OMD UUA Trustee

The UUA Trustee from the Ohio-Meadville District is Patricia Solomon. Her term will end in June of 2009.

The election process of our new trustee is currently in process. If you are interested in running for trustee, please visit the trustee election page for more information.

Here is Pat's column from the October issue of District Doings.

Let me start with our very successful General Assembly last June in Ft. Lauderdale.  The predictions were dire.  The convention center is just inside the pedestrian entrance of Ft. Lauderdale’s international port boundary.  Many UU’s felt that civil liberties were compromised by security regulations requiring identification to enter, and some did not attend for that reason.  However, the 3500 or so attendees found the process simple and non-threatening.    They enjoyed the usual social justice debates and decisions, stimulating workshops, inspiring worship services, upbeat opening & closing ceremonies, and fascinating lectures.  The atmosphere was comfortable and encouraged conversation and networking.  And our own UU Congregation of Wayne County (Wooster OH) was honored as the small Breakthrough Congregation of the year!

UU University
Now in its fourth year, UUU continues to get rave reviews from congregational leaders who attend this day and a half crash course in congregational governance, finances, membership, faith development and other topics that challenge and engage our church boards.  This opportunity to look at these issues in depth and in different ways with experts in their field, and to network with peers around the country should not be missed.

Presidential Forums
One of the most popular events (900 attended) was an hour and a half with the two candidates for the next president of the UUA, Rev. Peter Morales and Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman.  Peter and Laurel will be visiting many districts in the coming year, including the OMD District Assembly in March.  May I charge every congregation to participate in deciding where and how we can be going together.  Take advantage of opportunities to get acquainted with the candidates’ goals for our Association of Congregations, their strategies and governing styles. 

A site has been established (http://uua.org/aboutus/governance/elections/index.shtml) to provide accurate, up to date information regarding the upcoming elections (June 2009), as well as rules, policies of the UUA Board of Trustees regarding the election, and links to the websites of announced candidates for President, Moderator, and Financial Advisor.   And certainly, plan to be at District Assembly in Cleveland on March 28! 

Appreciative Inquiry Sessions
Several hundred accepted the invitation of the UUA Board to participate in a three-hour Appreciative Inquiry session, a grass roots structured environment designed to help the Board tap into the thinking in our congregations.  Board members moved around the room listening to the small group conversations, and this is some of what I heard:

I kept hearing “opportunity” ---  those that open up because we are members of this faith community.   For example, opportunities:

  1. for blossoming knowledge
  2. for deep sharing of intimate feelings and thoughts
  3. for effecting groundbreaking change
  4. to turn faith into action
  5. for open choice of liturgical sources

I also heard talk about obstacles, for example:

  1. We stand for some things, but our individualism keeps us from working together to effect change; need guidance in how to deal with that

Some things they’ve learned:

  1. The salvation of acceptance
  2. The learned use of reason as a life practice
  3. Not everything has an answer
  4. Willingness to share (congregation to congregation)

What made their peak experiences as UU’s possible:

  1. Openness to exploring change
  2. Questioning is OK and encouraged
  3. Culture of risk-taking
  4. Support (in this case, a “building” minister)

Wishes for the future:

  1. We would stop wishing things would happen, without doing anything about it
  2. No one asks “What is Unitarian Universalism?” because we are known
  3. Social justice decisions actually have an effect in the world

Final question:  If we were five times bigger, what would we lose?  Answer:  Nothing

Upcoming Board Work
Committee and working group meetings and the normally two-day Board meeting will be shortened in October to allow maximum time for development of ends statements, including looking at complete Appreciative Inquiry results.  As further input into that process, we will be meeting with five representatives of the District Presidents Assoc (including our president, Phil Reed) and with the UUMA Executive Committee.   We will also get more exposure to the two presidential candidates at a forum with Massachusetts UU’s.  

The Board has taken preliminary steps in the past year to develop recommended changes to the election process for President and Moderator, and a workshop at GA invited comment.  Draft recommendations will be on line in the Board packet.  When finalized and accepted, the timeline is that required bylaw changes would be determined and presented to General Assembly in 2010. 

Reports from the President, the Financial Advisor and the Moderator can be found in the Board minutes online.  UUWorld online also reports on each Board meeting.


Pat Solomon
(216) 932-7808
psolomon at uua.org