Amendment 79 to Article II - Proposed by Chris Stotler

Bold underlining indicate insertion ; [brackets indicate deletion.]

Line 10 Section C-2.2. Principles, Values and Covenant.

Line 11 {current line 11 text as amended follows the following insert}

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote our Principles:

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
8. Promote building a multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that dismantle racism and other oppressions in our world.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. The living tradition which we share draws from many sources including:

Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world’s religions and beliefs which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
and their teachings which call us to respond with love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us
to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science;
Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

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The following fifteen amendments also seek to add the current Article II, Section C-2.1 “Principles” (with some modifications) to the Proposed Revision:
#2 - Kenneth Button
#3 - Eric Burch
#9 - Merridy McDaniel
#29 Jim Hall
#41 Dick Burckhart
#44 Nancy Henley
#83 Linda Richardson
#84 Becky Sandman
#49 Kara Stebbins
#58 Patrick Deak
#59 Lurine DeVos
#61 Jan Radoslovich
#66 Pablo deVos-Deak
#78 Marsha Bates
#79 Chris Stotler

For those still in the conversation, I understand that this site will be locked on Tuesday. Our lay-led public Facebook group, Blue Boat Passengers, created for discussing Article II and GA, will remain open for commenting a couple weeks longer (and still be visible for viewing as a public record afterwards).
Blue Boat Passengers: Info & Constructive Discussion re Article II, etc. | Announcement: This group will soon be suspended | Facebook

Anyone who wishes to use the Blue Boat Passengers group for finding each other and coordinating to do the 15-congregation amendment process may do so while the group remains open (must follow group rules, so please read these and the pinned post about the planned suspension of the group before posting).

Here are some comments about the 15-congregation amendment process, from Donald Wilson, who used to be on the GA Planning Committee:

"“Unlike how the amendment process was run for this GA (ie at the discretion of the moderators and board), the process you’ve mentioned is bylaw and subject to little to no interpretation. I wouldn’t wait however. You need to get the petition from the UUA Board Secretary in the next couple weeks, and you have to have it turned Into the Board before February 1st.”

“You don’t even have to have a congregational vote. You just have to get their board to sign off.” ETA: You must check this–rules vary by congregation. Also, look for the UU Governance Lab group on Facebook to connect with Donald Wilson directly.

Also, a comment from another member who was participating on Discuss:
Some of us are connecting on Slack, mainly to remain in contact with others interested in specific amendments or the amendment process in general at GA 2024.

https://join.slack.com/…/zt-1y0pvelub-YVxUFoPpTrZ…

Some boards are restricted from signing without a vote; I think that ours is. We had some contentious public statement in the past (Vietnam War era) and now need votes for society-wide statements, though individuals and committees may speak for themselves, of course.

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