Common Ground II

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BYLAWS

ARTICLE I. NAME
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Young1 Religious Unitarian Universalists. It is the successor to Liberal Religious Youth, Inc.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
Section 1. Young Religious Unitarian Universalists shall serve its members for the purposes of fostering spiritual depth, creating a peaceful community on earth and peace within us, and clarifying both individual and universal religious values as part of our growth process. Our purposes are to provide and manifest a greater understanding of Unitarian Universalism, and to encourage the flow of communication between youth and adults.

In so doing we shall nurture the freedom and integrity of the questioning mind, and embrace all persons of diverse backgrounds. We shall encourage the development of a spirit of independence and responsibility.

We shall strive to support our members and member groups with educational resources, a communications network, and with love.

These purposes shall assist us in developing an effective system for social actions, and serve to raise our levels of mutual respect, communication and community consciousness.

Section 2. It shall be the primary function of the continental level of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists to assist District and local member groups in fulfilling the purposes stated above.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Members of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists shall be youth 12 years through 22 years of age.

Section 2. Young Religious Unitarian Universalists shall be clearly identified as an organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Affiliated groups on the District and local level shall also be so identified. Individual participants shall not be required to hold membership in UU societies, but shall be encouraged to participate in programs and activities at all levels of UUA organization.

Section 3. An adult as referred to in these Bylaws is defined as someone over the age of 22.

ARTICLE IV.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2
Section 1. There shall be an annual conference of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists. This conference shall be held in the summer months at a time when schools are generally not in session. It shall be held at different locations around the continent.

Section 2. A general meeting shall be held at the annual conference, open to all conference participants. The purpose of this meeting is to allow any participant in the conference to hear reports and ask questions of the organization's leadership.

ARTICLE V. YOUTH COUNCIL
Section 1. The governing body of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists shall be a Youth Council. The Council shall consist of:

  • a) one youth chosen by and representing the youth organizations of each of the 23 Districts of the Unitarian Universalist Association. They shall each be directly involved with a local UU society within the District they represent, or with the Church of the Larger Fellowship, or shall be required to submit three letters of recommendation, at least two of which shall be from members of a local UU society.

  • b) three at-large youth. Each youth shall be from and represent one age group, i.e. one junior High, one Senior High, and one post-high school. The youth at-large delegates shall be selected by the Steering Committee without being subject to the approval of the UUA Board.

  • c) eight adults appointed by the UUA Board of Trustees. They shall each be a member of a local UU society or the Church of the Larger Fellowship, or shall be required to submit three letters of recommendation, at least two of which shall be from members of a local UU society. One of these shall be a member of the UUA Board, and seven shall be appointed from the nominees submitted to the Board by the Steering Committee of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists.

Section 2. Both youth and adult Council members shall serve one full term of two years. Any Council member chosen to fill an unexpired term shall be eligible to serve his/her own full term. Four years after the expiration of his/her term of office, a representative is eligible for another term.

Terms of office shall be staggered, with half of the Council members being chosen each year based on the District list enumerated in Rule 6.4.1 of the UUA Bylaws, as follows:

Group A
St. Lawrence, Pacific Southwest, Northeast, Conn. Valley, Central Mass, Mid-South, Florida, Pacific Northwest, Ohio Meadville, Mountain Desert, Southwest

Group B
Michigan, Ohio Valley, Thomas Jefferson, Prairie Star, Western Canada, Pacific Central, Mass Bay, New Hampshire/Vermont, Joseph Priestley, New York ' Metro, Central Midwest, Ballou Channing

Vacancies due to resignation or inability to complete a term shall be filled by the body that made the original appointment.

Section 3. The Youth Council shall meet at least once a year at a time and place designated by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee shall provide at least 60 days notice of the meeting to all Council members.

Expenses for the meeting shall be paid by the UUA Youth Programs budget with the exception of travel expenses. The Steering Committee shall attempt to equalize the travel expenses for all members of the Youth Council.

A quorum shall be 3/5 of the members of the Youth Council.

Section 4. It shall be the responsibility of the Youth Council to review policy for the past year and to make decisions as to the priorities, budget, and direction of the youth programs of the UUA for the coming year.

The Youth Council shall elect three youth and one adult member to the Steering Committee from among its members.

Section 5. The Youth Council shall elect its Moderator from among its members and delegate other responsibilities it deems necessary.

ARTICLE VI. STEERING COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Steering Committee of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists shall be composed of eleven members, as follows:

  • a) five youth and one adult, with at least one youth representing each age group: junior High, Senior High, and post-high school; elected by and from the Youth Council.

  • b) one adult member of the UUA Board, appointed by the Board.

  • c) the youth member of the Religious Education Advisory Committee of the UUA.

  • d) the UUA Consultant on Youth Programs, and the two youth staff working at the UUA.

  • e) The elected members of the Steering Committee, the UUA Board member, and the REAC youth shall all have voting rights. The three UUA staff shall be nonvoting liaisons to the Steering Committee.

Section 2. The terms of office on the Steering Committee shall be one year 3, except for members who serve on the Steering Committee by virtue of their offices. Members serving year long terms shall be limited to two consecutive terms.

Section 3. Meetings shall be held three or four times a year, with one of those meetings to be held at the Annual Conference.

Section 4. The Steering Committee shall be responsible for:

  • a) planning and implementing the Annual Conference and the agenda of the general meeting of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists.

  • b) implementing the priorities and programs set by the Youth Council.

  • c) receiving nominations from Districts and others for adult members of the Youth Council, and recommending its choices to the UUA Board for appointment.

  • d) nominating UUA youth staff to the UUA administration.

  • e) assuming the functions and responsibilities assigned to the UUA Youth Adult Committee prior to January 1, 1984.

ARTICLE VII. CONTINENTAL STAFF
Section 1. A full-time Consultant on Youth Programs shall serve the members of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists, as a member of the Religious Education Section of the Department of Ministerial and Congregational Services, with offices at the UUA denominational headquarters.

Section 2. Two youth staff shall serve in an associate relationship with the Consultant on Youth Programs. Their term of engagement shall be one year, with one staff person beginning his/her year on September 1, and the second on January 1. They shall have the necessary office resources at UUA denominational headquarters.

Section 3. All youth program staff shall be recommended by the Steering Committee to the UUA administration for appointment.

ARTICLE VIII. AFFILIATED YOUTH GROUPS
Section 1. An organization of youth shall be created within each UUA District. Its structure, policies, and programs shall be determined by those youth and adults within the District selected to exercise this responsibility.

Section 2. It shall be the responsibility of the District organization to:

  • a) select its own leadership and provide for its succession;

  • b) encourage participation in the Annual Conference;

  • c) elect one youth, and consider the nomination of adults to serve on the Youth Council; also to fill any vacancies that may occur during a term;

  • d) encourage communications and supportive relationships with other District bodies;

  • e) assist in the organization of and programming for local youth groups.

Section 3. Local youth groups shall be organized within each UU society to serve the needs of youth in that community. These groups shall be considered members of the District youth organization within whose boundaries they lie.

ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Youth Council present at any annual Council meeting.

Section 2. Notice of proposed amendments must be mailed sixty days in advance of the annual meeting to all Youth Council members. Notice shall also be included in the organization's publication, this publication to be mailed at least sixty days in advance of the annual meeting of the Youth Council to all individual participants and local groups on subscription mailing lists, all District structures involving youth, and all UU societies.

ARTICLE X. IMPLEMENTING PROCEDURES
Section 1. The Youth Council and Steering Committee elected at the 1982 Youth Assembly shall be considered Interim Bodies. A youth member from each District shall be chosen to serve on the Interim Council by District delegations to the 1982 Youth Assembly from among the delegation. Seven adult members shall be chosen by an election to be held by the delegates to the 1982 Youth Assembly, from among the pool of adult delegates and Youth Assembly staff nominated by their District delegations and willing to serve. At-large youth members of the Interim Council shall be elected by the at-large delegates at the 1982 Youth Assembly. The UUA Board member on the 1981-83 Youth Adult Committee shall serve as the UUA Board representative on the Interim Council, and the Interim Steering Committee. The meeting of the Interim Youth Council shall be convened and moderated by the youth co-convener of the 1982 Youth Assembly.

Section 2. To implement the permanent structure, in the first election year, 1982-83, the UUA Board shall appoint half the adults on the new Youth Council for a one-year term and half for a two-year term. The UUA Board appointee shall be appointed for a two-year term.

Section 3. The Districts shall be divided into two groups as enumerated in Article V Section 2 of these Bylaws. The first group shall elect a youth for a one-year term on the Youth Council, and the second group shall elect a youth for a two-year term.

ARTICLE XI. PROTOTYPE FOR YOUNG RELIGIOUS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS
Section 1. All duties, roles, and positions of Mr. Joe Taco and Ms. Suzy Creamcheese shall be transferred to one Ms. Lucy Booth as of January 1, 1983.


Footnotes
1. Recorder's notes show chosen name to be Youth Religious Unitarian Universalists. However, this phrase appeared both awkward and grammatically incorrect (i.e. noun modifying adjective modifying collective noun??). Thus the substation. I trust that this was the intended title, or if it is not that the recorder can be forgiven (as well as learn to live with the name as it appears above).[Back]

2. The Assembly did not vote on changing this word in the title of Article IV, but it seemed appropriate in view of the subject matter of the Article.[Back]

3. A motion was made to specify starting date at the end of this phrase, but it was then tabled, and a motion to refer this issue to the Interim Steering Committee passed instead. The ISC is thus asked to make its recommendation on starting date to the 1983 Youth Council, after which time it will presumably be inserted in the Bylaws.[Back]



Model for Continental Youth
Organization


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Translated from the original text document to HTML by Lorne Tyndale, YRUU Programmes Specialist September 1993 - August 1994. The document was on lryer.org. I have placed the document on this site as I've been notified that lryer.org appears to be down.

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