Analysis: from LRY and YRUU to where?

where do we go from here?

what doesn't work?

Lack of support.

In order for any program to work well, it needs the support of the organization within which it exists. In the case of youth programming, this means the support of local congregations, districts, and the UUA. Some members of the Youth-Adult Committee of 1979 wrote,
"The LRY Executive Committee [ed note: and the Youth Programs Director and Specialists] is in the same boat as any other UUA staff responsible for programs operating out of 25 Beacon Street. The program material is as effective, and only as effective, as the church people who receive it in the mail allow it to be. For an LRY leader—be it a Federation or a Continental level LRY leader—to help start a new local group or connect an existing group with LRY programs, she/he must work through the lay and professional leaders of that church. They have the mailing lists, the local knowledge, and ultimately the power over whether that group happens or not. We feel that apathy or outright hostility or old grudges has been one major stumbling block" (People Soup, April 1978, 11).

Lack of adult responsibility

Youth are, by and large, capable of running their own programming. However, there need to be adults in the background. Learning to be a leader is just that—learning. Because the future of people and programs are hanging in the balance, it is important to have someone watching to make sure that mistakes are small and infrequent.

what does work?

adults and what they are good for:

Someone needs to attend to details--to make sure that both programs and food are accounted for. As long as youth take care of it, the adult can just watch, but the adult is important to make sure that the youth think of everything.
Adults also represent a level of authority that youth cannot. When a youth leader sees destructive behavior and tries unsuccessfully to stop it, she or he needs to be able to turn to a higher authority. At a conference, this might be an advisor. The advisor might ultimately drive the youth to a "safe house" offered by another adult. Without the support and cooperation of adults, it can be very difficult to keep rule breaking from getting out of control once it starts.
In many youth groups, people are members only for the four or five years during which they attend high school. Some groups include junior high and/or several years of post-high as well, but even those youth are members for a limited time only. Age limits on membership necessarily lead to high turnover: a complete turnover in membership every four to eight years. In the absence of continuity of membership, the group needs continuity of advisorship. Advisors can lengthen the institutional memory of a group immensely, and can provide continuity if the group experiences sudden and unexpected loss of key youth. They can also encourage youth to train each other for leadership, so that the leadership base of the group grows as the group ages. The Adviser's Handbook (sic) 1955:
In basic terms the adviser must give time, leadership, ideas, and guidance...Many churches do themselves a disservice in not making clear that the adviser's work can be time-consuming. The job should not be "sold" on the basis, "it won't take much time" or "you only need to drop in on meetings occasionally." The honest need for an adult who can regularly attend and be with the young people should be acknowledged and met. Whether this means one hour a week or six, will depend largely on the size and type of activities of the group" (4).
Miriam Axel-Lute, youth in the early 90's: " Anything well planned!!! I think youth are looking for meaningful ritual, a place to be spiritually exploratory, to open to other people."

changes we could still make

In which I do a little good-natured lecturing. These are written to the youth, but the congregations can and are responsible for this, too.

more adult involvement

This may mean arranging training. Many adults are scared to be advisors. Find someone you want to get involved. Find an advisor training conference. Hook them up. This may mean care and feeding of youth advisors. Once you have 'em, they're trained and enthusiastic, take care of them. Get more than one, and be responsible. This keeps your advisors from burning out and moving to Tahiti. Get your congregation to help you. Talk to your DRE or Youth Programs person.

more trust.

Trust the youth, trust the adults, trust the advisors, trust the congregation. This may mean increasing communication. There are tons of ways to do that.

newsletter column for the youth

single-sheet newsnote for parents bimonthly

if someone complains, LISTEN

	this means you, parents
	you advisors
	and you youth, too
	(this way the board will hear only the good stuff)

This may mean finding ways to increase contact between the youth and the congregation. Ways to do that:

	Fundraise. Hit them up for money and say hello.
	Usher for services.
	Remember that newsletter column? do it.
	Do youth services for the whole congregation.
	Get youth on church committees.
	Go to the annual retreat and do some stuff with everyone else.
	Do service projects for the church. Clean, paint, organize a rummage sale.
	Do service projects with the church. When everyone takes a Saturday morning to do Habitat for Humanity, join them.
	Donate some of that money you fundraised to the church. Earmark it for something important and not just for youth. Present it at a congregational meeting in a big cardboard check.

This may mean following the rules if you don't already.
Rules are seen as a contract between the youth and the adults, and among the youth. Rule breaking and rumors thereof is the number one reason for youth programming problems. If you don't like the rules, talk to people and change them.

more religion

In some ways, youth connections to UUism aren't always the same as adult connections. Adult rituals don't always appeal to youth, and that's to be expected. However, many youth will talk about a "sense" of UUism that must be present for programming to work. How does that "sense" appear in your group's interactions? Does the group have rituals of its own? What makes the group religious (as in Young Religious Unitarian Universalists)? When you get new members, or visitors, or guests, do they get any kind of introduction to UUism? How? Is it lived belief, professed belief or something else? (Are you walking your talk or not?) Things that might be religious or spiritual:

	check-in
	chalice lighting
	topics of discussion
	ethics
	social action projects
	group interaction (courtesy and respect)
	worship services
	Youth Sunday
	conferences: what makes them religious?
"There they go, and I must hasten after them, for I am their leader." (Leadership Development Conferences Planners' Handbook, 14).