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Follow up from our NER Congregational Leadership Gathering Thank you to those who were able to join us on Tuesday evening. For everyone's consideration, see the resources shared and discussed below.  Please mark your calendars for our next gathering: Thursday, January 09, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30pm. We will send an official invite, and some reminders, about a month before the gathering. In case it is useful, though, here is the Zoom link for our second Quarterly Leadership Gathering. We hope to gather with you soon! ______________________________________________________________ NER Leadership Gathering, Q1 Resources • In response to a question about who has installed security systems: First Church Boston now has cameras, electric locks; contact their administrator Julianna Dunn (see website) • Organizations that may provide free or very discounted legal consultation to congregations: • Pro Bono Partner; Massachusetts Pro Bono, or search for the appropriate one for you • New program!: Treasurer Consultants from the UUA Office of Church Staff Finances • UUA guidance about congregational 501(c)3 status • Check out: pictures of the rainbow driveway at the Marlboro-Hudson congregation in Hudson, MA!

Click HERE to read the newsletter for news and happenings among UUA NER congregations.

https://www.uuse.org/news/categories/article-ii

In Defense of The Enlightenment by Tzvetan Todorov:  “The first constitutive characteristic of Enlightenment thinking consists of giving priority to what individuals decide for themselves over what is imposed upon them by an external authority.”

INFO on Forward Together Task Force, Jacksonville FL Forward Together Overview UUCJ’s delegates attended the UUA’s General Assembly (GA) and returned to our congregation with deep concerns about, among many, the changes that were being proposed by the UUA leadership to its Bylaws Article 2; the research methodology that had been used as the basis for making the proposed changes; the underlying language being adopted as the rationale for the changes; and importantly, the lack of widespread, comprehensive, extensive, and thorough dissemination of information and educational attempts by UUA. To address the concerns, the Board established the 2023-24 Article 2 Review Task Force (A2RTF) and charged the task force with establishing a process for educating the congregation on the issues. The issues included for analysis and study were: polity; existing Article 2 language; the COIC; the Eighth Principle TF work; the work of the UUA Fifth Principle TF; the Article II Study Commission; and the final proposed changes to Article II. The overarching objective was to provide relevant information to the congregation so the members could, at a duly called Congregational Meeting, cast an informed vote to either vote to accept the UUA proposed amendments to its Bylaws Article II, or reject Article II as amended.  According to UUCJ’s Bylaws, the delegates to the 2024 GA had to vote the conscience of the congregation. At the April 21, 2024 Congregational Meeting, the members voted to reject the UUA’s rewrite of the UUA Bylaws, Article 2. Of the 84 members present at the meeting and voting by secret ballot, 80 voted to reject the rewrite and four (4) voted to accept the rewrite – 95% of those present and voting.  Unlike UUCJ, the majority of the delegates present and voting at UUA’s 2024 GA accepted Article II as amended. The UUCJ congregation unhappy with UUA’s adoption of the amended Article; disappointed at the substitution of the principles by the values; dismayed at the inclusion of a specific covenant for each value; and concerned about the proposition that violation of values’ covenants could result in some type of punishment in the name of accountability, a new task force was authorized by the Board, the Forward Together Task Force.  The charge to the new task force is to assess the impact of UUA’s new Article II on UUCJ; monitor proposed changes to UUA’s Bylaws Article III; research options for potential affiliation with Unitarian/Universalist group(s) beyond UUA; develop a process for congregational engagement with forging a new path to practicing our faith; design an educational program; and provide for a congregational vote on how to move forward while maintaining congregational integrity.    Charter Forward Together Task Force Charter https://uucj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Forward-Together-Task-Force-Charter.7.11.pdf Educational Program Design Process Graph https://uucj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Process-Graph.8.1.pdf Deep Dive Organization https://uucj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NNs.Shared-Doc.Deep-Dive-Organization.8.6.pdf Directional Workshop Results Summary (September 22, 2024) https://uucj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FTTF-Directional-Workshop-Results-Summary.092224.pdf Documents Values and Principles https://uucj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Values-and-Principles.pdf So What’s Changed, And So What https://uucj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SO-WHATS-CHANGED-AND-SO-WHAT.pdf Links • Unitarian Universalist Association • North American Unitarian Association • Fifth Principle Project • Save The Seven Principles • UU Multiracial Unity Action Council • The Direct Action & Research Training Center

Click HERE to view the message. It's not too early to begin thinking about how you might want to be involved in GA 2025 e.g. delegate, attendee, supporter, volunteer, etc.