A
Final Report from David Fisher,
Our District General Assembly Coordinator
- This is my final report, coming after a busy week at and around the Broward
County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. With 762 registrants (early count) from
our District, we made up almost a quarter of the total of 3,000 registrants (late count).
This low figure (average registration has been between 4,000 and 4,500, with GA 2007 in
Portland setting a record for "away from Boston" attendance with 5,700) has been
attributed to "Florida in June?" concerns, the economy's downturn, and objections to
holding GA worship services in a venue requiring ID cards.
- Protests regarding this last item took the form of one prominent non-registrant
standing outside the pedestrian gate the evening of the Service of the Living Tradition,
and of several registrants wearing a green-foam Statue of Liberty crown.
- People had problems with the shuttle buses the first two days but these were
ironed out for the last three days. The Public Witness Event, Valuing All Families-
Immigrant and GLBT, was a huge success with 750 people converging at downtown
Stranahan Park.
- Our volunteers learned the ropes rapidly and supplied the radical hospitality we
all aim for. My heartfelt thanks to the Volunteer Committee members for being quick
studies in what has to be an on-the-job training for all involved: Richard Bird of
Nashville, TN as Usher Coordinator; Sue Boone of Clearwater, FL as Volunteer
Coordinator; Patty Cameron of Arlington, MA as Accessibility Coordinator; Susan
Friend of Davie, FL as Special Events Coordinator (evening entertainment); Lori Gold of
Hollywood, FL as Service Project Coordinator; Sandy Harris of Fort Lauderdale as my
Administrative Assistant; Steve Lange of Plantation, FL as Ambiance Coordinator; Lisa
Presley of San Rafael, CA as Technical Coordinator; Janet Schwartz of Coral Springs, FL
as Information Services Coordinator (particularly appreciated because she filled in for
Scott Severance who regretfully resigned only two months before GA); Rudy Sprinkle of
Philadelphia, PA as Registration Coordinator; and Ronnie VanSickle of Pompano Beach,
FL as Transportation Coordinator.
- Steve Lange deserves special mention for crafting the chalice stand; it will serve
in future GAs. Virginia Anderson merits thanks for tweaking the UUA's GA 2008 logo
for the volunteer t-shirts so that it incorporated the "Common Threads" theme. The shirts
were produced by UUs Virginia and her husband Erik of Coconut Creek, FL.
- Would I do it again? I prefer to consider the experience a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to serve both local and continental Unitarian Universalists. I was able to
work with talented and dedicated UUs, travel (Portland, OR, Salt Lake City, UT, and
Boston, MA), visit Florida District churches, cluster meetings, and District Assemblies,
and foist some of my lyrics on unsuspecting listeners. Who wouldn't enjoy performing
before captive audiences?
- Would I recommend the job to others? Go for it!
Contact me at fdfisher@bellsouth.net
or 954-567-2677.
David
Fisher—District General Assembly Coordinator for GA 2008 in Fort Lauderdale
