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You are here: Home > News >United Church News > 202nd Annual Meeting to be one day shorter 202nd Annual Meeting to be one day shorter November, 2000 In an effort to increase Annual Meeting attendance, the planning committee has shortened the Meeting to 1˝ days. The 202nd Annual Meeting will take place Friday and Saturday, June 8–9, 2001, at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. “We felt that if we went to the day-and-a-half format, and didn’t include Sunday, that we could increase attendance, particularly among clergy,” said Moderator Nancy Lawrence. “On average, only 27 percent of our clergy have been attending.” Lawrence said it is often also difficult for lay people, especially those who hold leadership roles in their churches, to stay through Sunday and miss worship or church school at home. “We’ll see how this works. I’m hopeful that it will excite people and that more people will attend,” she said. “Even younger church people who have families could come as a unit, just for the day on Saturday, and still feel they are viable participants,” she said. Traditionally, except for the Bicentennial Event, the Meeting has begun Friday morning and ended with a final plenary session and worship on Sunday. Lawrence said that in their evaluations, many delegates who cannot stay through Sunday have complained that they attend hearings and listen to debate on the resolutions on Friday and Saturday, but then miss the chance to vote on Sunday. For this Meeting, plenary sessions will be held Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning and afternoon. Worship, including communion, will be held on Saturday. Hearings and seminars will also be held. “There will be an option for people to stay Saturday night, for those who do not wish to head home after dinner, and we will try to plan some social opportunities for that evening,” Lawrence said. |