Plenary and CSW Sessions in a Nutshell

For those in need of rapid orientation to the heady business affairs of GA, look no further than the orientation Commission on Social Witness (CSW) member Robert Sarly gave first time delegates on the first day of GA (Thursday). He neatly summarized the entire process as falling into four tracks:

1. Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs). These are passionate and timely issues of the moment, which, while not as structurally important to the Association as the other three tracks, address compelling concerns of the day They are based on petitions that delegates will be asked to sign the first couple of days of GA. They are voted on in the Monday afternoon plenary at 2:00 p.m.

2. Study Action Issues (SAIs) first introduced. Five SAIs were picked by UU congregations around the continent. Delegates review them in two sessions on Friday at 1:45 (#211) and 3:30 (#235). The vote to pick one is at Saturday morning's plenary. Then Monday morning at 11:10 (#531) the selected SAI is discussed in more detail.

The five SAIs are:

S-2: Abortion Availability Requires Trained Doctors S-3: An Alternative to the "War on Drugs"
S-5: Leveling the Technological Playing Field for Children
S-7: No Place for Hate
S-9: Understanding the Challenges of Globalization

3. Mid-term review of SAI picked last year. This year it's "Responsible Consumption as a Moral Imperative," which is up for review - at Saturday afternoon's CSW Workshop (3:30, #318). It won't be voted on, but rather refined.

4. Consideration of Statement of Conscience. The SAI which has been under review for two years is voted on as a possible Statement of Conscience - a declaration with a place just below our Principles in defining our faith to ourselves and the world. Thus far we have one Statement of Conscience, entitled "Economic Injustice, Poverty, and Racism: We Can Make a Difference." There are three possible outcomes. If a two-thirds majority votes in favor, it will become our second Statement of Conscience. Alternatively, it can be sent back to congregations for one more year - again with a two-thirds majority. Or it can be put to rest. A mini-assembly Friday at 6:15 discusses this SAI. This will be the only opportunity to make amendments to it. It will be voted on Sunday afternoon plenaries.

For those wondering about the purpose of the CSW itself, aside from orchestrating all of the above, they report back to the Board, helping make sense of these processes by which we come together and further define our faith. For more information, be sure to visit the CSW booth in the exhibit area, where they have a number of helpful brochures about their work and taking SAI's back to our congregations. http://www.uua.org/csw/

Reported in the Friday Nashville Notes, the GA newspaper, with additions by Margy Levine Young; formatted for the web by Kasey Melski.