October 2014

AGENDA:

Benediction

Congregations Check-in: 8:05

• Peggy: a pipeline is going through and wants to announce a global frack down. 610 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, Saturday Oct 11, 11:00am
• Lorraine: UCS having a committee fair. Carolyn and Lorraine are putting together poster info for UULMNJ.
• Elaine: Sunday legislative ministry organizational meeting; mass incarceration participation on Oct. 11 at prison rally and encouraging lobby day in Trenton; October 19 film showing, Oct 26 Rev. Neely leading book group; preliminary gun violence prevention work
• Al: showing of “the House I live in” on October 16; lay service on Mass Incarceration
• Toby: partner with Montclair on Citizens United; 1^st serving up justice activity last week and another tomorrow, seems to be broadening awareness of UULMNJ
• Nick: Rev Kim is having a special social action group meeting on Saturday Oct 11 to better coordinate what everyone is doing; new settled minister is wonderful, passionate and exciting!
• Laurice (Montclair): a month of Sunday sermons dedicated to Month of Resistance including Ed Barocas, Legal Director for ACLU-NJ on October 19; March and Rally on Oct. 22 from 4-8; UUCM contingent at Trenton on the 27th
• Sally: annual rummage sale 16-18^th turning it orange for Month of Resistance

Issues Workshop Summary:

• The keynote address by Udi Ofer and the morning worship will be available on YouTube soon.
• Al, Criminal Justice Reform: urgency of the vote on November 4; very pleased that the keynote speaker, Udi Ofer, addressed mass incarceration, 5.5% of the African American population cannot vote due to incarceration; action agenda coming from the task force to include all of the NJ congregational activities for the Month of Resistance; response to Ferguson was a disappointment to the task force, there seemed to be a general lack of understanding and lack of appreciation of the presence of racism.
• Lorraine posed a question pertaining to the ability to recommend people vote a certain way.  In a subsequent conversation with the board, it was decided that UULMNJ needs to maintain an educational stance.  Materials (see attached) are available for congregational use.
• Lorraine, Economic Justice: proposed legislation by the governor clarified by Arnold Cohen, by the governor taking that action communities can still collect from contractors for affordable housing; moratorium expires the end of 2014; a lot of new people at the task force meeting
• Laurice, Reproductive Justice: the task force will focus on “safe access to reproductive health services” to be inclusive of men and women, abortion, women’s health services.  The task force will also include domestic violence in the research stage, but will be ready to take action should the need arise.  This may likely happen as the Assembly unanimously passed a 6 bill domestic violence package last week.
• Nick: an override of the veto on the fracking waste ban is possible, Senator Carnalli could be on board and have a domino effect for other supporters
• Craig, Immigration: Sally Pillay from First Friends addressed the problem of migrant children, needing school supplies, volunteer visitors; trying to get drivers licenses for documented workers
• Laurice:  please go on Facebook and look at the photo album from the workshop, tag friends and congregation members, share the fun with your friends!

Video Project:

• Videos are being edited.  Will hopefully in the congregations by the end of the month

Climate March Continues:  To stay current with  UU Climate activities, the UUA is launching a new collective campaign for climate justice called Commit2Respond. Be sure to sign up.

By launching Commit2Respond, we will join all of our faithful efforts together to accelerate the shift to clean, renewable energy; grow the climate justice movement; and advance the human rights of marginalized communities in the face of climate change.  The UUA is building a timeline of events from now through 2017, including a month of commitment and action in spring 2015 and a climate justice public witness event at General Assembly 2015 in Portland, OR.

And the first event is starting now. Join the UU contingent in New York, participate in a local action in your area, and/or follow and amplify this weekend’s message on social media through the hashtags #Commit2Respond and #PeoplesClimate.

Adjourned at 9:03

Minutes submitted by Laurice Grae-Hauck, UULMNJ Administrator

Next call on November 5 at 8:00pm.
We are beginning to utilize Zoom teleconferencing.  Please see the info below.  You may join either by phone or computer.  Please use the meeting ID below when prompted.

Topic: Craig Hirshberg’s Monthly Liaison Meeting

Time: this is a recurring meeting

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Meeting ID: 468 835 613