In 1961 the American Unitarian Association (AUA)
merged with the Universalist Church of America (UCA) to form the
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). LRY reorganized to fit
into the newly established UUA structure at the time. They voted
to connect their staff to the denomination through the Department
of Education. They also voted to become an organization for high
school students (excluding post-high people). This reorganization
eliminated the Continental Convention and in its place
established the Continental Conference as the emphasis shifted to
program and ideas.The administration of LRY was by a Board of Trustees of four officers, three directors, and the presidents of the respective federations and regional committees. The Board anually elected the officers and directors who then served as the LRY Executive Committee. College students up to their sophomore year could serve the LRY as officers, but group and federation membership was limited to high school students (A Short History of the Unitarian and Universalist Youth Movements). Around this time, a literary magazine, The Promethian, was published by LRY. (A Short History... Movements)
During the sixties, LRY grew rapidly. Federations and local groups increased in numbers and activities. Intriguingly, most respondents who were the right age to have been involved as youth at that time were not in the denomination at all at the time. It seems that when an organization is running well, people take its doings for granted. Under speciic questioning, some people mentioned conferences, lock-ins, field trips of various kinds, church services, and other activities. LRY was moving with the adult UU community from a focus on intellectual learning, like the lecture mentioned by Spencer Lavan, to a focus on community and theological exploration. It was during this time that many of the youth traditions which persisted were developed. Interesting fact: in 1968 a record was recorded, called simply LRY Album.(Ed Inman)
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