AR working
group-Jenny, Tony, Chris, Mimi, Katie
- Tony’s idea for workshop sessions in AR work
o Culture and the socialization process
o Systems, institutions, and gatekeepers
o Power and accountability
o Linked oppressions and privilege
o Individual and institutional transformation process
- Goals for what AR should be at YC
o How do we work on personal racism yet help youth be able to bring it back to their districts?
o Get people to look inwards to themselves and the UUA as a whole
o People will understand institutionalized racism
o Have people understand the importance of internalized racial inferiority (IRI) and internalized racial superiority (IRS) and how that can really mess especially with multiracial kids
o How to make sure youth of color with white parents have a place to talk about it
o Set the stage for ID groups and motivate people to want to go to them
o Have trainers be original and new, don’t have to follow structure all the time
o Have an affirming and accepting (people all at different stages of the AR experience) environment
- Stuff to do during AR training
o During YCM share fest, encourage people to talk about AR experience
o Create time to strategize AR fun
Que es nuestra recomendacion a la Steering Committee por su trainers?
(please excuse Jennifer Dunmore’s bad Spanish)
-
Mimi will invite SOUL but see if there is a possibility to also
get “Challenging White Supremacy” also
Activity
Working Group-Nora, Jessica, Tempa, Bethany
- Choose activities according to time slot: (These Cannot Be Changed)
- Day 2: Capture The Flagàthen take them to a Bonfire where there will be vegan s’mores, ghost stories, ouiji board, camp songs, Edwin singing on his guitar
- Day 3: Hunger Banquet (5:30-7:00) and “Swimming/Spray with Soap + H2o”
- Day 4: A-Team Challengeàand Coffee Shoppe maybe
+Birfisday lunch
- Day 5:
Super Secret…..CRAFT Day!!!
-Sand candles, tiedye,
popcorn balls, corsages, bracelets, Popsicle stix, painting, birdfeeders
- Day 6: Dance
-backdrop with pictures, perhaps paint it on the craft day?
-dates learned through nametags on tables
-SC caters and songs and skits
Schedule
Working Group:
-Schedule will be worked on between meetings by Sam and Ed
Workshop/Plenary
Working Group-Sam, Ed
-First slot: Envisioning then return to it on the clean up
-third day: Resolution writing
-fourth day: Working Groups
-YFUUD
-YPS Job description/selection
-Open slot for a third working group (they decide)
-End of fourth day SC discussion, know about what it is, how to run
-Day five: Resolution circus
-Working groups:
-POA discussion
-TBA
-TBA
Plenary I
-Structure governance talk
-Power dynamics
Plenary II (day five)
-District report
-Share fest
-Perhaps how to take back
III Plenary—three hours but split into hour 1/2 sessions
-Resolutions
-Steering Committee discussion/elections
LUNCH
Rev.
Carol Johnson arrives and we have a convo:
Rev. Carol is a former adult at-large on YC, Steering Committee member, is an SDC trainer and a divinity student at Meadville-Lombard. She comes to continental events whenever she can, and credits YRUU for bringing her to UUism.
- Gave us the phone number for the White House, call and say oppose and support the war! Gotta persist! Capital Switchboard
- 1999 Youth Council resolution was passed to send a delegation to the Parliament of the World’s Religions in South Africa, this year it will be held in Barcelona, Spain in July, in 2004 and maybe we should send a delegation again? Wants us to bring it to Youth Council, start fundraising, find people to send.
- On January 31, UU-United Nations Office (UU-UNO) wants people to be nominated or to nominate themselves for the Board of Directors
- Sexual Health Workàa tumultuous time particularly for religious institutions on sexuality, there will be a conference this year at San Francisco state, community based projects, Spirituality and Sexuality, Rev. Carol would like to see at least two of these slots to go to young adults or youth, let her know if you are interested and then she can advocate for you
- We suggest she perhaps apply for Y*FUUD, especially if being accountable to YRUU and incorporate AR aspects into it.
Revisiting the HUUPER selection…New Developments Have Since Occurred
I. Look over characteristics for a HUUPER from last year’s SC brainstorm and add any more that we think
-People Person
-Crisis Management
-Delegation (knows limits)
-Not exclusive
-PR, schmoozing
-Experience with Adults
-Understanding of GA, been to GA
-Experience with AR
-Charisma
-Accountable to first timers
-Not a Creeper
-Responsible
-Experience with BGLTQA
II. Do we feel like the applications fit this critera?
III. Sean Bibby is our new HUUPER!!! But…we need to stress that he needs to be intentional about being inclusive, see if he has any experience with BGLTTTQQA, and if not he should become familiar with it and be comfortable with it in an inclusive youth setting
IV. AR:
-Vague
-Constant Struggle with his Racism
-Self not Systemic changes
-Unique
-Doesn’t seem like much experienceàdistrict issues
-Perhaps attend YSJC? Mimi will invite
-Youth Office can send AR/AO literatureàWednesday
-Have the option to communicate with SC if he needs to, perhaps we actively engage him? Bethany and anyone else will
-Bethany will choose staff with Sean, with Jessica as the back-up
-Contact Sean by the 10, have the conference call on the 15
Lower New England Regional AR Training Recap
Good things that we want to bring back, bad things that we want to leave there:
We liked:
-In the first 24 hours the energy was really good,
-Really liked the “Credo Circles”àan identity exercise that brought in race and racism and how it related to you and how it formed who you are
-SC members were really good role models with the AR
-Education from the ABC video about St. Louis
-Good cooperation
-This conference acted well with community and not us (people who’ve had AR analysis/not had it) vs. them (the opposite)
-Experiential learning
- Concept of “Power With”
-The trainers were goodàbeing youth friendly, young adult/youth+people of color/white,
-Fishbowl was interesting, but did others get something out of it?
Could be Improved:
-The definitions were implied but not fully explained, putting more emphasis on them
-Location of items needs to be not overlooked (i.e. the wall of history should not be behind a screen).
-Steering Committee seemed to be really cliquey, and caused an uncomfortable dynamic with the district YACs
-Should be aware of this in next situation where SC is all together, be intentional about welcoming
-SC should be aware (especially with AR) that we probably have more experience with this and adapt to be appropriate in the situation
-This is good that people know but it also shows that as an institution on the continental level it is much more advanced then district or local levels
-“It wasn’t the worst AR training I’ve ever been to.”
-Fishbowl needed to happen earlier in the day when everyone is awake
-Not all SC members there created some “awkwardness”
-Melanie did a good job with spiritual openings
-Melanie did some positive modeling with her readings, give context—who the author was, where they were coming from, what their experience was, etc.
-We can anticipate reactions that white people may have, such as resistance to being called a racist and identifying as a racist, and action vs. talk
-Leon Spencer—Internalization expert according to Tony, SC should set-up a meeting
-Illustrate linked oppressions, more groundwork needs to be set up with that
-History of racism in the US, UUA
-Rules for expectations of the conference should be known before the con began, each district has their own and continental has their own, but this one didn’t
Sam’s Report on her Training
-She went to a two-day “World of Difference” Anti-Defamation League conference, that focused on AO but did talk about AR more then other oppressions
-She thought it was nice to be learning with a diversity of people, as opposed to only learning with other UU’s who all have the same belief.
-She learned a lot of opening up activites/getting to know each other and will bring them to the next meeting
Youth Council/Youth Caucus
Relationship
-Chris thinks outside of the discussion box and asks SC to stand up and visually discuss this relationship
-The Youth Caucus side summarizes what Youth Caucus is
-The Youth Council side summarizes what Youth Council is
-What relevance does Youth Caucus have? Greater YRUU role?
-Have a youth input on the decisions made through youth delegates
-What relevance does Youth Council have? Greater YRUU role?
-Makes the decisions and acts to implement these decisions throughout the rest of the youth movement
-“Youth Caucus is a bunch of people that are a constituency with no representation, and YC is representation without constant constituency”
-How do we blend these, how do we make a relationship?
-Have GA and YC at the same time, or a few days before or after
-What would the relationship look like?
-Make the meetings mandatory, make business meeting not boring
-It would be real cool if there was one rep. from each district or each church at GA, and say what was going on and be there for a resource, and either that same one or a different one would go to YC or communicate with the YCR
BOND: Person A (ga) communicates with Person B (yc)
-What are actions we can take based on our ideas?
-Write a recommendation to the districts
-Bring the idea to YC/put it on the listserve and on the YRUU listserve
-Ask for feedback and re-attack this issue at the April meeting
-Be specific and people will be more likely to respond
-Have one of the SC meetings at GA be an open meeting, and have people come and observe while talking about non-confidential things
Con Con Dean Discussion
-We have some applications
-We’ll wait until Valentine’s Day (February 14) and Steering Committee will get the info by the sixteenth, and a conference call will happen on the 20 to pick the dean
- Have the list of criteria we brainstormed sent along with the new applications we get forwarded to us.
- Bryan will handle this.
At Large Positions
- Many TARRs and POAs have confusion about what their role is and who they are exactly accountable to…possibly talk with past and present at larges about their experiences…
-Why are there these problems? *no body to represent- form/create social structure
*create district TARRs
*make district junior high resources?
-What should we do about it NOW? –speak with TARRs(and YCRs) about what they’ve been up to and what would be helpful for them…bring info to april meeting to work on more
YOUTH COUNCIL
-Get facilitators or WHAT?!
-Mimi and Nora on february 20 bring ideas about youth council facilitators
Personal relationships in
choosing YPS
- Katie wrote a recommendation letter for a june YPS applicant, can it be used or discarded?
- Decision: we can write letters and can participate in the process, we all have these relationships but we come here to make the decisions as this governing body
- Can SC members run for YPS during their term on SC? Yes.
- Friends vs Friends with others, SC being impartial. Value not ok have an OPEN basis…Opinion vs. Relation open bias
Youth Office Reports
Jesse- Thinks we have the funds to pay for an interim if Mimi
goes to jail. Evaluation Committee on YPS will have two SC members for each YPS
and administration thinks it’s a great idea. Ed, Jenny, Nora and
Jazzicorn volunteer and we will then elect two more to evaluate Brian. LRP: lots got done and need to keep working forward, more
next time with finished report available. Budget-
last year Con Con lost about 4g, this year was good and should be about right.
We got 1g from congregational services so we have about 1.5g to spend towards
AR stuff. DRUUMM LDC & lots more ideas for that money. Budget for next fiscal year- trying to
secure capital campaign budget process and
places we could spend money for next year.
YAY YOUTH OFFICE!!! It’s
been a hard few months, and you did amazing considering the loss of a YPS…Keep
it up!!!
Go get fat and hot…have some dinner yinz [term revieved
from Mimi’s past: Pittsburgh dialect for y’all, or two or more people]!
Questions and
Info from the UUA Board
§
The board has prioritized its
growth initiative. We discuss the facts
and the perceptions around this.
§
The board is spending money
and starting a Super Church congregation.
A very large church is called a Corporate Church. The church is intended to have a “large
minority group” or a large population of people of color, says Ed. Chris thinks
that is creepy. Apparently it’s a
classification used for all sorts of congregations. We think it’s kind of
offensive.
§
Also doing a PR campaign in
Kansas city area, billboards, and radio spots.
§
Has growth replaced
antiracism as a priority? Ed says no. Growth definitely has higher priority as
far as agenda time though. Although antiracism has not been officially been
de-prioritized.
§
A Working Team and an
advertising consultant developed the Billboard designs.
§
Why Kansas City? Billboards
are popular there, and religious ones aren’t uncommon.
§
Is there one that targets
people of color? Yes, it is in Texas,
in the new church.
§
Chris suggests that the board
could of written something to explain its shift.
§
Tony adds that the board
should include how it intends to incorporate antiracism in this growth.
§
Suggestion made to write to YC
list serve to get input from YRUU.
§
Ed says that he could write Bill expressing this concern and
asking for clarification on behalf of SC.
§
Ed believes that Bill still
has AntiRacism as a clear priority in his mind and may be trying to apply
antiracism in new ways in order to continue progress, to help AR spread though
out the entire organization.
§
Who’s watching over that
process? (Bill Gardiner is involved)
§ The 1997 resolution put the JTW transformation committee as the highest authority/ organizing group which Tony is involved with and can report back to us about who is over seeing the UUA’s effort.
Tony’s question for Ed’s letter. “This
restructured antiracism in the UUA, how is this process, how is this antiracism
work within the UUA going to be accountable to People of Colour? How is the UUA
administration going to continue the UUA’s commitment to the 1997 resolution to
become an anti-racist multicultural institution? Who is overseeing the UUA’s antiracism work? How is decision-making regarding the UUA’s
anti-racism work accountable to people of colour in the UUA? What role do you see DRUUMM having in the
UUA’s anti-racism work? What role do
you see Identity Based Ministries having in the UUA’s antiracism work?”
Chris expands- “What
role do you see YRUU having in the UUA’s antiracism work? What role or effect will the antiracism work
being done now by YRUU have in the UUA’s antiracism work?”
Who are the
Board Observers Accountable to? What is the
process for electing them? What are the term lengths?
q GA 2003 we will elect a youth observer, and a voting youth
board member.
q A trustee will be elected this year. Matt Moore has a one
year term, with a new observer coming in this year.
q Mimi wants to look into the resources to track down the process so we kind find the truth. Chris will do historian report stuff, and track down documents. Mimi will help him if he needs it.
q Well, really Mimi won’t work with Chris ‘cause it’s hard to
work with someone that is being detained as a prisoner of conscience. The youth
office will appoint someone else to work with Chris.
Canadian reps to
Youth Council
Sam is our US citizen who acts as a Canadian ally.
The board did not disapprove or approve the bylaw change to
add 4 Canadian reps to Youth Council, but rather offered concerns for us to
work through.
Sam thinks this is ridiculous.
We take a break to breathe and think of tonality.
The concern was raised that this is a Youth Council
concern. It was a Youth Council
resolution that was challenged. Sam
will contact those who worked with it to get their input. We are letting that group run with it.
Mandy Jacobsen has volunteered to come to the Spring Meeting to talk about
the Nominating Committee and youth’s role in it.
She can come for about an hour at the April meeting, Megan
will contact her.
Birthday party, jail party and movies tonight.
Saturday Morning
Tony reads another amazing reading about equality. It was beautiful. We don’t have a candle,
but we appropriated a chalice from the youth group and put a glue bottle which
looks like a candle in it for a symbolic symbol of our religion.
Check In. Folks had
a good night in general and are ready to work.
YSJC Update
Megan gives us some low down. February 27 through March 3 is the date. Staff are selected and they rock. There are still staff positions available:
ID group coordinator and Worship.
Registration and info is online.
Being held at Friendly Crossings, in Harvard, MA. Megan learned new skills and created the
best registration form ever.
Tony suggests that we encourage our districts to budget
money to send a youth to the YSJC. This
way it is not a big fight every year.
Adult allies are needed in creating a budget line for YSJC and support
for people of color to go to continental events.
Long Range
Planning
§ We asked people to read the Draft of the Content Group reports. There will be a more in depth report for SC at the April meeting.
§
Rob Cavanaugh volunteered to
help us implement the plan. We Parking Lot this discussion.
§
Katie checks in as one of the
facilitators. Big thing is that more
could have been done with big visioning, especially with antiracism. Doesn’t really have anything else for us
though.
§
Tony comments on the goal of
YRUU groups serving as an anti-racism role model for congregations. Tony says that First Church of San Diego
(1000+ members) is talking about setting up a Circle Worship Ministry to
support and facilitate the establishment of worship circles in the adult
community. Worship circles will help
prevent people of color, youth, and others from feeling marginalized.
YRUU’s Response
to the War on Iraq.
Adam Beadel wrote a letter to YRUU challenging us to think
about our beliefs on the potential and continued war. SC read the letter and then gave 20 minutes to discuss.
Nora asks for a summary of Sinkford’s comments. Mimi
answers that he spoke out against it.
He will speak out before the war, but once strikes start, he will not
continue because there is not a GA mandate for him to continue advocacy against
the war.
JD says that SC, as SC, can say that we are against the
war, but that we cannot say that all of YRUU is against the war, YC needs to
make that resolution because it is not a power of SC to speak for all of
YRUU. Sam suggests that we bring it to
youth council.
Nora suggests that there isn’t time because this is a time
sensitive subject.
Bethany’s dad had the idea of instead of wearing an
amerikan flag on the cars, wearing a white flag on cars for peace. Jessica: we
could make little flags or yard signs as a fund raiser and an awareness
raiser.Using the evaluations from earlier meetings, we should get into small
groups and work it out. Sam suggests that when we do YPS-review working groups
we could hold the Iraq working group simultaneously. We run out of time and do
neither working group.
Youth
participation in the Ministerial Fellowship process.
Mimi explains the topic: Abbey Tennis is on
Ministerial Fellowship Committee. Mimi
explains that this is a position of power and that Abbey is pro-youth. Abbey informed us that the MFC now has
regional groups. This is an improvement on the old process wherby after
divinity school, you would go to this committee and get a 1-5 rating, and from
your rating you get to be a minister.
1,2,3 are passing. 4,5 fail and
don’t get to be ministers. 1 is best.
Mimi continues that YRUU was active in reforming this process. Talks about RSCCs (regional committees)
which work with ministerial students in order to help them prepare so they can
pass and join the ministry. Abbey is
supportive about getting a lot of youth in the RSCC’s. Abbey also brought a proposal to MFC to add
the criteria of how well ministers can work with youth in evaluating their
competence. Abbey wants help getting youth on these committees, and she wants
help in developing the criteria. This
is exciting for youth.
Sam thinks that this is so cool. Especially because a lot of ministers are not good to youth
groups, do not work with youth, are not accountable and that this is a good
change that is exciting.
Phone Chain to talk to
folks to recruit for youth to participate in ministerial review process. Do we know the process of getting on a committee? This is
needed if we’re telling youth to get involved.
We need to tell them how or else they won’t be able to.
Ed: this is a good opportunity, we can’t pass it up.
Tony: where are these regional groups/how many are there?
Ed: Four around the continent.
Mimi is gonna get info from Abbey.
JJ asks if we should ask Abbey to the next meeting.
SC sounds
like it is a good idea. We’ll ask Abbey
to come.
Jessica and Nora provide an interlude with the accordion.
The DRUUMM YaYA
Conference
SC has to tell everyone about it. There are staff positions.
Scholarships are available for travel and stuff. THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY. It is being held at All Souls DC.
Mimi says there is also a white allies conference. It will
probably be to talk about what the white allies group is and the structure, a
sort of informal meeting for people who are interested in white anti-racist
allies work. (Youth and Young Adults)
Phone chain
reports
Sam: Tim Larson
is out of contact
Stu
disappeared.
Talked to Rachel