As I keep re-reading the letter from the YRUU steering committee it seems like they simply gave up because the money from the UUA was cut. From what I could find yesterday much of the training and congregational support remains in a UUA office on Youth Ministry (like something called Chrysalis Training [whatever that is] and other activities)

Why didn't the steering committee set a goal of finding a way to maintain the social & activism aspects of the group? A stand alone group (a la Interweave) doesn't require UUA approval or anything. Hopefully some of that youthful energy and creativity will find a way to create something anyway. Or at the very least, create / maintain groups at the district level.

It appears that we have been misled. Here is some more information, courtesy of Jennifer Nichols-Payne of the Southwest UU Conference. Patti Withers, the DRE in Houston, passed it on to us concerned parents.
I like the chalice in Jan Taddeo's signature; I may just steal that.--dbc

*****
The first letter is another from Rev. Bill Sinkford to the Steering
Committee and the second is from one of the Steering Committee members. The
second was written before the first, but is still worth reading. There
should be more coming from the youth office soon - a list of FAQ's - which
I will send out as soon as I receive it. Take care, Jennifer Nichols


A Letter to the YRUU Steering Committee
February 15, 2008
To: Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) Steering Committee
From: William G. Sinkford,
President, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
CC: UUA Board of Trustees
The two-year Consultation on Ministry to and With Youth made it very clear
that we need to imagine new and more effective ways to support youth
ministry throughout the Association of Congregations. The vision of
multi-generational church life and support for congregational youth ministry
which was created at the Summit on Youth Ministry last summer is powerful
and positive. This year is intended as the time to create that new
imagination. It is a time of transition and is, therefore, complicated.
The findings of the Consultation demonstrate that there is a broad
consensus that the current structure for continental youth ministry is not
serving our faith well. It is true that Continental YRUU, as we have known
it, will be replaced at some point by a new structure that will serve us
better. It is the task of the Youth Ministry Working Group to recommend that
new structure. The decision to hold the Working Group meetings at the same
time as your meetings this year in February and April was intended to
maximize the opportunity for Steering Committee input in the development of
the new structure.
Unfortunately, as a result of failures in communication within the UUA
staff, some incorrect information was shared with you at your recently
completed meeting. You were told that the Continental YRUU structure would
end in June of this year and that there was no funding in the UUA's budget
for Youth Council next summer. The reality is that the UUA's budget for next
year will not be presented to the UUA Board for approval until its April
meeting. No firm decisions have been made about ending support for the
Continental YRUU structure. And because of YRUU's status as a Sponsored
Organization, the UUA Board will have to approve any decision to end support
for the organization. I apologize for the distress that incorrect
information has caused.
I've asked the Office of Youth Ministry staff to prepare a set of
"Frequently Asked Questions" about this process so that there will be
clarity for all of us.
I hope this letter helps clarify where we are in the process. I am very
sorry that inaccurate information was reported to you as fact. It is my most
sincere hope that we, together, can reclaim the positive energy of the past
two years and move toward a youth ministry which will serve Unitarian
Universalism well.
In faith,
William G. Sinkford

*****

As an adult at-large on Youth Council and a participant in the UUA Youth
Summit last July, and someone involved in congregational and district youth
ministry for the last 6 years, I'd like to reassure you that this is a
positive step in UU youth ministry, though I encourage you to do the
research necessary to come to your own conclusion.

I urge everyone to read the report from the Youth Summit:
www.uua.org/aboutus/gove...h/index.shtml

Many, many, many youth participated in this process over the last three
years, and the YRUU Youth Council and Steering Committee are primarily
comprised (sic) of youth. As I understand the process, the YRUU Steering Committee
was involved in the process the UUA used in coming to this decision. There
was general agreement on the Youth Council when we met last July that the
continental structure was not adequately serving youth in our congregations,
and to some extent in our districts as well. Since we are an association of
congregations, we are looking at how to reach and serve youth more
effectively through our congregations. The UUA Youth Ministries Office is
still up and running and continues to provide resources.

The greatest concern from this change is in how we will serve UU Youth of
Color. What we heard at the Youth Summit is that many Youth of Color feel
they are well served at the continental level (through YRUU and DRUUMM), but
not so well at the congregational level. DRUUMM will pick up much of what
YRUU did for Youth of Color at the continental level, but there is still
much work to do at the local level to close this gap.

This change in funding is indicative of a general shift to congregational
youth ministry, and is part of a comprehensive approach to this shift that
will involve many strategies which are outlined in the report from the Youth
Summit. Please read through the report and communicate with the UUA Youth
Ministries Office with questions, feedback, or ideas.

You can also stay tuned to what's happening in youth ministry through the
consultation newsletters:
www.uua.org/aboutus/gove...s/index.shtml

~)<
Jan Taddeo
UU Ministerial Candidate
YRUU Youth Council Adult At-Large
Miramar, FL






Peace,
Jennifer Nichols-Payne
District Director for Lifespan Faith Development
SWUUC/UUA
817-874-4895

the UUA just recently put the YRUU issue on the agenda (or whatever) for GA. This is big because usually they have only put stuff that concerns the uua specifically on the agenda this early before GA. The uproar that has been created about YRUU funding being cut has made an impact!

I hope that everyone understands that just because national funding has been cut, it doesn't mean that all district funding has been cut. I know that the Pacific Central District will continue to fund YRUU though our age range is being changed from 12-22 yrs to 14-20 yrs.

I kind of have to protest the wordage of "The UUA sucks a lot" just because they really do a ton aside from YRUU stuff that's good for the whole world.