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For a description of what Youth
Council is and what it does, click here.
District/Regional Youth Council Representative
Up to 25 two-year positions
selected by UUA district and Canadian regional youth committees
Youth Council Representatives (YCRs) are the leaders within the continental UU Youth movement and their districts/regions.
They strive to foster leadership among their peers by sharing information, encouraging participation in YRUU
activities at all levels, and recommending good candidates for volunteer and staff positions. It is the YCR's
responsibility to seek the resources, moral support, and direction required to carry out his or her task. Pats
on the back and thanks for the work are always welcome from all sources. YCRs should report regularly on the
status of YRUU activities within their districts/regions and make a thorough report at Youth Council. Additionally,
YCRs are encouraged to present, through their Steering Committee contact person, concerns for consideration
at a meeting of the Steering Committee or Youth Council. YCRs are to notify the Youth Office promptly when a
new YCR is chosen. (“Resolution on YCR Apathy”, YC 1986). Old YCRs should also orient new YCRs to
the task ("Resolution for Support of Incoming Youth Council Representatives, YC 1995).
What Should I Do?
In your district/region, lobby for and implement decisions and ideas that have come out of the Youth Council
meeting by:
- Understanding and being aware of the issues that have been raised at Youth Council.
- HOW? Ask questions, pay attention during plenary. Discuss issues and questions with people outside
of plenary. Read over minutes of previous year's Youth Council. Take notes. Get enough sleep.
- Publicizing the decisions that come out of Youth Council.
- HOW? Write an article for your district/regional newsletter. Post resolutions on email lists and web
sites. Talk to people. Hold workshops at conferences or Annual meetings.
- Finding concrete ways to implement the ideas into action.
- HOW? Use Youth Adult Committees, your district/region Board of Trustees, Committees, the Youth Office,
and others. Review the resolutions during the planning of each district/regional conference to see how
they might be implemented there. Use your imagination! Call your Steering Committee contact for ideas.
Stay connected to the Continental Youth Structure By. . .
- Participating in the yruuyc-l email list. Give feedback about continental issues. Redistribute announcements
from the Youth Office to your district/region.
- Sending minutes of your YAC meetings, flyers, AND DISTRICT/REGIONAL CALENDARS and newsletters to the Youth
Office.
- Writing and soliciting articles, pictures, and graphics for Synapse.
- Putting all of the Youth Council members on your mailing list for fliers and newsletters.
- Sending names of all your district/region leaders to the Youth Office.
- Publicizing upcoming Continental events like Con Con, Youth Caucus at GA, the YRUU Social Justice Conference,
the Continental Training of Trainers, Youth and Young Adults of Color and White Anti-Racist Allies Conferences,
SATUURDAY Con, and other events announced by the Youth Office.
- HOW? Write articles in your newsletter, post information to email lists and web sites, pass out flyers
at conferences and at church, talk to district/region Board members, ministers, and have other YRUUers
pass out flyers at their Youth groups.
- Recruiting people to apply for each At-Large position on Youth Council.
- Sending in district/region reports to the Youth Office.
Foster Leadership in Your district/region By. . .
- Informing local groups on ways to get involved in the district/region and on the continental level.
- HOW? Distribute information to all the locals through YAC members, newsletters, visits, and direct mail.
Encourage youth to attend district/region meetings. Get on the continental mailing list. Hold workshops
on YRUU and UUA structures. Have a Youth Office Staff person come to your district/region.
- Collecting names, addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates of youth and send them to the SYNAPSE mailing
list.
- HOW? Leave out a sheet at conferences, advertise SYNAPSE in your newsletter, have a display at annual
meetings, and request copies of Synapse from the Youth Office to have at your conferences.
- Establishing sponsorships of district/region trainings provided by the Youth Office such as, Leadership
Development Conferences (LDC), Spirituality Development Conferences (SDC), Basic and Advanced Advisor Trainings
(AT-1 and AT-2), Anti-Racism Trainings and Workshops, and Chaplain Trainings (CT).
- HOW? Approach district/region and local YACs for sponsorship. Call the Youth Office for assistance,
or check out the Training Planning Guide available on the web and through the Youth Office.
- Establishing communication with the district/region Board of Trustees.
- HOW? Ask a board member to attend your YAC meeting. Get a youth member on the board. Attend all meetings
that have any youth issues. Get youth on committees.
- KEEPING RECORDS OF YOUR WORK AND PASSING THEM ALONG! Train your successor to be a responsible Youth Council
Representative.
- HOW? Create a file! Explain your duties to your district/region youth. Meet with your successor and
explain Youth Council as well as sharing your experiences. Let’s stop recreating the wheel!
People of Color Caucus (PoCC):
(Up to 8 one-year positions, selected by YRUU Steering Committee)
The People of Color Caucus was created as a part of Youth Council several years ago as a part
of YRUU's commitment to Anti-Racism. One of the purpose of this body is to create more accountability to people
of color by creating a caucus at Youth Council to participate, and who can run for the People of Color Advisory
Council on Steering Committee. Those who are interested have a strong interest or commitment to anti-racism
work.
Historically the UUA has been a well-educated, white, upper middle class organization. This still
carries through to today, and because of such there has been little accountability to people of color. A resolution
was brought to Youth Council 1999 entitled "It's time we do something about racism", which among many
things called for this accountability to people of color to be a part of the YRUU governance structure. To do
this, the People of Color Caucus (for Youth Council) and the People of Color Advisory Council (for Steering
Committee) was created.
A predominantly white institution, even with the best anti-racist intentions, can not be accountable
to people of color if there are no people of color involved in deciding how the institution is run. The hope
is that one day YRUU will reach critical mass of people of color in the institution, and there will always be
people of color at the table along with white people without having this caucus, but until then the People of
Color Caucus will exist.
The "What Should I Do?" for the People of Color Caucus is continually in creation
and changing. In the meantime, you can read the corresponding sections of the job descriptions of other Youth
Council members to see different ways of being accountable to a consituency.
Adult At-Large
(two-year position, selected by YRUU Steering Committee)
The 1996-97 Steering Committee, in an effort to revise the Youth Council job descriptions, qualified the below
description with the statement that the only tangible and mandated responsibility of the Youth Council Adult-At-Large
is to attend Youth Council and represent the adult perspective to the governing body of YRUU. The below description
is a collection of many ways you can appropriately represent strong, capable, and empowering adult participation
in youth programming. The Steering Committee decided that this is always a good thing, but not a specific responsibility
of this job.
What Should I Do?
Model Being A Good Advisor For Both Youth And Adults By. . .
- Supporting youth delegates in all their endeavors, within the district/region and at the continental level.
- HOW? Advocate for youth concerns with district/region Presidents, Trustees, Executives, and other key
district/region personnel.
- Voicing your own concerns and opinions as UU adults involved with and supportive of youth.
- HOW? Be yourself. Don't try to be who you think the youth want you to be. Be honest about your concerns
and opinions. Dare to be unpopular with youth. Dare to be unpopular with other adults.
- Helping to bridge the gap between youth and adult organizations by suggesting strategies for better interaction
and by personally representing youth / YRUU interests as needed.
- HOW? Give feedback to youth about how you as an adult respond to various statements, interactions, and
strategies. Give them an adult perspective. Lift up a theology of “power with” rather than “power
over” when you work and talk with youth and other adults. Talk with the district/region RE Committee
and advocate for an RE liaison position.
- Developing and strengthening adult leadership within YRUU. Form support activities for advisors within
your district/region and at regional or continental levels.
- HOW? Contact the district/region YAC or RE Committee and stress the need for advisor support. If they
can't help, put an ad in the district/region newsletter or call a meeting for all advisors at your house
or church. Encourage your district/region RE Chair to bring the Ministry With Youth Renaissance Module
to your district/region. Encourage the district/region to have a youth / adult LDC or an Advisor Training
in the district/region.
- Working within the district/region to develop and maintain a broad base of adult support for active involvement
in YRUU.
- HOW? Write an article for the district/region newsletter about how youth minister to you. Circulate
materials from UU Faith Works, The Spider, Synapse, The Youth Advisory, and other sources that give good
examples of involvement in YRUU.
- Supporting the district/region YCRs and their work.
- HOW? Divide up the district/regions among the Adult At-Larges and check in on your assigned district/regions
to offer support or intervention if there are problems with adult support. If you are in a neighboring
district/region, offer to lead a workshop at a conference or attend a YAC meeting as a member of the Youth
Council.
Junior High Transitional Age Range Representative
One-year position, selected by YRUU Steering Committee
What Should I Do?
Represent your age range in Continental and district/region YRUU by . . .
- Voicing concerns for youth ages 12-14.
- HOW? Be on your local and district/region YRUU structures. Take an active part in meetings. Participate
on committees, especially continental committees. Communicate with other people junior high youth. Contribute
to newsletters regarding interests of junior high youth. Be involved, especially on the continental level,
with the development of programs for junior high youth. It would be good to be in touch with folks who
are working on OWL and Coming of Age as these are major things in Jr. High UU life.
- Developing and strengthening leadership training methods for people in your age range.
- HOW? Participate in and help lead leadership training specifically focussed at your age range. Lead
workshops on issues related to junior high. Encourage people to step into the continental level.
- Developing a strong group of people in your age group for peer support.
- HOW? Hold activities specifically for junior high youth (either whole weekends or an activity during
a large conference). Attend conferences and camps for people in your age group. Possibly work with the
Leadership Development Conference Trainers and coordinate a training specifically for Jr. high youth.
- Breaking down age barriers.
- HOW? Involve yourself and other junior high youth in spirituality and worship activities on the local,
district/region, and continental levels. Promote inter-generational activities. Develop and encourage
bridging ceremonies for youth entering YRUU.
- Breaking down age barriers.
- HOW? Involve yourself and other junior high youth in spirituality and worship activities on the local,
district/region, and continental levels. Promote inter-generational activities. Develop and encourage
bridging ceremonies for youth entering YRUU.
- Head a working committee of YCRs throughout the year.
- The committee will meet via phone and e-mail to discuss district/region and local initiatives to improve
programming for junior high and increase congregational awareness of junior high issues.
- Make sure that articles and resources directed towardsjunior high youth appear in each edition of Synapse.
- HOW? Encourage other junior high youth you know write from their experience or write them yourself.
- Talk to your successor about the position and share your experience from the year.
Take Initiative By . . .
- Assuming responsibility to find out what needs to be done in your district/region and other district/regions
to better fulfill the YRUU Purposes and Principles.
- HOW? Talk to youth and adults in your district/region. Write letters to the YCRs in other district/regions
to find out about the age-specific programming all over the continent.
- Finding out how to achieve the different district/regions' goals.
- HOW? Attend Youth Council. Examine the special needs of your age group. Talk to people within your district/region
and others. Lobby for change on the continental level throughout the Youth Office, Youth Council, and
Steering Committee.
- Starting with your own district/region and using it as an example for others to expand their junior high
programming.
- Telling the Youth Office what's happening as you go along. Make sure they have things on the YRUU website
about Jr. high stuff going on. Keep the other YCRs up to date on what you're working on by writing to the
list serve on a monthly basis with projects you are working on.
- Networking with continental committees and organizations that deal with junior high concerns.
Post-High Transitional Age Range Representative
One-year position, selected by YRUU Steering Committee
What Should I Do?
Represent your age range in Continental and district/region YRUU by . . .
- Voicing concerns for youth ages 18-22.
- HOW? Be on your local and district/region YRUU structures. Take an active part in meetings. Participate
on committees, especially continental committees. Communicate with other post-high youth. Contribute to
newsletters regarding interests of people in your age group. Be involved, especially on the continental
level, with the development of programs for people in your age group; especially what the Young Adult/Campus
Ministry Office is working on.
- Developing and strengthening leadership training methods for post-high youth.
- HOW? Participate in and help lead leadership training specifically focussed at post-high youth. Lead
workshops on issues related to post-high youth. Encourage people to step into the continental level. Network
with YRUU Leadership Development Conference Trainers to get idea on how to create a solid training.
- Developing a strong group of people in your age group for peer support.
- HOW? Hold activities specifically for post-high youth (either whole weekends or an activity during a
large conference). Attend conferences and camps for post-high youth.
- Breaking down age barriers.
- HOW? Involve yourself and other post-high youth in spirituality and worship activities on the local,
district/region, and continental levels. Promote inter-generational activities. Encourage the use of bridging
ceremonies at the district/region and local level to mark passage into young adulthood.
- Networking with C*UUYAN and Young Adult/Campus Ministries, as well as other projects and organizations
that deal with post-high youth and young adults.
- Head a working committee of YCRs throughout the year.
- The committee will meet via phone and e-mail to discuss district/region and local initiatives to improve
programming for young adults and increase congregational awareness of young adult issues.
- Make sure that articles and resources directed towards post-high youth appear in each edition of Synapse.
- HOW? Encourage other post-high youth you know write from their experience or write them yourself.
- Talk to your successor about the position and share your experience from the year.
Take Initiative By . . .
- Assuming responsibility to find out what needs to be done in your district/region and other district/regions
to better fulfill the YRUU Purposes and Principles.
- HOW? Talk to youth, young adults, adults, and elders in your district/region. . Communicate with YCRs
in other district/regions to find out about the age-specific programming all over the continent.
- Finding out how to achieve the different district/regions' goals.
- HOW? Attend Youth Council. Examine the special needs of post-high youth. Talk to people within your
district/region and others. Lobby for change on the continental level throughout the Youth Office, Youth
Council, and Steering Committee.
- Telling the Youth Office what's happening as you go along and make sure that they have information on the
YRUU website that is pertinent to your age range. Also inform the rest of Youth Council what you're up to
by emailing the list regularly about what you're working on.
Youth Council Canadian Representative At-Large
(one-year position, selected by CanUUdle,
a Canadian Unitarian Council youth conference )
What Should I Do?
At Youth Council, Canadian Representative, Duties Include...
- Represent Canadian concerns and issues.
- Offering a brief written and oral report to Youth Council concerning CanadianUU Youth Activities.
- Hold a lunch meeting or working group to discuss Canadian concerns.
For Steering Committee, Canadian Representative, Duties Include...
- Write a report to the Steering Committee before each of their meetings on the status of Canadian YRUU issues.
Throughout The Year, Canadian Information Clearing House Duties Include...
- Keep Youth Council Representatives informed of Canadian UU events.
- Keep Canadian YRUUers informed of all Continental YRUU Events by advertising in district/region newsletters,
the "Canadian Unitarian", and by serving as an editor for an all-Canada newsletter.
- Involve Candadian YRUUers in Continental YRUU by soliciting applications for Continental YRUU leadership
positions.
- Keep in contact with a representative from every Congregation and/or Fellowship in Canada and help them
with problem areas concerning youth programming.
- Work to improve relations between youth and the Canadian Unitarian Council.
- Promote and help organize an annual Leadership Development Conference and/or Advisor Training for Canadians.
- Help promote and plan an annual all-Canada conference.
Chair a working committee for Canadian concerns formed out of Youth Council.
- Check in frequently with district/regions that include Canadian constituents (ie PNWD, NE, Michigan, and
St. Lawrence)
- Communicate with your successor and discuss different projects attempted and what has been effective.
Continental Social Action Coordinator
Two-year position
selected by YRUU Steering Committee on even-numbered years
What Should I Do?
Represent/ promote social action issues & concerns in Continental & District/Regional
YRUU by . . .
- Representing continental and district/region Social Action concerns at Youth Council.
- HOW? Create and distribute regular mailings to district/region Social Action Contacts (SACs). These
regular mailings are called SAC Pacs and they include information on the Working Action Issue, mailing
addresses of SACs (to encourage inter-district/region communication) and Social Justice Organizations,
information on social justice events in Continental YRUU/UUA and at the district/region level, and –most
importantly- a district/region Report Form to be completed and returned to the C*SAC.
- Use information compiled from this communication to report to Youth Council and write articles for Synapse
- Promoting awareness of Social Action issues throughout the year.
- HOW? Utilize the above-outlined Social Action Network to maintain communication between local, district/region,
and Continental YRUU, ensuring that information about Continental events reaches the district/regions
and that district/region projects are recognized by Continental leadership. Guarantee that articles about
Social Action appear in every issue of Synapse, by both writing them and encouraging others to submit
articles.
- Encourage Social Action workshops at conferences, camps and other events, both Continental and district/region.
- Head a working committee of YCRs throughout the year.
- HOW? The committee will meet via phone and e-mail to discuss district/region and local initiatives to
implement the Working Action Issue.
- Talk to your successor about the position and share your experience from the two years.
Take Initiative By . . .
- Helping promote Social Action within district/region programming.
- HOW? Make sure all new SACs have copies of the Social Action Coordinators’ Resource and Information
Notebook (SACRIN), a hand-me down resource for SACs about how social action is a part of YRUU and how
to promote it as a district/regional SAC
- Encourage and write articles for district/region newsletters. Maintain a calendar of events. Maintain
a list of organizations which promote Social Action opportunities.
- Helping promote Social Action opportunities for individual YRUUers and local youth groups.
- HOW? Annually distribute The SAC Pac- a resource guide of social justice activities to SACs.
- Communicate with both UUA and non-UU organizations with a social justice purpose to explore avenues
of cooperation towards common goals (such as the Working Action Issue) and distribute this information
to SACs.
- Be in contact with the various justice-centered staff groups at the UUA. Identity Based Ministries (IDBM)
works on various types of oppression. Advocacy and Witness works on legislative action and action that
congregations are taking in their own communities. Congregational Justice Making works on Anti-Racism
and structuring social justice groups in congregations and in our Association. Other groups to contact
include the UU Service Committee and USC Canada. Be in communication with all these staff groups and other
organizations about their current programs, how youth are or can be involved, and and to promote further
youth interaction with these organizations.
- Set a good example in your own district/region and youth group, and let SACs know what you are doing.
- ARCHIVING! Archive all the SAC Pacs you produce, send them to the Youth Office and add them to the C*SAC
binder. Keep the C*SAC binder up to date so your successor will have a clue.
- Promote and serve as a staff member for the annual YRUU Social Justice Conference for Youth.
- HOW? Lead workshops at the YSJC about how SACs can take information back to their district/region. Network
with SACs, make sure they know your name and you know theirs. Hand out SAC Pacs to people who might not
have gotten them. Work with the WAM on promoting the WAI.
- Be in regular communication with the Youth Office and Steering Committee about what’s happening as
you go along and collaborate with them on projects.
YRUU Position on Appraisal
Two-year position selected by UUA Youth Office on odd-numbered years
What Should I Do?
At 1st Youth Council - Objective Observer, duties include:
- Drafting an evaluation/report of Youth Council for fall Steering Committee meeting.
- Gather input from outgoing Steering Committee and Youth Council about about what issues need to be specifically
examined in the community. Find out areas where different people think that there is major need for change
and look into them.
At 2nd Youth Council - Historian, duties include:
- Steering Comittee report on year’s progress.
- Work with members of Steering Committee and Youth Council to create a plan of action to address the aspects
of YRUU that need reform to be more accountable.
- Continue evaluation.
- Report on progress of directive.
At 3rd Youth Council - Historian/Torch Passer, duties include:
- Present Steering Committee report on year’s progress.
- Present two year evaluation of Youth Council and Steering Committee.
- Present directive report.
- Help new Position On Appraisal with directive.
- Evaluate effectivness of POA position.
At Steering Committee:
- Always....
- Be an objective observer, but full contributing member.
- Report to Steering Committee about the power dynamics playing out in the meeting interactions.
- 1st year on Steering Committee....
- Present evaluation of Youth Council (at Fall meeting).
- 2nd year on Steering Committee......
- Maintain continuity over two years.
- Relay information from previous year by acting as historian.
- Give insight into next year’s directive and positon of POA (spring).
Outgoing Steering Committee Members:
Five youth elected from and by all youth at previous Youth Council (one year)
People of Color Advisory Council - Three youth from and by the People of Color Caucus
from previous Youth Council (one year)
Adult-at-large elected from adults by all of Youth Council by previous Youth Council
(one year)
UUA Board of Trustees Representative from the (term determined by Board)
Position on Appraisal (two years)
UUA Youth Office Program Staff (term determined by employment at UUA)
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