Minutes of CUUPS Annual Meeting, 2008

Saturday June 28, 2008 @ 3:00 PM EST
Fort Lauderdale Beach, FLA

Twelve (12) Registered CUUPS members were in attendance. At the mention of some concerns on the part of the attendees that such a small number of people were making decisions for the entire membership of CUUPS, Aisling referred members to the CUUPS Regulations (By-Laws) wherein it is stated:

"The members present at an Annual meeting shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of electing a Nominating Committee and a Polling Committee." (CUUPS Regulations, Sec. 7.6)

The members were assured that no substantive business other than that permitted by this, and other, sections of the Regulations was on the agenda.

Imari Kariotis offered to take meeting minutes.

Meeting was called to order at 3:00 PM EST by Aisling (Maureen Duffy-Boose)-President

Announcements:
The deadline for nominations for the upcoming election is July 15, 2008. Ballots will be mailed out mid-August, counted in September and officers will be seated at Samhain.

Three (3) positions on the CUUPS Board are up for this election: Recording Secretary (Bonnie Dlott), Ministerial Liaison (Adam Robersmith) and a Board Agent. Current Nominations, which were made and seconded from the floor, are: Anne Marie Alderman, and Carol Bodeau.

Nominations for Elections
Nominations were invited from the membership at the meeting.

Mary Ann Somerville made a motion to nominate Imari Kariotis.
Mary Francis seconded the motion.
Motion Passed unanimously.

Ellen Peterson made a motion to nominate Ollis Hughes.
Mary Ann seconded the motion.
Motion Passed unanimously.

Nominating Committee
(This is the committee that will set the slate of nominees for the next election after this one.)

Imari Kariotis made the motion that Desert Dwellers Oasis CUUPS be the nominating committee.
Mary Anne seconded the motion.
Motion Passed unanimously.

Polling Committee
(This committee will receive and count the ballots for this year's election)

Mary Frances made the motion that Circle in the Woods CUUPS of Tampa be the Polling Committee.
Mary Anne seconded the motion
Motion Passed unanimously

CUUPCAKES
Imari Kariotis made the motion that CUUPS-Continental affirm and welcome the formation of CUUPCAKES (Coalition of Unitarian Universalist Pagan College-Age Kids Exploring Spirituality).
Briana Boose seconded the motion.
Motion Passed unanimously.

Rachel Stevenson, a Young Adult present at the meeting, was introduced as the leader of the formative coalition, and agreed to take responsibility for the initial formation of CUUPCAKES, including notices to Witchvox and other modes of publicizing the new resource.

Other announcements from Aisling (Maureen Duffy-Boose)-President:
A breakdown of what dues go for was given, from advertising at GA, website, etc.
Dues have been reduced:
Individual membership is now $25.00 for a year (was $35.00);
Family Membership $40.00 for a year (was $50.00):
Chapter Membership $30.00 for a year (was $75.00)
Discount for prepayment of dues for three (3) years
Individuals will pay: $60.00 for three years (was $75.00)
Families will pay: $100.00 for three years (was $150.00)
No discounted chapter membership due to the frequent change of chapter officers, not wanting to impose something on upcoming officers and members.

It was announced that a Convocation is planned for the summer of 2009 in conjunction with Salt Lake City General Assembly. Information will be disseminated on the CUUPSters Yahoo Group and in the CUUPS Bulletin.

A lifetime membership was offered to Joan Miller, a 79-year-old founding member of CUUPS. Passed by acclamation.

With no other announcements;
Aisling requested a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Motion made by Spelcastor.
Imari Kariotis seconded the motion.
Motion Passed unanimously.
Meeting adjourned 3:43PM EST

Meeting Minutes respectfully submitted by Imari Kariotis.

CUUPS Summer Solstice Ritual in Ft. Lauderdale FL
"Weaving CUUPS Together"

It was hot. But not too hot, and that was a pleasant surprise. We gathered on the beach at Ft. Lauderdale, in the one and only shaded spot along the beach, surrounded by the busy life of a Florida summer Saturday. But there were some wonderful and special things that made us truly know we were in the presence of the Holy. For one thing, there we were, right smack-dab in the midst of everything, and not one person intruded on us, walked through our circle, threw their volleyball or permitted their child to run through our ritual space, or in any way, shape or form disturbed us at all. It was as if we were safe inside the Temple space in one of our UU Churches, doing CUUPS ritual. Before the ritual began, I spoke, ably assisted by one of our Florida CUUPS members, with a gentleman who was somewhat disturbed by what he saw us doing. He testified to us of his faith in Jesus Christ, and spoke very solemnly and sincerely of his belief that our country was in deep trouble because we had "lost our way from God". He was obviously concerned that what we were doing was somehow wrong. But he seemed totally attentive when we thanked him for his perspective and told him that what we were doing was in honor of the beautiful Earth and the cycle of the Seasons, and all the gifts of God (yes, we did say God) to all of us. And then he politely got into his truck and said "God bless you" and drove away. It was one of my best Interfaith interactions, and I am grateful to our fellow CUUPSters who shared it with me.

Our ritual began promptly at noon, with quarter-calling and cleansing. We did not, deliberately, "cast a circle", because we spoke during our orientation of wanting to create a space where anyone who came late could feel free to enter the rite when they got there. We swept away cares with the broom, and centered and blessed the space, and anointed the participants with the sacred sunscreen...seriously. We changed the directionality of our quarters in honor of Mother Ocean, who was shimmering away east of us, so that Water was East and the breeze blowing from the West was...well, was Air in the West. We called Center, by naming ourselves and focusing ourselves on being Here In the Now. Together we sang, "Air I Am, Fire I Am, Water, Earth, and Spirit I Am" to center our space.

The God of the Summer Solstice was honored and appreciated for His bounteous warmth, and for His loving willingness to begin to shade His Glory so that we and our crops would not burn to a crisp. The SunLord was thanked and blessed and praised in his wondrous glory as Sunfather, with that great chant,

Our God is a Sun God
Our God is a Fun God
Ra, Ra, RA!!!!

The Great Goddess of the Many Names was invoked by any of the participants who wished to call out the name of a personal Goddess to invite Her to the rite. Many many Ladies were made welcome, including Yemaya, Brighid, Danu, Kuan Yin, Cerridwen, Artemis, Aphrodite, and many others. We sang to Her,

Lady, weave your circle tight,
Spin a web of glowing light,
Earth and Air and Fire and Water
Bind us to You...

We made an Offering to the Spirits of the Land, by handing out the Sacred Trash Bags, and picking up debris and garbage that was sullying the Face of Our Mother the Earth. The Offering was deposited in the sacred Trash Cauldron, with a prayer to Herself that She would know our gratitude and love for all Her many gifts, and that she would know that it was our intention, always, to honor Her by leaving every place we stepped in Nature more beautiful than it was when we got there. We then picked up Her gift to us, tiny fir cones that were lying all over the sand, and used them to focus our intention and wishes for those things we desired, placing the cones in the Cauldron and affirming one another's Will with "So Mote It Be". I think every single one of the 29 people in the circle placed an intention in the Cauldron, some of us more than once.

In order to bless and empower our Intentions, we created a Web, by calling out the names, not only of the participants, but of their Chapters, States of Origin, and Congregations, joining our own energies with the energies of CUUPsters all over the country who were not standing in our Circle. We made a physical Web of this, each of us touching the Cauldron, or touching someone who was touching the Cauldron, and invoking the fivefold power of Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Spirit to manifest our Will. We made wishes for Healing, for Empowerment, for Stability, for personal needs, for all kinds of singular and sacred intentions. And sealed them with chanting "We All Come From The Goddess", feeling very connected to Her and to one another.

We ended our rite with a Libation of Spirit, raising our hands and voices in a Salute to Life Itself. And as we began to dismiss our Elemental Guardians and gather in the energies of this Sacred Space, I am certain that we all felt a kinship, a focus, an intention of growth and healing and harmony, one which we can and will carry back to our home Chapters and Congregations. For this moment, in this place and time, CUUPS was One Spirit. And so it was.