UUA Trustee Report – General Assembly 2009
By the time you read this you may know everything you ever wanted to know about GA 2009 but your Trustee wants to share personal observations and brief summaries on specific activities of particular interest to me during GA. Almost 3,500 UUs attended GA this year and again it was considered low-end in numbers but because the downturn in the economic situation for all of us, the attendance numbers come as no surprise. The weather was wonderful, warm (you know all the stuff about dry heat) and a few exciting thunderstorms (one which included wind that broke windows in the convention center and took down the UUA Banner “Standing on the Side of Love”). Perhaps when the weather is good there are few major problems at GA…and this certainly seemed the case this year. There were many standing ovations for our departing President Bill Sinkford, who let everyone know there are “no solo acts”, as he recognized UUA staff, lay leaders, others, and his wife and children. All who are interested and involved know Rev. Peter Morales was elected our UUA President by a 58% to 42% majority, of the 3,542 absentee and delegate votes cast. There was much campaigning preceding the Saturday election and everyone had something to say, both before and after, about the election. While at GA I re-united with many UU friends and acquaintances and met several of you at the various venues of the Assembly. Unfortunately the In-gatherings were held from 10:00—11:00 p.m. on Wednesday after the Banner Parade and Opening Worship; about 40 of 95 Floridians attended and we were tired. Hopefully enough UUs will evaluate this as a not-so-good idea and the afternoon schedule of years past will be re-instated.

As you know most of the significant GA happenings can be found at www.uua.org.
This Trustee report will consist mostly of my personal observations and brief summaries on specific activities of particular interest to me during GA. I’ll keep it short. The UUA Board of Trustees (BOT) does not generally “conduct” business during this time but we do make appointments, vote new congregations into the Association, and report to one another. We meet the Tuesday afternoon before GA and

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It would seem reasonable to write about the General Assembly in Salt Lake City having just occurred at the end of last month. But the column needs to be in the hands of your newsletter editor before GA. In addition as stated in last month’s column I intended to devote two columns to the proposed changes to the UUA Bylaws relating the nomination and election of our UUA President and Moderator. By the time you read this the changes will have been introduced to Article IX, Section 9.5 at GA.

Last month I wrote about the proposed terms of the President and Moderator changing from four years, with the possibility of serving two terms, to one six-year term for each office. There will be a Presidential Search Committee (PSC) who will submit at least 2 nominations for UUA President at the end of a presidential term or when a vacancy occurs in the office prior to October of the year before the election. The report of the PSC will be announced at GA one year before GA at which there is to be an election, except in the case of an election to fill a vacancy occurring after that date.

For the election of the Moderator the Board of Trustees (BOT) will submit one or more nominations for the office at the end of the Moderator’s term or when a vacancy occurs in the office prior to October of the year before the election. The report of the BOT will be presented at GA one year before the GA at which there is to be a Moderator election, except in the case of an election to fill a vacancy occurring after that date.

To run by petition for the Office of President or Moderator, or to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term which occurs prior to December 1st of the year before the election the petition may be signed by no fewer than twenty-five certified member congregations, including no fewer than five certified member congregations located in each of no fewer than five different district. The proposed change in Section 9.6 is in the word “may”. The Bylaws currently states “shall”.

Certainly the proposed Bylaws changes for President and Moderator are significant and important ones which should prompt much discussion. I hope each Florida District congregation will devote time and energy to debate/discussion concerning the changes. Please know I look forward to hearing from you at jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727. I wish a relaxing summer to you all!

Joan Lund