YRUU Steering Committee Meeting

March 30 – April 2, 2006

Review agenda for the weekend.
Create facilitator list - Alice, Dale, Kat, Lehna, Sara, Tony.

Check-In
Tony - "bronchitis," flight landing scared the hell out of him
Joo Young - "happy," great to vision and discuss last night, feels focused and organized (more than past meetings)
Nan - "slow," talked to her daughter earlier today
Dale - "better," didn't think he'd be ready for this meeting but is now, excited about agenda, feels organized and focused (more than other meetings)
Lyn - "psyched," doing a happy dance in her den, gardening, baseball starting soon
Beth - "summer," doing well, feels like summer!
Sara - "exhausted," had ToTs before this, ready to go back to CA, ready to get work done
Kat - "family reunion," tired, drawing funny faces of SC members, having memories of family and puzzle-making
Alice - "excited"

Alice will do bike rack, Sara will do job jots.

Covenant
Go over covenant (2nd green page in pre-packet). Go around each reading one.
Additions:
-Willingness to stay proactive and focused.

General Assembly forms
Fill out GA volunteer forms. Fill them out NOW, ask questions, and get them in by tomorrow! YRUU SC will be greeters!! Orientation for volunteers is Tuesday, June 20. Arrive on the 20th, leave on the 26th. Can stay with Kat and family if need to go even earlier. Lyn is doing Finance Com meeting Tues morning, BOT meeting Tues afternoon.

Saturday lunch will be time to ask Marissa questions about GA registration and Youth Caucus scholarships.

Youth Council At-Larges
-C*SAC and two Transitional Age Range Reps
-Hard to have co-at-larges, YO warns against it. Two always trying not to overstep each -other. Far away from each other.

Brainstorm of potential TARRs.

Need to select ASAP.

-Jesse suggests SC could turn the selection process on its head - instead of waiting for applications just figure out who you want, then go out and actively recruit and get them to go.

-Dale and Lyn comment that they don't know any of these people, so wouldn't feel comfortable doing it this way.

-Kat suggests we go through the list and each offer our knowledge of them.

-Sara suggests we call them during the Saturday call-a-thon.

-Joo Young suggests having a conf call next week after we hopefully have more apps. Whoever is on the call will select people over the phone. APPROVED

Dale: CUC YAG changed job description for Canadian at-large. Forgot to bring it. Jesse can print it out at the UUA.

Long-Range Planning Report - Review
Go around and read intro to the LRP Report.

Break up into 5 small groups to discuss the six content group recommendations.
-Spirituality/Worship/UU Identity
-Communication/Networking/Outreach/Youth Office Accountability to Local Youth Inclusive Communities
-Governance/Structure/Evaluations/Youth Council/Accountability
-Geography & Canadian Concerns
-Curriculum/Resources/UU Transitional Age Range Programs (UUNITARP)/Definitions & Language
-Anti-Oppressive Transformation With Anti-Racism Focus
-doesn't talk about physical accessibility
-plans/visions are vague
-read "What would an anti-racist YRUU look like?"

Young Adults & Campus Ministry
Joseph Santos-Lyons wants to meet with SC this weekend.
Wants to screen new campus ministry video and brainstorm what we'd like to see in a campus ministry group. Also need to choose a new YRUU rep on the UU Campus Ministry Advisory Committee by May 1.
Invite him for lunch on Saturday. Watch video before lunch, then talk while eating.

Review Tampa Priorities
Go around reading aloud. DRUUMM YaYA, White YaYA Conferences, other things came out of this meeting.

Visioning for YRUU
YRUU's role in the world, role in U.S., role in Canada, role in continent, role in itself
This can feed into consultation process. So we know what SC's visions are going into this.
Paul suggests we do visioning in racial ID caucuses first, then maybe come back together as a group.
Joo Young points out that SC is supposed to steer/be visionaries for YRUU. Need to have something to tell youth during the phone-a-thon. There wasn't a vision at the last Youth Council, don't know what we're steering.

White Folx Vision for YRUU
-We make lots of goals, but don't re-evaluate whether we meet them. Need goals that are less ______ and more about doing something. Less concrete little things.
-Anti-racist ally work happening, especially on SC.
-Structures that don't support such hierarchy. Don't know what this looks like exactly. Need to try some new creative things. We get stuck in patterns of how we do things. Becoming AR/AO institution means changing patterns of how we do things.
-Time for YRUU to reexamine its mission. Come up with new mission statement for new time. Has some good things in it, but is not widely know in youth or rest of community. Parts of it aren't especially relevant today. Nothing about AR/AO commitment.
-More excitement - of community, around social justice, around spirituality. We're stuck in rut/old patterns.
-Don't know what YRUU in itself is - does the organization have a goal that reflects what it is?
-A lot more focus on AR/AO, communication and how to make it work, focus on training and leadership.
-Have YC as more of a training and visioning time. Sending people back with skills. Not just making decisions.
-Change cycles of YC terms. Training about some stuff one year, different stuff the second year.
-A new invigorating statement about what YRUU is. Think about it on three levels - continental, district, local. Training at YC should help at district and local level. This includes AR training. Empowering other people to do stuff rather than doing it ourselves on the continental level (bringing it home).
-More focus on queer rights, how to be an accountable ally to queer youth.
-Work on vision, not on policies. Need not get bogged down in paperwork and bylaws and other garbage. White supremacy is perpetuated through written word being valued over oral stuff - when what's on paper is considered the absolute truth. This isn't how a lot of people operate. More focus on being in the now. SC gets bogged down in "what do we do, how do we do it?" Organic vision (not a vision from 1981). But not having to change the bylaws of that vision every year.
-Have bylaws for YRUU that don't connect to what we do now. Should be able to change as needed, rather than going through ridiculous approval/voting process. Too restricting/not representative b/c organization changes.
-Safe for POC, queer youth. Set up to have peoples mental, emotional, spiritual safety in mind. Having enough support for that.
-Resource library. Lots on the web.
-Write packet for white people before YC. Make sure it gets to them. Call them.
-More support for youth in leadership. When involved, you don't know where to turn. Eats people up. Want them to remain as adults in the organization. Don't burn them out.
-Leadership structure is set up so that it burns out youth leaders on continental level. Like Dylan, LRP letter from Katie Whitworth. Same people end up being in all leadership positions and having too much on their plate.
-More done by YO - talk to SC, reach out and connect youth.
-We're all working within these structures that don't work - YO, youth leaders.
-Leadership development. SC Handbook. SC could create this handbook.
-More relationship-building. Among each other and with other groups.
-BUUT Camp (Big UU Training Camp).
-Encourage communities to have leadership trainings every year. This connects to leadership development. Some districts don't even do trainings.
-Chrysalis trainers be consultants as well - people can go to them with questions.
-Make right relationship and keep it with the UUA Board and other organizations.
-Self-perpetuating governing structure. A well-oiled machine to support whatever the current endeavor is. We don't know what they want to do in 10 years, we just want to make sure it'll work well.
-Sample worship videos on CD available to people who request them.
-Less bureaucracy.
-People get burnt out because they don't know why they're involved, what their purpose is. Too much to do, so end up doing nothing. We "do everything." Need to do less, better.
-No POCC. POC be actively involved in the organization.
-Develop white anti-racist resources. "A Promise and a Way of Life" "Taking Direction, Taking Action" (about Canadian white anti-racism)
-Staggered SC. 2 elections per year. Overlap by 6 months to pass stuff on.
-Roles on SC. Not all at-larges.

POC Vision for YRUU
-YRUU have reputation of being socially active and radical in the outside-YRUU community (like it was in the 60s). Get on the FBI's 10 Most Watched again!!!!
-Connect local, district, continental levels. No point in having continental level if we don't have local level. Lots of our resources/programs mostly serve continental programs/people. Idea that resources trickle down, but they don't. We need to create resources for local level, so they'll trickle out. Local is "where it's at"!!
-DVDs and resources of workshops - so you don't have to ATTEND one
-resources on healing from abuse (at church, cons, family)
-youth groups getting together in one area, networking
-YO 1-800 number. SC can be people who answer calls and send them resources.
-YCRs get little support for doing work in their districts. Seriously bringing YC and continental info back. Need to know how to better bring back leadership skills and resources. Learn at YC how to do specific things in your district.
-Con Con - become a work camp/training opportunity.
-Seeing what's already established and figuring out how to support it.
-YCRs bring problems and concerns to YC to get help working on that. To learn how other districts do things.
-Youth Empowerment Holiday for the UUA - celebrate youth in leadership positions. Evaluate what leadership is available for youth. Videos/resources from the YO available on that day.
-Coffee House in summer. Pick issue (like hurricanes), raise money for a cause that YCRs decided is important. Lots of youth groups do it all on one night. Draw lots of attention.
-AR/AO curriculum into congregations - for youth AND others. Youth start wave of AR/AO work, to SGM, to OWL, etc.

Discussion
-Chrysalis trainings on DVD. Online Chrysalis trainings (allows interaction).
-Need more multimedia in general right now. So accessible right now.

Process Check

To be continued tomorrow….

March 31, 2006 - YRUU Steering Committee Meeting

Check-IN
Jesse - funny set-up for TV pilot at the UUA
Lyn - woke up early because it was bright, loves the weather
Sara - was still awake when the sun came up, tired
Nan - good night's sleep
Beth - doing well, slept well
Dale - like the beautiful day
Alice - good, tired
Kat - alright, tired
Paul - good, kinda tired
Tony - tired, medicine making him feel sick, got reply from Joseph Santos-Lyons said 12:30 Saturday works
Joo Young - had a great morning, went to bed really early last night and woke up at 3:30!!, ate breakfast, went running and dodging children and seeing huge houses

Go over agenda for the day.

Concrete Timeline/Visions
Pick a few ideas we really want to work on, and write up a timeline for each.

Main Ideas:
-Replace Con Con
-Continental holiday to celebrate local youth leadership
-Emphasis on supporting local youth groups - incl. video version of "How to be a Con Artist"
-Covenant groups for dealing with trauma/abuse
-Advocate for service projects
-Create more support for YCRs and district/regional leadership - updated YCR and POA handbooks
-Make YRUU more accessible (physically) (2)
-Make SC structure more self-sufficient to prevent burnout
-Reexamine YRUU's mission
-Re-center the AR/AO focus
-Focus on queer rights, queer accountability, how to be an ally to queer people, bring back SATUURDAY
-Create packet for white YC members (ally resources)
-Write SC handbook for next year's committee
-Build and keep right relationship with the BOT and Administration
-SC structure
-More multimedia in the things we do

Jesse: Is this a vision, or a list of things we want to do? A vision is "what we want YRUU to be in the world."

Paul: I think a lot of the visioning of what YRUU can be will happen at Youth Council and the Summit.

Alice: I think we did a good job of narrowing down to concrete things we can do.

Jesse: OK, just wanted to make sure you were doing what you wanted to be doing. Pointing out the difference.

Kat: Wait to do stuff with SC structure and handbook until later in the agenda.

Kat: Take white ally YCR packet off list and do that during caucusing, and POC can do the DRUUMM-YRUU rep work.

Multi-voting - each person has 5 votes.

Split up into three groups.
Address supporting local youth groups as a large group on Friday night.
Address reexamining the mission during consultation discussion.

Queer Youth - Tony, Sara, Beth
Goal 1: Create more support and resources for queer POC.
-Network with DRUUMM to create/support queer POC caucus
-Develop resources for queer POC (Sara working on this)
Goal 2: Restructure SATUURDAY with institutional support.
-queer allies meeting happening at same time, possibly create a group for them
-networking with Interweave and DRUUMM
-work with SATUURDAY SC
Goal 3: Follow through with resolution passed in YC 2004 "it ain't just about marriage"
-Implement at this YC
-Implement at all continental conferences
-Give YCRs resources for doing caucusing
-Stress importance of WHY we do sexual identity caucusing

Con Con - Jesse, Nan, Kat, Alice
- ½ service, ½ training (learn about classism, then do work around this)
-youth decide what the service is
-work with UUSC to plan
-needs to be connected to local YGs
-continental leadership BUUT CAMP (a bunch of training: spirituality, AR, social justice, leadership)
-OR five regional cons around the same topic or regionally-important topics
-At GA: Initiate conversations between SC, WAM, C*SAC and district/regional SACs about idea of having more social action trainings.
-At YC: Continue these conversations with YCRs.
-Service component of YSJT.
-Create DVDs about how to plan social action cons in your district.
-SC form support team for C*SACs and WAM in planning YSJT.
-Winter 06-07: SC evaluate work that's been done, see where to go forward.
-Institutionalize social justice trainings by creating a Chrysalis social justice training. Have a ToT for it.

YCR Support - Joo Young, Dale, Paul, Lyn
-Between now and April 14, contact YCRs
-Voicemail proposal - create one for YCRs to call in and leave messages about cool things doing in their district/struggles (other YCRs can call in to listen to how things are going), another for problems/concerns that SC members can listen and respond to
-Include identity questions on YC registration forms - figure out how to support them, create buddy systems, etc.
-YCRs return registration forms by May 10, get their pre-packets out by mid-May with newsletter (Kat reminds us that some YCRs won't be elected by then.)
-Packet - updated YCR handbook, handbook for DRUUMM-YRUU reps, resources on how to figure out needs of people in your district, resource on how to write a district YCR report, updated resolution resource, announce voicemail project
-By GA: Paul will set up puddies list for YC. So people can talk ahead of time, check-in before YC.
-At GA: Schmooze. Outreach. Talk to YCRs if they're there.
-Between GA and YC: DVD developed - AR training, Consultation video, Consensus training, Accessibilities video. E-mail to remind to write resolutions.
-At YC: More ownership of resolutions by having resolution circus. YCR reports in coffee-house format (fun!). Plus a written report. Break into small groups to do alpha/delta/ideas how to change about their districts. POCC do a report about visioning for DRUUMM-YRUU reps. Invite some folks from DRUUMM YaYA for discussion/report.
Nan: Show alpha/delta process on consensus video.

Paul suggests we talk about SC structure during the next age caucusing (Saturday breakfast and Friday night), then bring it back to large group at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

Kat's Letter and Newsletter Ideas
Use newsletter to create lines of communication among all YC members and BOT and UUA administration (and others!). YCRs can forward it on to their constituencies. Have online form to sign-up for newsletter subscription. Ask for donations for printing/shipping costs.

Send to YO or to a motivated SC members to do layout. Paul thinks SC members should definitely put it together. Then send out for approval by SC, then send it everywhere!
Also send it to organizations SC wants to liaison with.
Come out after each SC meeting.

List different sections to have updates in.
-Adult advisors - networking, support, resources, update (Nan, Lyn)
-Introduction (Paul as editor)
-YC planning update (Kat)
-"How tos" for whatever conference is coming up - how to get an app, how to apply for scholarships, housing, travel, etc. (Sara)
-Relationship with BOT and UUA Admin (Tony)
-Consultation process (Beth, Alice)
-Restructuring of POCAC and POCC (Sara, Alice, Kat, Lehna)
-Letter from the YO (Joo Young)
-Photos! (everyone)
-Acronym ABCs, crossword (Dale)
-Article about continental clique - break it down - who is the SC? (Sara)
-Paper dolls and finger puppets of SC members (Nan)
-Trading cards of all DYSCs/YACs, as a new photobook type thing (Joo Young, Nan)
-Personals - "Dale's turn-on is consensus." (everyone)

How can we keep each other accountable to make sure things we sign-up for, we follow-through on?
Deadline: April 15

SC introduces themselves to Rek.

SC Structure

Plus:
-Lots of money.
-Elected at YC
-Opportunity to talk about and make change, do lots of visioning
-POCAC being restructured
-Friends!
-Opportunity to be creative with YRUU
-Leadership opportunity and leadership development
-Initiate AR/AO and raising questions
-Initiative to make change
-Opportunity to experiment with different leadership styles and skills
-A role for people to aspire to
-Good ratio of youth and adults

Mid:
-Personal privileges that come with being on SC (college apps, being on staff for other conferences)

Delta:
-More specific resources on SC members roles. No clear job descriptions right now.
-If there are not roles we should say that.
-Turn-over of SC
-Previous SC not communicating what was done to the new one.
-SC's relationship with YC (could be better)
-At-large weirdness
-Disconnect between continental and district level
-Not as much YO support
-Current SC being held responsible for past SC's decisions
-Communication (need more of it).
-Lack of consistent presence
-Undefined purpose of SC
-Age range representative doesn't seem to be very effective
-Unclear about SC's relationship with Youth Council vs. Youth Caucus
-SC relationship to the budget - YO explaining it to SC, SC's control over their budget, need more leadership development around this (important to know how to deal with budgets)
-Outreach to YCRs and local groups
-Communication between SC members and SC and YO
-Training about how to get things done between meetings

Tips:
-Create new definitions of SC and role.
-C*SAC and WAM positions updated and clarified.
-Template to structure each meeting.
-Intentional lines of communication between local, district, and continental.
-SC Handbook
-Staggered turnover of SC members (1 year terms, 6 months overlap, elect everyone at YC but some don't start their terms until later)
-update bylaws
-Talk about "what outcome we want from YC, how we want YC to be, what's YC's purpose"
-Reevaluate setup of SC meetings (how many?)
-Mentorship, pass on the leadership
-Role assignments (everyone has a role in mind, responsibilities)

Can we tackle SC restructuring without talking about Youth Council restructuring?

Meeting Template
First Meeting:
-Training
-Bonding
-Visioning (YRUU's direction with regards to the resolutions)
-Review past YC (resolutions, charges to SC, evaluate)
-Phoneathon to start phone chains right away
-Plan for newsletter
-Invite former SC member to help support and carry-over

Between: carry on vision and check-in with each other

Second Meeting:
-Start planning for YC
-Meet with Kay or other administration person
-Phoneathon
-Make plan to stay in touch with BOT and carry it out after meeting
-Plan for newsletter

Jesse suggests having 2 meetings. First meeting of the year could invite the old SC to have the meeting together. More continuity.
Nan suggests we have elections at YC and in January (6 month overlap).
Rek suggests people could mail in ballots, rather than trying to have another YC.

What do we do with all this info?
Paul suggests the business working group take this info and bring it to YC for working groups during stakeholder conversation.
Jesse suggests we could use the force field analysis on this information.

Consultation Discussion
Beth presented Power Point. Got input about what needs to go into presentation for YCRs.

Working Groups:
AR/AO
Youth-Adult Relations
Governance
Outreach
Spirituality

Who To Invite:
2 people involved in AR/AO from 1998-2003
Former YPS
Former POCAC
LRP participant
White Ally person
Former POA
DRUUMM youth
Invite people who have historical knowledge.
What about administration/adult leaders?
Call these people during the phoneathon on Saturday to invite them.

How much money do we have to bring people?
What are other funding sources? Grants?
Kat thinks YRUU should have more funding than other stakeholders b/c it's about youth.

20 YCR
3 Regional Reps
8 POCC
1 CSAC
2 TARRs
7 adults
1 WAM
1 Canadian at-large
9 SC
4 YO
2 AR trainers

Joo Young suggests we add 3 days this year for this purpose.
Lyn is worried about funding.

Process:
Working groups use force field analysis.
Bring this together into a big group to brainstorm vision of what they want YRUU to look like.
Have consultation stuff at start, so can write resolutions about it. OR Have it at the end so can do training about stuff first. Do need to have community building and AR/AO before consultation business.

Goal of this conversation: Pick people we want to go to the consultation discussion. Figure out when it will be.

-Perhaps this is the only business of YC, so we may not need to extend the time.
-Question: How much will decisions of Summit affect YRUU?
Summit won't tromp on everything YRUU decides.
Start with community building and AR/AO. Then consultation visioning (2 days of working groups). Then write resolutions later in the week. These are YRUU's statements for making change and input into the Summit.
-Pre-assign people to working groups? Or perhaps they can make choices. Make them do work in their areas before they get to YC. Have them do research, give them resources to look into it. So they come in informed.
-Send out info ahead of time about the consultation, tell them to choose one they're interested in, and then do research on it ahead of time to come prepared. Explain what it'll be like over the phone to get them pumped about it.
-Use consultation to YRUU's advantage to come up with great ideas and visions and voice those. Visioning for what youth ministry is. "Consultation" shouldn't be seen as a dirty word.

1. What is the process?
-Could be force field analysis, but SC could come up with something even better that would work.
2. Who facilitates?
-SC do governance working group
-People we invite facilitate some of the other groups
3. When does it happen?
4. Who needs to come?

Answer these questions after dinner.

Process Check
-It feels like agendas are being pushed. Folks are stepping back from conversation without group creating space for people. People have stepped back in consultation discussion…is challenging. SC structure discussion was uncomfortable.
-Seemed like the same people were talking for most of the conversation (though many of us are tired and having a hard time focusing).
-Our meeting is getting rushed and a lot of work is needed. People are stressed and tired and when we have discussions when we're like this, dynamics come up. Same people are talking. Adults are talking too much. I feel trapped by all the decisions like the work crept up on us.
-I am a little drained by not much. I am in this place where if I say I'm tired I'll be tired. If I claim that I'm unfocused I will be. I feel like whenever we don't know what is the desired outcome of something. We flounder, and get cranky. I think as a group we are doing really well though, and we are working harder than we ever have before in a meeting. For myself, I relate SC meetings with being tired and wanting to be outside, and just relaxing, but I know that I don't HAVE to feel that way if I don't want to. I can be present and focused and positive, if I make that a priority. I am trying very hard to do a good job and stay positive.
-I don't know…the consultation discussion was very helpful…I've noticed the energy and excitement of the group go down…I think that we all need to be more conscious of the space we take up and stepping up.
-I feel the absence of 3 of our SC members. It makes the adult/youth imbalance more pronounced. There is definitely an energy drain present - I hope we all get a good night's sleep :
-I am glad we are talking about this issue and making plans. I think we have a lot more to talk about related to it and we need to give it the time it needs. I think a longer break is a really good idea. Maybe we should have some racial or age or gender caucusing before we start again.
-Adults are repeating what youth are saying and not listening and speaking out of turn constantly.
-Energy really low. Facilitators could help to energize the group by keeping discussion moving along. I know when things start slowing down/getting confused, my brain stops working as well. More summarizing (like Joo Young did with the four questions we need to address). Helps focus the group.
-A lot of sessions today have been really tiring. I wish people could own their feelings that affect our group work. More check-ins would be good, just to have people say what they're feeling. I would like to have more time for sleep because I need more rest in order to be alert at the meeting. The energy vibe of exhaustion has been really tiring and frustrating for me. Also, I have noticed that when the adult folks start speaking out of turn, they've been catching themselves a lot. I'm really happy about that because I feel like adult folks in this group are becoming more committed to anti-oppression. More internal processing and self-care time is really needed for me. My emotional and physical well-being greatly affects my presence at our meeting.
-White folks are talking a lot. Adults are talking a lot. Energy is VERY LOW. Youth don't seem engaged (quite possibly due to lack of energy).

Consultation Discussion Continued…
Nan and Beth wrote up summary of the questions we need to answer during the break.
1) Who (Roles), 2) Who (People), 3) Topics and Facilitators, 4) Process, 5) Timeline

No concerns with the roles listed (all from 1998-2003): 2 AR/AO people, 1 former YPS, 1 former POCAC, 1 LRP participant, 1 white ally work participant, 1 former POA, DRUUMM YaYA people, 2 youth on BOT, UUA Administration
Why are these people coming? - representing a certain perspective, provide historical knowledge
Make it clear when inviting them why we're inviting them (for historical perspective)

Brainstorm of names for various roles.

Multivote - each person has 3 votes. Now we write down top four facilitator ideas for each category.

Will figure out tomorrow who is responsible for calling whom.

Joo Young, Alice and Tony will rework the schedule tomorrow morning for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday, April 1, 2006 - YRUU Steering Committee Meeting

Agenda
Youth Council Timeline/Youth Council Consultation Stuff
Budget Discussion (30 minutes)
Working Groups #1
12:30-12:45 Joseph Santos-Lyons comes to visit and show his movie
1:30-2:00 Travel to the Oficina de los Jovenes (the Youth Office)
2:00-2:30 Phone-a-thon Discussion
2:30-4:30 Phone-a-thon Commences
4:30-6:00 Outing
6:00-6:30 Travel back to Walker Center
6:30-? Working Group

Kat Manker-Seale agrees to facilitate
Meeting begins: 10:05PM
Those present: Paul, Dale, Kat, Lehna, Alice, Lyn, Nan, Joo Young, Jesse, and Marissa

Youth Council Time Line
1. Before YC Pick your group and inform yourself
2. During YC
-Option A: Community Building (defining our roles)'AR Training'Consultation'Resolutions
-Option B: Youth Council'Consultation (extra days)

Kat's proposals:
We can use the consultation to our advance, to help us plan the resolution stuff
-have the consultation be our process of stepping back and look at things
-we can possibly spread out the difference sessions
-we can talk about how YCRs can bring stuff back to their district

Paul: thinks suggestions sound really good.

Kat: what if we had that people got to YC, have three days of consultation plenaries?

Jesse: just a bit of information-force field analysis process that congregations go through can get shrunk down to 3 hours, to do the full-fledged thing can go up to 5 hours. If at some point Jesse or Beth were to talk about how the force field analysis could work for you, I could go through that.

Paul: maybe we need to know now before we decide on anything. We want to agitate and make people have all these crazy ideas-revolutionize YRUU. But stuff leading up to prep, we should look at Joo Young's awesome ideas about how to be a YCR

Kat: should we have a lot of orientation/defining our roles

Paul: I think it would be the same as option A

Lyn: does everyone know how to write resolutions, but is their a workshop to teach people to help do that

Joo Young: I know at the YC I went to, there was a "Resolution Circus" and we can give people laptops to create them. Have people get to work with one another through coffeehouse (part of community building). People do AR work a lot better when they know each other.

Dale: Hopefully there will be some people who know how to right a resolution

Paul: There could be a SC member to team up with whomever is going to be a facilitator

Nan: It could be a part of the YCR orientation. Could these work like rotations? Would there be times to have people rotate from each workshop to the next…so everybody could just travel around and cover all the topics.

Joo Young: It might be good to do it in different sections, but like Jesse said the force field analysis would need to be 5 hours

Kat: asks a clarifying question regarding force field analysis, Paul answers it.

Dale: you can spend a lot of time in the group spending a long time in it-gets a sense of ownership in the group, and they can make presentations in them.

Kat: we could have suggestion boxes within each group, and the facilitator's can bring them up as they see appropriate
'people seem to like this idea (we get some thumbs up)

Joo Young: ask people ahead of time to ask their districts what they want. Having people act as a YCR ahead of time by talking to their local districts and bringing the information to Youth Council when they come.

Alice: has agreed to take job jots

-Everyone is okay with Option A. There are no concerns to using this schedule. Consensus….quite possibly? :

Jesse: might be a good idea by creating a unified mission statement for Youth Council…just a thought

Nan: isn't there already a mission statement for YRUU, can't we use that one already?

Jesse: was actually referring to changing the mission statement…analyzing the old mission and possibly creating a new one. I'm just throwing it out there, it doesn't have to be taken very seriously.

Joo Young: might be positive to have a brainstorm in the beginning of "what does YRUU mean to you." Might be a good icebreaker to have people break up into different groups and create a big list that can be used with the mission governance group.

Dale: creating a mission statement could be an incredibly time consuming process but could come up later in smaller group

Kat's suggestion, have:
-Coffee house reports
-Mission of YRUU
-Orientation
--All this overlapped with AR Training

Nan: asks about the process, and Joo Young suggests discussing that after

Paul: asking people to come to the two most important days (consultation stuff and force field analysis)

Kat: clarifies that YC is 5 days (with 2 travel days) and that

Nan: could we consider adding one extra day to Youth Council?

Lyn: PROCESS CHECK notes that the adults are really talking a lot

Kat: calls for a go around on whether the consultation folks should stay the entire time

Alice: originally thought that they would stay there the entire time

Jesse: I see the value of seeing them there the whole time, but also having YC go into Plenary the last day and having "this is our final recommendation" as YC. I think that's YC's job and not other people's job

Dale: Community-wise, important to have people there the entire time

Paul: I feel they would be like AR trainers-they are their for support the whole time, and it's always nice to have them there the whole time, have them immersed and support the community

Lyn: If you make it easier for them,

Joo Young: you could invite them to stay the entire, but we would like to open the invitation from day one to day five.

Nan: agrees with everything that is said

Marissa steps out to answer annoying Youth Office cell phone

Kat: writes up schedule on the board, Lyn asks if it's okay that we are doing this as an entire group. Everyone agrees that it is a good process

Option C:
Day 1: orientation, YCR 101, POCAC, POCC, At-Larges
Day 2: community building (ice breakers, mission statement, resolution circus, coffee house reports, force field analysis).
AR Training (in the afternoon)
Day 3: more AR work in the morning
Day 4: special events planning
Day 5:
Day 6: resolutions SC facilitators

Joo Young: thinks it gets weird when we isolate AR/AO training. I personally feel there should never be an AR day-not modeling behavior that you want it to be integrated into the work that you do

Kat: asks group if it's okay to go into working groups

Joo Young: reminds group that we have not decided on using the force field analysis process yet.

Jesse: offers to explain what the force field analysis is

Alice: offers to check up on the sick people

Joo Young: suggests taking a break until 11am

Meeting resumes at 11:07AM
Facilitation by Lehna Huie

Lehna: Check-in (YRUU/Personal) and move into the process we want to use for Youth Council

Kat: at first I was really worried about the consultation and the history of it (how it was started) it made us feel that our opinion as SC didn't really matter. It felt really weird, but I really like how we seem to be taking the consultation to our advantage and we are still using it to re-evaluate YRUU. I really want to do stuff on how to localize our groups, because without that there isn't YRUU. I feel like I can't be involved with local, district AND the continental level. The way it's step up right now is really hard for me, but I'm really happy with YRUU as a whole

Joo Young: I really love YRUU-I've said it before, it's saved my life. Taught me how to stick up for myself, I would have never really started to search for my family. I don't think I would have done that otherwise. Meeting women of color really brought me to that point. With the consultation, I was bummed out because when it started, it began with some really oppressive beginnings. I had to make a choice of whether I keep living and gain resourcefulness from the consultation or give up. This meeting has been really productive. It's really exciting for YRUU right now: who are we in the world and what can we do to make change in the world. I feel like it's the next stage in the process.

Lyn: what I find really interesting for me, is to see how all youth are being served while I am involved in the church, district, BOT, and here. I see a lot of parallels of what the BOT and YRUU is going on right now

Paul: I'm just really excited. I think Beth Dana has been really good in encouraging us and showing us that we have power and that we can really be a part of the vision.

Dale: I have a lot of the same feelings as the other people. I feel better about it, I still have reservations about it-yeah we have control, but if we don't do anything, then we won't have any control. I don't know where I am with YRUU, I think I am ready for a break. I want to analyze what the affect it has had on me. It has given me so much opportunity and has been great in so many ways. But right now it's not completely fantastic, and there are lots of problem areas. Part of me wants to be apart of it so much-but I know there are others who can step up and be instrumental in it as well.

Jaegermeister: I've got some mixed feelings about this stuff, because I was in your position ten years ago. When we went through the LRP stuff, it reminded me about just how long people have been talking about change needing to happen in YRUU. And that process, for so many reasons, was just so flawed and how we have been since then. I was getting really worried that you would be getting to the space where you wouldn't be able to get involved. I am so profoundly happy that you are taking advantage of this opportunity and it means that YRUU has a chance to really become something great. And it has been great, but also really flawed. And this is an opportunity to address these flaws. Like Joo Young, it saved my life too. In the position I am at, I get to hear many of these stories. And this is an opportunity to open the net a little wider. And maybe I've made mistakes…and I apologize for that…it was never done it malice, but to help things improve.

Marissa: I probably ended up working for some consultant for a corp. or something, I think working in the office, has it's benefits and disadvantages, internally you see stuff you wish you didn't see, but most things are like that, all in all I have been honored to see you grow and deal with something that can be difficult, but moving past that is more important. In my past I was involved in local stuff, and that is where I got my charge for social justice. Seeing YRUU as a grass roots level and to focus on local stuff. You should look at is how to make sure you equip people, make people just as excited as you. I got most satisfaction with helping people who take over my job and making it continue, and that's really special, I want you to go to Youth Council, and bring it's more important than what you say here.

Alice: I'm really excited. I came from this being really alienated from my youth group, and just by chance I got involved with youth of color. I started to connect with other people of color and it became important to connect with others as a whole and forgot about YRUU as a whole. But now I see the balance in these meetings.

Lehna: I'm at a really weird position with YRUU right now. I don't really feel supported. I don't know if I want to go to C*UUYAN, but I don't want to leave YRUU. It's a bunch of mixed feelings. I just feel really disconnected. And I just want to really reach out the people out there too. I feel really empty and disconnected because I didn't go to the DRUUMM Youth Summit. I just really feel frustrated with my Youth group. I want to feel safe enough to go to C*UUYAN before I leave YRUU.

Nan: The last few meetings, I feel there was a live disempowerment. It felt like the institution was deciding and not the YRUU folks-it felt disempowering from my perspective. In this meeting, I feel like everyone is starting to take their power back, through the visioning. I have been really aware of power through this process. The thing about YRUU is also that it has lead to opportunities of growth. One of the best things that has happened here is to recognize the work of LRP. Important to look at that…do the small group stuff around it and taking all that information in was really helpful. I'm concerned about the worship piece and how to do worship in an authentic way, where respect is central to our spirituality. Even if it just music right now, is enough. I'm kind of feeling that a little bit. I'm kind of feeling the church part of it.

Joo Young: again calls for the SC to determine a process

Kat: would it just be youth who are the co-facilitator?

Kat: brings up a concern of chaplains as co-facilitators

Joo Young: it would be important to let people know that sometimes chaplains will have to step out. Possibly inviting a local YCR to be a facilitator and if there was an emergency there would be three facilitators. During the phone-a-thon, letting YCRs know there is space to facilitate something and talk about youth group support.

Paul: should I check on Tony and Sara right now? I

Dale: So is there going to be a SC co-facilitator with the rest of these folks?

Kat: what if we got the basic outline of what a force field analysis is?

Jesse and Joo Young lead a FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS discussion together
--Basically with a force field analysis, you presume that there is an ideal state (you had all the money in the world, everything was great).
--you've got another place, of what's currently happening ("a current state") and what the force field analysis does it there are forces that are pushing the current state towards the ideal state.
--but there are also restraining forces that are pushing us away of the ideal state.
Step one:
--the first absolute very first thing we do is do a real brief, wide open brainstorm of the ideal state would look like (PERFECTION).
Step two:
--one evaluates the good stuff: things that are pushing us towards the ideal state. Includes prioritization.
Step three:
--analyzing the bad stuff (what we are lacking in resources)
Step four: the As
--look at things you have no control over (i.e. the weather at a conference)
Step five: the Bs
--stuff that if you organize around it, you can make positive change-it's worth doing something about
Step six: the Cs
--"low-lying fruit:" the easy stuff, if we just did this one tiny thing, it's gone

If we take the A. (no control over) and Bs (can be changed through organizing), what are the strategies we need to take to effectively make that change happen
--identify resources that YRUU has and what resources do you need through other places
--there are strategies that you can start implementing yourself, (the Cs) you don't need any extra resources…you an just make them happen

Joo Young: it might be good to translate language. If people were interested on being a on a small team to do that…that might be good

Kat: might be a good idea to put this force field analysis in the pre-packet

Jesse: if you want to adapt this process, a small group is going to have to work this out over time. And probably train the facilitators on how to do it. It might be worth inviting the facilitators to come in a day early so you can prepare them how to lead it. The YO would be more than willing to help do that. Getting rid of the inaccessible language might be a good idea.

Paul: maybe the business working group can look at this

Nan: maybe there can be an activity that can be incorporated to the force field discussion

Kat: maybe using an example so people can understand it (like what's good and bad about M&M candy)

Alice: Joo Young spoke about making a video with pizza, puppets, and FUN friends!!!

Joo Young: would like to learn process so she can make the tape about it

Jesse: knows another process to use

Dale: straightforward, but not as straightforward as it could be. Can be taught to people to use

Paul: thinks it's really good but language needs to be changed.

Lyn: agrees with above

Joo Young: important to maintain the good things. I feel like the ideal situation is that it shouldn't be brief, but big and exciting. To get people to feel like they own it. Ifeel like that could be a kinesthetic project (like the art project at the DRUUMM summit)

Nan: same thing as everyone else said. Being really intentional about the style. Focusing on the positive things

Kat: it still seems really complicated to me and really intimidated and I can imagine other people will be too. Changing the language would help. Important in having people go in a circle and decide on a vision of YRUU. Sub-process is really important. And I feel like we will need to spend a lot of time on this process. And if we look at the stuff with the mission thing, and the alternative forms on how to do this.

Lehna: I think it just looks really good, but I am scared because even some of the ideal situations can be oppressive in a way.

Alice: depending how it is done, it can be great

Marissa: Make it fun for everyone. To make it work for you. The whole point of this is to help YRUU figure out stuff. We are all going to work towards the ideal state.

Joo Young: it's like the LRP and the conversation regarding racism

Lehna: ideal situations differ from people to people.

Kat: if you brainstorm the ideal situation of YRUU, you may want to put the ideal YRUU in a world that is not ideal. Not depending on the real world to make YRUU a more ideal place.

Lehna: acknowledging things from a certain lens and doing it that way

Joo Young: maybe a way to put in the budget talk and YMA discussion during our outing

Kat: I want to call out that we really need to get into our working groups

Lehna: do we want to do working groups during dinner?

Paul: aren't we doing budget and YMA discussion over dinner?

Joo Young: have 30 minutes to do working groups, 15 minutes to watch a movie, and then continue working.

WORK GROUPS BEFORE LUNCH

Work Groups #1:
Schedule: Dale, Nan, Kat
AR/AO and Social Justice: Alice, Lehna, Jesse
Business: Lyn, Paul (Sara and Tony are sick and do not attend)

1:40PM: BACK FROM--LUNCH PRESENTATION FROM YOUNG ADULT/CAMPUS MINISTRY (YACM)!
Joseph: gives presentation, screens "A Living Faith"
Paul: asks about "where we can go from here?" after watching the movie (i.e. starting a campus organization, how to get involved)
Joseph: questions and resources can be found at: www.uuyan.com
Joseph: what do we know about young adults? BRAINSTORM
-stereotype that they don't care about being UU
-transitional phase: college, job, "get your shit together"
-stereotype that young adults are weird and awkward
-between the age range between youth and young adult: very strange because there is such a huge gap
-myth: young adults are "too busy" to go to church
-myth: there "aren't any" in Canada
-young adults in DRUUMM have bond with youth of color
-stereotype: young adults are disconnected from the rest of the organizations: congregation and national
-young adults need spiritual support too!
-assumption that all young adults were involved in YRUU
-seems that young adults have to look for their community
-myth: young adults all involved in leadership prior
-stereotype: all young adults drink, have sex, and do drugs at events

Joseph: youth originally helped build the Young Adult Network (founded in 1985)
-80-95% of the adults are newcomers to our church

Joseph: How would you envision Unitarian Universalism post-YRUU BRAINSTORM
-have campus ministry groups at every high school/college
-place to go for non-college younger young adults
-radical covenant groups (for people who don't have churches and can build a relationship together-also do organizing!)
-more social justice (young adult work camp type thing), more stuff for young families
-commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression community building
-how to transition as a young adult to a member of a congregation
-worship/spirituality stuff
-continue to develop young adult of color community
-age appropriate programs
-events by age focus
-young adult: C*UUYAN to make statement about sexual behaviors/classism
-workshops/programming on dealing with money
-meeting at GA for 18-24 year old young adults
Joseph: goes over each of the ideas and describes what YACM is doing to address these ideas

Joseph: talks about the representative for UUYAN, can talk to the Youth Office if you need to get into contact with him.

EVERYONE TRAVELS BACK TO THE UUA HEADQUARTERS WHERE THE PILOT EPISODE OF "THE WAY" IS CURRENTLY BEING FILMED!

Sometime around 3:30PM
Everyone arrives back to the Youth Office for the YCR Phone-a-thon
Joo Young: summarizes to the SC the questions that they should ask while talking to the YCRs

List of district YCRs that people are supposed to call:
Joseph Priestley: Kat
St. Lawrence: Dale
Ohio-Meadville: Paul
Thomas Jefferson: Alice

Tony is the facilitator
Questions are asked about who to invite as a co-facilitator

Topics and people to co-facilitate:
Sara: AR/AO
Paul: outreach
Kat: young adult relations
Alice: spirituality
Tony: governance

Paul: Asking people to come from the 29th on, but should be there for sure from the 1st to the 2nd of August.
Jesse: explains how the $500 travel equalization fee works to the SC
-YCRs are to book their travel through Kathy
-Each district will be charged $500

Call backs:

Sara

Called the TARR Bart

Paul

Called Tsuki, went through survey, she's excited about travel equalization, I talked to Eliza henz Greco, from ohio Meadville, Brietta has stepped down and now no one new has replaced her. Lydia for the most part volunteered to be a facilitator, and she really wanted to come for the whole time, but, called Christine Mitchell.

Kat

Called 3 people, none of them were there, and I called Rachel Davis for C-Sac and she said she was way to busy to do it, I called Asha, and got her email address, and sent really long email, and Kat has made kind of a template for future outreach calls to facilitators, she will be on this continent during the time of Youth Council.

Dale

Called Ballou Channing, Ben D'avanzo , his dysc kind of collapsed, but there is still programming going on, but they don't have a dysc, doesn't think he'll be coming, because he's going to college and doesn't know who to report to. Went through all the questions to him, he didn't know about travel equalization, called Sam Cory, from the NE, he's their YCR now, and asked him the questions, talked with him, doesn't have a very good anaylsis of AR, didn't know about travel equalization, he sounds like he is committed and has some ideas. The two other people, Sara was at work and the other person Kevin, I don't know where he was, I'll see them both soon, and get the info, and Jenna was out, but I left a message, Jenna Oakley was som

Alice

I left a message for Emily Brunts. I called Sean Fletcher, and his dad talked to me for a real long time, Tansy, said her district is a mess, and there are problems about communication from youth to adults, left message for Tenneh.

Lehna

Talk to Gabi, left a message with Sean.

Tony

Jesse Hennesey, called Erica, called Sara Pourner for Prarie Star, and they don't have a YCR and isn't sure when they are going to get one. I called Helen Harris, and one of the numbers was wrong, and called a different number and it wouldn't stop ringing, and I called Laura manning and didn't get an answer. I called Zanna, and it didn't work, and then one time, it was confusing.

Lyn

I called George's father, James Brown, I told him thanks and gave him the contact info, I talked to Elwood, and we had a nice chat and thanked him, and left a message for Robert Smith.

Nan

Laura Spencer, and I left a message for her, and she has an email address,

Tried Becca, and she wasn't there, and talked to Mary, and I am going to write those out, I talked to Terry for a long time, I will contact Kristen soon.

JooYoung: There were two specific requests for help I noticed… to help to YCRs.

1.) Tansy - TJ - Alice

2.) Ben D'Avanzo - Ballou Channing - Nan

Charlie Burke Mass Bay
Elizabeth Kelley NH VT

7:30PM RETURN FROM CALL-A-THON AND DINNER

Working Groups #2:
Worship: Nan, Sara, and Dale
Community Building and Community Support: Alice, Lyn, and Kat
Special Events: Tony, Paul, and Lehna

9:00PM PEOPLE FINISH CHECK-INS AFTER WORKING GROUPS
JESSE BEGINS QUICK BUDGET DISCUSSION

Jesse: do people want a review of how to read a budget sheet? YES! (but people don't seem to want a global UUA budget review)

How to read the Fiscal Year 2006 Sheet:
Item: description
Budget: how much we expect to spend
Actual: what is actually spent (note on open and closed lines: open means it still can be changed/money can still be spent out of that line, closed means that we do not expect any more money to be taken out of that line).
Variance: budget MINUS how much has been spent (it will tell us how much we have left in that budget or how much we have gone over)

We are currently in Fiscal Year 2006, the Youth Council that the SC is planning for is a part of Fiscal Year 2007. Fiscal year is July 1st to June 30, 2007

Jesse: SC budget covers 3 things-Youth Council travel (for SC and POCC), 3 SC year meetings, and travel to GA.

Jesse reviews the budget of the last two SC meetings

Lyn: asks about the Walker Center cost, it seems like it is way more than the cost of the last two meetings at the P&E.

Jesse: This meeting will be more than $1,600 but not more than $2,500. (note: that rooms of Becca Brown and Kristen Harper could not be cancelled in enough time to stop the charge in time)

Review of the Youth Council Budget
Kat: asks about Synapse (which comes out of a different budget line-the fact that Synapse is not going to be printed this year means that it will help offset the costs of some of these over expenses)

Paul: why is the AR trainers showing up at two places on the budget (on Youth Council under "trainers" and on the general budget)?

Jesse: because it is being subsidized

Nan: brings to attention the "Other YC Lines" on the Youth Council (which is still an open line). Also asks what the cost of the BOT is to go to GA

Lyn: the budget of the BOT is not broken down like the budget of the YO. The BOT has a 42 page Excel spreadsheet budget

Nan: where is the Y*FUUD total in the budget?

Jesse: not in this budget, there has been $1,000 spent out of $5,000

Nan: it would be helpful to have that budget in the Fiscal Year 2006 report as well

Sara: it would be nice for POCAC to have that exact budget

Joo Young: can we job jot Jesse to get copies of that e-mail on Y*FUUD to you

Nan: I thought Y*FUUD was more (around $6,000)

Joo Young: Y*FUUD can roll-over each year. And then you can generate interest on what isn't spent the following year

Jesse: we are spending the interest on the Y*FUUD, not the principle.

Nan requests that YFUUD money be documented every year so that steering committee knows how much can be spent.

Lyn: YFUUD is a designated fund, they can't decide to take that money and spend it on young adult stuff, it's a different part of the budget.

Joo Young: Make sure this information is in handbook and how to read it is in there.

Jesse: I'll have the next budget ready for youth council.

Paul notes adults were talking a lot

YSJT: only 4 registrations are still needed to be collected!
Kat: why was YSJC so under-budget
Jesse: innovation of Joo Young to have post-packets printed on CDs has helped dramatically. UUSC has offered to partner up with us for the next YSJC (also giving more money but helping with the initial training planning group)
Joo Young: many different reasons for over-budget on registration: some people in difficult times, financial difficulties, some people have weird relationships with the YO right now

GA: still open. $6,000 has been spent (but more with pre-site). Every year we get $25,000 from the GA Planning Committee

Programs and Projects page (UUA Capital Campaign): supports Training-of-Trainers, Transformation Team (on a temporary hiatus-may be used for an AR stakeholders meeting), Youth of Color organizing (DRUUMM), Youth Council AR training, regional trainings, SATUURDAY, resource development (Beth is looking into this right now), and some small youth group grants.

Joo Young: explain why SC couldn't have a budget earlier

Jesse: no other reason that with the consultation stuff, my time has been more divided. I have been traveling a tremendous more than I have ever done in this job (with the exception of my first year as YPD). You all made it very clear that you needed the budget at the January meeting and we didn't follow through. One of these reasons was with my travel and also with the transition from Ethan to Rek (which slows down productivity in any office). All I can do is apologize for that. There was nothing malicious, I wasn't trying to keep information from you. The good news is that Rek is proving to be very proficient and turns around stuff pretty fast.

Jesse: we only spent $2,000 of the $3,000 of the Youth of Color support

Joo Young: we've saved a lot of money with Kristen, her being local and all

Jesse: important to start looking who will fill Kristen's role for next year

Joo Young: important to create a system for youth of color. To not have people picked late any more. To avoid putting youth of color in an awkward space for future years.

Jesse: thank you Joo Young, that's all I have to say. (opens it up for questions for folks) I will work harder on getting this information to you all

Dale: looks like there is money for travel/registration for GA. We have to pay for our own food?

Joo Young: we can be more creative with the budget (considering we don't have to pay YK Hong $500.00). We can fundraise and there are tons of ways to get people to GA. No one has to starve!

WE HAVE A QUICK CLAPPING ACTIVITY!

Kat: says something cute but I'm really tired so I can't articulate it correctly.
Kat: we are working on making a moving schedule and we will present it to the rest of the group
Paul: would you like to know the special events (an afternoon from 1-5pm-not on a Monday
Joo Young: talks about the two special events (a game for families and a piñata-making session)
Paul: YC visit to the Afro-American Museum of Artists
Joo Young: we will does a test of the museum and maybe look at the arboretum to get ice cream ahead of time

PEOPLE BREAK UP INTO WORKING GROUPS #2

We go over the schedule and put it in an excel sheet. Yay!