UUA Fifth Principle Task Force

1. UUA Fifth Principle Task Force Reformulating our General Assembly: Status Quo Is Not An Option

2. Task Force Charge & Timeline To present two or more recommendations on the future configuration and content of General Assembly. Areas to be examined include but are not limited to: Off-site participation in GA, including voting Reconfiguration of GA content to include current pre-GA functions, i.e. leadership development and continuing education for laypersons and religious professionals GA frequency GA duration Interim report: April, 2009 Final report: January 2010

3. Assumptions UUA Board of Trustees is moving to Policy Governance The current multi-event GA is no longer an effective mode of governance We will pay for what we value Some things work better smaller Money & staff time required to produce annual GA can be better spent End of the church year (June) is not the best time for the governing assembly of the UUA Association governance would benefit from more active involvement by clergy Meaningful change will require bylaws revisions Successful association requires good lateral relationships

4. Values Economic accessibility & sustainability Empowered delegates capable of representing their congregations Excellence in shared leadership & ministry Multi-generational participation & decision-making Excellence in governance -- Business decisions reflect and articulate ultimate questions Linkage between congregations, Trustees & Administration Accountability between Association & congregations Awareness and inclusiveness of AR/AO/MC concerns

5. Imagining a UUA National Biennial Conference Whose meeting is this? Congregational Delegate Teams, UUA Board & Administration Congregational Delegate Teams: Clergy & Lay delegates Elected & certified by their congregation or board Teams include alternate delegates All settled ministers, ministers emeriti & community ministers are part of delegate teams, as per current rules Congregations encouraged to select youth to delegate teams – goal of at least one for every five delegates No delegates from Associates: UUWF, UUSC, UU-UNO No delegates from UUA Board of Trustees

6. UUA National Biennial Conference Congregational Delegate Teams Core teams of at least five delegates Congregational delegations of fewer than five will join with others from their geographic area Seating on plenary floor arranged geographically Teams seated contiguous to neighboring congregations Then grouped by UUA District … Then by region. Intentional space on floor for teams to meet and work together Know our neighbors to build UU community & effectiveness beyond the walls of our churches

7. UUA National Biennial Conference Conference purpose Experience high powered, team-based learning Achieve linkage through structured conversations among teams and with Trustees about the “ends” of the Association Hear, question & discuss assessment reports from President on execution & results of strategic plans Offer Responsive Resolutions to “ends” conversations & assessment reports in energized, focused plenary sessions Elect Association officers. Off-site voting technology will be used by duly elected delegates who cannot attend Conference will be governance-driven, not program-driven

8. UUA National Biennial Conference What else? Feed our spirits with daily worship and Sunday morning service Feed our intellects & imaginations with one or more keynote addresses Feed our bodies in fellowship with communal meals Exhibit area open during mealtimes, evening and during breaks Childcare provided and partially subsidized for delegates and alternates Timing -- August (closer to start of church year) rather than June

9. UUA National Biennial Conference Day One: Concentrated team-based learning Delegates develop governance-related leadership skills designed to: Enable effective participation at National Conference Share best practices to take back to our congregations Days Two and Three: Governance sessions In structured conversations and plenaries, delegates use these skills to conduct UUA business Days Three and Four: Service projects and worship Participants express UU values through collective service and Sunday worship

10. UUA National Biennial Conference Will non-delegates be able to attend? Observers will be welcome to attend all Conference activities, but with the exception of a local service project, there will be no special programming for them Observers will pay a registration fee and be responsible for their own expenses

11. UUA National Biennial Conference Funding the congregational delegates Lay delegates’ expenses (registration, travel, hotel, on-site meals) are fully paid by the Association for Fair Share congregations Merit Increase Congregations’ lay delegates could be substantially paid Ministerial delegates responsible for their own expenses

12. UUA National Biennial Conference What will the grid look like? Wednesday afternoon: Delegate check-in & orientation Wednesday night: Opening Thursday: Learning day for delegate teams Friday morning: Breakout sessions for delegate teams & Trustees to discuss ends and big questions Friday afternoon: Plenary including forum for candidates Friday evening: Keynote similar to Ware Lecture Saturday morning: Breakout session discussion continued; Observers invited to participate in daylong community service project Saturday afternoon: Free time Sunday Morning: Worship & Closing

13. What about the Alternate Years? National Biennial Conference would be in odd years. Anticipate beginning in 2013. What would happen in even years? Some possibilities: Another kind of National Meeting Thematically aligned Regional Gatherings A Unitarian Universalist “Week of Service” A year off

14. Even-Year Possibilities Another kind of National Meeting: Revival with music, worship, inspiration Seminars focusing on theological questions A UU University learning format Workshops Encounters with UUA leadership All of these? Some of these?

15. Even-Year Possibilities (cont.) Thematically aligned Regional Gatherings Heavy use of technology to bring programming to as many UUs as possible Include some region-based independent programming at each site A Unitarian Universalist “Week of Service” - we “do” rather than talk A year off

16. Current GA Elements to consider: Service of the Living Tradition Ware Lecture UU University Affinity Group Annual Meetings (~40) Seminaries annual dinners Donor reception Vendors (UUA Bookstore, Beacon Press, others) would have national venue only every other year Annual networking with UUA Staff

17. Task Force Process to Date Task Force meetings since Jan 2008: 3 in person 3 conference calls Interviews/feedback from: UUMA Executive Committee District Presidents Association District Staff UUA Board Governance Working Group Interviews of other denominations: UCC Presbyterians Episcopal Church Reformed Judaism

18. Cost Implications / Considerations Current annual UUA expense & staff/volunteer time for General Assembly Estimated annualized UUA costs for a Biennial National Conference UUA expense & staff/volunteer time Cost to subsidize delegates

19. Potential Associated Bylaw & Business Process Changes & Timing Potential Bylaw & Business Process Changes: From annual General Assembly to biennial National Conference Possibly reduce the number of delegates Possibly change or eliminate the Commission on Social Witness process Potential Timing of Changes: UUA BoT place proposed Bylaw changes on agenda for 2010 GA Two-year process for Bylaw changes. Final approval by delegates at 2011 GA

20. Task Force members: Denise Davidoff Janiece Sneegas Jose Ballester Gini Courter Mark G. Gibbons Daniel O'Connell Barbara Prairie Esther Rosado Joe Sullivan