June 2010 Column - "General Assembly 2010"

Our yearly meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association, General Assembly (GA), will be hosted in Minneapolis this June. General Assembly is an opportunity for networking, sharing resources, and leadership development in Unitarian Universalist congregations. Thousands gather to worship and restore their spirits.  Invigorating, inspiring, and creative worship services show the diversity of our living tradition and inspire us to bring this quality of worship into our own sanctuaries.

One of the challenges about General Assembly is its cost.  After fees for registration, room, and board- not to mention time off of work- GA can cost a pretty penny.  GA Planners have been utilizing online streaming, recording and sharing workshops online to their best abilities.  But it still does not match the special feeling of the Unitarian Universalist convergence that is GA.  We take over the restaurants, the cafes, and the bookstores.  As I walk down the street, I look at everyone and think, “You might be Unitarian Universalist!”  Actually, I do that all the time anyway.

The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees established the Fifth Principle Task Force in 2007. The Fifth Principle of our Association reads, “We covenant to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.”  When many Unitarian Universalists cannot afford to attend the plenary sessions at General Assembly, one might conclude that the 5^th Principle that many hold dear is not being honored as it could be.  Moreover, when I am using nearly a third of my professional expenses to attend the General Assembly, it is a loss to not have a lay-person from UUCFM to conspire and collaborate with upon return, brimming with ideas and inspiration to bring into our own local governance and leadership.

One of the recommendations of the Fifth Principle Task Force is that GA be held every other year.  The Fifth Princple Task Force is also putting forth recommendations that ask for more accountability from delegates. One recommendation is that delegate numbers be reduced from 5,000 to 2,000, and that delegates be voted for and subsidized by their congregations.  If congregations were willing to make this line-item commitment, the worries over elitism might be eased.  If the delegates are willing to make this commitment, congregations will benefit from the increased resources and connections forged at General Assembly in a more intentional way.

New intentions are being formed for General Assembly.  To stay up to date, read the UU World, or stay connected through www.uua.org.