GA

GA housing still available

Dormitory-style rooms remain available for people planning to attend the UUA’s General Assembly 2014, June 25-29 in Providence, R.I. Hotel rooms have been in short supply because the UUA had to withdraw from some hotel contracts because of labor issues.

Home hospitality is also available. Most of the money raised will be donated to local congregations.

Adult registration for the full week of GA is $335 until May 1, when it increases to $385. There are reduced rates for those attending less than full time.

Information on GA programming, registration, and housing can be found here.

 

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Events

GA rebate offered to presidents

Presidents of congregations can get a $100 rebate on General Assembly registration fees this year.

The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees hopes the incentive will entice presidents to come to General Assembly 2014, which will be June 25-29 in Providence, R.I. There is one rebate per congregation. It can be claimed by presidents-elect and chairs of governing boards, as well as presidents.

Those coming to GA would pay the full registration fee, which is $335 if paid by April 30 and then submit a rebate claim.

UUA Moderator Jim Key said the board approved the rebate because it wants as many presidents as possible to come to GA to take part in discussions “about the future of our faith and our Association.” The board has been working on ways to transform GA so that it is more meaningful to congregational leaders, more economically accessible, and more useful as a way to discuss big questions about UUA governance and the UUA’s mission.

In addition to sending presidents or board chairs to GA, the board is also asking congregations to elect people who will commit to serving as GA delegates for two years so there can be continuity in decision-making. A longer article on the rebate is at uuworld.org. Key’s letter to congregations about the rebate is here.

 

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UUA Announcements

Deadlines near for GA financial aid, certification

The following deadlines apply to the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly 2013, which will be June 19-23 in Louisville, Ky.

February 1: All congregations must certify a membership number. The number determines the number of GA delegates  a congregation can have.

March 31: The deadline for the GA Planning Committee’s Matching Grant Program and the Youth and Young Adult Scholarship Program. The GAPC will pay registration costs and pay up to $250 (if matched by a congregation) to send a delegate to GA. Priority is given to congregational leaders, delegates from new congregations, and congregations that have not recently sent delegates. Grants for youth and young adults will pay registration plus up to $500. Applications will be available March 1.

March 31: Applications to be volunteers at GA are due. Adult volunteers are required to work 24 hours over GA. Youth and those who qualify for reduced registration rates are required to work 14 hours. Online applications will be available March 1.

April 30:  Applications are due to the UUA’s Stewardship and Development group for scholarships from the Davidoff Fund, which subsidizes the attendance at GA of lay leaders who have not been to GA in the past three years.

The Guide for the Frugal Attendee demonstrates other ways to attend GA as inexpensively as possible.

 

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Deadlines, Resources

Phoenix General Assembly 2012 registration, housing open

Registration and the housing reservation system are now open for General Assembly 2012, to be held at the Phoenix, Ariz., Convention Center June 20-24. This GA will be a “Justice GA,” focusing largely on immigration, racial, and economic justice issues.

Adult full-time registration is $320 until April 30 when it increases to $365. A one-day registration is $130. The first two days, Wednesday and Thursday, are also grouped for a one-day rate. Youth registration is $190. The opening ceremony is Wednesday evening and the closing celebration is at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Housing begins at $125 in the two hotels close to the convention center, the Hyatt Regency Phoenix and the Marriott Renaissance. Many other housing options, including economical rooms at a residence hall at Arizona State University a half mile from the convention center, are available through the GA Housing Reservation System.

For this GA the UUA is partnering with immigrant rights groups and other organizations in Arizona to bring attention to human rights abuses there and to help GA attendees learn how to address similar abuses in their home communities. There will be numerous public witness events in Phoenix but no civil disobedience is planned.

The Ware Lecture will be presented Thursday night by Mexican-American broadcast journalist Maria Hinojosa. More information on GA 2012 can be found here and here.

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UUA Announcements

UUA launches GA Accessibility Project

As part of a UUA-wide effort to make it possible for more youth and young adults to attend the “Justice” General Assembly this June in Phoenix, the UUA’s Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and the General Assembly Planning Committee have launched the “GA Accessibility Project.”

Congregations interested in learning how to bring more youth and young adults to GA this year can find information on the Youth and Young Adult Ministries blog, Blue Boat. That information includes GA program listings, how the GA youth and young adult caucuses operate, available scholarships and grants, as well as information on affordable housing and transportation.

Later this winter the accessibility resources will include information on fundraising and youth safety.

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Resources

Top-selling books at General Assembly 2011

Top-selling books at General Assembly 2011, by the UUA Bookstore. Many of these are being promoted by Skinner House as a useful part of congregational programming:

• Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, by Karen Armstrong (Ware lecturer at GA 2011)

• Universalists and Unitarians in America: A People’s History, by the Rev. John Buehrens. This book, in honor of the 50th anniversary of consolidation of the Unitarians and Universalists, will be useful to book groups, in lifespan education classes, and as a historical reference.

• The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands, by Margaret Regan. As we look toward General Assembly 2012 in Phoenix, this is one of the books that helps explain immigration issues. In 2011 it was recommended to congregations as a “common read.”

• Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism, by the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed. The story of black UUs in a predominately white faith. Useful for book groups and lifespan classes and in sermon preparation.

• What’s Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West, by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

• Broken Buddha, book of essays by the Rev. Meg Barnhouse.

• Elite: Uncovering Classism in Unitarian Universalist History, the Rev. Mark Harris. Tells the story of the privileged founders of Unitarianism and Universalism and describes how we can grow into a more inclusive faith. Discussion guide available online.

• Coming Out in Faith: LGBTQ Voices in Unitarian Universalism, by the Rev. Keith Kron and Susan Gore. Testimonials about the lived experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer UUs. Useful for Welcoming Congregation sessions and raising awareness of LGBTQ issues.

• From Zip Lines to Hosaphones, Dispatches from the Search for Truth and Meaning, essays by the Rev. Jane Rzepka. Includes introductory material on Unitarian Universalism in an entertaining manner. Ideal for new member classes, gifts for Coming of Age youth or bridging young adults, and small group ministry gatherings.

• House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion for the Twenty-First Century, by the Rev. John Buehrens and the Rev. Rebecca Ann Parker.

Skinner House resource, including discussion guides, for some of these books can be found at www.uua.org/companionresources.

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Resources

Off-site GA delegate test underway

Congregational leaders who cannot attend General Assembly this June have until April 15 to sign up to participate from home as GA delegates as part of a new test to make the UUA’s annual business meeting more easily accessible.

The GA 2011 off-site trial allows delegates to watch live, streaming video of plenary (business) sessions from wherever they live or work, then queue up to speak and vote.

Applications for Off-site Delegate status can be submitted online from March 1 to April 15, 2011. Off-site delegates will need to confirm they are indeed certified delegates for their congregations, check technical requirements using an online video, participate in training and a test run prior to GA, and pay a nominal registration fee.

For information about requirements, the application process, and selection criteria, visit www.uua.org/offsitega.

The trial will include lay, ministerial, and religious educator delegates in order to reflect the whole potential delegate pool, with special care to include those who have historically been unable to attend in person.

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UUA Announcements