November Newsletter Article
Report from UUSE's October Policy Board Meeting
Dear UUSE Members and Friends:
At its October meeting, the UUSE Policy adopted the following resolution:
UUSE Policy Board Seven Principles Resolution
October 15, 2024
In response to written and verbal concerns expressed to the UUSE Policy Board during the month of September, 2024, regarding the pace of our UUA discernment process, the following resolution is intended to clarify the Policy Board’s assumptions regarding the congregation’s continuing use of the seven principles and six sources of the Unitarian Universalist living tradition.
First, UUSE is an independent congregation.
Second, UUSE will not make any changes to its historic uses of and references to the seven principles and six sources of the Unitarian Universalist living tradition until after the fall 2024 discernment process, and only if that process determines that changes are necessary. (The historical uses and references include, but are not limited to, the printed order of service, the wall of the meeting house lobby, and the UUSE website.)
Third, any changes to UUSE’s constitution regarding either the previous UUA bylaw Article 2 (principles and sources) or the new UUA Bylaw Article 2 (values and covenants) will be determined as a result of the fall, 2024 discernment process.
In addition, the Policy Board considered a motion to recommend that the congregation vote at this time to alter Article XV of the UUSE constitution (dissolution clause). That motion did not pass. We are confident that votes on this and other clauses in the UUSE constitution that pertain to the congregation’s relationship with the Unitarian Universalist Association will come before the congregation during the current congregational year.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Webbe, President
Anne Carr, Vice President
Rev. Josh Pawelek, Minister