Conference Call Minutes: 09.21.08

C*UUYAN Steering Committee Conference Call
Sunday, September 21, 2008

Present: Andrew Mertz, Linnea Huston, Liz Weber (Facilitator), Sadie Kahn-Greene, Tom Bozeman

Agenda:
• Check-in
• Fall mtg dates
• Alcohol policy revisions
• Money update
• YAM Office training/event
• Summer conference(s)
• GA YAC fund allocation
• Conference call schedule
• Check-out

Decisions:
• Adopt revisions to Alcohol and Substance Use policy
• Fund as many SC members as are interested and available after YAM Office scholarship options are exhausted
• Allocate $500 to GA Young Adult Caucus

Continuing discussions for email:
• Alcohol policy ending
• Sexually inappropriate behavior policy
• Annual conferences, particularly Opus and ConCentric, particularly for 2009
• Relationship with and further funding of GA YAC

Action items:
• All: hold Nov 7-9 for fall meeting
• All: Next conference call is Wed, Oct 8 at 9 pm
• SKG: Decide whether you can go to the YAMO event Oct 9-12
• LH: Decide whether you can go to the YAMO event Oct 9-12
• TB: Decide whether you can go to the YAMO event Oct 9-12
• LW: Decide whether you can go to the YAMO event Oct 9-12, and check in with Erik about logistics and funding for SC members
• LW: Check in with Conferences Task Force folks about their plans for the coming year
• LW: Check with work scheduler in hopes of making Nov 7-9 work
• LW: Continue discussion with Erik about C*UUYAN funds

Minutes
Check-in
Fall meeting dates: Hold Nov 7-9, 2008, Boston

Alcohol policy revisions:
With the following exceptions, revisions accepted by consensus. See end of minutes.
• “It is expected that conference leaders follow these guidelines for the entirety of their conference, as well as immediately before and afterwards. Recognizing that they are representatives of C*UUYAN and can be perceived as such at all times, leaders should make responsible and accountable choices regarding boundaries, especially around controlled substances.”
This is accepted by consensus, but we want to add something that leaders should make responsible and accountable choices regarding boundaries, especially around controlled substances in C*UUYAN spaces. And in general, something more about trusting our judgment, so that it doesn’t feel like “I’m not allowed to drink.”
• “However, the C*UUYAN community reserves the right and responsibility to hold accountable individuals whose history (recent or otherwise) proves they have difficulty making ethically correct decisions. This includes but is not limited to 1) sexually inappropriate behavior, 2) the distribution of illegal drugs to minors, or 3) any other likelihood of posing direct danger to C*UUYAN and its participants. The community may take action by utilizing the election process, the Volunteer Dismissal Policy, direct communication with the YAM office or similar institution, or another route.”
This revision does not pass. (No consensus.) We will continue discussing it over email. There are concerns around whether sexually inappropriate behavior fit in an alcohol and substance use policy. There are further concerns around whether this section is too over-arching, claims power to act on hearsay, etc, and is unclear about what folks are being held accountable to and for.

Money update
LW: Email from Erik. “Nancy and I have met with Javier Caban (the UUA’s Controller) about C*UUYAN finances. Requests for C*UUYAN funds should come from you and you alone and be sent to Nancy and I…. Our office will process the paperwork, but we do not have direct oversight of your funds.” Questions: What exactly our finances are (vicinity of $40,000, but exactly…?) Will we get statements? How often? We also said at our last call that we would like a written statement that it’s C*UUYAN money. Other questions?
TB: Will YAMO keep any records, and what steps would we need to take to access those records?

YAM Office training/event
LW: October 9-12. Email from Erik invites us as SC members. Also had nice phone conversation with him on Friday before I got his email. The goal is for the weekend to be a place for deeper conversation than the standard YACM trainings. A big part would be based on what participants are interested in discussing. Who wants to go?
AM: Interested but not available
SKG: Interested but probably not available
LH: Will look at schedule
TB: Would love to go and probably can
LW: Could go
LW: Will get back to Erik
Consensus: To fund as many SC members as are interested and available after YAM Office scholarship options are exhausted.

Summer conference(s)
LW: I think we need to hold all three summer conferences this year for several reasons. We need to provide gathering space for the community, for continuity/sustainability’s sake. We need to keep up the status quo of having our traditional conferences until the conferences task force has completed their work on making them more sustainable, etc. We need to be in compliance with our by-laws. We should check in with the conferences task force to see whether they would like to take responsibility for planning conferences this summer, but if they don’t, that’s something that we need to take on. We wouldn’t necessarily have to plan them ourselves, as five folks on SC, but we are ultimately responsible for ensuring that they happen. What do you all think?
AM: Agree that sustainability is important and that GA does not make sustainability for a community. When I arrived, my understanding was that we were not having sustainable conferences in the first place. My sense is that the Conferences TF is taking that on so that it is not part of our responsibility in the first place. Maybe we should check in with the large TF to see whether they think there should be a continental conference happening. If so and the CTF isn’t hosting it, then we should maybe put on conferences. But I don’t have a strong conclusion yet.
SKG: Agree with AM about not wanting to step on the toes of the TF that’s looking into this and how to do it sustainably. Doing things all around the country, that’s going to take a lot of work. I’m not sure that’s a SC type of program. I think we’re more big picture people right now.
LH: I wouldn’t want to feel like we’re nudging the CTF in any kind of way. I know that part of what they were charged with is exploring how to go about conference planning and maybe not getting one together for next summer, so I don’t want us to come out with a strong statement that we should have a conference next summer because that maybe pushes them in a direction that they wouldn’t have necessarily gone. But this is a huge question because it’s related to what we wish C*UUYAN to be. One hand: that the conferences are our identity and maybe that’s why C*UUYAN exists. Then, yes, we should get conferences together. But maybe that’s not what it should be, in which case it might be a distraction to push for the conferences. There are very different angles here, but ultimately, I’m not wanting to nudge the CTF in any way. I want to know what they come up with through their own exploration.
TB: I’m having a hard time thinking how to respond without first having a conversation with the CTF, so my main response is that I’m intersted in talking with them and seeing where their thinking is at right now.
LW: Definitely agree to check in with CTF first, to ask them what they would like to have on their plate for the coming year. Don’t want to step on their toes. If they want to plan conferences for 2009, they should by all means. If they don’t, I don’t want to tell them they should. I don’t see hosting summer conferences as precluding the work of either TF. I see it as holding the status quo so that there is momentum in the community to build off of when the work of the TFs is done. Also, part of our responsibility as SC is to ensure that the by-laws are upheld, that there is space for the community to gather. We don’t have to plan it ourselves, but do have to ensure that it’s there (ie could appoint others to plan).
AM: Generally agree, probably need to go over the notes again. Nothing jumped out at me that I disagree with, but it seems that what you laid out is a process for the next couple months or so. May or may not agree on that process, step by step, as it arises, but there’s no point in talking about the process until we come to each step.
SKG: Agree with AM.
LH: Agree.
TB: Process sounds okay. Part of my reaction is being reminded over the last week how new I am and how helpful outside voices are, so that’s a concern for me.
LW: Thanks for being open to beginning this conversation, especially over conference call. Action steps sugested: I will get in touch with CTF folks, cc’ing SC, to ask what they would like on their plate. I will also re-state my thoughts so we can continue this over email.
AM: Sounds good.
SKG: Yes.
LH: Yes
TB: Yes

GA YAC fund allocation
LW: Former consensus over individual phone calls to give $500. SKG interested in talking about whether to give more.
SC: Reaffirm consensus at this point to allocate $500 to GA YAC.
TB: Attended YA part of GAPC meeting. Royal Forest attended entire meeting. RF and Danni Maitland asked for $5000 from GAPC. (Transportation, lodging, YAC events and staff.) Some confusion about what was provided in the past, including YAC being a C*UUYAN project, etc. In 2007, weird funding allocation included $3000 for bridging worship (not YAC). YACM Office provided money for staff needs. Confusion about where to go from here. TB asked for more info from Nancy and Erik. This year, GAPC is allocating $3500 to worship and $2000 for YAC. $2000 will cover two staff (RF and DM) but no programming. They would like to do big picnic, perhaps build strength as a voting bloc, have a big event after the bridging cermony. Would like to bring a speaker, subsidize YA food, have evening activity. Bigger question of C*UUYAN, YAC relationship, and TB’s role.
LW: Again to clarify that the $3500 for worship is not something that YAC folks will touch.
SKG: Because that’s allocated to YAM Office?
TB: Because it’s for worship. RF said that the YAC role in that is something that’s still up in the air. So… should I be an advocate, relaying info… what? Larger relationship, GA as a decision-making body, with the possibility of building a large YA community to have a strong voice, and esp because GA’s upcoming theme is intergenerational ministry. With $40,000 in the bank, do we want to play a larger role in this, or set our sights elsewhere?
First reactions:
AM: Will have to review notes.
SKG: Sounds good [info]. I think that our connection with GA will naturally be part of our larger relationship conversations.
LH: Also will need to review the notes for a more full reaction. Agree with SKG.
LW: It’s a good question. We do have $40,000. It’s for forever. We could use it up quickly if we’re not careful about how we choose to use it, but it’s also there for whatever we do choose to use it for.
LH: Is this urgent? Does anything need decided now?
TB: No.
LW: Clarification that GAPC funding is allocated and will not change for 2009. Whether there is any possibility of funds from the YAM Office is a separate conversation that RF and DM could have with them. Likewise, the funding C*UUYAN could allocate is a third conversation.
TB: Would like to list the specific questions for email and our next conference call. Larger issues of how we’ll relate to the YAC will probably need to wait for an in-person meeting (Nov).

Conference call schedule
LW: Preference of monthly longer (2-hrs) or every two weeks shorter (1 hr)?
AM: Shorter more frequent. Also might want to use the pre-GA model of “monthly” big picture, etc, and “in-between” for day-to-day business, so that the “in-between” might not even last a full hour.
SKG: Shorter
LH: Monthly because of scheduling, but something like AM’s suggestion sounds reasonable and doable, but prefer monthly
TB: AM’s suggestion
LW: Definitely would let a call end naturally (not artifically stretch to any given time frame), and am fine with AM’s suggestion, but would also not want that to preclude either type of business from being discussed at either call. LH, would you be willing to try shorter more frequent calls given that it seems to be where the group’s headed?
LH: Willing to try
LW: thanks. Wednesday, Oct 8, 9-10 pm next call.

Check-out

C*UUYAN Policy on Alcohol and Substance Use
Original text with Accepted revisions in blue italics and rejected revision struckthrough in red

C*UUYAN is committed to providing intentionally drug- and alcohol-free community space for young adults. This arises out of both the nature of our community (including people under 21) as well as our commitment to creating safe community space for all. Official C*UUYAN conferences and events will therefore be drug- and alcohol free.

Recognizing that the settings where C*UUYAN events happen are not always themselves drug- and alcohol-free, the following policy was created to raise awareness of the time and money invested in the staff of these conferences, as well as their influence as leaders. Those elected and appointed leaders of C*UUYAN whose presence has been made possible by the support and (direct) financing of C*UUYAN are expected to:

· Adhere to local, state/province and federal laws regarding the purchasing, possession and consumption of illegal drugs, alcohol and other controlled substances, including the misuse of prescription drugs.

· Refrain from the legal consumption of alcohol in all C*UUYAN spaces. C*UUYAN spaces are any spaces which have been partially or totally funded by the UUA or C*UUYAN for C*UUYAN purposes.

· Consume alcohol responsibly outside of C*UUYAN spaces. This includes, but is not limited to: choosing to abstain from alcohol, choosing designated drivers, refraining from alcohol consumption to a point where one’s leadership ability is impaired, maintaining the ability to respond to emergency situations as a leader, being aware of one’s own limitations, and respecting that our community includes those under legal age as well as those in recovery.

· Remove themselves from situations in which illegal or irresponsible consumption of illegal drugs, alcohol or other controlled substances is taking place. Leaders are also expected to use discretion in reporting potentially unsafe situations.

It is expected that conference leaders follow these guidelines for the entirety of their conference, as well as immediately before and afterwards. Recognizing that they are representatives of C*UUYAN and can be perceived as such at all times, leaders should make responsible and accountable choices regarding boundaries, especially around controlled substances.

This policy was created to preserve the investment in C*UUYAN staff so that all aspects of their abilities may be utilized during conferences and meetings, and therefore applies only to official C*UUYAN events. This policy should not be used against a volunteer leader (staff member) who commits a legal infraction or shows poor judgement regarding drugs and alcohol outside of this community and its events. However, the C*UUYAN community reserves the right and responsibility to hold accountable individuals whose history (recent or otherwise) proves they have difficulty making ethically correct decisions. This includes but is not limited to 1) sexually inappropriate behavior, 2) the distribution of illegal drugs to minors, or 3) any other likelihood of posing direct danger to C*UUYAN and its participants. The community may take action by utilizing the election process, the Volunteer Dismissal Policy, direct communication with the YAM office or similar institution, or another route.