To our fellow congregants:
We are writing today to share with the congregation where we are in the Name Change discussion. Our goal is to keep this process moving forward.
Recap of process so far: Last winter, we as a Board shared our desire to explore the possibility of a name change for TUCW. If you recall, the Board suggested The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport as a suitable name for our future. This was proposed because we want to recognize both our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, and over the years, many have felt that the term “church” was not inclusive to all.
Since this initial announcement, we have conducted a number of public meetings to allow all of us to discuss the possibility of a name change and share reactions to the Board’s recommendation. We held five meetings over May, June and July, for people to share their thoughts, and share they did. Additionally, Board members have had 1-on-1 conversations with those who preferred to discuss their points of view in private. In general, the takeaway was two-fold: a) most people – but certainly not all – agreed taking the word “church” out of our name would be more representative of who we are; and b) there was not a clear consensus about what the new name should be.
Outline of future process. The Board would like to continue this process, and reach agreement on a name within the next few months. Since the name is embodied in the Constitution, we are recommending a three-step process, starting November 7, 2021 and concluding January 23, 2022.
I. An Open Town Hall Meeting November 7 in person, after the service, at noon, directly following a previously scheduled TUCWomen's presentation. All are invited to attend this Town Hall; we will provide a light lunch beforehand. The purpose is to have an open discussion, leading to a final name selection that we can vote on as part of the constitutional process, later in the year.
This meeting will be in person, in the sanctuary. It will be broadcast live for viewers at home, but for technical reasons, those at home will not be able to comment or vote; that will be left to people in the room. Should anyone be unable to make it to the church in person, it is recommended they make sure they have someone who represents their view be in physical attendance.
The meeting will go as long as it needs to go, to come to an agreement on one recommended name. The Board has already recommended The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport. If another name is more appealing to the majority in attendance, then that will be the name we move forward with.
II. A Constitutional Members Meeting Sunday December 5 in person, after the service. At this formal meeting, only members will discuss and vote on the proposed name that was selected at the November 7 meeting. At this time, the discussion and vote will be whether to approve the change in name. As in the past, the meeting will be conducted by Robert’s Rules, allowing for discussion, proposed amendment, etc. This meeting will be in person, and only members in good standing will be allowed to vote.
III. A Constitutional Members Meeting Sunday January 23 in person, after the service. This will be a members-only “up or down” vote to approve the vote from December 5. Should the suggestion of name change be voted down in December, this meeting will obviously not be held. All changes in our constitution require two votes, with a minimum of 21 days and a maximum of 120 days distance from the time of the first vote (in this case, December 5).
++++++
Members Only for December and January meetings. Changes in our Constitution – which a name change would be - require a quorum of members to be present to have a binding vote. So a gentle reminder that if you are NOT a member, but want to vote on this issue, it would be important to formalize your membership very soon. This is even more important since individuals cannot vote in Constitutional meetings until 30 days after becoming members.
This is a vibrant time in the life of our church: we have a lot going on, and our visibility in the surrounding communities is getting stronger. Addressing this name change is just one more step the Board recommends we take to continue our momentum, describing more accurately who we are: a group of people coming together, as member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and physically located in Westport.
We look forward to seeing you on November 7 and settling on a name to help take us into the next decade. As always, should you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them with any Board member, or the group collectively by emailing board@uuwestport.org.
Thank you,
Your Board
Luke Garvey
Catherine Onyemelukwe
Stephen Grathwohl
Stapley Emberling
Beth Cliff
Andy Gundell
Wendy Levy
Ravi Sankar
Deb Garskof
