by Roseanna Almaee

A Newbie at General Assembly

This year I was chosen to represent QUUF as a delegate to the General Assembly, and it was my honor to fulfill that responsibility as a fully virtual attendee, and I was well supported by the QUUF team and administrators.

I have either been to or presented at such conferences before, and using those as a comparison was natural. The similarities were many. There were the general sessions filled with announcements, reports, and inspiring speakers. There were also the typical smaller workshops or breakout sessions with a huge variety of offerings and special topics of many kinds. Finally, there was the usual “open market” with a bookstore and vendors offering a wide variety of information and materials. And yes, all of this was fully online as well as in person.

The differences between my previous such experiences and this General Assembly were startling and wonderful. First, this conference was offered as multi-platform, which meant we could be fully present, fully virtual, or a combination of both. And the conference team worked hard to create one of the most inclusive platforms for those with a variety of disabilities. Yes, there were issues – which is normal for anything technical and especially for something like this that was so huge and complicated, but they did a great job and are working to make it better next year. There was business to take care of, but the spiritual aspect was consistently present as each of us tended to the needs of others, used compassion and respect, and shared with love. Finally, and most importantly, was how the business was conducted.

This General Assembly was a shining example of the values I love about UU. For months the process for this year’s specific work had been going out to congregations and individuals to discuss and make choices, and we delegates from QUUF asked for and received guidance from our congregation. Then, about a week before the meeting, delegates participated in mini-business sessions as well as several campaign sessions for those running for contested offices. During the GA business meeting, we were able to hear proposals from across the country, hear pro and con statements from a large variety of people in person and on line, and continue discussions online. All of this open discussion was done lovingly and respectfully. It was thrilling to see the overwhelming vote counts each time and know that after all the discussions, a huge majority of us were in alignment. To be a witness to the transparency and grass roots involvement was, for me, a dream of what a democracy based on love and respect looks like. With the world events we currently face, I needed to see this more than anything else. I am happy to have served QUUF in this way