1. In the 18th and 19th Centuries Unitarians were among the first to bravely embrace the new philosophies and sciences and to explore and experiment with new religious beliefs that could incorporate them. The time has now arrived where we need a new marriage of the extraordinary scientific discoveries of the last 50 years with a new religious cosmology and theology.
2. Unitarianism and universalism go hand in hand, not just in America where there is an organisational use of both terms, but throughout the many forms of Unitarian practice and belief. Universalism comes from the Latin word 'Universa', which is about turning back of the many to the one, seeing the oneness and connectedness in the plurality of life and phenomena.
3. We have a proud history of religious education which is based on: inquiry not answers; exploration not dogma; collaborative listening and learning from each other, not 'tell and sell'.
4. We have a tradition of worship that reconnects us to the wider nature beyond the human domain and to find the sacred in depth connection to the world that surrounds us.

 

 

Dear UU Paganfolk -

Since this is the first time I've written something for the CUUPS Bulletin, a short introduction might be in order: I am Michael Walker, and I have the pleasure of serving as Recording Secretary on your Board of Trustees. In addition, I'm a UU-Pagan attending a seminary, pursuing a career in Unitarian Universalist ministry. On Ostara, I celebrated my 23^rd anniversary as a Pagan (having dedicated myself to the Goddess as a teenager.)

When I campaigned for the Board of Trustees, at the Portland GA, my main platform concerned improving communications between the national organization, local chapters and individual members. That has also been a primary concern of several others (such as Aisling and David, who instigated the CUUPS Bulletin). It is our sincere hope that CUUPS continues to grow into an organization that fulfills your needs as Unitarian Universalist Pagans.

One of my duties is to record the work of the Trustees, so I shall try to compile a quarterly report, to keep you all informed. Here is a short synopsis of some of the work of the Trustees (bearing in mind that other Trustees will also provide more detailed reports about various items listed.)

Corporate Address: CUUPS Inc., PO Box 3128, Durham, NC 27715-3128

General Assembly: A great deal of planning has already occurred, and will most likely continue through the early summer. We are working on having the CUUPS main ritual outside of the Port Authority area (which has been the source of much controversy throughout the UUA this year). The Board voted to approve expenses for the booth, although we are considering an offer to share those expenses with another former Independent Affiliate. Details will continue to be provided in the Bulletin.

Membership: The dues structure was updated, and new database options are under consideration. Several Trustees and other CUUPS volunteers are working hard at improving the membership system, and are testing new database options.

Independent Affiliates: Early in the quarter, the Board had a great deal of discussion about how to address the UUA's new definition of IAs, and how organizations qualify. Due to a decision that became public at the last GA, the vast majority of IAs lost their status, resulting in much confusion and protest. To this date, there has been little change or compromise forthcoming from the UUA Board. The CUUPS Board has attempted to work with other former IAs on building an umbrella network that might qualify (such as a "Fourth Principle Group"). Meanwhile, members should be aware that this change does not affect the non-profit status or existence of CUUPS.

Networking: A trustee attended Pantheacon (at his own expense), and provided networking materials on behalf of CUUPS. Discussion of whether participating in other such events might be beneficial to the organization.

Book project: Some CUUPS members are collaborating on a Skinner House book, about Unitarian Universalist Paganism. Details will be furnished when publication dates are known.

Special Ministries: The Trustees regularly discuss special needs as they arise, such as helping to accommodate disabled members, prisoners or others. Whether this regards printed materials, events, etc., we welcome input from members who would participate more if our services were offered in a way that they could participate.

      To all, Blessed Be!

 Bylaw Review:
Annual Meeting, Robert's Rules

This month we're going to look at two sections of our bylaws which have to do with our Annual Meeting. 

 

First, Section 7.2 reads as follows:

 

Is GA really the best place for us to meet? For the vast majority of our membership, it's impossible to attend on an Annual basis. Indeed, there's be some discussion of the UUA not having General Assembly on annual basis.

Back when we held Convocations on an annual basis, these could have been an alternative to meeting at GA, but since 2005 - we've not had the resources to hold Convocations.

If you can think of a feasible alternative to physically meeting at GA, please contact us at the email address at the end of this article.

 

The other item for this month deals with reexamining an old dilemma for CUUPS, using Roberts Rules of Order or Consensus Process. For the first several years of CUUPS existence we relied on a modified form of Consensus Process which was not universal well understood. As a result we often spent more time wrestling with the process than trying to solve the issues at hand. In the mid-1990's we switched over to Roberts Rules, which while they may not wholly reflect the type of society which we are attempting to become. Robert's are commonly understood. However, in the more than a decade since we left Consensus Process, it's matured a bit and there are a lot more resources available on how to make work well for non-profit organizations. So is this something we need to re-examine or should we stay with what seem to be working for us at the moment?

 

If you would like to comment on either of these issues,  send an email to: cuups-bylaws@yahoogroups.com

Bright Blessings,
David Pollard
CUUPS VP