YRUU Steering Committee Meeting

March 31 – April 3, 2005

Present:

Gregory Boyd (Post-High Transitional Age-Range Representative)

Lehna Huie (People of Color Advisory Council)

Nora Lindsey (Junior-High Transitional Age-Range Representative)

Jova Vargas (People of Color Advisory Council)

Laurel Newton (British Columbia Region Youth Council Representative)

Jazmin Sandoz-Rosado (Position on Appraisal)

Siri Larsen (Heartland Youth Council Representative)

Jennifer Bell (Southwest Youth Council Representative)

Rick Roehlk (Adult at Large)

Kathryn McIntyre (Board of Trustees Liaison)

Ex-Officio Members:

Jesse Jaeger (Youth Programs Director)

Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward (YRUU Programs Specialist)

Brian Kuzma (YRUU Programs Specialist)

Reviewing the Covenant

Once everyone arrives, we’ll talk about how the covenant and the YRUU Code of Ethics relate to Steering Committee’s presence and leadership at summer events (General Assembly, Youth Council, etc.)

Reviewing Consensus Decision-Making Process

Nora explains the formal consensus process. Kath shares feedback that during the last YPS selection the consensus process wasn’t clear to everyone, it seemed like some folks knew more about the candidates than others and had strong opinions about what the outcome should be. This isn’t bad, but if some folks share a strong opinion but don’t share it with others it makes the process excessively long. We just need to make sure everyone has the same amount of information so we can feel equally clear about the process and decision.

YRUU T-Shirt Discussion

Several designs were submitted for possible YRUU T-shirts. Jesse shares information about the YRUU checking account (which funds the t-shirts). The YRUU T-shirt is where Steering Committee’s discretionary money comes from. It takes a while for T-shirts to get sold off and make a profit (or even break even) for Steering Committee. Right now the last T-shirt hasn’t yet broken even, so if we go ahead and do another T-shirt it will be a good while before there is any discretionary money for Steering Committee to spend. The profit on the T-shirts is also generally small – we use a low-cost sliding scale to make them most affordable.

We will discuss this more when everyone else is here!

Check-In

Youth Council Working Groups

Discussion on how Youth Council working groups are going. Some folks aren’t at the meeting yet who have important information about scheduling – we should meet as a big group for Scheduling because it’s a huge task. We’ll wait until Jazmin gets here and then report back from the first three working groups (Business, Special Events and Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression).

YPS Selection Process

Steering Committee discusses how to make the YPS selection process more effective, to check in more often with where everyone is at so as to keep everyone on the same page. We will continue to use the policy dictated in the YRUU Policies and Procedures, but modify it to give more opportunities to move discussion along on qualifications of candidates.

Phone Chains Discussion

It’s important for Steering Committee to check in with other Youth Council members, but it doesn’t seem like a critical piece of the agenda for every meeting. It’s also important that we use phone chains to fill folks in on what is going on in continental YRUU. Phone chains seem forced the way they are now (people talking just to talk, not sure what the point is), we should organize it better. If people were more active on listservs this wouldn’t be such an issue. Phone chains got started when email didn’t exist – Youth Council needs to step up and share information with us and with them via forums that already exist (email). It’s up to Steering Committee to get the Youth Council listserv more active, and to also be willing to make phone calls when necessary.

How do we make the listserv more active? After each meeting Steering Committee should write a “Steering Committee Speaks” type deal to the Youth Council listserv, and ask them to speak up about where they’re at and to give feedback. If we use the Youth Council listserv to have Steering Committee conversations, it will get more folks interested. Historically, some Steering Committee’s have had all non-confidential dialogue on the Youth Council listserv – this is encouraging and accountable!

We should also call everyone one time (in case they don’t use email and only phone) to see if they’re okay with us stepping it up on the listserv and not relying on one-on-one phone check-ins.

We want everyone to know who Steering Committee is! Should send them exciting news and photos from our meeting (or put that info on the website, so it’s not just our minutes.)

Steering Committee’s Role at General Assembly

We need to be at all FUN TIMES and all ID groups meetings, and encourage other youth to do the same. Self care is important, but at least tell other SC members if you can’t attend specific programming.

SC’s role is to support GA Youth Caucus staff, in some years SC has met with staff daily. Remember to reach out to the CSAC’s and HUUPER in particular because they have direct lines of accountability to SC.

We should talk to Kat (HUUPER) to see about appointing an SC member to be on the tri-committees that deal with community issues. Having an appointed SC member on the committees could free up time for other GA Youth Caucus staff.

SC needs to be an active part of the GA Youth Caucus community, and model leadership. Remember we will have an SC meeting the day after GA to do our business.

Be sure to attend the first HUUPLA meeting – this is when everyone shows up and gets really excited about stuff!

Gini Courter (the moderator) has agreed to introduce the HUUPER, the Youth Caucus Business Managers, and possibly the SC during plenary.

SATUURDAY Report

As of a month ago, the June YPS (as in the position, not individual queer-identified YPS’s) officially works to advocate for and work with queer youth as part of their job description.

As part of this work Betty Jeanne has been building relationships with Interweave and its members (Interweave is the continental UU queer organization – mostly adults). Greg and Betty Jeanne attended Interweave’s annual Convocation in February. (Greg was the youngest person there). While the planners had scholarships and registration available for youth – and Interweave leaders were very interested in and committed to youth – youth weren’t in attendance. Presence of alcohol and lack of youth-centered programming did not make the most youth-friendly setting. There were some fabulous adults there that could serve as great mentors/support for queer youth. Hopefully queer youth leaders and June YPS can offer support and advice on how to create youth-friendly, intergenerational environment in Interweave and particularly at the Convocation. Betty Jeanne will draft a letter before she leaves an office offering support and advice to the Interweave Board. Greg and other youth will co-sign. Betty Jeanne was also elected to Interweave’s Nominating Committee and will work for the next two years to help identify

A statement on accountability to queer youth is being drafted by Greg and will be approved by the elected SATUURDAY leadership (Greg, Kat, Julian, Nancy and Betty Jeanne) – it will be given to the Interweave board, to the Youth Office, and to YRUU Youth Council and Steering Committee.

Meeting with Frank Wells

Frank is a board member of Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), and a task force member of Church of the Younger Fellowship (CYF). He wants to chat about how to involve youth with the CYF.

Need a youth representative (appointed by YRUU Steering Committee) for the CYF Interim Start-Up Task Force. That task force is still working out how they relate to CLF. This representative would be responsible for participating on a listserv and in occasional conference calls. There are several CYF working groups, including one on technology. Youth are welcome to give input to all of them.

CYF will have a large presence at General Assembly,

A couple of weeks after GA want to get a permanent SC

Need to select a person ASAP or WhateverSAP

Time commitment per week is 2-3hrs for e-mails, planning, conceptual conversation

Also need to make sure person is AR/AO qualified

Need to consult ARTOP/TT

People: 1. Sean Jones 2. Nora Lindsey

Where are we with CYF?

CLF has decided to give a year of funding to CYF

Need to figure it out, how accountable, what’s it look like online, what are you

doing online that’s different?

Just want to go ahead with YA part since they know how to do that faster

Also need to figure out what youth want, but desire accountability

Strong feeling that we should have it: Lots of youth no longer have churches,

need it because there’s so much oppression in churches

Get to interface as just people online, getting a fresh start

Can build a strong AR/AO community from scratch

Don’t want to lose the youth voice just because we concentrated on the YAs first

YPS Selection (Youth Office is excluded)

Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Working Group

Preferences for AR/AO trainers are at Youth Council:

Elandria, Jyaphia, and ARTOP members

People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond

Challenging White Supremacy

Didn’t come up with Education Reform and Multiculturalism trainers, need to talk to Lydia (Working Action Manager) about that.

Business Working Group

Resolutions need to be into the Youth Office by June 29^th. Nora and Greg have made an in-depth schedule for each plenary.

(Copy plenary schedule here from Greg’s computer)

Question from Kathryn: Is there a report to Youth Council from the Steering Committee about the way the year has gone, how SC has done business? When does Steering Committee dialogue with Youth Council about how YRUU is going and what the big picture for UU youth programming/ministry is? Youth Council is a remarkable opportunity to generate conversations and vision among elected/selected youth leaders about these topics.

Steering Committee’s response: don’t need to schedule that now, those conversations don’t necessarily happen at Youth Council, nor do they have to be formally scheduled. The Youth Council members aren’t the greatest at “taking it home” and bringing concerns from their communities to Youth Council anyway.

It sounds like there are a lot of issues with Youth Council, so why do we keep doing Youth Council the way we do it?

We should be having Youth Council four times a year, we wouldn’t have to start over every year, that way people would definitely follow up and do their work.

Unfortunately, it’s just not a fiscal reality to have four meetings a year. Given what we do have (one meeting a year – this year it’s extended) how can we try to be most effective?

Steering Committee terms are so short, we don’t have time to make that kind of huge change to Youth Council. We are trying to maximize time and effectiveness – that’s why Youth Council was extended – and are trying really hard. We are all aware that Youth Council structure isn’t working effectively, that what happens there isn’t being taken home, but we’re doing our best.

A lot of this is the work of resolutions – these serious conversations that need to happen can take place on the plenary floor and be brought up by Youth Council members.

One of the things seen at the consultation on youth ministry was a general willingness to let YRUU fix YRUU’s problems, if YRUU is willing to do this.

At the consultation a lot of folks were frustrated with YRUU and don’t like the way YRUU operates. The consultation was about much more than YRUU, but participants and the institution wanted to let YRUU fix its own problems. But if YRUU doesn’t fix its own problems, it won’t be able to fix any other problems.

Thought Steering Committee would be “steering” – figuring out what direction YRUU needs to go to, and taking it in that direction.

Yes, but our time and money is too limited to delve deeply into those conversations. This meeting is too short to do all of our business and have these big conversations. If we decide something we can’t ensure that it will follow through. We can’t have these conversations without other folks who need to be at the table.

Steering Committee members need to celebrate and share their knowledge to Youth Council and to future Steering Committees. Steering Committee needs to prepare Youth Council to make the decisions they need to make. Steering Committee needs to give Youth Council the information and tools they need to make decisions and to vision for YRUU. Steering Committee needs to do “political education” – do it with good intent, help create a space for healthy dialogue, Steering Committee’s job is to educate folks and to empower them to take it back to their communities.

Steering Committee can’t be afraid of change, has to empower next year’s Steering Committee to be strategic leaders.

We should give Youth Council members a list of things they need to talk about with their constituencies before and after Youth Council.

Scheduling

Two days of in-depth consensus, ERM (Education Reform and Multiculturalism), AR/AO and community building work. All the other days are plenary and AR/AO work. There will be one fun day in the middle that’s mostly community building and relaxing.

July 19^th

Youth Office arrives

July 20^th

Steering Committee arrives

July 21^st

Youth Council members arrive, the fun begins

July 22^nd

Training day: consensus, ERM, AR/AO, plus community building

July 23^rd

Training day: consensus, ERM, AR/AO, plus community building

July 24^th

Plenary, AR/AO training

July 25^th

Plenary, AR/AO training

July 26^th

Plenary, AR/AO training

July 27^th

Community-building, relaxing and fun day

July 28^th

Plenary, AR/AO training

July 29^th

Plenary, AR/AO training

July 30^th

Travel day – Youth Council leaves

July 31^st

Steering Committee and Youth Office leave

AR/AO trainers need to be there: July 21^st through July 30^th

ERM trainers need to be there: July 21^st through July 24^th

Consensus trainers need to be there: July 21^st through July 24^th

In order to shift things around later, we first need to get a fixed schedule. (Steering Committee commences an in-depth discussion to decide the schedule.)

What about people arriving late or leaving early (like the YCR who emailed recently?) Steering Committee needs to make a decision about that.

On the pre-Youth Council planning day (July 20^th), Steering Committee will assign rooms. Youth Council registration info should ask what sleeping arrangements folks prefer.

Youth Council At Large Selection

Adults At-Large: (2-year terms) Nancy DiGiovanni, Terry Stafford, Mary Roffers. Steering Committee needs to recruit a minister for a two-year position, and another adult for a one-year position. Possible folks to recruit: Chris Cayer, Annette Marquis, Charlotte Allen, Wayne Arnason, Mary Ann Macklin. The UUA Board of Trustees needs to approve the Adult at Large selections, Kathryn will take care of communicating with them.

Age 12 to 14 Transitional Age Range Representative: (formerly known as Junior High): Bart Frost is selected.

Age 18 to 20 Transitional Age Range Representative (formerly known as Post High): Hannah Stampe is selected.

Nora will notify applicants for TARR positions about whether or not they were selected. Youth Office will – once the Board of Trustees has reviewed applications – notify applicants for Adult at Large about whether or not they were selected.

Youth Office Reports

Brian:

• Finally got a website for ARTOP (Anti-Racism Trainer-Organizer Program) together, should focus on all Youth and Young Adult Anti-Racism initiatives. It’s “online” right now but not publicized or linked anywhere. Steering Committee members should take a look at it and give feedback to Brian.
• Betty Jeanne and Petra wrote an in-depth report about the regional Anti-Racism Analysis Development Conferences (ARADC’s, from February)
• Transformation Team is getting underway, hoping to meet at General Assembly. Also needs to meet at the joint fall Steering Committee meetings to network with YRUU, C*UUYAN, and DRUUMM YaYA leadership.
• Hoping for a possible second meeting of the ARTO members, so that they can network, get more training, etc. Brian is one of the folks working on the budget.
• Working to get adult support for the General Assembly Youth Caucus racial identity group coordinators – searching for folks who the youth feel comfortable with and empowered by. Hannah Eller-Isaacs is replacing Margaret Daniele as White ID group co-coordinator. Haven’t been able to find a youth gopher.
• Youth Council – Brian’s responsible for all logistics. Planning going well.
• General Assembly Youth Caucus presite is next week.
• Working on the Continental Spirituality Development Conference (a Training-of-Trainers) but had to pass over most of the project for Betty Jeanne to pick up.

Betty Jeanne

• “You’ve all already read my report so I don’t want to just give a didactic – let’s go with questions!”
• Newsletter format that Betty Jeanne put her report into is more appealing and easier to read. Yay!
• Question on resource for BGLQQT youth: How will it be available? Currently in final edits/formatting, will be publicized at General Assembly. Betty Jeanne and Jason are leading a workshop about supporting/celebrating queer youth at GA and the resource will be available there, as well as at the YRUU/Youth Office booth. The resource will be available online for folks to download, or they can call or email the Youth Office for a copy. Before Betty Jeanne leaves she hopes to use any (limited!) leftover funding for supporting queer youth to a) make a lot of print copies of the resource available, and b) send a flier to all UUA congregations identifying the resources and support available for queer youth (through Youth Office, Office of BGLT Concerns, Interweave, etc.)
• Jesse gives Betty Jeanne props on taking the BGLQQT Youth Council resolution and running with it, identifying and meeting resource development needs. Great work this year.
• Betty Jeanne talks about how great and rewarding its been to coordinate the Chrysalis training program – over forty trainings a year going out to most districts and regions across the continent. Probably the number one local outreach tool the Youth Office directly implements, reaches lots of folks. Also one of the most effective ways to receive information and feedback on what’s going on in districts, regions and congregations – which the continental YRUU structure has a hard time doing.

Jesse

• With Youth Council resolution on BGLQQT youth, we wanted to formally put that in the structure of our staff job descriptions. Betty Jeanne’s position (June YPS) is taking that on, and given that Brian’s position (September YPS) no longer provides support for ConCon, the YSJC logistics piece will belong to Sept YPS (social justice programming – including YSJC – will be part of June YPS position).
• Core responsibilities of June YPS position are now: support for BGLQQT youth, anti-heterosexism work, coordinating the entire Chrysalis training program, social justice programming.
• Core responsibilities of September YPS position are now: support for Youth of Color, Anti-Racism work, logistics for YSJC, Youth Council and General Assembly.
• Shared responsibilities of both YPS’s now are: networking, resource development, editing Synapse, supporting YRUU and other UU youth leadership, anti-oppression work of all kind.
• Wants to lift up the Consultation on Ministry to and with Youth which several Steering Committee members were at – what are there thoughts?

Lehna: Focused not only on the state of continental and district/regional YRUU but also on local outreach and how to reach UU youth across the continent.

Jova: One of the major outcomes was a major commitment to understanding how to reach local/congregational youth. YRUU has a lot of structural and cultural issues that need to be addressed in order for YRUU to do just that.

Rick: This meeting was the very beginning of a process – all that happened there was an identification of who should be involved in a larger revisioning/evaluation process, and what steps need to be taken to create that process.

Jesse: One of the big outcomes was identifying five key areas where we need to do some work. (The document that Bill Sinkford and Megan Dowdell co-wrote lists these areas.)

Jova won’t be able to go to the next meeting April 22-24 (she was supposed to be the Steering Committee representative), can anyone here replace her? Steering Committee would like Jesse to ask Hannah Eller-Isaacs if she can do it and represent the Steering Committee. If that won’t work, he’ll post out to the list and Steering Committee will scramble to find someone else.