Category Archives: Annual Conference and Meeting

Vyda Ng Chosen as CUC Interim Executive Director

Posted on by
7

Vyda Ng

THE CUC BOARD of Trustees is delighted to announce that Vyda Ng has accepted our offer to take on the position of Interim Executive Director.

The Board of Trustees thanks the many people across the country who participated in the process of reviewing the job description of the Executive Director in early January. Out of that consultation came a recommendation to search for a two year interim executive director who has a strong knowledge and understanding of Canadian Unitarian Universalism.

Vyda is uniquely qualified for this position through her long involvement with the Canadian Unitarian Council, as a Board member, Board President, chair of two national CUC task forces, and in a number of other volunteer roles. In addition her experience within our Unitarian Universalist movement Vyda’s prior experience as a counselor and as Executive Director of the Coalition Against Violence in St. John’s have contributed to developing her skills in working with people with diverse points of view.

Her collaborative style of leadership and management bodes well for developing positive relationships and productive team building. Vyda enters the position with a sound core of Unitarian Universalist knowledge and a deep commitment to the UU movement in Canada, evidenced by her consistent participation in UU and CUC affairs. Her experiences both within our movement and in other non-profit environments amply demonstrate her leadership capabilities.

Vyda will start work on May 14 and will be at the Spiritual Leadership Symposium in Ottawa from May 18-20.

UU Young Adults to Gather at Symposium in May, Opus in August

Posted on by
Reply
UU Young Adults at the CUC 50th anniversary Annual Conference & Meeting in Toronto, May 2011

Young Adults at the 50th anniversary CUC Annual Conference & Meeting in Toronto, May 2011. More than 50 YAs attended, meeting an anniversary goal. (Photo: Anna Isaacs)

TWO MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES are coming for Canada’s UU Young Adults to gather and build community. One group of YAs has arranged a community building time at the 2012 Spiritual Leadership Symposium in Ottawa this month, while another is busy planning to host Opus 2012, this year’s North-America-wide young adult conference, at Ontario’s Unicamp in August.

While there isn’t a usual CUC Annual Conference & Meeting this year, the smaller Symposium is still a great opportunity to continue the momentum that was built last year when over 50 young adults attended the ACM.

Plans during the Symposium include:

  • Gathering for dinner before the ingathering on Friday,
  • The annual “Bridger Dinner” (a joint dinner with the senior youth) on Saturday night,
  • A gathering at a local pub or restaurant after the Sunday dinner, and
  • Participating in the Bridging Ceremony during the Sunday morning service.

A short Young Adult post-conference day on Monday, at the Westin, will include time for deep discussions, visioning and planning for future events, as well as worship. The group will then head off-site for lunch and more fellowship, and finish by 2pm to allow for travel time.

You do not have to register for the Symposium to attend the Friday dinner, the Sunday morning service, or the post-conference day. The Bridger Dinner on Saturday night requires pre-registration — please e-mail Sean Neil-Barron if you haven’t registered yet; there is a cost of $15.

For more information about the Young Adult events, as well as information on subsidies and home hospitality, visit the young adult area of the Symposium website.

Young Adult Travel Points Fundraiser Is Taking Flight

Posted on by
Reply

CANADA’S UU YOUNG ADULT community had a request for all UUs in November — for individuals to print out and use their Airmiles and Aeroplan rewards cards to accumulate points that can help bring young adults to national events without breaking the bank.

So far only a handful of people have being using these cards sporadically, but organizer Chris Mishra reports that they’ve already accumulated 377 Airmiles and 482 Aeroplan points. “Imagine how quickly these will accumulate if 20, 50, 100, or even 500 UUs across Canada use the cards from time to time,” she says. “Before long we’ll have enough points to offset travel costs for our volunteer staff for events, and for others who need financial assistance.

Using the cards is easy — just download and print out the PDF versions below, and use them when you shop. Hard copies of the cards will also be available at the 2012 Symposium in Ottawa this month.

The young adults are not asking you to give up collecting your own reward miles if you use them; but if you’re like most of us, and only have one account or the other, or never seem to collect enough miles to be useful — then why not help out the young adults? It’s such an easy way to support our next generation of leaders.

Photo: caribb (Creative Commons)

Active Democracy Report Calls For More Voices in CUC Decisions

Posted on by
Reply

THE CUC Active Democracy Study Group has released its final report, recommending that more voices be brought into CUC decision-making, more effectively, and much more frequently than at Annual General Meetings.

CUC Active Democracy Study GroupThe report also urges improved and more accessible communication between congregations, individuals, stakeholder groups and the CUC’s Council, Board and staff.

The Study Group’s report, titled Strengthening Our Democratic Voices, was released on April 20, and will be officially presented at the 2012 CUC Annual General Meeting in Ottawa on May 18.

Continue reading →