Delegate Information
All UUA certified member congregations may send voting delegates to General Assembly (GA). Voting delegates may speak on the Plenary floor (subject to rules of order), vote in Plenary, sign petitions for Actions of Immediate Witness, and vote in elections taking place at GA. Delegate credentials cards are issued by the General Assembly Office based on information compiled by UUA data services. Delegate credential cards are mailed in early May to certified congregations for distribution to congregational delegates.All certified congregations have one member delegate for every 50 members (or fraction thereof), with a minimum of 2 delegates. Every certified congregation decides how to select its member delegates. All delegates must be voting members of the congregation. There is no special category for "youth" delegates, but young people may be delegates so long as they are members of the congregation. The relationship between a congregation and its delegates is determined by the congregation, not the UUA. Congregations may instruct delegates on how to vote but are not required to do so. Delegates may vote by absentee ballot in elections. However, there is no proxy voting on business items during GA.
In addition to member delegates, certified congregations may also have delegates who are:
- ministers in full or associate fellowship with the Association and employed by certified congregations (including extension and interim ministers);
- emeritus/a minister(s) designated as such by a vote at a meeting of the member congregation not less than six months prior to the General Assembly, provided that any such minister has been settled previously in such congregation;
- community ministers who maintain active involvement and receive endorsement from the congregation;
- DREs having achieved Credentialed Religious Education – Masters Level status by the Association and employed in such congregation; and
- emeritus/a DREs having achieved Credentialed Religious Education – Masters Level status by the Association designated as such by a vote at a meeting of the member congregation not less than six months prior to the General Assembly, provided that any such DRE has been previously employed in such congregation;
While each congregation decides how to select its member
delegates, it does not select its other delegate types. Ministers and
DREs’ eligibility to be delegates to General Assembly is determined by the UUA’s
Ministry and Professional Leadership staff group and the UUA Religious Education
Credentialing Committee, respectively. These credentials are for specific
individuals and are not transferable.
Refer to UUA Bylaw Section 4.8 and Rule
4.9.2 for more information.
All delegate credential cards must be signed by a church officer (clerk, chair, or minister) and brought to General Assembly in order to be valid.
Sometimes a member delegate of a congregation needs to be replaced before or during GA. This is accomplished by designating alternate member delegates in addition to the member delegates from your congregation. Alternate member delegate credential cards are sent to congregations together with the other delegate credential cards. A congregation may have as many alternate member delegates as it has member delegates but is not required to designate any alternate members if it so chooses.
An alternate is a member of the congregation designated to replace a member delegate before or during GA, if necessary or desired. This may be decided before or during GA. To replace a member delegate, the alternate member delegate must present a signed credential card with either the original member delegate’s credential card or the original member delegate’s name badge with delegate ribbon at the delegate credentialing station at GA.
Delegates do not declare their delegate status when registering for GA. They simply register in the appropriate category (adult, youth, retired minister, etc.); the GA registration process is the same for delegates and non-delegates. All delegates must register and pick up their GA name badges before reporting to the delegate credentialing station at GA. Delegates must present their GA name badge together with a signed credential card at the delegate credentialing station in order to be issued a delegate voting card and ribbon.
If your delegate cards do not arrive by May 22 or are lost, contact the GA office no later than June 12. After June 12, you must request replacement cards from the delegate credentialing station at GA. If a church officer (clerk, chair, or minister) is not available to sign a replacement credential card at GA, you may complete an affidavit of lost delegate materials and submit it for approval from the UUA Secretary at GA.
Last updated on Saturday, August 16, 2008.
