District/Regional Leadership Opportunities
What’s a District / Region?
This section discusses leadership opportunities in the Districts of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Regions of the Canadian Unitarian Council. Don’t know what District/Region you’re in? For the United States,visit District Services for location and contact information for your district staff. Each district has its own web page, which will show you the specific resources and committees in that district. If you are a member of a church that is a part of the Canadian Unitarian Council, see Regions of the CUC. The best way to get connected to may of these opportunities may be through your district/regional youth committee. Some districts/regions have many opportunities (see Mass Bay District Services & Resources for an example). Many of these are district/regional versions of the congregational committees mentioned above (e.g. RE, Finance, Youth, Social Justice.) The most important are:
District/Regional Board of Trustees
(youth sometimes have this position, and sometimes have a reserved space for youth on the board!)
Description: The Board of Trustees is responsible for governance and for making policy decisions not made by the membership at the district/regional Annual General Meeting (AGM). Members are usually elected by delegates from all the congregations in the district/region at the district/regional Annual Meeting.
Contact: District/Regional President, President of your Congregation
This body is important, because they discuss offering services that congregations may not be able to do on their own (for instance, a congregation may not be able to have a paid youth advisor coordinator, but a district/region may be able to employ a part-time Youth Programs Coordinator who supports youth groups in that district/region and helps new youth groups start. They also make decisions which may affect your district/regional Youth-Adult Committee or Youth Steering Committee.
Nominating Committee
(youth sometimes have this position)
Description: The Nominating Committee slates candidates for elected positions within the district/region. They seek nominees for District Officers and Directors. Not all districts/regions have Nominating Committees
Contact: District/Regional Executive, local Board Chair, or congregational president.
Nominating committees need to develop contacts within as many congregations as possible, including youth! A strong, well-connected, attentive, year round nominating committee is the single most important change a district/region might make in order to strengthen leadership.
The nominating committee is very important, but don’t let that discourage you from running! As this article states, it’s important to get new faces that represent different groups, and by being a youth on the nominating committee you have the chance to help get youth onto other committees in your district/region.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
