This list of Frequently Asked Questions was prepared to help inform people about the votes that will occur at the Fellowship’s Annual Meeting. Please read these questions, and share this page with anyone who has questions about voting. If you have a voting question that isn’t answered here, please email it comms@uucorvallis.org.

Do I have to be a member to vote?
Yes, per the Fellowship’s Bylaws.

Does pledging make me a member?
No. But it is greatly appreciated!

How do I know if I’m a member?
Check the list of members that is currently available at the Board table in the Social Hall after Sunday worship service.
You can also ask by emailing comms@uucorvallis.org.

How does the Fellowship keep track of who the current members are?
Fellowship staff maintain a member database using Breeze Church Management Software.

Can I vote proxy?
No.

Can I vote with an absentee ballot?
No.

Can I vote on Zoom?
Yes.

Can I vote by phone?
No.

Can my friend / roommate / spouse / cat vote for me?
No.

How many of the Inquirers series do I have to take before I can become a member?
Three; specifically Sessions 1, 2, and 8 (or 9). For more information see Our path to Membership page.

Can I sign the book the morning of the congregational meeting? The day before? The week before?
Yes, yes, and yes.

If I was a member elsewhere, can the minister make an exception for me?
No.

I didn’t know I had to be a member. Can I vote anyway?
No.

I have been coming to the UUFC for a long time. Doesn’t that count?
Not for the purposes of voting on congregational matters, no.

I think I signed the book 20 years ago, but you all don’t have proof. Can I vote?
No. But ask about your membership status anyway, so existing records can still be checked.

From the Emerita Team:

In finishing up our listening sessions, here are some Frequently Asked Questions that we heard with some repetition.

Q. Why are we pursuing this honor now and not last year?
A. We looked into bestowing the honor of Emerita on Jill last spring, but didn’t do it soon enough before last year’s annual meeting, so the Board asked us to wait until this year, when we would have sufficient time to hold listening sessions and have conversations with the congregation well before this year’s annual meeting in May.

Q. Would it be better to wait until next year or even two or more years from now?
A. Many members have asked us to pursue this honor for Jill now, so while the memory of Jill’s loving and beautiful ministry is still fresh in our minds, we wanted to express our gratitude by conferring this honor now rather than a year or more from now. Moreover, we realize that hopefully a year from now, our focus will appropriately be on welcoming a new, settled minister to our Fellowship, rather than on celebrating a past minister.

Q. What are the UUA guidelines for when to bestow this honor?
A. The UUA does not have specific guidelines for when to bestow this honor; some congregations do it when the minister retires, which is what this congregation did for two former ministers; some wait a year, and some wait longer. 

Q. Are there guidelines determining the type of contact Jill may have with our congregation, once the status of Emerita is conferred?
A. Yes.  These guidelines will be negotiated among our Interim Minister, Alex McGee, Carl English-Young, our Board President, and Jill, our former Minister. These guidelines will create a Covenant, which will be presented to the Congregation at our annual meeting in May. When a settled minister arrives, they will create a new Covenant with Jill concerning these same guidelines.

GA2026 is happening soon!  June 14 – 16 and 19 – 21
Act quickly to serve as a delegate and save on registration fees!

General Assembly 2026 (GA2026), the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is coming up soon in June! This year, due to the increased costs of travel, the event will be online. Registration is open currently. Registration fees increase on May 1. 

 “Meet the Moment: Together Everywhere” will unfold in two parts with a midweek pause. From Sunday, June 14 to Tuesday, June 16, delegates will engage in fully virtual General Sessions focused on the business of our national association. Our delegates will represent the UUFC on these policy matters. The preliminary business agenda is now available. To view, go to:

https://www.uua.org › files › 2026-03 › ga2026_tentative_agenda_03012026.pdf

For delegates who wish to take part only in the business sessions and not in GA programming, a business-only registration option will be available in May for $175. This option provides access to the Delegate Participation Platform only and does not include live programming, on-demand viewing, the EduCenter, or networking features in the Whova app. 

After a two-day pause, GA2026 resumes Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21 with worship, featured speakers, and “Meet the Moment: Together Everywhere” themed programs. Eight Satellite Sites scattered across the country will host a local welcome, song, and chalice lighting, as well as livestream GA content, offer space for afternoon discussion groups, and host the Sunday Morning worship livestream. Fortunately, one of the Satellite Sites is hosted by our neighbor, the UU Congregation of Salem, OR (see below).

REGISTRATION: Everyone participating in GA, whether joining a community gathering, watch party, or attending a UUA-hosted site, must be registered for General Assembly. Registration rates for adults are $350 through the end of April and $450 if registering May – June. Satellite site admissions, which may be added to the GA registrations, are a non-refundable $25, and are subject to local capacity. UUFC delegates can obtain help with registration fees as needed by contacting Board president, Carl English-Young. (President@uucorvallis.org)

Those interested in serving as UUFC delegates should contact Rev. Alex McGee. With 317 members, our congregation is certified to appoint seven delegates to the annual business meeting. Delegates are selected based on the following: 

• Prior attendance at the GA, with preference given to those who are attending for the first or second time.  
• Prior participation in GA and/or UUFC affairs, with preference given to those who are experienced participants with a depth of knowledge of UU and UUFC history and practice. 
• Those whose activities and viewpoints, in the views of Board members, are best aligned with those of the majority of members of the UUFC, while also allowing for a diversity and balance of perspectives.  
• The demonstrated capacity of the nominees for respectful and congenial interactions with other UUFC members.   See UUFC Policy 2.8.1 for complete details. 

General Assembly Satellite Site at the UU Congregation of Salem, OR

~An Invitation from our neighbors at the UU Congregation of Salem ~

We welcome UUs to join us in Oregon’s capital city of Salem, in the heart of the Willamette Valley, for General Assembly gatherings. This opportunity for connection, conversation, and relationship-building will take place amid the beauty of June in our area. We’ll gather in our sanctuary, with its distinctive flaming chalice-stained glass window and newly upgraded video wall. There will be opportunities to share coffee, tea, and conversation in our spacious fellowship hall and to join in small group conversations to meet the moment together.