Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesSummer Opportunities Going Somewhere
Yo, Don’t let it be “away”: Get going! Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice programs for youth are filling up, although spots are still available. The problem is the deadline for applying or registering is nigh! What, are you waitin’ for it to be nighEST? July 2013 Youth Justice Training: Boston — June 30–July 21 (apply by April 28, 2013) Youth Civil Rights Pilgrimage — July 6–13 (apply by May 5, 2013) New Orleans Community Building — July 20–27 (register by May 19, 2013) August 2013 Youth Justice Training: New Orleans — August 3–10 (apply by April 28, 2013) So, 1, 2, 3: GO!
Moving Into Our Future
Sometime in the next year the Headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association will move from its historic address at 25 Beacon Street, on Beacon Hill, to 24 Farnsworth Street, in the heart of the “Innovation District” of Boston, and into its future. Unitarian Universalism and the UUA have a long and storied history in Boston and New England, which won’t change; the goal of the move is to improve the UUA’s ability to provide services and programming for Unitarian Universalism. – Ed. UUA to purchase new Boston headquarters The Unitarian Universalist Association will be moving to a new headquarters. The UUA Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday night, March 14, to purchase 24 Farnsworth Street…
Scott Jackoway: Luminary Leader
Luminary Leaders is a recognition program for youth. Throughout the year, we’ll showcase recently recognized leaders here on Blue Boat. This profile highlights a recent bridger who was honored for his outstanding contributions to UU youth communities– Ed. Name: Scott Jackoway Congregation: UU Church of Indianapolis District: Heartland Leadership Highlights: Attendee and two-time staffer at the Youth MidWest Leadership School; District Youth Steering Committee member and chair, and Con Dean. Scott Jackoway was recognized as part of the first group of Luminary Leaders for his service and leadership while he was a youth. When he applied the people recommending highlighted Scott’s joy, humor, creativity, intelligence and breadth of experience as strong gifts that…
Awesome Does ‘Cause Awesome Is
Who’s the MOST AWESOME Youth You Know? This AWESOME youth IS – Thoughtful – Has a good sense of self – Can handle a learning-curve – Enjoys working with adults – Wants to be a voice for youth for the leaders of our denomination The Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees is a unique opportunity for a youth to influence the future of the Association! This is an exciting time to be Youth Observer with the transition of Board members, a new Moderator, and a brand-new structure for the Board. Encourage the MOST AWESOME youth you know to apply to be a candidate for the election to be the Youth Observer here….
30 Days of Love: 29/30
As 30 Days of Love draws to a close, I’m reflecting on all the different ways we’ve explored love and justice in the past month. For me, justice is rooted in the recognizing the flame that burns within each of us, and its goal is to make the world a place in which our flames can display their full brilliance. The problems afflicting our world may seem immense, but the solutions always start by affirming our mutual humanity and refusing to ignore or dismiss the truth found in the stories and experiences of individuals. So in the coming year, I pledge to pursue love at all levels of connection as the foundation for a more…
30 Days of Love: 28/30
Okay, okay, so “You Light My Chalice” (from UU Media Collaborative Works) isn’t exactly setting the world on fire with its message of social justice… But artwork – a song, a drawing, a video, even a work of prose – can resonate in deeper ways that any other form of protest can. It can say what you want to be able to say but can’t put into words; it can be something to share with others to get your ideas across in a more accessible and thought-provoking way. I think of this video created by two UU young adults right before our last election that promotes voting with love in mind, rather than hate –…
30 Days of Love: 27/30
I want you ALL to be my Valentine this year – would you, please? Today everybody hopes be somebody’s Valentine, and having someone to call your own on this day is what we understand Valentine’s Day to be all about. It is such a big deal that Valentine’s Day is the second most widely celebrated holiday in the world – only New Year’s is bigger(1) (But New Years happens to all us, whereas we are not all fortunate enough to be in love every Feb. 14.) The namesake of this day, St. Valentine, is the epitome of courtly love (yea – bring on the chocolate and roses!), but the tradition of Valentinus begins in celebrating…
30 Days of Love: 26/30
Most people don’t realize that there is a different minimum wage for employees who work for tips. $2.13/hr is the federal tipped minimum wage, and has been since 1991. Anything else they make during the course of their shifts comes from tips. Until I worked in a restaurant over a summer break, I really didn’t realize this. My assumption had been that tips were thanks for above and beyond service. But in reality, they can be a server’s entire income if they’re only making the tipped minimum wage. Since that summer, how I tip is fundamentally different. But my personal tipping habits are only a small thing, compared to the ways in which we could…
30 Days of Love: 25/30
Two years ago, I attended a workshop at General Assembly with a panel people who had ancestors that had owned slaves. It was a moving experience to hear these folks grapple with the notion of the terrible deeds of their kin from centuries past. The moment that most sticks in my memory is when someone in the audience asked a question about reparations, a decidedly concrete approach to justice and forgiveness. Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, one of our most prominent UU ministers of African descent (read about his incredible slave-owning family history in his memoir In Between), responded that, while he couldn’t speak to dollar amounts, what he really wanted was to be whole. To be…
30 Days of Love: 24/30
It seems I have a tendency to offer to blog on the day when 30 Days of Love asks for a prayer. Last year, I offered this prayer, which drew inspiration from my high school years. I struggled to write it, as I often struggle to pray. You see, I grew up in a tradition where there were prayers to be memorized and recited and those were the ones I knew. Formulas that, as a child, I didn’t really understand, though I’ve come to appreciate them as an adult. Extemporaneous prayer, however, whether public or private, was something elusive. I didn’t know how to do it. What I didn’t know then was that prayer was…
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