The spring 2026 conference for UURMaPA members is April 27-29. Our theme is “Keeping It Together While Democracy Is Falling Apart,” and will be presented during the first session on Tuesday, the 28th, by Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout.
Our conference in April is always available via Zoom, but if you have a notion to meet in person, you can participate at one of two locations where you can attend the sessions with your friends and colleagues. This allows you some face-to-face discussion time as well as opportunities to socialize and exercise your tourist muscles. The pod organizers at each location provided the information below so you can better understand the amenities and attractions that await you.
Wilmington, Delaware
One pod is in Wilmington, Delaware, and Richard Speck, the organizer, is justifiably proud of his city. He writes “The world famous Longwood Gardens bring people from all over the world. We also have Winterthur, a large museum dedicated to the American arts of furniture and collections of fascinating objects. The Brandywine River Museum of Art, the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science are all nearby and easily accessible. There is much colonial-era history to explore, including Valley Forge and the Brandywine Battlefield.”
The First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, Delaware will be the host for both large presentations and small breakout groups. You might consider bringing a laptop or tablet for use during the breakout sessions. The church has a strong wi-fi signal throughout the building.
The church is about twenty miles south of the Philadelphia airport. Hotels are located 1-2 miles from the church. Some shared meals will be at the church with opportunities to go to area restaurants. Where possible, Richard says that transportation from either location and from the church to the hotels will be provided.
For more information, and to register for the pod, write Richard Speck, rgspeck@comcast.net or call him at 302/239-6286.
Kingston, Massachusetts
If you live in the orbit of Boston MA, or Providence RI, you might make a short Drive to Kingston, MA, where another pod is organized by Judy Campbell. Judy says, “Come to see and hug one another in person after several years of online conferences. Secondly, there are major attractions within an easy drive of the church. Coastal Massachusetts, Kingston and Plymouth, have any number of historic, and cultural attractions, not to mention some wicked good restaurants. The views of the harbor and ocean are stunning. Here is just a short list of attractions to tempt you to come:”
Go to www.Seeplymouth.com The official tourism site of Plymouth County
The Pilgrim Hall Museum offers outstanding early colonial history and a Wampanoag history and culture collection.
The Plymouth Guild for the Arts is a museum of local artists and features an elegant gift shop.
Plimoth Patuxet is the oldest town in New England and their living history museum is fascinating.
We will be meeting just a few miles north of Plymouth center at the First Parish Church in Kingston. More information is available by visiting www.kingstonuu.org. The website has everything you need to know about the location and has a map, directions to the church, and pictures of the buildings.
Contact the organizer, Judy Campbell, at 781/422-6519 or 508/939-1391, or send a message to revdocmom@comcast.net
If you think you might like to organize a pod or a watch party, it’s not too late. Richard Speck has some advice and suggestions. Write him at rgspeck@comcast.net.
The conference will feature a minister’s odyssey with the Rev. Diane Miller, and a partner’s odyssey with Barry Finkelstein. The conference opens and closes with a worship service and a service of remembrance is planned for the evenig session on the first day. Connecting rooms, where we can interact with others on a deeper level, are planned for three sessions.
To register, visithttp://uurmapa.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3106236
The fee is $50 until April 6th, thereafter, $70.
Help is available with the registration process and if you need help with the registration fee, scholarships are available. If you just recently retired, or if this is your first UURMaPA conference, the Board is happy to waive your registration fee. For more information about registration or for help, please send a message to Barbro Hansson at conferences@uurmapa.org.
We look forward to greeting you in April at our spring conference. In the meantime, know that every one of us has a part to play in our struggles for inclusivity and justice. If you live in the USA, you might be a little closer to the heat, but if you are not, you are still here, you are more than a witness, and we’re all in this together.