Youth Council 2002
August 20-26
Cascade Meadows, WA
minutes taken by Meghan Tideman
formatted for the web by Tim Fitzgerald

Table Of Contents

August 22, 2002 - Plenary I

I. Opening and lighting of the chalice
II. Explanation of Puddies
III. Power Dynamics within Meetings Role-Play
IV. Roundabout Workshops

August 23, 2002 - Plenary II

I. Split Into Working Groups

August 24, 2002 - Plenary III

I. Resolution Catch-Up
II. Steering Commitee report by Jenny Dunmore
III. Position On Appraisal Report by Chris Weber
IV. Working Action Manager Report by Sachi Kobyashi
V. Board of Trustees report by Ed Wilde
VI. Y*FUUD
VII. Youth Office Reports
IX. Steering Committee Elections

August 25, 2002 - Plenary IV

I. Resolution Process

August 22, 2002

Plenary I

I:  Opening and lighting of the Chalice

-Allison Dawe welcomes Youth Council on behalf of the Pacific Northwest District

II:  Explanation of Puddies

a) Silly
b) Buddy teamànew members with second-year members

III:  Power Dynamics within Meetings Role Play

-Steering Committee members do a dynamic job of this role-play, with a stunning cameo by Grace Garner
-Discussion of each character and roles
-With personal identities
-The internalized roles we all have
-Process this example more in Identity Groups and within the anti-racist experiences throughout the week
-We are all bringing different identities to the table and we need to be aware and recognize this

IV:  Roundabout Workshops

-Each A-Team group rotates to four different workshops

• Teaching of Formal Consensus
• How to Write an Agenda Item
  
  
  • Project Proposal
  • Resolution
  • Statement of Conscience
    
    
• Role of Youth Council Members
• Long-Range Planning

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August 23, 2002

Plenary II

I:  Split into Working Groups

• Y*FUUD selection
• WAM/SWAT
• Long-Range Planning
• Board of Trustees
• Youth Council/Steering Committee
• Future of Canadian YRUU

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August 24, 2002

Plenary III

I:  Resolution Catch-Up

-Published Awards and Recognition for Progressive and Really Cool Cons
-According to my notes we skipped this one

-Resolution to Reaffirm YRUU’s Continental Nature and Improve Accountability to Canadian UU Youth
-Still working according to Ed and an upcoming proposal

-Resolution to Change the Election Process of the General Assembly Youth Caucus Business Manager
-Changed to let Youth Caucus pick the Biz Manager. 
                        -2003 Biz Manager is Sam Trumbull

-Resolution to Conduct a YRUU Long-Range Planning Meeting
-A lot did not get done but is starting to
-People who are interested are getting more information
-The more people who work on it can get it done quicker
                        -The sooner the better

-A Taskforce to Explore the Creation of a Federation between Massachusetts Bay District and Ballou Channing District
-Never happened
                        -The YACs were not interested
                        -Discussion is still happening

-Resolution to Create Partnerships in Strategies for Action
-This resolution passed but nothing really happened
-At the 2002 YRUU Social Justice Conference there was a bit of building bridges with different youth organizations

-Resolution to Restructure the YRUU Social Justice Conference (YSJC)
-The changed conference went well but according to Sachi no tangible action has happened as a result of the con

-YRUU Support of UUDPR (Unitarian Universalists for Drug Policy Reform)
-Goals were accomplished
-UUDPR got a lot of publicity at GA this past summer
                        -Greg DuBow is now on the UUDPR Board
-At GA Greg DuBow spoke in front of Plenary stating that YRUU is in support of UUDPR

II:  Steering Committee Report by Jenny Dunmore

-A lot of anti-racism visioning:  Where it’s going to go, how to get there, how to get grassroots groups excited and impact, how to incorporate and include local and district areas
-How to deal with the UUA/CUC split and what that means for YRUU—how to be accountable to Canadian youth
-Discuss Long-Range Planning
-Steering Committee has done staff and YRUU Program Specialist selections/reviews

III:  Position on Appraisal Report by Chris Weber

-This report is begun by good public speaking advice:  “you’re not supposed to put gum in your mouth.”  Oh Chris Weber and his oral fixation

a) Chris asks if Youth Council would like him to review what POA is

• Youth Council responds with yes, please
• POA is a two and one half year position
• It has a duel purpose:

1) Paying attention to group dynamics and interactions


                                   

2) Program focus-Chris’s is AR

• Steering Committee chooses the POA’s program focus

b) What Chris as POA has done:

1. With his program focus:
• Worked with being a white male interacting within a group, what that means with group dynamics
• Self-education through reading in order to be accountable to multi-cultural youth
• Reading Learning to Be White by Thandeka 
• www.tao.ca is a web-site that Chris gets much of his education from
• Chris attended the Journey Towards Wholeness AR training in Boston this past November
• Chris attended the White Allies conference in Chicago this past spring
• Has been in contact with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
• He is looking for outside institutions
• He wrote up a Cultural Appropriation workshop to be used
• There are three AR conferences to be happening this upcoming year:  Heartland, Southwest, and Central Midwest
• Has been researching LRY’s anti-oppression history and has met with President Sinkford to discuss this
2. With Steering Committee
• Appraising SC
• Explains what SC has done, “sad times and happy times”
• SC has changed Youth Council in a radical way
• There were group dynamic tensions and issues
• There has been a lot of wasted time
• by people not reading applications ahead of time
• by not writing items on butcher paper ahead of time
• How to integrate AR into local and district areas
• How to get more people to apply for positions, especially people of color and white allies
• SC has been building relationships and lobbying with Board of Trustees representatives, and discussing the BoT youth trustee (soon to come)
• Often white men suggest process suggestions
• With this year’s Steering Committee a lot of non-noticeable but important necessary work has been done
• How Chris thinks this Steering Committee will be remembered:  As the group who changed Youth Council dramatically

c) Questions

• Has the youth been in contact with DRUUMM?
• Chris responds with that SC has tried to contact DRUUMM but they never responded
• DRUUMM is trying to do the same thing
• How is Steering Committee trying to change?
• Chris responds through education such as readings like Tools for White Guys Who are Working for Social Change by Chris Crass
• By keeping himself and others in check
• How did Youth Council used to be and what was the reasoning for the change?
• Youth Council used to have more meetings and plenary
• SC decided that there were many aspects that happened in plenary which did not necessarily have to be done in plenary, such as the working group rotation.  This created more time to work more intensely on the anti-racism experience.
• Board of Trustees?
• Youth Council has a BoT representative (Ed Wilde)
• The Board of Trustees’ main purposes are to be accountable to the districts, including youth because we are a part of the district whether adults recognize it or not
• Youth (us) need to be in contact with these people, make demands and act as any constituent would
• Eric makes an addition that all the Trustees he knows are great, so just talking to them is worthwhile

• This past year he has spent a lot of the time doing self-education, this coming year he will be doing many projects and encouraging education
• Such as creating an AR Deep Fun (games) booklet
• Doing back to back AR cons in the Southwest district then creating a “How to be a Con Artist” guide-to booklet for AR cons
• How can we help?  Emerges from the eager crowd
• Submit workshop ideas
• Experiment and let him know the results
• Try and plan
• Chris is creating an AR resource wish list and compiling what is needed. “I could actually use your help,” Chris admits.  He will give you two thumbs up.
• He is discussing and contacting with other AR groups to get different perspectives and ideas, including the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
• The question of what is the People’s Institute is raised
• The People’s Institute is an AR organization that leads regional trainings.  Critiques are that they are pretty expensive and more adult focused
• Many UUs have received training from this organization
• There is a youth sub-group of the People’s Institute called the Freedom School
• Chris is trying to figure out ways to network and help bring back the knowledge

e) Chris asks for feedback on him

-No feedback given

f) Issues Chris struggles with

• Linked oppression
• Business meetings struggles:  struggles between being an observer and a participant
• How to be accountable, since POA has no constituency
• Getting outside the box while doing planning
• Chris is able to reflect and use his AO lens then, but seems to be unable to use his lens while the action is happening.  He is working on strengthening this skill

g) In Closing…

• Having POA be two years is a smart idea
• Having POA is able and will continue to expand YRUU’s anti-racism programming

~)--|***|--(~  Energy Break** “Jiggilo”  ~)--|***|--(~

IV:  Working Action Manager Report by Sachi Kobyashi

a) Definition of WAM

• Working Action Manager organizes and leads the Working Action Issue grassroots campaign.
• This is Sachi’s last year so if you are interested in the position GA 2003 will be the year to run
• The Working Action Issue is Prison Reform

b) Report about YRUU Social Justice Conference

• Outside lead trainers were brought in
• The conference was entirely changed through its function (to see the difference look at YC 2001’s resolution Resolution to Restructure the YRUU Social Justice Conference to be found in YC’s Prepacket or online at www.uua.org/YRUU)
• The SWAT (Super Working Action Team) was supposed to be there to help
• Communication was poor
• Only less than half of the Social Action Coordinators were there
• It needs to be better communicated that this is a working conference

c) General Area

• Sachi got positive and interested responses from people at General Assembly
• Prison Reform was presented to General Assembly this year but was rejected
• It will be presented again at General Assembly 2003 but if it this will be the last time allowed
• Sachi is now trying to form direct communication
• SACs need to do a presentation in their districts with what they have learned at YSJC
• Have districts create a line item in their budgets to send SACs if not already in place
• A suggestion is made that SACs can look to district Journey Towards Wholeness groups for funding

d) Concerns

• No funding
• Discouraging because of group’s apathy and seeming lack of interest
• Lack of support
• It is the YCR’s responsibility to have the SAC and at least two other youth attend YSJC, and that did not happen this past year.  SACs need to treat YSJC like YCRs treat Youth Council
• Lack of structure
• YRUU has made Prison Reform their issue to work on but Prison Reform is never mentioned while we talk about anti-racism, even though the two are strongly connected

e) Goals

• Wants to maintain a web-page but needs help
• To have and have had massive flying at GA
• To inform the adults of what is going on because there is a large gap of knowledge between the groups
• Add people who care
• WAM to be the director of the SWAT team, not the dictator
• Needs a SWAT report
• Write the Study Action Issue
• Do a workshop at the YSJC
• Be in contact with the C*SAC (Continental Social Action Coordinator)—(Marissa Gutierrez)
• Insure that the next WAM has the job easier i.e. job description more concrete, solid workable aspects, etc.
• More outreach from WAM to YACs, but needs YCRs help in this process

-Study Action Issue - Sachi explains process

• It is a good idea to have WAM be a two-year term
• First year research
• Second year action
• Maybe we could use some of the long range planning money
• Anyone who wants to help ask Sachi, and spread the word!!! to find others to help

V:  Board of Trustees report by Ed Wilde

a) Board Make Up

• Board meets four times a year, including a meeting at General Assembly
• It includes: a representative from each district (one from Florida and Mid South), three At-Large positions, two youth observers (soon to be full-trustee), the UUA president, the Moderator, the Financial Advisor, VP Finance, the Recording Secretary, and the assistant to the Board of Trustees.
• The President of the UUA can change the board if he wants to, so the current president is
• The Board is changing to fit with his desires

b) What the Board is Up To

• Action Item:  Every person on every committee that the Board appoints and all committees for GA now receive AR training
• All Board members receive AR training
• Board has been working on financial issues and balancing the budget
• The budget is now balanced
• Beacon Press
• Beacon Press is one of the few liberal publishers that still remain and has had an endowment, which has funded them but has now run out of their endowment.
• UUA has had to support them in this time and this unexpected finance threw off their budget
• A three-year task force has been appointed to act on this situation
• Discussing the creation of a deliberate large (300+ members) church
• This would be in cities that are typically large enough to sustain this type of congregation, but don’t yet have one
• Membership Growth
• President Sinkford’s idea is to have a 5% growth rather than 1%
• Annual Program Fund amount-members pay
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• The Board is really oriented towards youth and some districts are as well - “There is no question in my mind that youth are supported by the Board,” Ed states

c) Questions

-What issues aside from the youth on the Board of Trustees and general budget stuff has the board taken on?

• None

-What about AR training and Crossroads ministry?

• Crossroads was the organization who trained out AR trainers and there was a bad reaction to them. Now the UUA has independent AR training and is moving away from Crossroads

-How is the Board accountable to People of Color?

• The President’s highest priority
• He has a structure to enhance AR work and effectiveness
• This was just implemented at GA, so we do not know how well it is working yet because it is too early to tell
• Generally if the President is for something it will happen

*****Mimi LaValley joins us late and is introduced to Youth Council as the Incoming YPS

VI) Y*FUUD

a) Report on Working Group’s Decision

• $9,600 was decided to be given
• The Working Group decided to prioritize what aspects were most important to YRUU to support in the giving of the money

1.                         Anti-Racism
2.                         Anti-Oppression
3.                         Leadership within AR and AO

• The WG gave to five out of eight applications
• $5,000 for a People of Color meeting/conference
• $1,890 for the YRUU AR video [all hardware (sound, computer, etc.) bought with Y*FUUD money MUST be given to the Youth Office after completion of project]
• $1,200 for a New England YAC (Ballou Channing, Clara Barton, Mass Bay) joint AR training
• $1,200 for CUC training [training must incorporate AR to insure accountability to people of color, work with the Youth Office]
• $310 for Thomas Jefferson District’s Guide to Everything [need to be in contact with DRUUMM, DARTT, in order to assure accountability to people of color and put these resources in the guide.  Start doing AR work in the district]
• Most groups got all or more of the money than they requested
• Make sure you tell the Youth Office who to make out the check to

-Immediately the request is raised to hear why the three others received no money

• Star Island requesting money for conflict resolution training
• UUIgnite requesting money for a youth/young adult social justice conference
• C*UUYAN requesting money for a transitional-range task force 

c) Explanation of the Deferred Applications

• None accountable to local, district, or continental youth
• No AR or AO work

d) Discussion Over Y*FUUD Grants and Consensus Process

-Consensus is reached in giving the grants in the same way that the working group decided
-Abstentions/Concerns:

• It is important for YRUU to help support and develop AR work within different organizations (specifically in response to UUIgnite)
• Have next year’s Youth Council as a whole develop the priorities of importance to giving grants, rather than the Working Group
• Place the priorities on the Y*FUUD application so applicants know ahead of time
• Not enough money was given to CUC

e) Notice for Next Year

-Give each person on YC a small summery of each grant application so every person can read it while discussing

VII:  Youth Office Reports

a) September YPS by Paula Nett

• Reports on Tampa meeting for resource development and strategies with UU AR work -There will be a traveling show of youth and young adult’s of color, which will incorporate art and activism
• Paula attended the White Allies conference in Chicago, which was held in conjunction with the People of Color conference
• Identity Groups have progressed
• Goals:  to create an ID group resource
• At Con Con there were working groups on AR
• One of Paula’s responsibilities at the UUA was to coordinate GA
• At GA this past summer there were many changes to Youth Caucus including housing (requiring sponsors to stay in the same housing as youth; asking sponsors to abstain from drinking; having no youth housing but switching from a hotel to youth hostel; and so on)
• These changes stemmed from an intentional meeting with local youth in the fall of 2001 to brainstorm about GA 2002 and the youth community

b) January YPS by Wendell Seitz

• January YPS focuses on doing the logistics for Con Con and Youth Council and web-site maintenance and layout in addition to the general hectic ness of the office 
• Success story of YRUU:  A woman is in the process of becoming a UU minister and did not like youth.  Despite her feelings of distaste she attended Con Con, the youth’s Continental Conference as an adult advisor.  After observing and participating in this week she mentioned to W. Wendell Seitz that she now is a big fan of YRUU.  Rock on all of us amazing people!  Rock on.
• There is now a new look of the YRUU web site thanks to Matt Moore and Tim Fitzgerald.  Thanks you two.  This new visual stunner can be observed at www.uua.org/YRUU
• There is now a way to post and find other UU youth and young adult’s contact info.  Go to www.uua.org/connect

c) June YPS by Megan A. Tideman

• Newest addition to the office, is learning her way around
• Coordinated and coordinates many trainings (to apply for one go to www.uua.org/yruu and click under the “trainings” section)
• Her favorite part of the job is working with these people
• A Training of Trainers is coming up: the Continental Advisor Training in Harvard, MA.  Apply to be a trainer!
• Beginning in the beginning of the busy time was a bit whelming and there were many transitions she had to deal with in addition to starting
• Such as… New job, new house, new director, new office, new employees, and on the list goes
• These transitions were tough but fun.  Apply to be a YPS!!!  It’s totally great.

d) Youth Programs Director by Jesse Jaeger

i.  Brainstorm what Youth Council believes the role of the YPD to be

• AR and AO on the front burner
• Trying to create accountability
• Hear every person’s voice
• Keep youth work at the center
• Work towards making a stronger youth presence
• Not leaders of the future, leaders right now
• Concern over creating a meaningful AR training, making it a priority
• Be accountable to youth
• Support the Youth Office in what they do
• Have fun
• Role Model
• Be at CUC IGM
• Good work with Steering Committee
• Contact with CUC
• Support for youth advisors
• Advocate for youth
• Assists the YPS’s
• Enjoy meetings
• Lobby
• Empowering to youth
• Outreach
• Be Nice
• Assist BOT observers
• Assist YCR’s in being liaisons
• Get input

ii.  Budget

• Where the UUA gets it’s money from
• Annual Program Fund
• The Endowment
• Grants from VEATCH
• Fundraising
• UUA problem
• Economy
• Jesse hands out the UUA Comparative Budget Detail and says for next year he will make it more user-friendly
• Jesse wants to create a better tracking system for t-shirts and our YRUU checkbook

IX:  Steering Committee elections

-People can be very persuasive, vote your conscience
                        -Persuasiveness is the idea
-Elected

• Tony Brumfield—Adult
• Jenny Dunmore—People of Color Advisory Council   
• Bethany Glatz
• Ed Irvin
• Tempa Klinegores
• Nora Rasman
• Sam Trumbull
• Jessica Whitworth—People of Color Advisory Council
• Katie Whitworth—People of Color Advisory Council

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August 24, 2002

Plenary IV

I:  Resolution Process

a) Explain Consensus Process

1. Proposal
2. Broad Open Discussion/Clarifying Questions
3. List Concerns
4. Group Concerns
5. Resolve Concerns
6. Call for Consensus

-Go Over Actions

             b) Bylaw Change

-State that each Canadian region will get a YCR

i.  Concerns

• No support                      
• Not enough money

ii.  Resolving Concerns

• There is a resolution for coming that deals with these very concerns

iii.  Call for Consensus

• Consensus

c) Project Proposal

-YES (Youth Empowering and Supportive congregations) Awards

i.  Questions

-Why do they need Youth Council?

-To have Youth Council’s stamp of approval from the continental level through the use of democratic process will make the churches care more

ii. Concerns

                  -None

iii.  Call for Consensus

                        -Consensus

d) Resolution

-Resolution to Encourage a Conference Tax to Support Canadian Youth Programming

i.  Concerns

-Districts may feel pressured to comply with this
-There may be apathy among non-Canadian youth
-No three-year evaluation in the resolution
-There was supposed to be one, under point #7
-Where’s point #7?

ii.  Group Concerns

-Group evaluation and point seven concern

iii.  Resolve Concerns

-Evaluation concerned resolved through the addition of point #7

                        -Discussing possible district pressure:

-By giving districts another option
-If we do this then they may disregard the entire idea

iv.  Call for Consensus

-Remaining concern to be noted:  Potential apathy among non-Canadian youth
-Any funds raised on behalf of Canadian Youth could be sent directly to:                                                                       

The Canadian Unitarian Council
55 Eglinton Ave E., #705
Toronto, ON M4P 1G8
CANADA

-Made out to Canadian Unitarian Council, with "attn: Lifespan Learning- Youth" in the memo line
-Call for Consensus to see if Youth Council wants to pass a resolution as a means to support Canadian youth
-Consensus

e) Closing Plenary

-Annie Abernethy officially calls an end to our last “plenerly”

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