Responsive resolutions on Article II, Article XV, and African visas

The final texts of the responsive resolutions adopted by the UUA General Assembly during the final plenary session June 28 are now online:

• "Responsive Resolutions on Inclusion: Two resolutions introduced by members of Allies for Racial Equity endorsed the "Inclusion" section of the Commission on Appraisal's proposed revision of Article II (the "Principles and Purposes"), after delegates had earlier rejected the revision as a whole. The first resolution, jointly introduced by the Youth Caucus, urged the Board of Trustees to reintroduce the Inclusion section as an amendment to Article II as soon as feasible. The Inclusion section would replace the current "Non-Discrimination" section. The second resolution called on delegates to embrace the covenant in the proposed Inclusion section individually and in their congregations. Here's the text of the proposed Inclusion section:

  Section C-2.4 Inclusion.
  
  Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to do all we can to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons and commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone’s participation.



• Responsive Resolution on Article II: This resolution "strongly urges" the Board "to facilitate a continuation and further deepening of the discussion of the Principles and Purposes begun by the review conducted by the UUA Commission on Appraisal . . . throughout all levels of the Association, at least until such time as further revisions to Article II may be presented to a General Assembly."


• Responsive Resolution on Article XV: This resolution grew out of frustration with the rules governing the General Assembly's consideration of the Commission on Appraisal's proposed revision of Article II and asks the Board to review Article XV, which governs the process for amending Article II.


• Responsive Resolution on Barriers to Inclusion in Outreach to African UU and Other Progressive Religious Congregations, which addressed the inequitable way that U.S. visas were handled for UU men and women from Africa. UU women from Kenya applied for but were denied visas to attend the International Convocation of UU Women in Texas earlier this year, but UU men from three other African countries were granted visas to attend the General Assembly. The resolution asks the UUA staff to seek an explanation from the State Department or other appropriate agency.

G.A. responds to failed Article II revision

Delegates brought a variety of responsive resolutions to the final plenary of the 2009 General Assembly in response to the Commission on Appraisal's proposed revision of Bylaw Article II (the "Principles and Purposes").

The Rev. Wendy von Zirpolo, president of UU Allies for Racial Equity and minister from Marblehead, Mass., and the Youth Caucus proposed a responsive resolution that asked the Board of Trustees to offer an amendment at the next possible General Assembly that would replace the current "Non Discrimination" clause (Section C-2.3) with the "Inclusion" clause (Section C-2.4) offered in the Commission on Appraisal's proposed revision of Article II. Delegates had voted down the Commission's full proposal, but expressed frustration that they couldn't vote on specific pieces of the proposal. This responsive resolution would urge the board to offer one of those pieces. The resolution passed.

The Rev. James A. Hobart, minister emeritus of the First Unitarian Church of Denver and a member of UU Allies for Racial Equity, proposed a second responsive resolution that committed delegates to act on the pledges in the Commission's proposed "Inclusion" clause (Section C-2.4) and to report on their congregations' actions before the next General Assembly. The resolution passed.

Elizabeth Yoss of the First Parish of Lexington, Mass, proposed a responsive resolution that asked the Board of Trustees to review Article XV C-15.1, the section of the bylaws that forbids the General Assembly to amend proposed revisions to Article II. The resolution passed.

The Rev. Robert Klein, minister from Little Rock, Ark., proposed a responsive resolution that asks the Board to encourage ongoing discussion about the Principles and Purposes "until such time as further revisions may be presented to the General Assembly." The resolution passed.

Amy Kelly, from First Unitarian Society of San Francisco, proposed a responsive resolution that commends an ad hoc volunteer group to the Board that wishes to continue revising the text that the Commission on Appraisal had offered. This resolution generated considerable conversation about whether an ad hoc volunteer group should be authorized to conduct work for the Association. The resolution failed.

Amendment to Article II fails

By a very close vote, the motion to amend Article II of the UUA Bylaws has failed. The final vote was 573 for and 586 against.

Tellers are counting votes on Article II revision

After more than an hour of debate about the Commission on Appraisal's proposed revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws, Moderator Gini Courter has called for a counted vote on the question. Tellers are counting the pro votes, and will begin counting con votes.

The arguments largely tracked the discussion at last night's miniassembly. The Young Adult Caucus joined the Youth Caucus in affirming the Commission's amendment, praising its Inclusion and Right Relationship clause.

Many delegates stepped to the procedural microphone to ask for clarification about how the amendment process can be changed.

Moderator Gini Courter suggested that the Board of Trustees would bring an amendment to Bylaw 15, which disallows any amendments to a proposed revision of Article II.

Discontent with revision to Article II

Critics of the Commission on Appraisal's proposed revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws—the "Principles and Purposes"—expressed frustrations with the proposal during a Friday evening session in the General Assembly plenary hall.

Although a handful of people, including a delegation from the Youth Caucus, spoke in favor of the proposed text, dozens of people criticized the substance of the text and its approval process, which forbids any amendments by the General Assembly in the two-year approval process. Several delegates said that their congregations had instructed them to vote against the proposal.

Most objected to the replacement of the "Six Sources" section of the current bylaws with three new paragraphs. The Rev. Roger Brewin, minister of First Unitarian Church of Hobart, Ind., said, "What bothers me most is what's missing—the poetry." He said he and a group of others have collected 1,200 signatures from around the country urging that the Commission on Appraisal revise their proposal again.

Moderator Gini Courter told the miniassembly that she, parliamentarian Gordon Martin, and legal counsel Ned Leibensberger had concluded that the bylaws that govern changes to Article II do not allow amendments or referral back to the Commission on Appraisal.

Several pagan UUs lamented the loss of the language in the Sixth Source—"spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature." Michael Hart, of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, said, "I just want to talk about how this makes me feel as a UU pagan: It's a blow in the solar plexus, a punch in the gut."

"We've gone from a bullet point about earth-centered spirituality that explains what we mean, as UUs, what it means to us, to a footnote buried in lots of very nice verbiage," Hart said.

The Rev. Dr. George "Kim" Beach objected to the "challenge" of prophetic teachings has been transformed into the "benefits" of prophetic exemplars. He also noted the loss of the phrase "living tradition."

Several speakers noted that many UU resources, including religious education curricula and the Singing the Living Tradition hymnal, are organized around the Six Sources in the 1985 Principles and Purposes.

The Rev. Nathan Stanley, a minister at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colo., referred to the performance at the last General Assembly of the Rev. Jason Shelton's "Sources" cantata. "No one would ever have written a cantata" using the new text, he said.

"Where the Sources get used a lot is religious education," said Deb Bodeau of First Parish in Bedford, Mass. "What we've got coming is an R.E. train wreck."

Others praised the Commission on Appraisal's work. Nancy King Smith of Cleveland said that the UU Ministry for Earth supports the new text, which replaces "respect for the interdependent web of all existence" with "reverence for the interdependent web of all existence."

The Rev. Michelle Walsh of United First Parish in Quincy, Mass., said she liked that the new text is titled "Covenant" rather than "Principles and Purposes." The Youth Caucus said that the new text's "Inclusion statement [Section C-2.4] will put us far ahead of other groups in terms of expressing our values into the world." The Rev. Douglas Taylor of Binghamton, N.Y., said the youth in his congregation liked the addition of a sentence about forgiveness.

Delegates are preparing to debate the text in Saturday afternoon's plenary session.