UU historian and minister Elz Curtiss discusses the Reformation, Catholicism, and UU history in one fell swoop on her most recent blog post at PolityWonk. All of this leads to a call for a Special General Assembly to require that UUA District Trustees go on an annual listening tour and take questions from the congregations they represent on the Board. Here’s the text of the Bylaw amendment she wants this Special GA to pass:
“Every trustee shall visit every congregation or congregational cluster in her or his district every year. These visits shall be scheduled with and announced to the congregation or cluster not less than four months in advance. Each visit is to include a tour of the facilities and acquaintance with the congregational financial health, as well as not less than 60 minutes for open question and answer conversation with any members who choose to attend. Follow-up questions are permitted and the trustees are entitled to request time to research and write a full answer. These answers are to be submitted within a month and prominently posted in congregational media.”
It’s not clear exactly how serious she is about this proposal, but it’s worth considering. There’s never been a Special General Assembly called, although it’s not all that difficult (you need fifty sponsoring congregations, with no more than twenty from any single district). Requiring District Representatives who sit on the UUA Board of Trustees to be more accountable to their representees is certainly a worthy mission.
Transient and Permanent 