FISSION.  IN THE UUA WE HAVE THREE PRIMARY MISSIONAL FOCUSES.  THINK OF THESE THREE THINGS.  NUMBER ONE, WE QUIT CONGREGATIONS FOR HEALTHY, VITAL MINISTRIES.  NUMBER TWO, WE TRAIN AND CREDENTIAL LEADERS FOR OUR MOVEMENT AND OUR CONGREGATIONS.  AND NUMBER THREE, WE AMPLIFY THE LARGER VOICE OF OUR FAITH AND OUR VALUES IN THE WORLD.
>>  TECH DECK, COULD YOU PUT THAT SLIDE UP?
>> AND SO WE LOOKED AT THE UUA BUDGET AND WE ACTUALLY BROKE IT DOWN INTO HOW THE RESOURCES ARE SPENT ON MISSION, HOW THE TIME OF OUR STAFF IS SPENT SUPPORTING CONGREGATIONS, TRAINING AND CREDENTIALING LEADERS, AMPLIFYING OUR NATIONAL VOICE.  AND YOU CAN SEE THAT 34% OF THE RESOURCES THAT THE UUA HAS ARE SPENT IN EQUIPPING CONGREGATIONS FOR HEALTH AND VITALITY.  25% ARE SPENT IN TRAINING AND CREDENTIALING LEADERS.  AND THIS IS ORDAINED, LAY, AND ALL RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS IN OUR SYSTEM OF CREDENTIALING AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT.  AND THEN 24% OF YOUR RESOURCES, OUR RESOURCES ARE SPENT ON PROMOTING UU VALUES AND SEEKING TO ADVANCE JUSTICE IN THE WORLD.  AND THAT'S HOW WE WOULD HOPE THAT THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR RESOURCES ARE SPENT ON THOSE KEY MISSION AREAS, AS WELL AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PORTION GOING DIRECTLY TO THE SUPPORT OF CONGREGATIONS.  THAT'S TIMES WHEN WE WERE IN TRANSITION OR WHEN A CONGREGATION IS FACING CRISIS OR DIFFICULTY AND THERE'S SUPPORT BEING PROVIDED.  NOW, THERE ARE TWO OTHER MISSIONAL AREAS THAT ARE PART OF THE WORK WE DO AT THE UUA.  THEY'RE SMALLER PORTIONS, BUT I WANT TO LIFT THEM UP.  WE SUPPORT EMERGING COMMUNITIES, CONGREGATIONS, AND GROWING NEW CONGREGATIONS.  THAT'S IN THE LIGHT BLUE.  AND WE WORK TO EXTEND AND STRENGTHEN OTHER UU INSTITUTIONS.  THAT INCLUDES OUR WORK WITH THE UU SERVICE COMMITTEE, OUR WORK WITH THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE LAREDA AND THE UUMA AND THE WAYS WE REACH OUT ACROSS THE INSTITUTION IN SUPPORT.
>>  THANK YOU.  SO TIM, TECH DECK, THANKS FOR THE SLIDE.  YOU CAN TAKE IT DOWN.  TIM, YOU LEAD THE BUDGETING PROCESS IN YOUR ROLE AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND THE APPOINT TREASURER.  TALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS THE UUA USES TO CREATE THE BUDGET.  HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH A BALANCED BUDGET?
>>  SURE.  GOOD QUESTIONS, TIM.  SO FIRST, JUST TO BE CLEAR RIGHT NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE ROOM WHO HAVE THE TITLE OF TREASURER AND YOU PROBABLY ALL VOLUNTEERED.  AT THE UUA THE TREASURER IS THE TOP PAID STAFF PERSON, SO THAT'S MY ROLE.  I'M APPOINTED BY THE BOARD AND I REPORT TO SUSAN, THE PRESIDENT.  SO AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, THE BUDGET IS ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT OF OUR RESOURCES WITH OUR VALUES.  AND SO THIS YEAR UNDER SUSAN'S LEADERSHIP LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THROUGH THIS MISSIONAL LENS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.  I KNOW A LOT OF YOU, MOST OF YOU PROBABLY SHARE THE SAME PROBLEM.  OUR REVENUES AREN'T ACTUALLY GROWING.  SINCE THE CRASH BACK IN 2008, OUR REVENUES HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH FLAT.  WE NEED TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE, KEEP PACE WITH INFLATION, THINGS GO UP THAT ARE INEVITABLE, SO IT IS A BALANCING ACT.  AND WHEN YOU?-- SO IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, BUT WHEN YOU BALANCE WITH MISSION AS YOUR LENS, IT STARTS TO CLARIFY THINGS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST STEADY AS SHE GOES, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME STUFF WE DID LAST YEAR AND TRIM A LITTLE BIT.  WE HAVE TO MAKE ROOM FOR OUR PRIORITIES.  SO THERE ARE MANY, BUT LET ME JUST LIST A FEW.  SO A FEW YEARS AGO WE MADE THE COMMITMENT TO THE UU COLLEGE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE.  THAT WAS NEW MONEY.  WE HAD TO MAKE ROOM FOR THAT.  AS WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING IN THE LAST PANEL, WE MADE A BIG COMMITMENT TO BLUU.  IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.  SO WE NEEDED TO SHIFT THINGS TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.  AND THEN VERY, VERY IMPORTANT WORK OF THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE.  IT TOOK SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES, AND WE NEED TO MAKE ROOM FOR THAT.  AND LAST, IN THIS BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE'RE PUTTING SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES INTO ADDRESS BEING WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE WITHIN THE UUA AND EQUIPPING OUR STAFF TO ADDRESS IT AND EQUIPPING OUR STAFF TO HELP CONGREGATIONS DO THE SAME.
[APPLAUSE]
SO IT WASN'T EASY, BUT WE CAME UP WITH A BALANCED BUDGET.  THE BOARD APPROVED IT.  OUR CYCLE STARTS IN THE FALL.  WE LOOK AT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.  JANUARY WE LOOK AT INCOME.  THAT KIND OF CREATES THAT EXAMPLE.  WHAT ARE OUR LIMITS?  IN FEBRUARY, THE STAFF WORK ON THE EXPENSE SIDE.  THEN IN MARCH, THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SITS DOWN AND WE WORK WITH SUSAN AND CAREY TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE BUDGET AND FIGURE OUT, HOW DO WE MAKE ALL THESE THINGS WORK?  SO THE KEYS TO THE BUDGET ARE YOUR GENEROSITY THROUGH THE ANNUAL PROGRAM FUND.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  IT IS GOING UP, SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS.  SO WE'RE UP OVER LAST YEAR AND OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, SO THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
>>  THANK YOU.
>>  AND THEN I SAY THE OTHER KEY IS THE ENDOWMENT.  SO WE HAVE AN ENDOWMENT WHICH IS ACTUALLY SHARED WITH ALL OF YOU, ABOUT HALF THE ENDOWMENT BELONGS TO THE CONGREGATIONS.  WE TRY TO INVEST OUR MONEY, AGAIN, ALIGNING THE ASSETS WITH OUR VALUES.  GREAT WORK FROM OUR INVESTMENT COMMITTEE AND SRI COMMITTEE THAT ENABLED THAT.
>>  SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING, FOR WHOSE WHO DON'T KNOW SRI.
>>  AND SO TODAY WE'RE GIVING YOU THIS OVERVIEW.  IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.  BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO LOOK AT OUR ENDOWMENT FUND AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CONGREGATION.  AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OUR SUPPORT OF APF.
>>  SO SUSAN, WHEN TIM CAME TO YOU WITH THE?-- LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET.  THE DISCERNMENTS PROCESS AROUND THE BUDGET, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED THE UUA STAFF TO CREATE THE BUDGET?
>>  ABSOLUTELY.  CARRIE McDONALD AND I SAT WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS OF THE UUA AND THE FIRST QUESTION WE ASKED IS WHAT IN YOUR AREA OF MINISTRY AND MISSION IS MOST CRITICAL TO OUR ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS OF EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND CHANGE?  WHAT IS CRITICAL TO THIS ANTI-RACISM, ANTI-OPPRESSION, MULTICULTURAL WORK?  SO EVERY DEPARTMENT LOOK AT WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND SAID THIS IS MAKING THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THOSE GOALS.  THEN WE ASKED, WHAT CAN WE CHANGE?  WHERE CAN YOU FIND COST SAVINGS?  NOT TOUCHING THAT CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WORK.  AND THEN THE THIRD THING WAS TO ASK ABOUT WHAT NEW INITIATIVES ARE REALLY NECESSARY TO DRIVE THIS WORK OF ARAOMC AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN SO WE PUT THOSE PRIORITIES IN THE BUDGET FIRST.  AND LIKE TIM SAID, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO FIND THE RESOURCES FOR THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, FOR BLACKS LIVES OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM, AS WELL AS THE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE WORK OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGING LED BY TAQUEENA BOSTON AT THE UUA AND TRAINING FOR UUA STAFF.  IN PARTICULAR, THE STAFF WHO WORK MOST CLOSELY WITH OUR CONGREGATIONS SO THAT WE ARE WELL EQUIPPED TO HELP CONGREGATIONS AND LEADERS BE WELL EQUIPPED TO DO THE INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE WORK IN YOUR CONGREGATIONS.
>>  WELL, THANK YOU.  THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE, FOR BEING PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.  SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET AND MAYBE DOING A DEEP DIVE WITH SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND GETTING INTO THOSE DETAILS, YOU'RE INVITED TO ATTEND THE BUDGET HEARING WITH MYSELF AND TIM AND LUCIA, TOMORROW AT ONE 1:1 IN ROOM 25021.  AND YOU CAN FIND THOSE DETAILS IN YOUR PROGRAM BOOK.  THANK YOU AGAIN.
>> AND THANK YOU, TIM.
>>  THANK YOU, TIM.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  BARB: THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IS CHARGED WITH LONG-TERM CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE THAT REDEEMS THE ESSENTIAL PROMISE AND IDEALS OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM. APPOINTED BY THE UUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES IN 2017, THE COMMISSION WILL ANALYZE STRUCTURAL RACISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY WITHIN THE UUA THROUGH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020.PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING LESLIE TAKAHASHI, THEIR CHAIR, AND THE REST OF HER TEAM TO THE STAGE.
[APPLAUSE]

>>  LESLIE TAKAHASHI: GOOD MORNING. THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE WAS APPOINTED BY THE UUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ANALYZE THE STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES WHICH PERPETUATE OPPRESSION AND WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE WITHIN OUR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION.
>>  WE HAVE BEEN WORKING SINCE AUGUST OF 2017 TO ADDRESS OUR COLLECTIVE STARTING ASSESSMENT THAT THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION'S LEGACY OF RACISM MUST BE ADDRESSED TO END HARM TO INDIVIDUALS AND TO ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN VIABLE AS A FAITH. WE ENVISION A LIBERATING UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM AND ARE DESIGNING INTERVENTIONS THAT MOVE US DRAMATICALLY CLOSER TO THAT WORK.
>>  WE BEGIN WITH THE PREMISE IN ALL OUR WORK THAT THE VALUES OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM CANNOT BE REALIZED IN A SYSTEM WHICH IS CENTERED AROUND ONE CULTURAL EXPRESSION. IN FACT, THE CENTERING OF WHITE CULTURE AND VALUES HAS STYMIED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FULL RANGE OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS. IN THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST TRADITION, TWO "PILLAR" PRINCIPLES INVITE US TO COVENANT TO AFFIRM AND PROMOTE THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF ALL PEOPLE AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INTERDEPENDENT WEB OF EXISTENCE OF WHICH WE ARE ALL A PART. SYSTEMS, POLICIES, PRACTICES AND EXPRESSIONS OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM WHICH BIAS ONE RACIAL OR CULTURAL GROUP ABOVE OTHERS MAKE A MOCKERY OF THESE TWO CORE VALUES AND SO WE ARE CALLED INTO EFFORTS TO NAME AND CHANGE THEM AS ACTS OF WITNESS TO A FULLER AND MORE AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION OF THIS FAITH.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  IN OUR FIRST YEAR OF WORK WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020, WE EXAMINED THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL LEAD HIRING DECISION IN SPRING 2017. WE FOUND THIS TO BE BUT ONE ERUPTION OF THE SEISMIC TENSIONS AROUND RACE WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE DEPTH OF THE DISILLUSIONMENT AND TENSION FACED BY RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR IN OUR FAITH. A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT REPORT WHICH IS AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE:
>>  WHEN THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL LEAD HIRING PROCESS TOOK PLACE, RACIAL TENSIONS WERE ALREADY AT A BREAKING POINT IN THE SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR WHO ENDURE COUNTLESS INSULTS AND AGGRESSIONS AS PART OF THEIR WORK.
>>  OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ARE OUTDATED AND DESIGNED FOR A SYSTEM WHICH CENTERS WHITE CULTURE AND IS BIFURCATED IN WAYS THAT DO NOT ALLOW FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE. WIDESPREAD DISREGARD OF EXISTING SYSTEMS AND POLICIES SHOWS A LACK OF TRUST IN EXISTING SYSTEMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN INTENTIONALLY REDESIGNED TO REFLECT THE COMPLEXITIES OF AN EMERGING MULTICULTURAL UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM
>>  ASSUMPTIONS GROWING OUT OF "COLORBLIND RACISM," IGNORANCE OF RACIAL BIAS AND WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE LED TO CONCLUSIONS THAT HARM PEOPLE OF COLOR, THOSE WHO WORK EVERY DAY WITHIN IT AND THOSE WHO WOULD ATTEMPT TO FIND A SPIRITUAL HOME WITHIN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM.
THE SKILLS AND PERSPECTIVES OF RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR ARE NOT VALUED WITHIN THE CULTURE OF OUR INSTITUTIONS, ESPECIALLY OUR CONGREGATIONS.
>>  A FEAR OF OPEN CONFLICT AND ASSUMPTION OF "GOOD INTENTIONS" INCREASED THE DAMAGE DONE BY INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND OTHER FORMS OF OPPRESSION WITHIN OUR ASSOCIATION.
>>  TRUTH MUST COME BEFORE RECONCILIATION AND TRANSFORMATION AND TRUTH-TELLING IN 2017 AND
IS STILL DANGEROUS FOR RELIGIOUS 2018 PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR WHO ARE OFTEN THE ADVANCE TEAM DOING THE WORK THAT PREPARES THE WAY FOR MEMBERS TO JOIN AS PEOPLE OF COLOR.  WE BEGAN THE
PLANNING FOR A RACISM ASSESSMENT ACROSS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM .  WE ARE LOOKING AT
WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO BUILD A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM CENTERED AROUND A DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE AND CAPABLE OF INCLUSION, EQUITY AND TRUE MULTICULTURALISM. WE ARE EXAMINING DATA AND COLLECTING STORIES OF HOW RACISM AND OPPRESSION HAVE AFFECTED THOSE WITHIN OUR FAITH AND HAVE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIALOGUE AT THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY. AND WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US.
>>  TRUTH TELLING IS STILL A RISK.  IN FACT, IT'S STILL DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR WITHIN OUR FAITH.  RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS ARE STILL DEMEANED AND TREATED AS IF THEY WERE WITHOUT COMPETENCY.  PEOPLE OF COLOR WITHIN OUR MEMBERSHIP RISK LOSS OF COMMUNITY AMONG US IF THEY SPEAK ABOUT THE AGGRESSION THEY FACE AND SO MANY TRUTH TO QUIETLY EXIT.
>>  THE BOARD CHARGED THE COMMISSION WITH EXAMINING THE RELEVANCE OF "TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION" PROCESSES TO KEY EVENTS IN THE ASSOCIATIONS' RECENT PAST. WHILE WE SPENT SOME TIME RESEARCHING THESE PROCESSES AS THEY HAVE BEEN USED IN A NUMBER OF NATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES TO RESOLVE ISSUES RELATED TO DAMAGES FROM RACIAL CONFLICT, WE FIND THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE UUA MAY REQUIRE A DIFFERENT KIND OF RESPONSE. SOME OBSERVATIONS FROM OUR REPORT.
WHILE THE COMMISSION WAS CHARGED INCLUDES: "ESTABLISH A 'TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION' PROCESS TO CREATE A CLIMATE OF HONESTY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DISCLOSURE ESSENTIAL TO OUR LEARNING AND MULTICULTURAL GROWTH AS AN INSTITUTION," MOST RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO TELL THEIR TRUTHS BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED FROM CONGREGATIONAL LEADERS, COLLEAGUES AND MANY OF THE SYSTEMS SET UP TO SUPPORT THEM.
>>  THE LACK OF TRUE ANTI-OPPRESSIVE, ANTI-RACISM ORIENTATION ON THE PART OF REGIONAL STAFF AND "GOOD OFFICERS" THROUGH THE MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DAMAGING TO RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR WHICH IS, IN PART, WHY THE EVENTS AROUND THIS HIRING DECISION BECAME SUCH A LIGHTNING ROD FOR CRITICISM. AS PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE ELICITED, IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT THE ASSOCIATION'S CREDENTIALING SYSTEM FOR RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS AND ITS SYSTEMS FOR DEVELOPING LAY LEADERS DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DYNAMICS OF OPPRESSION AND ITS SYSTEMIC EFFECTS.
>>  ALSO, NO PROCESS EXISTS FOR REDRESS WHEN DAMAGE DUE TO INSTITUTIONAL RACISM IS DONE WHETHER THAT DAMAGE IS DONE TO PEOPLE OF COLOR OR WHITE PARTICIPANTS. TRIAL IN THE COURT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO A REAL PROCESS.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  AND NO CONSISTENT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR (OR OTHERS) WHO EXPERIENCE TRAUMATIC STRESS AS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF CLARITY OF MISSION AROUND RACIAL INCLUSION AND THE GAP BETWEEN OUR ASPIRATIONS AND OUR ACTUALITY.
>>  NO DATA IS AVAILABLE ON THE NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED AT THE CONGREGATIONAL LEVEL OR THE TYPES OF POSITIONS, OTHER THAN IN THE MINISTRY AND THESE STATISTICS ARE ALSO NOT EASILY OBTAINED. THAT AN ASSOCIATION WHICH CLAIMS TO WISH TO BECOME MORE DIVERSE DOES NOT TRACK DATA WHICH MOST CORPORATIONS NOW TRACK IS PUZZLING.
>>  SINCE WE BEGAN OUR WORK, MORE RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS HAVE LOST THEIR POSITIONS OR ARE IN CONFLICT WITH CONGREGATIONS AND THE EXISTING SYSTEMS REMAIN INEPT AND INADEQUATE AT OFFERING THEM HELP. THE LOSS OF ANY RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR AMONG US IS COSTLY.
>>  THE TIME FOR "RECONCILIATION" MAY BE PASSED. WHAT MAY BE NEEDED IS WHAT AUTHOR MELVIN BRAY CALLS A "TRUTH AND TRANSFORMATION" PROCESS WHICH LOOKS AT NOT RECONCILING US TO EQUITY UNDER AN OUTMODED SYSTEM BUT REIMAGING A NEW SYSTEM OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND INNOVATION.
[APPLAUSE]
WE BEGIN WITH TRUTH-TELLING. IF YOU HAVE AN OBSERVATION WE NEED TO HEAR, PLEASE VISIT THE DRUUMM BOOTH IN THE EXHIBIT HALL WHERE INFORMATION ABOUT US, OUR WORK AND HOW TO SHARE YOUR STORIES AND PERSPECTIVES WITH US. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION.  SO WELCOME TO THE 2018 BOARD REPORT. FOLLOWING LAST YEAR'S MODEL, WE HAVE A PANEL OF BOARD MEMBERS TO WHOM I (AS MC) WILL ASK QUESTIONS.  SO SORRY.  BUT IS TO START, JUST TO BE TOTALLY TRANSPARENT, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU ALL, BUT I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS ABOUT THIS.  SO YOU ARE GOING TO BE A GREAT AUDIENCE FOR US.  YES?
[APPLAUSE]
THANK YOU.
TO START, WOULD EACH PANELIST PLEASE SHARE YOUR NAME, CONGREGATION, ROLE (PROFESSIONALLY AND/OR ON THE BOARD) AND ANSWER THE QUESTION: WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A BOARD MEMBER AND WHY DID YOU SAY YES TO SERVING?
I'LL START: I'M BARB GREVE, MEMBER OF FIRST PARISH IN FRAMINGHAM MA. IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE I AM A HOSPICE CHAPLAIN AND THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ASSISTANT TO THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF PALO ALTO, CA. ON THE BOARD I AM ONE OF THE 2 CO-MODERATORS, ALONG WITH ELANDRIA WILLIAMS. I SAID YES TO SERVING BECAUSE I BELIEVE GOVERNANCE IS IMPORTANT AND I ENJOY BOARD WORK.
>>  I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT THE CEDAR LANE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE COF.  MY ROLE ON THE BOARD IS I'M THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, AS YOU MAY HAVE JUST HEARD, AND WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A BOARD MEMBER AND WHY DID I SAY YES?  AT TIMES IT CAN FEEL LIKE A HEAVY LOAD.  I LOVE THIS FAITH.  I WANT US TO HELP LIVE OUT OUR VALUES AND PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH.  BUT THERE ARE TIMES IT CAN FEEL LIKE YOU'RE HAVING TO CARRY A HEAVY LOAD.  AND UP WITH THING THAT REMINDS ME OF THAT IS THE BANNER PARADE.  I LOVE THE BANNER PARADE EVERY YEAR AND SEEING ALL THE CONGREGATIONS MARCH IN REMINDS ME OF THIS IS WHY AND WHO I'M DOING THIS WORK FOR.  I SAID YES TO BEING ON THE BOARD SO I COULD HELP GIVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS A VOICE ON THE BOARD.  JUST FINISHING MY FIRST THREE YEAR TERM.  I SAID YES TO SERVING AGAIN BECAUSE THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE HAD A LOT TO DEAL WITH AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE FUTURE BOARDS DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES WE HAD.
>>  I'M DENISE REEMS, FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONCERN OF RICH MONDAY, VIRGINIA.  PROFESSIONALLY I WORKED IN THE MARKETING DECISION OF BANK OF AMERICA WITH WHOM I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED FOR 39 YEARS.  I DON'T TOUCH THE MONEY.  IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT PROBLEM, I'LL GET YOU TO THE RIGHT PERSON.  I JOINED THE BOARD BECAUSE THREE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL MENTORS WHO INSISTED I HAD SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE.  IT WASN'T UNTIL I DID WHAT THEY TOLD ME THAT I REALIZED THAT MAYBE I COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD THROUGH THIS FAITH AND I CONTINUE ON THE BOARD DESPITE DIFFICULTIES.  IT IS HARD.  THERE IS A LOT OF WORK AND THERE ARE MANY OPINIONS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.  BUT I CONTINUE THE WORK BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER ME WHO NEED THE ROUND WORK LAID.  IT WAS LAID FOR ME BY THESE THREE VERY POWERFUL MENTORS AND I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CON THOSE TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
>>  I'M BAILEY SADDLEMEYER, A MEMBER OF THE FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF PROVIDENCE.  I'M 18 YEARS OLD AND SERVE AS YOUTH OBSERVER TO THE BOARD AND IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE I AM A PAGE AT MY LOCAL LIBRARY.  NOT QUITE AS IMPRESSIVE AS THE JOB.  OH, WELL.  THE REASON THAT I ORIGINALLY APPLIED TO BE ON THE BOARD IS BECAUSE I WAS DOING WORK WITHIN MY OWN CONGREGATION AND BY THE RECOMMENDATION OF MY DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION I APPLIED AND I HAVEN'T REGRETTED IT.  BEING ABLE TO GIVE A VOICE FOR YOUTH ON THE BOARD IS SO REWARDING.  AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND I'VE JUST BEEN THRILLED TO SERVE
>>  GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.  I SERVE AS SENIOR MINISTER OF OUR CONGREGATION IN LINCOLN, MASSACHUSETTS, TRANSITIONING TO ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN IN A MONTH OR SO.  I HAVE A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD.  I AM A SCIENCE FICTION PAN.  I LOVE THE STAR TREK STUFF.  AFTER MANY YEARS OF LEADERSHIP I'VE BEEN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.  I WANT TO SUPPORT WHOEVER IT WAS.  SHAPING THE LEAVING AND WHATEVER THAT NEW ERA WAS GOING TO BE.
>>  YOU MENTIONED BEING A FATHER WHO GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE THINGS WE GIVE UP WHEN WE CHOOSE TO BE OF SERVICE AT THIS LEVEL.  I'M WONDERING IF YOU AND/OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PANEL MIGHT SPEAK TO WHAT HAVE YOU GIVEN UP IF ANYTHING IN ORDER TO BE IN FULL SERVICE TO THE BOARD.
>>  YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.  THE NUMBER ONE THING FOR ME PERSONALLY.  SOME DEGREE OF FAMILY TIME.  I WAS DEPARTING TO COME OUT YOU FOR GA.  MY LITTLE GIRL WHO IS FOUR YEARS OLD WAS GRABBING MY LEGS AND SAYING DADDY, DON'T GO ON THE TRIP.  DO YOU HAVE TO REALLY GO?  YOU WILL BE GONE AND I WILL MISS YOU.  AND IT'S SO SWEET AND MANY OF US DO THAT.  YOU DO THAT IN CONGREGATIONS, TOO, THE SACK HAVE I FACES TO BE A LEADER IN?-- SACRIFICES TO BE A LEADER IN YOUR CHURCH.  I'M DOING THAT, TOO, SIMILAR CHOICES TO SERVE OUR FAITH.
>> FOR ME IT'S TIME, ENERGY I HAVE CAN GET SUCKED UP BY BOARD WORK.  SOME YEARS, SOME MONTHS MORE THAN OTHERS.  I WOULD SAY I HAVEN'T GIVEN UP A SENSE OF COMFORT IN AREAS.  SO MY FIRST YEAR ON THE BOARD WE WERE DOING ONE STYLE OF GOVERNANCE AND ONE STYLE OF BUSINESS AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A SYSTEM ROOTED IN WHITE PATRIARCHY.  I'M A BIG OLD WHITE GUY SO THAT KIND OF BUSINESS WAS FAMILIAR TO ME.  WE HAD LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS ITS OWN SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE.  AND THIS LAST YEAR WE REALLY FOCUSED ON A NEW STYLE OF BUSINESS AND I HAD TO GIVE UP SOME OF MY COMFORT LEVEL FOR THAT.  HAS IT BEEN WORTH IT?  OF COURSE.  THE NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS FROM THIS PAST YEAR FOCUSING ON COLLABORATION SPEAKS TO A DEEPER PART OF WHO I AM AS A RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR AND GAY MAN.  I HAD TO GIVE UP COMFORT AND MAKE WHAT I WANT HAPPEN HAPPEN BECAUSE WE CAN ABUSE PROPHECY WHEN WE KNOW THEM WELL.  I HAD TO GIVE THAT UP TO HAVE THE TRUE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION.
>> ABOUT MY SECOND OR THIRD YEAR?-- NOW?
>>  BAILEY?
>>  PERSONALLY, I CONNECT WITH TIM AND MANEESH.  THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW I HAVE BEEN AWAY ON MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY.  I LEFT ON MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY FOR THIS CONFERENCE.  IT CAN BE SAD TO MISS YOUR FAMILY FOR A WEEK AND MISSION TIMES LIKE THAT AND NOT ABLE TO SUPPORT MY BROTHER THROUGH HIS SPORTS AND EVERYTHING GOING ON.  BUT ALSO I MISSED MY JUNIOR YEAR LAST YEAR PAST MARCH.  EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON ON THE BOARD, I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.  I HAD TEACHERS WHO WEREN'T UU'S AND DIDN'T TOTALLY GET WHAT WAS GOING ON.  AND IT WAS A STRUGGLE TO BALANCE TIME, BUT THE THING WAS, IT WAS SOMETHING YOU HAD TO GRAB AND HOLD ON UNTIL IT STOPPED.  IT DID STOP, BUT WE WERE STILL DOING THE WORK WE DID LAST YEAR, JUST IN A LESS FRANTIC MANNER.
>>  TO BUILD OFF SOMETHING YOU SAID, BE WE GIVE UP THE GA EXPERIENCE.  A LOT HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME.  SUNS YOU ARE ON THE BOARD YOU START OFF AT 7:00 A.M.  WE HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF BREAK FOR LUNCH AND FINISHES AT 10:00.  ALL DAY FILLED WITH MEETINGS AND BUSINESS AND DOING THE GOOD WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION.  IT IS GOOD, FULFILLING, EXHAUSTING WORK, BUT YOU LOSE THAT GA EXPERIENCE.
>>  CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?  MY SECOND OR THIRD GA ABOUT 14 YEARS AGO WAS MY FIRST YEAR AS A VOLUNTEER AT GA AND I GAVE UP MY EXTENDED FAMILY VACATION TO BE HERE.  THEY WENT WITHOUT ME.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH IF YOU'RE WATCHING.  AND EVER SINCE THEN IT DOESN'T FEEL TO ME LIKE I'M GIVING SOMETHING UP.  IT IS WORK I LOVE.  I UNDERSTAND WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE SAID BUT IT IS WORK I LOOK FORWARD TO.  AN IMMERSE THAT FEEDS MY SOUL.  AND WHILE THERE ARE CERTAINLY MOMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BEING ON THE BOARD, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST YEAR WHERE I WONDERED HOW MUCH LONGER I COULD DO THIS, I ALWAYS COME BACK TO THIS IS THE WORK THAT I'M CALLED TO DO.
>> DO YOU THINK FRAMING IT THAT WAY, THAT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT WE OFTEN THINK OF SERVICE AS THINGS WE HAVE TO GIVE UP AND I KNOW THAT'S HOW I FRAMED THE QUESTION.  THERE ARE ALSO THINGS WE GAIN BY CHANGE AND SEEMS WE GAIN MORE THAN EXPECTED.  WE JUST HEARD THIS FABULOUS REPORT ON THE COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE ON SOME OF WHAT THEY DISCOVERED AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO THE WORK OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM.  WHY DON'T WE SPEND A FEW MINUTES TALKING ABOUT HOW THE WORK ON THE COMMISSION OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IS INFLUENCING THE WORK OF THE BOARD?
>>  MY FIRST YEAR I DON'T REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT MATTERS OF RACE VERY OFTEN AND I CAN'T RECALL A BOARD MEETING IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF WHERE WE HAVEN'T SPENT IF NOT A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD MEETING TALKING ABOUT RACE SO THAT IS ONE WAY THE RESPONSIVE RESOLUTIONS, THE COMMISSION HAS CHANGED OUR WORK.  I THINK HARDER TO WITNESS FROM THE OUTSIDE IS JUST OUR INTERNAL PROCESSES ARE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THIS WORK.  MUCH MORE OF THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP STYLE.  WE SHARE LEADERSHIP ALL THE TIME ON THE BOARD AND ALTHOUGH FOR ME IT TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO IT HAS CHANGED OUR BOARD WORK FOR THE BETTER.
>>  IT IS REALLY HARD AS AN OLD WHITE LADY TO ROLL WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES, BUT I HAVE LEARNED THOUSANDS OF LESSONS.  CERTAINLY WITH THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION LIFTING US UP AS WELL AS NEW PROCESSES AND WAYS OF BEING THAT TIM DESCRIBED, IT IS HARD BUT JOYFUL WORK.  IT HELPS GIVE ME THE TOOLS, GIVES ALL OF US THE TOOLS TO BECOME BETTER PEOPLE, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND BETTER CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.  I AM AN INCREDIBLY MASSIVE EXTROVERT.  MY MIND GOES ON VACATION WHILE MY MOUTH WORKS OVER TIME AND THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS IN THE WORLD TODAY.  I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING?--
>>  WAIT A SECOND.
>>  THINKING CAREFULLY ABOUT WHAT I AM SAYING AND WHO MY AUDIENCE IS AND THE SPIRITS THAT INHABIT THIS ROOM.
[LAUGHTER]
THE LESSONS OF AWARENESS AND A MUCH BROADER SOCIALIZATION THROUGH THE WORK THE COMMISSION IS DOING AND SO MANY OTHERS AS WELL HAVE HELPED ME BECOME A BETTER CITIZEN OF THE WORLD I HOPE.
>>  BEFORE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I DON'T RECALL REPORTS BEING DONE IN THIS KIND OF STYLE, FOR EXAMPLE.
-- COMMUNITIES
>>  THIS ASSOCIATION TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THIS FAITH.  AND IT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING.
>> THE FACT THAT OBSERVERS AREN'T OBSERVERS ANY MORE.  IF YOU COME TO A MEETING YOU ARE PART OF THE MEETING WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE OR NOT.  AND IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.  PEOPLE COMING TO THIS MEET ARE GONE PASSIONATE ABOUT GOVERNANCE.  PEOPLE ARE MAKING A CHANGE THROUGH THEIR COMMITTEES OR THROUGH CONGREGATIONS OR THEIR OWN ASSOCIATIONS AND IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY AND ABLE TO ACTUALLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AS WELL AS BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE'RE USUALLY HAVING CONVERSATION WITH.  SO WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE NEW PERSPECTIVES AND ABLE TO HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO COME WITH THEIR OWN STORIES AND ARE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THEM.
>>  THIS IS SUCH A NEAT CONVERSATION TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU.  I WAS REFLECTING LISTENING TO COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD.  EVERY LAST PERSON ON THE BOARD IS REALLY GOOD AT GOVERNANCE.  MYSELF INCLUDED.  WE KNOW ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER AND HOW POLICY BASED GOVERNANCE WORKS INTIMATELY WELL AND I HAVE TO CATCH MYSELF AT TIMES, TOO, BECAUSE I WIND UP GETTING CAUGHT IN QUESTIONS AROUND WHAT RULE SHOULD WE BE FOLLOWING RIGHT NOW OR WHAT IS POLICY BASED GOVERNANCE REQUIRING OF US HERE IN THIS MOMENT?  AND WE KEEP CALLING EACH OTHER BACK TO A DIFFERENT SET OF QUESTIONS, BECAUSE IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET LOST IN GOVERNANCE FOR THE SAKE OF GOVERNANCE AND WE ARE SUPER CLEAR, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TO TRANSFORM OUR FAITH AND NURTURE AND GROW OUR FAITH, NOT TO PERPETUATE GOVERNANCE FOR THE SAKE OF GOVERNANCE.
[APPLAUSE]
I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW EXCITING THAT IS.  I MEAN, I'M MAKING REAL SACRIFICES IN MY FAMILY LIFE TO BE DOING THIS AND THAT'S WHY I'M DOING THIS, BECAUSE I SEE THE GLIMMERS OF HOW WE CAN TRANSFORM UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM AND IT TAKES THIS.  LIKE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING AND MODEL IT AND SHOW YOU ALL HOW WE'RE DOING IT.  IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR YOUR NATIONAL BOARD TO BE DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.  WE NEED ALL OF US TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING THESE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU.  ONE MORE QUESTION.  WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR?  FOR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM, FOR THE BOARD, FOR YOURSELVES IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR FAITH?  WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES?
>>  I GUESS MY HOPE IS WE KEEP ON MOVING FORWARD.  NEVER TURNING BARK.  THAT WE ARE ON A TRAJECTORY OF REALLY EXCITING POSSIBILITY FOR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM IT'S TWOFOLD.  WE REMEMBER WE LIKE TO THINK OF SOCIAL JUSTICE OF GOING OUT THERE AND DOING WORK.  WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF WE NEED TO MODEL.  WE NEED TO WORK IN-HOUSE.  NOT JUST OUT THERE.  AND TWO, MY HOPE FOR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO LIFT UP RELIGIOUS HE HAD OTHER YOU INDICATORS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN ORDER AS A LIFESAVING AND FAITH SAVING GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS IN OUR DENOMINATIONS AND KEEP INVESTING IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SO WE CAN INVEST IN OUR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN NEED.
>>  I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS.  THANK YOU.  I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS.  AND FIRST IS SORT OF LOOKING BACKWARDS.  IT SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE RADICAL CHANGE DISCOUNTS WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE?-- DISCOUNT THE WORK?-- SHOOT.  THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US.  AND I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD IS SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR PRESIDENT ASSESSORS AND WE CAN STEP BACK?-- PREDECESSORS AND WE CAN STEP BACK AS FAR AS WE NEED TO FOR THE GROUNDWORK THAT THEY HAVE LAID AND THE TOOLS THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.  THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHANGING THINGS THAT WERE BAD OR WRONG.  PERHAPS THERE WERE SOME BAD THINGS OR SOME WRONG THINGS, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT TIME.  AND IF WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LESSONS AND THE FABULOUS WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE US WE GET STUCK THERE.  SHOUT-OUT TO FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LED SO BRAVELY AND MADE DECISIONS THAT WERE PERHAPS THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THE TIME.  I HOPE WE TAKE THOSE LESSONS FROM THE PAST AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LESSONS THAT WORK AND MAKE SENSE FOR THE FUTURE AND BRING US TOGETHER AND RECOGNIZE THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF EVERYONE WHO IS A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST, WHETHER THEY SAY THEY ARE OR NOT, AND THAT WE OPEN THE DOORS AND THE PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS, THAT THE WORK THAT THE BOARD DOES OPENS THOSE PORTALS SO THAT WE CAN ALL GO FORWARD AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WORK WE'RE DOING AND FEEL LIKE WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE SOMEWHERE IN OUR OWN LITTLE CORNERS OF THE WORLD, WHEREVER THAT IS.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  AS THE YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD I'M REALLY HOPING TO CONTINUE TO HEAR THE MODERATORS AND ENTIRE PORED AND GOVERNANCE OFFICERS CONTINUE TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, BECAUSE THE THING IS?--
[APPLAUSE]
RIGHT.  EXACTLY.  BEFORE WE HAD THESE TYPES OF LEADERSHIP I WAS BARELY HEARING ABOUT THE YOUTH BY ACTUAL HIGH OFFICERS SUCH AS THE MODERATORS.  AND NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT US.  YOU'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT US.  AND YOU ARE ONE OF US AS WELL.  AND THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE THING IS THAT WE DO NEED TO HAVE GREAT PROGRAMMING.  WE NEED TO HAVE GREAT RESOURCES.  WE NEED TO HAVE GREAT YOUTH WHO WE DO HAVE IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS LEADERSHIP AND IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY AND HAVE MORE PEOPLE COME FORWARD TO BE THE AMAZING LEADERS OF THIS FAITH.  AND SO I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT THE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS CONTINUE TO BE CENTERED, BECAUSE WE HAVE VOICES AND WE ARE VERY LOUD, SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR OUR VOICES UNLESS YOU'RE YELLING OVER US.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  WE ALL KNOW, WE'RE LIVING IN SUCH A TIME OF'S SIGH AT THIS AND UNCERTAINTY AND SADNESS, SO MUCH HURTING AND PAIN IN THE WORLD AROUND US.  WOULD OTHER TRYING TO EVOLVE, BEING IN COMMUNITY IN WAYS THAT ARE TRANSFORMED AND FEEL EACH BETTER, MORE LOVING, MORE INCLUSIVE AND THEREIN LIES THE POWER OF WHO AND WHAT WE ARE AND CAN CONTINUE TO BE IN EVEN DEEPER WAYS IS NOT GETTING CAUGHT IN THE GOVERNANCE FOR THE SHAKE OF GOVERNANCE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WE BRING DIFFERENT SETS OF VALUES AND WE CAN BE IN LOVING OPEN HEART DIALOGUE AROUND THOSE DIFFERENT SETS OF VALUES.  WE CAN FIND A WAY FORWARD THAT HONORS THOSE DIFFERENT VALUES ONCE WE SEE THEM, ONCE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REALLY MOTIVATING US AND SPEAKING TO US AND THAT WE CAN BE CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD AND DOING ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE WANTED TO DO ALWAYS, WHICH IS BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE AND HAVE EVEN MORE FOLKS FROM COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER-REPRESENTED IN OUR FAITH.  WE ARE BEGINNING TO DO THAT IN WAYS THAT ARE POWERFUL AND DIFFERENT AND REAL.  I HOPE WE CAN BEGIN FILTERING THAT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THAT.
>>  THANK YOU.  AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PANELISTS.  WE'VE GOT TO WRAP UP.  PLEASE.
[APPLAUSE]
AND THANK YOU TO THE FULL BOARD.  WE ARE JUST A REPRESENTATION OF THE FULL TEAM, SO THANK YOU ALL AS WELL.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  WE'VE GOT TO WRAP UP.  I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOREVER, EVEN BE THOUGH I'M SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO.
>>  LOOK FOR US IN ONE OF THE RED HATS.
>> WE DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.  PERHAPS NOT JUST AMONG OURSELVES, BUT WITH YOU OUT THERE AND ONLINE.  SO WE'RE SORRY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS HERE ON THE FLOOR, THROUGH THE TABLET, BUT ANYBODY WHO HAS QUESTIONS OR JUST GENERALLY WANTS TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH US, PLEASE COMMA TEND SOME OF OUR OPEN BOARD OFFICE HOURS.  NEXT HAPPENING IN THE CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 2210 ON FRIDAY FROM 11:00 TO NOON AND SATURDAY FROM 2:30 TO 3:30:00?P.M.  AND AS TIM SAID, IF YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE THEN AND YOU SEE US WEARING OUR FABULOUSLY RED HATS, THANK YOU, ELANDRIA.  WE'LL BE THERE TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU.  THANK YOU, BARB.
>>  THANK YOU.
>>  IS LEON AROUND?  I HATE BEING THE CO MODERATOR THAT WHINES.
>>  I'LL COME OVER HERE AND GIVE A HUG AND MAYBE THAT WILL INSPIRE TO YOU SING.  OR YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAVE TO GIVE A HUG?  WE ARE JUST GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
>>  I GOT THIS.
>>  THANKS.
>>  WE HEAR SO MARCH VOICES, AND SO TO RECEIVE IT WELL I WOULD LIKE TO ASK?-- YOU CAN'T HEAR ME?  WELL THEN I'LL SPEAK LOUDER.  IS THAT BETTER?  I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.  I BET THEY'RE WORKING ON IT BACK THERE, SO GIVE IT JUST A LITTLE BIT.  OKAY?  WE'VE HEARD SO MANY VOICES THIS MORNING, AND SO I WANTED TO RECONCILE THAT AND PUT US IN A PRAYERFUL SPACE WITH A PIECE OF MUSIC THAT WE ALL KNOW.  WOULD YOU PLEASE RISE IN BODY OR SPIRIT AND SING WITH ME WHEN OUR HEART IS IN A HOLY PLACE?
[SINGING WHEN OUR HEART IS IN A HOLY PLACE]
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
>>  THANK YOU.  NOW IT'S TIME TO CALL ON THE SECRETARY OF OUR ASSOCIATION, CHRISTINA RIVERA, FOR ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
>>  HEY, LOOK AT THAT.  WE HAVE ZERO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CHRIS.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE.  DO NOT GO ANYWHERE PLEASE.  I DO HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.  SOMETIMES THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.  I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH IS PLANNING TO VISIT US THIS IT AFTERNOON.  IT IS A MARK OF SOME KIND OF SUCCESS.  BUT IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WESTBORO BAPTIST, WE ARE A RELIGIOUS GROUP THAT PROTESTS WITH VIAL AND HATEFUL MESSAGES AGAINST FOLKS LIKE US WHO WORK FOR LOVE AND JUSTICE IN THE WORLD.  MANY OF US HERE HAVE EXPERIENCED RESPONDING TO THEM, BOTH THE AT GENERAL ASSEMBLIES AND IN OUR CONGREGATIONS.  WHEN THEY DEMONSTRATED AT THE 2016 GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, WE HAD A FAITHFUL AND APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.  THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AGAIN TODAY.
[APPLAUSE]
HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK OF YOU.  FIRST, PLEASE DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THEM.  DO NOT GIVE THEM THE ATTENTION THAT THEY SEEK AND WANT.  WE BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE HERE AROUND 5:00 P.M. AND WILL BE ACROSS FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM RIGHT OUTSIDE THE REGISTRATION AREA.  OUR INCREDIBLE SAFETY TEAM WILL BE POSITIONED AT THE ENDS OF THE BLOCK TO HELP YOU FIND ANOTHER WAY AROUND AND WE'LL HAVE VOLUNTEERS INSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER HELPING, ALSO.  SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT IF OUR SAFETY TEAM IN THEIR ORANGE VESTS AND OUR CHAPLAIN TEAM WILL ALSO BE READY AND ON CALL.  SECOND, IF YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE FAITHFUL AND LOVING RESPONSE TO THEIR DEMONSTRATION, YOU CAN MEET IN THE CONVENTION CENTER LOBBY AT 4:45 WHERE REVEREND ROSE SCHWAB, MINISTER OF SHAWNEE MISSION UU CHURCH JUST ACROSS THE RIVER IN KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, AND WITH ONE OF THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZERS FOR THE POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN WILL BE ORGANIZING OUR RESPONSE.  WE WILL BE SINGING AND WITNESSING AND PROCLAIMING OUR TRUTH.  WE REALLY ONLY NEED A FEW DOZEN FOLKS, BECAUSE MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE URGE THAT YOU STAY FOCUSED ON THE POWERFUL LIBERATING FAITHFUL COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE BUILDING HERE TOGETHER.  THERE'S LIKELY ONLY TO BE A HANDFUL OF DEMONSTRATORS ON THEIR SIDE OF THE STREET.  THEY WILL BE RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR PROGRAM SLOT THREE, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT GIVE THEM THE POWER OF DISRUPTING OUT WORK FOR LOVE AND JUSTICE.
[APPLAUSE]
STAY THE COURSE.  GO TO ONE OF THE FABULOUS WORKSHOPS PREPARED BY OUR AMAZING PRESENTERS.  REMEMBER TO ENGAGE WITH OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PUBLIC WITNESS WORK THIS WEEK, LED BY BLACK LIVES OF UU.  IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, WE CAN ENCOUNTER HATE AND VIOLENCE ON LITERALLY ANY STREET CORNER AT ANY TIME.  SO TODAY WE ARE GOING TO PRACTICE A NON-ANXIOUS, FLEXIBLE RESPONSE THAT STAYS TRUE TO OUR COMMITMENTS AS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS AND KEEPS US ON ENERGY FOCUSED ON THE WORK WE ARE HERE TO DO.  I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME IN DOING THAT.
[APPLAUSE]
DUE TO TRAVEL CHALLENGES, WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL PROCESS OF OBSERVATION FOR YOU AT THIS MOMENT.  I DO KNOW THAT WE ARE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFICULTY WITH THE SOUND AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND LETTING US KNOW ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY.  WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE SOUND TEAM THAT IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO FIX THAT CHALLENGE NOW.  AND WE HAVE A CLOSING READING FROM PATRICK.
>>  THIS IS THE ORANGE VEST YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.  RIGHT?  SAFETY EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME.  NOT A DROID.  WE ARE HERE, HERE AS I PEOPLE CALLED BY LOVE, A PEOPLE DEVOTED TO THE LOVE THAT INCLUDES US ALL.  A LOVE THAT EMBRACES US ALL.  THAT EMBRACES ALL.  WE ARE HERE AS SEEDS, SEEDS OF THE BELOVED COMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW CAN BE, WHICH WE KNOW IS COMING TO BE.  WE ARE HERE AS A PEOPLE WHO LOVE, WHO STRUGGLE TO OPEN THAT CIRCLE WIDER, THE CIRCLE IN OUR HEARTS, THE CIRCLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THE CIRCLE OF OUR WORLD.  AND WE SING
? WHEN I BREATHE IN, I BREATHE IN PEACE.
? WHEN I BREATHE OUT, I BREATHE OUT LOVE
THIS IS OUR SHARED COMMITMENT, OUR GREAT ASPIRATION TO BE PART OF THAT GREAT AND HOLY BREATHING OF THE WORLD, OF LOVE AND PEACE.  MAY WE STAY ALWAYS IN THAT STRUGGLE.  WE GO FOR NOW AND ALWAYS.  IN THE IMMENSE CHALLENGE OF HOLDING ALL IN THAT GREAT LOVE AND COMMITTED TO HOLDING ALL IN SAFETY AND PEACE, FRIENDS, BELOVEDS, HOLD EACH OTHER IN YOUR CARE AND YOUR LOVE.  HOLD EACH OTHER IN YOUR CARE AND PROTECTION.  DO NOT LET HATE AND ANGER TAKE ROOT IN YOUR HEART.  DO NOT LET THE HATE AND ANGER OF OTHERS MOVE YOU, NOT FROM PEACE, NOT FROM YOUR BOLD AND BRAVE CARE FOR ALL OF OUR BELOVED.  NOT FROM YOUR COMMITMENT TO THAT GREAT LOVE.
>>  THANK YOU, PATRICK.  THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE US, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCHEDULE SET FORTH IN YOUR PROGRAM BOOK, I DECLARE THAT THIS GENERAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 9:00 A.M. TOMORROW MORNING.
[APPLAUSE]

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