Bylaws

Affiliation

The organization shall be a program team of the YRUU Youth from the Pacific Southwest District (PSWD); It is a subordinate body of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of congregations.

Part A. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year for the PSWD YRUU Youth organization shall be July 1st through June 30th.

Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to support and empower youth and adults working with youth in their spiritual growth; to encourage communication and cooperation between local, district, and regional youth groups and provide and manifest a greater understanding of Unitarian Universalism; to encourage the development of independence and responsibility; to support individuals and member groups by maintaining a communications network with religious education resources; to develop an effective system of social action; and to raise our levels of mutual respect, communication, and community consciousness.

Members

Section 1. Membership. Membership shall be limited to persons 14 – 19 years of age and in high school.

Section 2. Advisors. Advisors shall be defined as stated in the PSWD safety guidelines, which can be found on the UUA Web Site.

Board

Section 1. Board Structure. The board of the PSWD YRUU organization shall consist of all officers and any local representatives. Youth board members shall be 14 to 19 years of age. Appeals for exceptions to the age limit will be made to the PSWD YRUU Board, who will evaluate each situation.

Section 2. Local Representatives. Each church that is a member of the PSWD may send one local representative to the PSWD YRUU board meeting. This representative shall be a member of the church’s youth group and shall be 14-19 years of age. Appeals for exceptions to the age limit will be made to the PSWD YRUU Board, who will evaluate each situation. 

Section 3. Restrictions. No church shall have more than four members on the PSWD YRUU board, except in the case that the candidate is running unopposed at the time of the election, in which case there may be six youth from one congregation on the board.

Section 4. Powers. The PSWD YRUU board shall have full power and authority over the affairs of the organization with the exceptions of: elections, bylaw amendments, and any decisions made by the two-thirds (2/3) majority of the present membership, as those shall have priority over decisions made by the board.

Section 5. Quorum. A quorum shall be established when two-thirds of the board’s voting members are participating.

Section 6. Transparency. All board meetings shall be open meetings, defined as any person being able to attend a board meeting, unless otherwise noted.

Part A. Closed Meetings. The majority of the board may rule to move a meeting to be closed. A closed meeting can have only board members present and any persons that the majority of the board has voted to allow to attend. Non-voting members may vote on this.

Section 7. Voting. During a meeting, a vote shall be taken by the board and majority shall rule. The Chair may create an online poll accessible to all board members in order to vote on an issue when a meeting is not in session. The Chair must clearly define the question being voted on, and give members at least two weeks to cast their vote. The end date of the poll must be clearly stated. The participation of a quorum is required for the results of a poll to be valid. The Chair may choose to withdraw a poll anytime before its deadline. If so, the poll is nullified.

Section 8. Meetings. A board meeting can be called to order by the chair, or clerk, in the chair’s absence, if both are absent, a member with seniority may call a meeting to order when a quorum of the board is participating.

Officers

Section 1. Chair. There shall be one Chair position. The person who holds this position must have previously held a voting position on the PSWD YRUU board. This position shall be a non-voting position. The duties of the Chair include: facilitating meetings, setting agendas, fostering bylaw review/revision if deemed necessary, reminding members of commitments, being the central contact person for the organization’s affairs, appointing any additional positions not otherwise specified in these bylaws, facilitating elections, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 2. Clerk. There shall be one Clerk position. The duties of the Clerk shall include: taking minutes at all board meetings, delivering copies of the minutes to all board members, tracking the organization’s budget, regularly reporting on the organization’s current financial status, coordinating scholarships, and any additional duties assigned by the organization. It is permissible for the Clerk to make grammatical changes to the bylaws without a vote being called. 

Section 3. Social Action Coordinator. There shall be one Social Action Coordinator position. The Social Action Coordinator shall adopt a cause by the annual PSWD YRUU October Con which align with the UUA’s Statements of Conscience, and foster youth board involvement throughout the year for that cause, as they see fit. The duties of the Social Action Coordinator shall include: acting as a resource to youth of local congregations wishing to actively pursue social action activities, coordinating one Social Action Con per year, as well as serving on the Justice Chalice Lighters Grant Committee, as well as promoting participation in Luminary Leaders Youth Leadership, and any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 4. Spirituality Coordinator. There shall be one Spirituality Coordinator position.

The duties of the Spirituality Coordinator shall include: fostering spiritual growth and affirmation acting as a spirituality resource, coordinating one Spirituality Con per year, working with the Minister in fostering spirituality among members, coordinating one Spirituality Development Conference per year, planning worship at board retreats, youth observer to the White Memorial Scholarship Committee, and finding ways to get involved in spirituality such as being mentored by a minister or becoming a worship associate in their own congregation, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.  

Section 5. Communications Director. There shall be one Communications Director position. The duties of the Communications Director shall include: directing Connections Con, updating and maintaining a list of electronic mail addresses of all members of the organization, contact the DRE’s of youth groups in the PSWD area, updating and maintaining a website that includes contact information for board members and information about upcoming events, as well as a Facebook group and any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 6. Staffing and Transportation Coordinator. There shall be one Staffing and Transportation Coordinator position. The duties of the Staffing and Transportation Coordinator shall include: arranging for transportation of adults on staff at PSWD YRUU conferences, acting as a resource for con and camp attendees, organizing the transportation for PSWD YRUU Board Members to and from board meetings and retreats, updating the camper information database, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 7. Representative to the PSWD Camping Ministry Team. There shall be one Representative to the PSWD Camping Ministry Team position. The duties of the Representative shall include: attending all PSWD Camping Ministry Team meetings, reporting to the PSWD YRUU board and encourage congregations to set up their own scholarship fund to send their youth to PSWD events, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization. 

Section 8. Representative to the PSWD Board of Trustees. There shall be one Representative to the PSWD Board of Trustees position. The duties of the Representative shall include: attending all PSWD Board of Trustees meetings, attending the annual PSWD Board of Trustees retreat, reporting to the PSWD YRUU board, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 9. Minister. There may be one Minister position. An advisor shall fill this position. The duties of the Minister shall include: fostering spirituality, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

 Section 10. Adult Observers. There shall be two Adult Observers positions, each with a term of two years. An advisor shall fill these positions. The duties of the Adult Observers shall include: acting as advisors to PSWD YRUU Board, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 11. Additional Duties and Responsibilities. All officers shall be responsible for training their replacements during the training period between the election of the board members and the start of their replacements’ term, and for attending all board meetings or train a replacement. Any officer unable to attend a board meeting must immediately contact the Chair.

Section 12. Co-Positions. All positions may only be held by one person.

Section 13. Nomination Procedure. All nominations shall be made from the floor. Any member who has won a position or will be continuing their current position is not allowed to be nominated for further positions that election. Non-advisor members can be nominated for any position except the Minister, or the At Medium Adults. 

Section 14. Election Procedure. All officers shall be elected at the annual PSWD YRUU summer camp to be held in July. The election of officers shall take place every year. Each candidate nominated by someone who is not running for office, and the nominator will speak on the nominees behalf of their nomination. Each candidate shall be permitted to make a short speech and take questions from those present, after which they will leave the voting location. A hand vote shall be taken with member’s heads down. The candidate with a plurality wins the election. The majority can vote to postpone the election with a separate vote.

 Section 15. Term of Office. A candidate’s term of office shall start immediately following their election and end upon the election of their successor.

 Section 16. Office-Holding Limitations. No member shall hold more than one office at the same time, and no member shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Advisors can serve in the same position indefinitely.

 Section 17. Resigning. Any officer can resign their position at any point by notifying the Chair. If the Chair wishes to resign they must notify the board.

Part A. Filling Vacant Positions. An election shall be scheduled for the next district youth event immediately after the vacancy.

Part B. Pro Tem Officers. The Chair may appoint a pro tem officer to fill a vacant position. This officer’s term shall last until an election is held.

Section 18. Forced Resignation. A majority of the board can vote to remove an individual who has failed to perform their duties as stated in the bylaws.

Section 19. Mandatory Board Meetings. All board meeting shall be mandatory and any members unable to attend will be asked to resign. Appeals can be made to the PSWD Youth Board.

Understudies

Section 1. The board may appoint Understudy positions to train under the Clerk, Communications Director, Spirituality Coordinator, and Social Action Coordinator office positions with the intent to be elected to those positions the following year on the PSWD YRUU board.

Section 2. Understudy positions.

Part A. Clerk Understudy. There may be one Clerk Understudy position. The duties of the Clerk Understudy shall include: assisting the Clerk with any duties they may need assistance with, including taking minutes at all PSWD YRUU board meetings, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Part B. Social Action Understudy. There may be one Social Action Understudy position. The duties of the Social Action Understudy shall include: assisting the Social Action Coordinator with any tasks and acting as a co-dean for Social Action Con, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Part C. Spirituality Understudy. There may be one Spirituality Understudy position. The duties of the Spirituality Understudy shall include: assisting the Spirituality Coordinator with any tasks and acting as a co-dean for Spirituality Con, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Part D. Communications Understudy.  There may be one Communications Understudy position. The duties of the Communications Understudy shall include: helping the communications director with any tasks, reaching out to congregation-based youth, as well as any additional duties assigned by the organization.

Section 3. Elections. Board members shall have priority for nominating understudies. The nominations are open to all members of the PSWD YRUU organization. No current PSWD YRUU board elected officer shall hold an understudy position. All understudies shall be elected by the PSWD YRUU board at their first meeting of each term. 

Section 4. Term Limits. Each understudy shall serve for a term from the time of their election to the next understudy election. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms as any one-understudy position.

Section 5. Voting Privileges. Understudies shall have no voting privileges except in the case of creating a closed meeting.

Conferences

Section 1. Attendance. Any member, providing that they are between the ages of 13 and 19 and in High School at the time of the con, may attend any con unless ruled otherwise. Appeals for exceptions to the age limit will be made to the PSWD YRUU Board, who will evaluate each situation

Section 2. Date. All cons must be approved by the board two months before the con is scheduled to take place. Any member may suggest a date and place for a con. 

Section 3. Staff. The PSWD YRUU board shall appoint at most two youth deans and one adult dean for each con. The PSWD YRUU board Chair shall act as a dean for the first con of the fiscal year. The Deans of the conference shall appoint the staff of the con.  In accordance with PSWD YRUU Conference Policies, youth staff members must be between the ages of 14 and 19 and in High School during the con. The staff must include at least one adult advisor, 25 or older, per four youth members at all conferences.

                Part A.  In accordance with PSWD YRUU Conference Policies, applications for staff must be available in writing via Facebook and/or e-mail.  These applications must include clear definitions of the staff position and a clearly stated deadline for submission.  All applicants must be notified of their status on staff, no exceptions.

                Part B. Youth Staff shall receive an automatic $10 scholarship to the cons at which they have been selected to work.

Section 4. Cost. All cons shall cost $25.

   Part A. A $2 tax per person will be given to the PSWD YRUU Program account. This money is to be used for any program run by the PSWD.

                Part B. A $5 tax per person will be given to the PSWD YRUU Scholarship Fund.  All other proceeds will be split as stipulated by the conference policy.

Committees

Section 1. Powers. All committees, with the exception of the Executive Committee, shall exist as advisory bodies only. All committees shall report to the board at every board meeting.

Section 2. Membership. All committees are open to any member unless otherwise noted.

There is no limit to the number of members on any committee unless otherwise noted. 

Section 3. Special Committees. A majority vote can establish a special committee that

shall last no longer than the rest of the current board term.

Section 4. Executive Committee. There shall be one standing committee known as the Executive Committee. This committee shall be comprised of all elected board members. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to make decisions on district matters. Additional members may only be admitted with a consensus of the board.  All meetings of the Executive Committee shall be closed to all but members of the committee. The purpose of the Executive Committee is to allow the officers of PSWD YRUU to deliberate on sensitive matters that should not be open to the full community.

Rules Of Order

Section 1. Quorum for Elections. A quorum shall be established as the members attending any district youth event that was publicized at least two months in advance; including a quorum of the board.

 Section 2. Voting. Majority rules.

Rules

Section 1. Rules. The rules of PSWD YRUU shall include: respect others and their property; no illegal drugs, including tobacco and alcohol; no weapons or violence; no inappropriate sexual behavior; and no leaving the boundaries of an event without permission from the leader of the event. These rules shall be in place, and clarified as necessary at any PSWD YRUU event.

Section 2. Enforcing Rules. It shall be the responsibility of the staff at any event to enforce the rules.

Section 3. Punishments. The deans and chaplains at the event shall decide all punishments at the event.  They will also decide whether or not it is necessary to notify the site host. Any member caught breaking the no drugs, no weapons, no violence, or no inappropriate sexual behavior rules will have their parents, the minister or Director of Religious Education (DRE) of their church, the Camping Ministries Team, the District Executive staff will be notified, as well as punishments levied by the deans and chaplains. If these rules are broken, the youth will be not allowed to attend two district events, one of these events will be a camp. All punishments shall be made with the intent to resolve the damage done to the organization by the offenders.

Section 4. Lasting Punishments. Staff at an event cannot levy punishments that last beyond the scope of that event. Recommendations for lasting punishments may be brought before the PSWD Camping Ministries Team.

Amendment of Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended at any open meeting of the organization by a two-thirds majority vote, provided that the amendment has been publicized and copies distributed to interested members of the organization at least one month prior to voting