February 2014

 
23
Canadian Unitarian eNews 



Watershed Moment for Canadian Unitarian Universalism?
 
Kristina Stevens and Roger Rochester, CUC Board of Trustees

Every person experiences moments of profound change. Someone places an impossibly tiny, completely defenseless creature in your arms, and the meaning of your life is forever altered. You stand in your robes with a freshly printed diploma in your hands, and your place in the world is no longer the same. You gather with others to remember someone now eternally absent, and the universe has been reconfigured.  These occasions are often called “watershed moments” or “turning points.”

Watershed moments can also come to groups, or institutions, or even nations.  A new sense of purpose or new goals can arise from conflict or agreement, an incident or a discovery.  When the history of our era is written, this time might be considered a turning point for the Canadian Unitarian Council and for Unitarianism in Canada.

Read the discussion paper “Canadian Unitarian Council: Turning Towards the Future” for a description of our current challenges, the Board’s proposed future vision, and to see how you can get involved! You can provide your input by submitting a competed Board Feedback Form.

[See the December 2013 eNews for more background]

2014 Annual Conference and Meeting – Register Now!

Come join UUs from across the country in the delightful city of Montreal! Over the May long weekend from May 16 – 18, 2014, we will gather to engage around the theme of “Building Beloved CommUUnity: Sacred Spaces Beyond Walls.

Register by March 30th for lowest prices and a chance to win a free registration!

What’s in store for you at ACM 2014?

Read more …

ACM 2014 Room / Ride Share

Looking to share or offer a ride or accommodation for ACM Montreal? Look on the bottom of the Travel and Accommodation pages on how to do this.

February is CUC Month!

How much do you think you know about Canadian Unitarianism? Try our CUC Month QUUiz and enter for a chance to win a $50 prize from the CUC Store.

We hope you’ll hold a Sharing Our Faith Sunday (the 2014 SOF Resource is available here), as well as gather with delegates to discuss the proposed resolution on Human Rights in Palestine and Israel, and the CUC Board’s proposed mission statement, refreshed vision and new priorities.
2014 Sharing Our Faith Resources

Sharing Our Faith, a CUC funding program for growth and outreach initiatives, demonstrates the generosity of our congregations. Since 2001, Sharing Our Faith has collected and awarded over $135,000 to congregations. We hope you’ll hold a Sharing Our Faith Sunday this year, with the aid of our 2014 SOF Resource Package. This was compiled by Rev. Fiona Heath, with assistance from the UU Ministers of Canada.

Congregations can apply for funding for growth initiatives; deadline is March 31, 2014.
Looking for a Parliamentarian

The CUC Board is seeking a Parliamentarian. Jaime Dunton, the current Parliamentarian, will be resigning at the end of this year’s Annual General Meeting. Many thanks go to Jaime for his careful reading of documents, his expert advice on drafting new CUC by-laws, and his keen eye for detail.

The CUC Parliamentarian provides advice to the Board President and Executive Director on matters of procedure and application of democratic principles during and between Annual General Meetings. If you are well-versed in parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order, have experience in chairing formal meetings, and are familiar with CUC Annual General Meetings – you may be the one! More information and Terms of Reference click here.
Resolutions for Annual General Meeting 2014

Resolutions for the 2014 Annual General Meeting are on the Governance page of the CUC website under “CUC Resolutions.” Get together with your congregation and delegates to discuss and inform your delegates on how to vote.

More Annual Meeting information coming soon.

Calling Lay Chaplains and Lay Chaplain Committee Members

Two lay chaplain learning workshops will be held in Montreal on May 15 and 15th, 2014. Rev. Carole Martignacco will lead “Challenging Memorials” and Amanda Tarling will present the “Outreach for Lay Chaplains” workshop. The “Outreach” workshop is particularly pertinent for congregational lay chaplain committee members, webweavers and publicity folks – it will show you ways to increase your visibility!

These will be held just prior to the beginning of the Annual Conference and Meeting at the Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel. Register now!
Refugee Sponsorship In 2014

Would your congregation like to sponsor refugees in 2014?  As a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), the CUC has been approved for a number of uncapped spaces, as well as a specific number of spaces for Syrian refugees. Follow this link for the latest information regarding the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

If your congregation would like to be involved in sponsoring a refugee, please contact the CUC’s Social Responsibility Coordinator, April Hope at april@cuc.ca
Youth and Young Adults – Gather in Montreal!

Young Adult and CanUUdle registration for ACM 2014 is open. Register early for savings! Please note that CanUUdle is limited to 80 spaces this year, so register soon!
CUC Staff Change

Due to budgetary restrictions, a difficult decision was made to combine the Office Administrator and Financial Administrator positions into one full-time position. We regretfully say goodbye to Karen Claney, who has been Office Administrator with the CUC since 2009. Karen’s helpful presence with our members and committees, her willingness to go above and beyond, and her loyal commitment to the CUC will be missed. We wish Karen the very best, and hope that this challenging change will open new doors for her.

Vidya Sudama, who is currently our Financial Administrator, will be taking over the combined position effective February 18th, 2014 and can be reached at info@cuc.ca.
"YES, We Do!"

In May 2013, delegates to the CUC’s Annual Meeting voted “YES!” to the recommendation that we develop an electronic communications platform.  Lots of UUs at the meeting were excited about the idea.  Now it’s time for us to fundraise to make it happen.  If you are keen to see Unitarians build connections across the country … if you want to see us improve our presence on the web and become more interactive … and if you want to be part of a group that gets this message out in a way that is fun, creative, and social-media savvy … contact Vyda Ng vyda@cuc or Karen Fraser Gitlitz karen@ucsaskatoon.org to get involved.  This is a one year commitment, December 2013-December 2014.
Ontario Health and Safety Training Required

Presidents, Boards, Ministers and Congregational Staff -  a new Ontario regulation will require health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The regulation comes into force July 1, 2014, allowing workplace parties time to prepare. More information here.

Congregations in other provinces should become familiar with their provincial health and safety acts to ensure compliance with any new regulations.
2014.
Unitarian Congregation In Mississauga Looking for Music Director

The Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga is looking for a new Music Director, and is hoping to have one in place by April 2014.  The position requires approximately 6 hours a week, including about 3 hours on Sunday morning.  More information is available on the UCM website.
The Biggest Global Health Threat of the 21st Century—and the Antidote

By Cymry Gomery, Unitarian Church of Montreal

What did Lancet, the world’s leading medical journal, describe as “the biggest threat to our health in the 21st century[1]’’? I will give you a hint: It starts with a ‘’C’’, but its not Cancer or C-difficile. . . Give up? It’s Climate Change. The World Health Organization concurs with Lancet’s gloomy prognosis for Earth in the 21st century, stating that, not only will vector-borne diseases expand their reach and death tolls, but water, food security, and extreme climatic events brought on by climate change will have a catastrophic impact on global health.

Read more …
Share Your Story

How did you come to Unitarian Universalism? Why do you stay? What energizes you about your UU community? What would you like your UU world of the future to look like?

We’d like you to share your UU story with us and with others. Send your stories to communications@cuc.ca, spell-checked, no more than 600 words.

And if your congregation or community has done something you feel proud of or would like to celebrate, let us know! Send to communications@cuc.ca, as above. Photos are especially welcome!
UU-UNO Spring Seminar on Rights of Indigenous People

The UU-United Nations Office Intergenerational Spring Seminar takes place on April 3-5, 2014. Keynote speakers are Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Vyda Ng, Executive Director of the Canadian Unitarian Council. Registration is open!

Nigeria’s Laws on Homosexuality an Attack on Basic Human Rights

Bruce Knotts, Director of the UU-United Nations Office, was quoted in The Star recently about the dangers faced by gays in Nigeria and Uganda. 38 African countries have laws criminalizing homosexuality, but the laws in Nigeria and Uganda seem especially harsh. Read the full article here.

Support Canadian Interns at the UU-UNO

The CUC United Nations Advisory Council has established a fund to assist Canadians who intern at the UU-United Nations Office in New York. Donations may be made at cuc.ca or by calling the CUC office at 1.888.568.5723.

Know a Canadian UU who is Knight-worthy?

Do you know of a Canadian Unitarian who has, as a volunteer, contributed at the national level to furthering the principles of Unitarianism in Canada? Annually, the Knight Award is presented to a living person who exemplifies the principles upheld by the lives of Victor and Nancy Knight. Nominations may be submitted by any member or friend of a Canadian UU congregation, and must be accompanied by a citation describing what the nominee has done at the national level to promote liberal religious principles in Canada and why she or he should be considered for the award. Nominations must be received by March 31; details on submitting a nomination are here.

Walk / Run / Ski for BioDiversity

USC Canada’s Run for Biodiversity is growing in popularity and has expanded to 7 cities. Check out their new video and look for a city near you to R4B, and Go Wild for Food & Farmers in 2014!

Credentialling Committee Wanted

At the 2014 Annual General Meeting on May 16th, 2 -3 people are needed to form the Credentialing Committee. This Committee registers delegates, counts delegates to make sure quorum is present, counts votes if necessary, and helps the Chair ensure that the Annual Meeting runs smoothly. If you’d like to be involved, please email executivedirector@cuc.ca.
 



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