Philocrites

YRUU's transformation continues.

by Philocrites

There are new developments this week in the relationship between the UUA and the continental UU youth organization YRUU, although details are emerging somewhat piecemeal. The second meeting of the Youth Ministry Implementation Working Group — the administration-appointed task force that is sketching out the future of UUA-sponsored youth programs — took place the weekend before last, at the same time as the meeting of the YRUU Steering Committee. Then this past weekend, the UUA board met and passed several resolutions related to YRUU.

UU World reporters are working on stories about both meetings, so a more complete picture will emerge in a week or so when they've finished their reporting. (Hopefully the final texts of the board's resolutions will be made public soon, too.) In the meantime, some information is showing up here and there. Here, for example, is the April quarterly report to the board of the UUA's Lifespan Faith Development staff group, which includes the Youth Ministry Office.

In addition, the YRUU Steering Committee has now publicized its April 17 letter to the UUA board. The letter recognizes something that was not acknowledged directly in earlier statements about the UUA's future financial support for Continental YRUU:

We have been informed that the proposed budget that you will be reviewing does not include funds designated specifically to YRUU as it has during pervious [sic] years, but rather includes a broad Youth Ministry line item. The implication of this change is the cessation of YRUU specific funding and therefore YRUU activities and governance structure.

Acknowledging this fact, the Steering Committee urges the board and the UUA leadership to fund several of YRUU's priorities out of the broader Youth Ministry line item that is in next year's budget.

The Steering Committee also informs the board that it plans to host online elections for a representative body (as yet unnamed) to advocate for youth once its term expires in June.

Since I don't yet have access to official language of board resolutions, and since I didn't attend the board meetings myself, I'll withhold comment on the board's actions. One, however, is being publicized by the Steering Committee: The board has place the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution on the 2008 General Assembly agenda.

Copyright © 2008 by Philocrites | Posted 24 April 2008 at 9:01 PM

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