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COMING TO GA?
I hope so. It's a gift both to yourself and to your congregation-a mind and soul expanding experience, a font of new ideas and perspectives, a chance to be heard and hear others. Remember, you can register for the whole GA or by the day, and there are a few events open to the public. Go to www.uua.org/ga for program and registration information. The final program and agenda will be posted very soon.
WANT TO HELP OUT?
We'd love to have you!
There are multiple opportunities:
- Be a GA Guide. The Public Witness team is looking for volunteers to assist attendees at WaterFire on June 28th. You need not be a registered GA attendee to help out with this. Great for people who know and love Providence's signature art event; volunteer at http://www.uua.org/ga/justice/witness/295042.shtml. There's also room for some extra help welcoming folks as they arrive in town.
- Sing at WaterFire. As a sponsor of WaterFire, we've arranged for some UU hymns and songs to be part of the WaterFire 'sound track', and we need our BCD choirs to assemble to lead the singing. If you can be a part of this (and preferably gather a group from your choir), please contact petervanerp@cox.net Singers need not be registered GA attendees.
- Donate Bowls to Combat Homelessness and Hunger. The Empty Bowls support our GA Service Project to address homelessness and hunger in Rhode Island.. A variety of handmade bowls have been collected already-ceramic, pottery, papier-mache, felted, copper, wood-and many more are needed to raise funds. The "empty bowls" provide a context for considering the innovative approaches to addressing hunger and homelessness by our beneficiary organizations, Housing First RI and McAuley House. At a booth in the Exhibit Hall and at a tent at WaterFire, the handcrafted bowls submitted by UUs will be offered for a donation. Meanwhile, the creation of bowls can be a group activity for members of your congregation, or a solitary one. Instructions for making papier-mache or felted bowls are available from the Coordinator, Nori Duncan at nori.duncan@gmail.com or 401-475-1678. Please contact her to pledge a bowl (or several, or many) to the service project, and to arrange for delivery. You may ship your bowls in advance or bring them to the booth at GA. For groups of bowls, it may be possible to arrange pick-up within the BCD. Watch the UU World for an upcoming article with more details about the project.
- Help Other Folks Get to GA. If you can't go yourself, how about financially supporting a youth or aspiring leader from your congregation? If you can go, how about organizing a car pool in your congregation? Traveling together, whether daily, for one occasion, or for the whole GA, saves money, driver fatigue, and the environment, and it offers the opportunity for shared experience and reflection. Get that travel signup sheet posted early, and let people know about it.
- Make sure your congregation's voice is represented. Delegate credentials were mailed out to congregations at the end of February. Please make sure your delegates have been selected and have their credential cards signed by your minister, president or board clerk. If people are interested but can't get to Providence, please let them know of the option of being offsite delegates, with full participation and voting privileges in the business sessions. See http://www.uua.org/ga
ENJOY A COMMUTER'S RESPITE.
Recognizing that many folks from our district will be day commuters (by bus, train or car) from some distance, the BCD is sponsoring a "Commuter Lounge" in Salons A and B of the Biltmore Hotel, where people can retreat for a while during the day to relax, together or alone. We've also added a Family Respite Room in the Dunkin Donuts Center, right near the general sessions, where anyone, including parents with young children, can take a break.
INVITE OTHERS ALONG FOR THE OPEN EVENTS
. Three worship services in the Dunkin Donuts Center are open to the public: the Service of the Living Tradition on Friday evening, the pre-WaterFire worship on Saturday evening, and the morning worship service on Sunday, followed by open hours at the Exhibit Hall. All of these feature inspiring speakers and music, and the thrill of raising voices in song along with thousands of other UUs. Plus there's a lot to see and do in Providence, and there's the beauty of WaterFire. So even those who aren't registered can experience a bit of the GA magic. Encourage them to give it a try.
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions. Looking forward to seeing you soon in Providence!
Yours in faith,
Beth McGregor
District Coordinator, GA 2014
epjmcg@aol.com, BethGA14@gmail.com
781 784-6555(h), 781 784-5642(w), 339 364-1778(cell)
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