In view of our findings on the essential need for adult involvement
in youth programming, we urge the UUA Board to make this report
widely available throughout our association.
Future Reviews
Our investigations into the recent history of UU youth movements
reveals a pattern of roughly 15-year cycles in our youth organizations.
Liberal Religious Youth was formed in 1953, then hit its peak
in 1968-69, but met its demise in 1983. YRUU came into being in
1983 and reached a high point last year with the Youth Focus at
the 1996 General Assembly, creating a momentum that we hope our
report is well-timed to build on. In view of past patterns, we
feel it would be prudent for future youth programming reviews
to occur every seven to eight years to provide a sort of mid-cycle
correction.
District Youth Programming
Reviews
As a continentally appointed committee with limited
resources, we were not able to give as much attention to the district
and local levels as we would have liked. We also feel, however,
that in many ways it is more appropriate for this level of evaluation
to be undertaken by the individual districts. We therefore urge
district boards to appoint their own Youth Programs Review Committees,
comprised of youth and adults, to address the wide variation of
youth programming quality and quantity that we have observed throughout
the association. We call on these district review committees to
thoroughly evaluate the level of youth leadership in the district,
the degree of adult involvement, the adequacy of financial resources
allocated by the district, the effectiveness of the district youth
governing body, the level of youth representation on the district
board, district committees and congregation boards, the needs of
local congregations for launching or maintaining their youth group,
the quality of youth offerings at camps, conferences and seminaries,
and, most importantly, district level support and training of youth
advisors.
If every district in our association were to fulfill
this charge and act on its results, the Unitarian Universalist religious
movement would be capable of developing a thorough and consistent
youth ministry, grounded in love and respect, which before long
could find itself unequaled among liberal religious movements.
Recommendations
- Recommendation: That the UUA Board make the 1997 Youth
Programs Review Committee report readily available to all parties
who are named in its recommendations, in addition to UUA staff,
including YRUU Youth Council, YRUU Steering Committee, district
youth governing bodies, district presidents, district executives,
UUA field staff, district religious education committees, the
UU Ministers Association, the Liberal Religious Educators Association,
the Starr King and Meadville-Lombard UU seminaries, the Young
Adult Ministries Office, the Continental UU Young Adult Network,
the General Assembly Planning Committee and, not least, youth
and youth advisors; that the publication of this report be announced
on UU-related on-line mailing lists with information on its
availability; and that this report be distributed through UU
web sites.
- Recommendation: That the UUA Board appoint future continental
youth programs review committees every seven to eight years.
- Recommendation: That district boards appoint their
own Youth Programs Review Committees, comprised of youth and
adults, to evaluate and give recommendations on all aspects
of the quality and quantity of youth programming within their
district.
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