 | in 1980 Rev. Wayne Arnason published Follow the Gleam, a history of UU youth stuff until the mid-seventies. It is out of print and hard to find. |
| there is no single LRY story. In fact, some groups still call themselves LRY. For a while after Common Ground, California and Colorado groups retained the LRY name. (Jim Sechrest) |
| there was a newsletter called the Toak Times that some people mention in conjunction with LRY. It "was one of many federation newsletters published in the 70s. The TOAKtm federation was centered in Texas, but also included locals in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and parts of Missouri. The federation board, in response to what were reported as advisor concerns, changed the fed's name to SYNERGY in June, 1978. The newsletter name was changed to The Synergist Observer in July of that same year." (Ed Inman) |
| some people were really hurt by the changeover from LRY to YRUU |
| some people believe it was absolutely necessary |
| those two groups are not entirely mutually exclusive |
| most youth in the late 70's were opposed to the dismantling of LRY. (Ed Inman) |
| Joe Taco and Suzy Creamcheese are probably the hardest
people to get solid biographical information about. Jim
Sechrest says, "Joe Taco and/or Suzy Creamcheese:
the names that LRY was rumored to be
"incorporated" under in order to avoid legal
responsiblity for any real people. A taco was a leader
from Boston's LRY Board." The other information I have about them is that they did not exist at the very beginning of LRY. Ed Inman sent me a big folder of resources, including a photocopy of an article entitled "The Joe Taco Syndrome". It is transcribed in its entirety here. |
| people involved with the formation of LRY are really hard to find |
| many youth like, need, and struggle to define the religious | ||||||||
| fun is key | ||||||||
| fun is not everything | ||||||||
| youth are the best organizers for youth activities | ||||||||
| adult support is a Good Thing(tm) | ||||||||
| worship is usually seen as an integral part of whatever a group undertakes, including but not limited to business meetings | ||||||||
| groups and organizations like LRY and YRUU tend to have
more problems when
| ||||||||
| overnights are good | ||||||||
| trust is good | ||||||||
| one of the things advisors can and do do for the youth is
provide a buffer between the youth and the general
population of the church. Here's an example of how this
might work, written by an ex-LRYer and current UU, Jim
Sechrest: "For example...Flash to 1975, an LRY con. A parent calls on the phone at 2 in the morning to ask where his kid is. After a search, a youth says, "Oh, he and some others went out for coffee and donuts." and hangs up. No big deal. The youth returns in a half hour and calls home. Parent goes ballistic. No conferences are allowed at that church for 3 years. "Flash to 1991, a YRUU con. A parent calls to ask where his kid is at 1 in the morning. After a search, a youth tells the district level advisor that he (you won't believe this) went out with some other kids and an advisor for coffee and donuts even though noone was supposed to go out after midnight. The district level advisor gets on the phone and says "We are having a little difficulty locating your child since there are over 200 youth here, we will have him call you as soon as we find him." The youth returns in a half hour and calls home. All is well. The coffee and donut advisor was given a stern talking to. She was 25. "The inclusion of adults in YRUU puts the burden of responsibility on the adults. So, when there is a snafu, the advisors... COVER for the youth. They provide a buffer between the kids and the adults of the church so that the YRUU image does not become as tarnished as it otherwise might." | ||||||||
| pizza is good; coffee is debatable | ||||||||
| tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs may or may not be bad, but they can certainly cause conflict | ||||||||
| rumors can be very destructive. Some people believe rumors destroyed LRY. | ||||||||
| inclusiveness is invaluable | ||||||||
| the leadership experience available in many youth groups is unique and shapes peoples' lives | ||||||||
| currently, typical adult worship and typical youth worship are different. This makes the youth-to-adult transition more difficult than many would like. | ||||||||
| LRY in the mid-50's was very different from LRY in the late 60's |
background borrowed from the First Unitarian Society
