Team Austin in Commun-I-Tree

The AEU recently held an All-Society Platform (ASP), featuring Audrey Kindred, NYSEC, as the speaker.  Her topic was Human-I-Tree, emphasizing the relationship between humans and trees (take a breath, thank a tree) and the lessons that we can learn from trees about our connection to each other.  It was an inspiring program, and I hope that we can continue to explore and expand the ideas that Audrey shared with us on New Year's Eve morning.

Team Austin played a big role in that ASP, and it's a good thing we did.  This ASP almost didn't happen.  New Year's Eve is a holiday to many Americans, and Ethical Culture Societies often make a decision not to hold a meeting that falls on a major holiday.  Since Mother's Day or Martin Luther King Day and others not known for fireworks or adult beverages don't cause the same amount of hesitation regarding our Sunday gatherings, I am led to think that this is more about the secularization and conflation of Christmas and New Year's (and the sanctification of Independence Day, but that's a topic for another day).  Indeed, the importance and treatment of any holiday in the Ethical Culture Movement will have to wait for discussion another day.  On this occasion the holiday (eve) fell on a fifth Sunday and was the unusual fifth fifth Sunday in 2023.  There was some hesitation among those now leading the AEU on preparing for this extra fifth Sunday.  The planning team--a variable group of individuals from several Societies who volunteer to plan and present these ASPs--was hesitant to push back against what seemed like the inevitability of skipping this fifth Sunday.  (We're all polite and want to be respectful of each other's ideas.)

One of us (guess who) felt strongly enough that we should have an ASP on 12/31 that she spoke up to say that she thought we ought to go ahead with planning.  Why?

• It is one of few clear programs/services of the AEU for its member Societies to sponsor a national gathering on the fifth Sunday.  This is more important than ever while many programs and committees are "on pause."
• Some of the smaller Societies (such as Austin) appreciate the relief of not having to plan programs for the four or five Sundays when a national program is provided.
• The ASPs originated (thanks to Bart Worden) during the COVID pandemic when all of our Societies had to stop meeting in person.  The ASPs became the national campfire around which we could gather during that period of crisis.
• We ended up liking the ASPs.  A survey of the Societies ranked these national platforms as one of the top five most valued--and used--AEU services by their members.
• Now that many Societies are meeting in person again, there is still a need for a "national campfire" to remind us that we do have a national community and to allow us a chance to meet and get to know each other.  

At the next meeting of the planning committee, Audrey Kindred said she had a program that she'd like to present, and things took off from there.  Sorta.  There was still the problem of how to support Audrey with the technical tools required to host a national meeting on Zoom.  Greg Bonin, the new Director of Administration for AEU, juggled many simultaneous projects to make sure that the ASP was on the calendar and eventually publicized, but he was not able to be present on the day of the event to provide technical support.

Well, it was kinda my "push" that kept this program going, so I kinda had to step up to "take the lead" on tech support.  If you've seen me on Zoom, you know I can't hear, I get the buttons messed up, I talk to myself (and everybody else) while I try to find the right buttons, and and and.  This was now scary--for me and for the ASP.  I did ask for help from other Societies (folks from the now disbanded Ethical Action Committee--and others that I knew had done tech support for AEU meetings), but, sadly, no one was available.  Well, my only choice was to go to Team Austin and tell them the situation.  Well (again), my faith in my community was more than validated (again).

• Hans said he had the week off and would be glad to help (and attend rehearsals).
• Cortney and Nathan were committed elsewhere but could show up on the day.  O Happy Day when they were available the day before the event to join our rehearsal.
• Adam was committed elsewhere but could show up on the day.  And he did.

And we did it.  We managed everything we needed to do.  And I felt so supported by the Ethical Society of Austin that these young folks (you're all young to me!) would be so willing to help.  

It doesn't hurt that 8 other members of the Society also attended the ASP.  Indeed, the Ethical Society of Austin was 10% of the audience for this fifth fifth Sunday with the AEU that almost didn't happen--and, with Audrey and the Kahns from Brooklyn,  we made it happen.  We were indeed part of the Commun-I-Tree.

Shake those branches!