Do you have a teenager interested in UU history?

The Unitarian Universalist Historical Society is running a contest for youth.  Anyone between the ages of 12-17 is invited to submit an original essay that deals with the history of Unitarian-Universalism (including Unitarianism and/or Universalism).  Essays need to be submitted by February 1 of next year.  Cash prizes to be awarded!  More details will be available soon at the UU Historical Society’s new website.

New Website for Unitarian Universalist Historical Society

There’s a spiffy new website up for the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society–the design is much nicer and there’s some expanded content as well.  There are many links to online resources as well, though there still isn’t a list of blogs devoted to UU history.  Therefore, in the meantime the UU history blogroll on the right side of your screen will remain in effect.

How Did Your Church Handle Obama’s Election?

This morning at the First Unitarian Congregation of Waterloo, the minister opened joys and concerns with a preface.  She said that this was a momentous week and that many people were understandably very happy.  At the same time, she said that there are people of many political orientations in the congregation, and that we need be to respectful.  She then lit the first candle, “for political reconciliation and cooperation.”  This seemed to set the tone for the morning, and the subsequent joys and concerns were almost all personal, rather than political (one gentleman made an oblique reference to being happy about the election).

How did you church handle it?  Did people get up during joys and concerns and proclaim their joy over Obama, or anger/heartbreak over Proposition 8 in California (or vice versa)?  Did your minister make an attempt to head-off potential politicization of the candles, or did he get the party started with an ode to the president-elect?  Did you get up and say something related to the election, or did you feel motivated but decide to remain in your seat?