Greetings, !

With the NAUA Summit just around the corner, now's a good time to train our focus on our values of Freedom, Reason and Tolerance. Most editions of this newsletter (prior to the Summit) will feature poems or quotes with a focus on one or more of these values, so we can explore each one from many angles. For this issue, let's focus on Reason.

“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.”  Voltaire

“Strong reasons make strong actions.”  William Shakespeare

"Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either your sails or your rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas. For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction." Kahlil Gibran

“Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.” Voltaire

Note: If you've written a poem, designed a work of art, or taken a photograph that might be a good fit for this focus on our values, please consider emailing it to jmkrettek@gmail.com. If we aren't able to use it here, we may request your permission to share it on our Facebook page or via other communications. Thanks!

Submitted by Calvin Yost, NAUA member residing in the Phillipines

"I'm greeting the walking group. 70 people from many faiths and ecology clubs stopped by the UU national headquarters for a break and refreshment."

Rev. Eklof asked the Nominating Committee to develop a procedure that would permit NAUA members, not nominated by the Nominating Committee, to run for election to the NAUA Board. Marga Hanna, a member of the Nominating Committee, agreed to take the lead in developing such a procedure and to have it presented to the Board at its July meeting. This will permit the procedure to be used for the next Board elections at the Summit this Fall. (An announcement regarding Board Nominations can be found later in this newsletter.)

The Board approved a budget for the second half of 2025 (July-December 2025). The budget was based upon requests from NAUA Committees and programs and also covers other maintenance costs and contracts such as for the NAUA website. The details of the budget are recorded in the minutes of the May Board meeting and will be available on the NAUA website after the minutes are approved at the June Board meeting.

The Board approved a motion to issue a contract for a  Communications Specialist position for a period of 6 months. The contract will be offered to Joanne Krettek, who has been handling most of NAUA’s on-line communications, announcements, social media presence and publications on a volunteer basis. 

The next NAUA Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11^th. The recently approved policy for attending and/or presenting at NAUA board meetings can be found on our website.

Some members of the Board are completing their terms, and the Nominating Committee would be interested in identifying individuals who would like to join the Board. 

Please let the Nominating Committee know if you are interested in assuming a role on the Board, or if you know of someone you believe would make a meaningful contribution as a Board Member. 

Kindly direct any questions or suggestions for potential candidates to the following email: nomcom@naunitarians.com 

The Member Services Committee is still looking for co-leaders for other regions. The groups will begin on Zoom, so a little experience with Zoom would be helpful, but not essential. We will train anyone who does not feel confident. If interested, please contact NAUA Member Services at memberservices@naunitarian.org and include your location.

Agenda and Registration

Participation Options

Participation can be as simple as logging into Zoom from your home computer. Or, as an alternative, some member organizations and local groups, such as UU Church of Spokane, are planning to host in-person gatherings for Zoom participation. This will allow participants to share snacks (if desired), chat in-between sessions, and discuss observations afterward. You may want to look into joining or setting up a group gathering in your area, especially during the keynote address and Saturday worship service.

Call for Volunteer Contributions

If you would like to help us plan or host the Summit, we'd love to hear from you. In particular, we are seeking technical volunteers to serve as Zoom hosts during the Summit. Training will be provided. Please email us at summit@naunitarians.org to let us know of your interest in any of these areas.

Thanks, and see you at the Summit! 

We asked Marga to summarize the series for those who were unable to attend one or more monthly sessions. We also want to express gratitude for the enormous investment of time and resources by all workshop planners, presenters and organizers, as well as the many attendees who enriched the series with their participation.

From January to May 2025, the International Alliance Committee of the NAUA offered the opportunity to gather and discuss how the commonality of myth fosters interconnectedness and a foundation for our spiritual and religious traditions.

The group met on the second Saturday of each month, for five consecutive months. The individuals attending came from Europe, Canada and the United States.  The pre-work for each session included reading from the following source books: The Power of Myth, the written conversations between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers from 1985/86; The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock, and King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette. Additionally, participants viewed Joseph Campbell’s 5-part series, The Shaping of our Mythic Tradition.

Mythology has an important connection for Unitarians as it aligns with our values of ... [read more]

Note: There will be no International Alliance or NAUA Academy workshop during the month of June. 

The NAUA Academy Advisory Board will be meeting over the summer to plan an engaging and stimulating 2025-26 season. If you have ideas for topics or suggestions of speakers you would like to hear at an Academy Session, please email your ideas to academy@naunitarians.org.

Once this is completed, other volunteers then link the video to the website and social media. We are not looking for professional editing, just enough to reflect the quality of the recording. If you have time, interest and a capacity to learn, this can be a rewarding commitment for both you and NAUA. Please email communication@naunitarians.org to chat with someone from the communications team.

Our next gathering takes place on the first Wednesday of June, from 4:00 - 5:30 PM PDT / 7:00 - 8:30 PM EDT. The NAUA Conversation / Discussion CIRCLE has no limits on participation and is open to all NAUA members and friends. Join in creating a vibrant, supportive space for dialogue and reflection.

The zoom link is: https://tinyurl.com/naua-circle

For questions or to register for reminders, email us at circles@naunitarians.org. The CIRCLE will be facilitated by a member of the NAUA Board of Trustees. We hope to see you there!

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