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February 2024 Newsletter
Letter from the President, February 2024
Welcome to 2024! I always find the end of the year to be a rush to finish up projects or tidy things up with the goal of putting fresh and rested eyes on them in the New Year. As I move into 2024, I want to assess what was accomplished in our first 90 days so I can set priorities for the next 90 days..
Pausing the AEU’s committees to be assessed and better aligned with the movement’s and Board’s needs was one of the most significant changes from the first quarter. Our committees included some of the most dedicated and passionate volunteers I’ve ever worked alongside. Some of our committees were finely-tuned, working in alignment with the Board according to their commission and accomplishing the work of the Union. And some of our committees were less successful, leaving critical work unfinished. The time leading up to the 2023 Assembly and the Assembly itself took an incredible toll on our volunteers. By the time we reached the end of FY23, many of our volunteers had officially resigned, reached their term limits, or were simply unresponsive. Pausing the committees was a way for the Board to evaluate each committee to ensure alignment, mutual support, and mutual accountability.
As we embark on transforming the AEU into a more inclusive and vibrant organization, it is imperative that we take time to figure out what Societies need. To that end, two teams were convened — Ethical Education and Ethical Action — to identify immediate and long-term needs and to propose a clearly-defined purpose and mission of the reconstituted committees to the AEU Board. As we move into Q2, these teams will be leading the way in how we reconstitute the committees. The goal is to have committees working in alignment with the Board and its vision for the AEU so that they are supported financially and operationally.
The AEU Board of Directors had its second meeting for FY24 on January 13. Working with the new Regional Team structure, the Northeast Region proposed a budget that they workshopped within their team before bringing it to an All-Region meeting for comments and adjustments reflecting the diverse needs of the AEU’s member Societies. The Board approved the adjusted working budget to move us forward into the fiscal year. This collaboration is an excellent example demonstrating the kind of mature synthesis that the Regional Teams were designed to facilitate. The budget is just the first step. Next, our Board and reconstituted committees will determine how best to allocate funding from the budget toward direct services to our Societies and the furtherment of our movement.
The Finance Committee is also working on a plan to diversify and increase the AEU’s income streams. A healthier AEU is one that is less of a financial burden on its member Societies and one that can afford to offer societies the programs and services they need. This means less dependency on apportionments, which is currently our main source of income. This also means better leveraging apportionments to support a more efficient organization.
I appreciate that board members have leaned into the new model of working together. I appreciate the people who have been working on the teams to bring in new ideas and reimagine what the AEU can do. Change is hard, and the type of change that the AEU needs to undergo to be thriving 50 years from now is monumental. But we will get there if we give these new systems room to breathe.
Sincerely,
Khandra Sears
AEU President
AEU 2024 Assembly
Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care
After four years of online Assemblies, the American Ethical Union is excited to announce that our 2024 Assembly will be a hybrid gathering July 24-26, 2024 at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, MN. Together, we’ll explore Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care.
Q: Why the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis?
A: The First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis (FUS) enthusiastically invited us to their space to host the AEU 2024 Assembly without a cost. FUS has deep humanist roots in the Unitarian Universalist tradition and has a thriving community in Minneapolis. FUS has been connected to the Humanist Institute in Minneapolis, where many Ethical Culture Leaders have been trained.
FUS is generously offering their space to us at no cost, which can accommodate 450 people with up to three breakout rooms, and hotels are within a mile’s walking distance from the building. We are excited to partner with FUS of Minneapolis and build upon this partnership to bring more value to Ethical Societies in the future.
Q: Will members be expected to attend the Assembly in person to vote?
A: No. The 2024 Assembly is a hybrid event that will accommodate virtual attendees and delegates.
Q: What does Mindful Stories: A Ritual of Care mean?
A: After spending years apart attempting to curb the spread of COVID, we come back together in need of a healing experience of one another’s presence and the Ethical Culture value of bringing out the best in one another. These hardships don’t have to define us; instead, we can integrate them into our story and move forward feeling a sense of shared overcoming. This is why the Assembly will center around stories that change us and the healing practice of storytelling itself.
Q: How will young people be included in this Assembly?
A: As Co-Chairs of the Assembly, Julia Julstrom-Agoyo and Anya Overmann — two Future of Ethical Societies (FES) members — are inviting Youth of Ethical Societies (YES) members and former YES members to participate in planning so they can spend time together in Minneapolis. If you are a current or former YES member and would like to be involved in planning, email Julia and Anya.
Q: How will programming be selected for the 2024 Assembly?
Ideas for programming can be shared with the Ethical Education Team. Assembly Co-Chairs will review all programming ideas according to their alignment with this year’s theme and other programming.
Q: Will there be a group rate for hotel rooms in Minneapolis?
A: No. All Assembly attendees should book their own lodging for the Assembly weekend. We recommend considering shared lodging or coordinating with other attendees for a more cost-effective and enjoyable experience.
Q: Who can I contact if I have questions?
Assembly Co-Chairs Julia Julstrom-Agoyo and Anya Overmann are your contacts for all things AEU Assembly 2024!
Introducing AEU Board Member Julia Julstrom-Agoyo
Greetings to all. My name is Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, and I grew up attending the Ethical Humanist Society in my hometown of Chicago. I remained involved through my high school years in the Youth of Ethical Societies (YES) and afterward in the Future of Ethical Societies (FES). I took the core values of Humanism to heart and I found comfort in being in community with others who also valued collective humanity, the betterment of our world, and “deed before creed.”
Ethical Humanism has helped shape my worldview, prompting me to use my time here on Earth to alleviate human suffering. This commitment, along with my personal connection to Ethical Humanism, is why I am recommitting to this community at this critical time by getting involved with the AEU’s Ethical Action Team after years of intermittent involvement as FES Representative to the AEU Board of Directors.
These first few months of working with peers in the Ethical Action Team have been exciting. At a time when the voices of the masses go unheard — when their calls for peace, justice, and an end to genocide around our world is dismissed — it is important as ever to never become complacent or neutral and open ourselves up for dialogue and learning. We have a responsibility and an opportunity to heal ourselves and simultaneously fight like hell for everyone’s fundamental right to life. Our team has a lot of ideas, and we are looking forward to reinvigorating Ethical Action’s objectives and impact potential for our movement and our collective world.
As we begin this New Year, having spent time with our loved ones around the holidays and Winter Solstice, let us all practice what we preach,individually and collectively, and be fearlessly outspoken for all humans, close and far. May we practice bold compassion for each other, within our movement, and as a citizen of our world.
Julia Julstrom-Agoyo
Board Representative, Future of Ethical Societies
AEU 2024 Assembly Co-chair
Letter from the Treasurer, February 2024
Numbers tell stories. I have always had a love of numbers and how they can move the creative process of change along at a rapid pace. Creativity and finances compel change at the crossroads of innovation and adaptability to reshape tradition.
For the past couple of years, the AEU has intentionally been seeking change. As the AEU regrouped after the 2023 Assembly, the AEU Board hired Greg Bonin as the new Director of Administration and Organizational Culture, established a Regional Team framework to meet the needs of our new representative Board structure, and initiated the process of reconstituting the AEU’s committees. We are at the crossroads that requires innovation and adaptability to reshape our beloved traditions.
The recently approved AEU budget will allow us to cross this threshold by fostering a more equitable platform for change that more accurately reflects the diverse needs of our Societies. Society microgrants, capacity and skills training, and the Visiting Leaders Bureau, are just a few of the direct services funded by this budget. These new goals will support fundraising opportunities that will generate both financial returns plus positive social and environmental outcomes.
Liz Singer
AEU Treasurer
Human-I-Tree All-Societies Platform
(And Save the Date!)
The December All-Societies Platform was held on December 31, 2023, closing the year and welcoming us into the new year. The American Ethical Union is deeply grateful to the dedicated volunteers, members, and artists who made the December 2023 All-Societies Platform a success.
View the December All-Societies Platform on YouTube →
Save the Date: Upcoming 2024 All-Society Platforms
March 31, 2024
June 30, 2024
September 29, 2024
December 29, 2024
All-Society Platforms usually begin at 11:00 AM ET.