At our September meeting, we changed our name to Channing Memorial Church Social Action Committee and adopted the following mission statement:
The Mission of the Channing Memorial Church Social Action Committee is to coordinate and support the social action activities of individual members of the committee, and to lead Channing’s social justice advocacy and action in the larger community, as well as to be a voice for social action education and advocacy within the Congregation.
We have also set up a new web site on which you can keep up to date on the committee’s activities as well as events and activities of social action interest. Please visit the site at: http://channingsocialaction.blogspot.com/. If you would like to post information on the site, please contact me at socialjustice@channingchurch.org. Finally, our September meeting, we focused primarily on setting goals for the new year. You can read these on the website at: http://channingsocialaction.blogspot.com/2009/09/social-action-committee-adopts-goals.html. If you would like to be involved in any of these activities, please let me know.
One of the key activities in which we participate is the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Rhode Island (UULMRI). Betsy Dees, George Warch, and Al Benson have been very involved and act as our connection with this group. Because of Betsy’s and George’s work in identifying which state legislators served Channing members and in organizing evening roundtable discussions with those legislators, we had a definite and positive impact on last summer’s legislative session including enactment of a Fair Tax capital gains bill which will provide needed revenues for important social justice programs in the state. UULMRI is busy developing its agenda for this year. If you are interested in working with this group to promote social justice in Rhode Island, please contact us at socialjustice@channingchurch.org.
The next meeting of Channing’s Social Action Committee is Wednesday, October 14th, 7PM in the Channing House Library, Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham Street, Newport, RI. Please join us and share your ideas, your passion, and your commitment to the cause of peace, justice, and respect for all people and our planet, and positive change within our community and the world.
Tom Beall, Social Action Co-Chair
