The First Church Nominating Committee has confirmed the following slate for open Board seats for the 2013-14 Leadership year:

Board members:

• Jenna McConnell-Seab
• Angie Palazzolo
• Mary Jo Day (nominated for re-election)

Annual Budget Drive Chair:

• Valerie Lowe

The 2013-14 Nominating Committee slate is still being finalized and will be made available shortly.

Respectfully submitted,
Jyaphia Christos-Rodgers
Coleen Murphy
and Cathy Harbison

The Interim/Developmental Minister Search Committee, comprised of Katie Gelfand, Henry McCarthy, and Linda Reine has begun its work. The committee met earlier this week to generate and compile interview questions with written input provided by several church committee chairs. A conference call was held with Rev. Kenn Hurto, Lead Executive of the UUA Southern Region to help the committee more fully understand the search process and resources to facilitate it.

Currently we have two candidates from the Southern Region Transitions Office via Rev. Kenn whose interviews are being scheduled for next week. The committee will obtain written information, including resumes and sample sermons, in addition to interviewing the candidates. We will then make a recommendation to the Board by the end of the month. Rev. Hurto will be in New Orleans, working with church leaders and interested church members and friends on June 8th, as well as preaching from our pulpit on June 9th.

In January 2012, the UUA Board decided to meet in New Orleans, LA to engage the leadership of the local congregations in conversation about the post-Katrina response of the UUA and UUSC.  After nearly seven years, there were still hurt feelings and unanswered questions about how the monies raised by the UUA/UUSC joint campaign were distributed and accounted for.  The Board listened deeply, asked difficult questions, and left New Orleans with a commitment to address the issue.

In addition to speaking with the congregational leaders in New Orleans, the Board entered into conversations with a number of UUA staff and volunteers who spent time in the Gulf Coast area after the storms.  As a result of this process, at our April 2013 meeting in Boston, the UUA Board approved and sent a letter to the three Greater New Orleans UU churches, acknowledging the pain caused by the lack of clarity in the initial UUA/UUSC fundraising campaign and the well-meaning yet at times unhelpful assistance the UUA provided. Here is a copy of the letter.

In addition to the letter, the UUA Board voted to designate funds raised from the GA plenary collection to go to the Greater New Orleans Unitarian Universalists to use and distribute as they saw fit.  The UUA Board would like to thank the New Orleans area congregations and everyone who helped out in these difficult years since the storms and flooding of 2005.

The next quarterly congregational meeting of members and friends of First UU Church of New Orleans will be held on Sunday, May 26, 2013, immediately following services.

Agenda items will include:

• Minutes of the February 2013 meeting
• Treasurer's report
• Proposed by-laws amendment. Church members should have received a copy of the proposed revisions to the bylaws via email. If you didn't get it please contact the Board Secretary.
• Nominating team report
• Election of new board members
• Approval of delegates to General Assembly
• Update on ministerial search
• Upcoming visit of Rev. Kenn Hurto, UUA Transitions Office (Saturday, June 8th and Sunday, June 9th)

Please plan to attend this important meeting.  We will aim to finish the business within 90 minutes.  Church leadership will be available after the meeting for anyone who wishes to convene in circle to discuss the ministerial transition process and ways to help our congregation move forward.

Thanks for your dedication to our church community.

Your Board of Trustees

Our Mission: The Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal a catalyst in the New Orleans area for promoting social, economic, environmental and racial justice. We do this through activism, community engagement and transformational learning.

Save the Dates:

Coming to a congregation near you on Mother’s Day weekend:

Friday, May 10^th @ 8 PM @ NSUU
Saturday, May 11^th @ 8 PM @ FUUNO
Sunday, May 12^th @ 3 PM @ CCUU

$20/ticket & all proceeds benefit your Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal – see http://cindyscott.us/ for more exciting details! Come celebrate the US Holiday founded by Unitarian Julia Ward Howe by affirming the work of our faith and enjoying some excellent jazz!

May 8^th – Ethical Lunch @ Noon at the Center (2^nd Fl, FUUNO) – Let Chef Amina wow your taste buds, learn about the joy of ethical eating, and spend some time communing with beloved community!

Updates:

Thirty-five volunteers from Follen Church, MA joined in the GNOUU Earth Day service on Sunday, 4/14. For some, this was their first visit, others count 14 or 16 return journeys to stand on the side of love in New Orleans. We continue to be grateful for their faithfulness.

We look forward to welcoming Compass Montessori School to the Center for the first time and to welcoming back Rockland Community College. The Center gladly welcomes local volunteers who would like to help with the hosting of these groups during the week of April 28^th & May 12^th!

If you missed our first ever Spring Newsletter, you can find it here: http://celsjr.org/images/docs/carnival_newsletter.pdf

Remember to keep updated in real time via our many social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In faith and with an ever grateful heart,

Rev. Deanna

Rev. Deanna Vandiver
Executive Director