UUA Board Meeting - January 14-18, 2009

It is day two of our five day meeting. What a change from Southern CA! When I left home it was well into the 80's and arriving on a red-eye early Wednesday morning it was about 25 here on Beacon Hill. Welcome to winter!

The agenda and reports for this meeting are online at www.uua.org and so you can check out what we are doing but let me provide a quick summary: Wednesday and Thursday have been primarily for working on ends policies as we transition to policy governance. It is the work that Marge Piercy eloquently described as "common as mud" but work that needs to be done if we are to move ahead with this. Tonight livened up somewhat with a forum for the two candidates for UUA President, Rev. Laurel Hallman and Rev. Peter Morales. The topics related primarily to how the presient relates to and will work with the Board. The forum was recorded and as soon as I have a link to it i will publicize it on the PSWD-L list and the PSWD ADR list as well as here.

I have been asked by some if I am endorsing a candidate and at this time I am not. This decision is primarily one for congregations to make and is one of the few elections that can be done by mail rather than just at GA in June. I encourage congregations to examine both candidtes carefully before they vote or instruct their delegates how to vote. Just Google Laurel Hallman and Peter Morales to get their websites (or just click on their names above) and you can get a good deal of information there. I am happy to give you my impressions of them if you contact me but I can tell you now that both are fine people and both are qualified for the position. They have differences of course and, as has every president, they will each make a unique contribution on the Association if elected.

Tomorrow I am meeting with Rev John Hickey, who is the executive director of the UU Urban Ministry. They are an Independent Affiliate of the UUA and are a nearly two hundred year old benevolent society that helps the neediest here in the Boston area. I convene the Living Our Faith Working Group and we periodically meet with representatives of IAs who are working on social justice issues. I am looking forward to our dialogue and will tell you more about it after our meeting tomorrow.

Do feel free to leave comments or write me at tloughrey@uua.org with any questions or concerns. If you need to get hold of me while I am here in Boston just email or call me at 714 878-2210.

In faith and trust,

Tom