Our 2015 Fall Conference in Attleboro was extended by an additional day. Dan McKanan, Emerson UUA Senior Lecturer in Divinity at Harvard, and author of Prophetic Encounters: Religion and the American Radical Tradition, spoke on “UU Prophetic Scholarship in the 21st Century.” The evening included a dramatic presentation of Emily Dickinson portrayed by Candice Riddington. Attendees travelled by bus to Boston for a catered lunch at the UUA’s new headquarters at 24 Farnsworth Street. Andy and Chris Backus presented their odyssey.
Despite the inclement weather, or perhaps because of it, the 54 people who attended this year’s UURMaPA New England conference in Attleboro, Massachusetts, wanted to add another day to a future conference. Our keynote speaker was Harvard professor Daniel Smail, who opened our minds to epochs in Deep History of the human race.
View a 5-1/2 minute slideshow, created by Eleanor Richardson.
Fall Conference Attendees, 2012. Front row (l-r): Glen Snowden, Margi Nasemann, Eleanor Richardson, Ellen Brandenburg, Richard Trudeau, Iska Cole, Sylvia Howe Second row: Gregg Carter, Janet Bowering, Robbie Walsh, Kathleen Ward, Maurice Cobb, Jim Eller Third row: Kerry Mueller, Judith Downing, Susan Weston, Doris Hunter, Joyce & Dick Gilbert, Carol Taylor, Chris Backus, Dick Fewkes, Connie Johnson, Med Anderson, Judy Mannheim, Sue Nichols, Marcia Olsen, Paul L’Herrou Fourth row: George Brandenburg, Ed Lane, Peter Richardson, Ron Marcy, Joel Weaver, Andy Backus, Dave Hunter, John Weston, Sheldon Bennett, Vern Nichols, Molly Bennett. Photo by Eleanor Richardson
Forty-one members of UURMaPA gathered for our Attleboro Conference from October 2-4, 2012, held at LaSalette Retreat Center. The keynote program was “How Shall We Be with One Another?” with members of the UUMA Task Force on Retired Ministers, including our own Jim Eller and Chris Lilly Backus. The Task Force was charged with finding and sharing best practices for right relations among retired, interim and settled ministers, and their families. After a report of their findings, we broke into small groups for further discussion.
Tuesday afternoon Iska Cole shared her remarkable experiences as a Slovak partisan during World War II. That evening Margi Nasemann presented a “History of the United States through Music,” after which we watched the first 2012 US presidential debate. During the business meeting on Thursday morning, two awards were presented: Glen Snowden was given the Unsung UURMaPA Hero Award and Andy Backus the 2012 Creative Sage-ing Award.
Reports were given by UURMaPA Board members who were present, Joyce Stewart reported on the state of the UUA Retirement Plan, and Susan Weston led a discussion on future conference sites. John and Susan Weston served as conference chairs, and Richard Fewkes, Carol Taylor and Joel Weaver, and John Weston led us in worship services over the three days. As always we enjoyed our social times, with Happy Hours hosted by Ellen and George Brandenburg.
Previously at Attleboro
Fall Conference Attendees, 2011 (back row) Stephan Papa, Alan Deale, Iska Cole, John Rex, Peter Baldwin, Polly Leland-Mayer, Judy Mannheim, Harry Green, Carol Taylor, Kerry Mueller, Leigh McKay, Susan Weston, Ron Marcy, Vic Carpenter, Khoren Arisian, Peter Richardson, Dick Norsworthy, Ed Lane, Jan Kazlauskas, Joel Weaver, Gregg Carter, George Brandenburg, Dave Hubner, Med Anderson, Andy Backus, Judi Marcy (middle row) Doris Hunter, Liz Strong, Jan Bowering, Maurice Cobb, Dick Gilbert, Joyce Gilbert, Peter Morales, Margi Nasemann (front row) Chris Backus, Kathleen Hunter, Dick Fewkes, Dave Hunter, John Weston, Ellen Brandenburg, Eleanor Richardson, Glen Snowden
Peter Morales, Keynote Speaker – 2011
Dick Fewkes and Dick Gilbert — 2011. The banner was made by Iska Cole
“Olympia Brown” (Janet Bowering)
Gene and Helen Pickett Giving Their Odyssey, 2010
Peter and Carolyn Baldwin Giving Their Odyssey, 2009
Fall Conference Attendees, 2009 Back row from left: Ron Marcy, Andy Backus, Ed Lane, Maurice Cobb, Marj Lynn, Ed Lynn, Don Southworth (UUMA), Dick Fewkes, Peter Richardson, Carol Taylor, Richard Kellaway, Makanah Morriss, Peter Baldwin, Med Anderson, Gregg Carter, Dorothy Boroush, Peter Scott, Dick Gilbert, Joyce Gilbert, Ralph Mero, Judi Marcy, Vern Nichols. Seated: Jan Bowering, David Cole, Jarmila Vogel, George Brooks, Faith Scott. On ground: Glen Snowden, Chris Lilly Backus, Carolyn Baldwin, Gene Navias, Bob Morriss, Sue Nichols, Eleanor Richardson.
