SIGNS OF OUR FAITH
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children
SESSION 14: FAIR GROUP DECISIONS
BY JESSICA YORK
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 11/8/2014 1:09:34 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
SESSION OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
I believe that decision making should not be the exclusive right of the privileged. That those who are affected by policy—not those who by default often stand above it—should be heard in the debate. — Winona LaDuke, Native American activist
This session is about the fifth Principle and use of the democratic process. Children examine different methods of making group decisions, practice making group decisions in a hypothetical situation, and learn about the congregation's governance systems.
GOALS
This session will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
SESSION-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Opening | 2 |
Activity 1: Story — Game Day | 10 |
Activity 2: Authority, Majority, and Consensus | 10 |
Activity 3: Role Plays | 20 |
Activity 4: Making a Group Decision | 15 |
Faith in Action: Enacting the Group Decision | |
Closing | 3 |
Alternate Activity 1: Leadership in Action — Our Congregation's Governance | 20 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Today's session is about our fifth Unitarian Universalist Principle, the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large. Read the session's quotation from Winona LaDuke. The quote and our fifth Principle are really about power: who has it and who shares it. Think about your relationship with power when you were young. When did you feel empowered? When did you feel marginalized? Was there a time when participating in a family decision made you feel empowered?
As a leader in this program, how have you helped to empower the children—not just to act with power, but to share power with others, and to help build communities where everyone is ready to take the helm? Good leaders know not only how to lead, but when to lead and when to follow.
SESSION PLAN
OPENING (2 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Lead an Opening ritual the children designed (Session 9, Activity 4). Or, use this Opening ritual:
Distribute stoles, if the children wear them for Opening and Closing rituals. Invite the children to put on their stoles. Offer any visitors a stole and explain that they may wear it during the Opening time and the Closing time if they wish. Remind the children their stoles are a sign that everyone in the group is a worship leader.
Welcome all participants. Gather everyone in a circle around the chalice table. Ring the centering chime. Ask a volunteer to light the chalice together. Lead the group to say these Opening words:
We gather together as Unitarian Universalists and members of the Signs of Our Faith community.
Together our group makes decisions about what is important to us.
ACTIVITY 1: STORY—GAME DAY (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Tell or read the story. Process the story with these questions:
Including All Participants
You may wish to make fidget objects available to children who find it difficult to sit still while listening to a story or can focus better with sensory stimulation. For a full description and guidance, see Session 1, Leader Resource 2.
Consider using rug squares in the storytelling area. Place them in a semi-circle with the rule "One person per square." This can be very helpful for controlling active bodies.
ACTIVITY 2: AUTHORITY, MAJORITY, AND CONSENSUS (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Children explore pros and cons of different ways to make group decisions.
Remind the children of the fifth Unitarian Universalist Principle: We believe everyone deserves a say about the things that concern them. Say that the adult version of the Principles talks about using the democratic process.
Invite volunteers to define the democratic process or explain how people make decisions in a democracy. Say that the democratic process means making sure everyone can have a say in the decisions that affect them. Sometimes it is summarized by saying "one citizen equals one vote."
Say, in your own words:
This sounds fair and, in a perfect world, it would be fair. It is, however, hard to achieve. Sometimes people who should have a say are excluded from the process. We often say these people are marginalized.
In the U.S., women could not vote before 1920 and in many countries, women still cannot vote. Other groups have had their access to the democratic process denied in the history of our country, too, such as African Americans, who can now vote, and people who live in Washington, D.C., whose elected representative cannot vote in Congress. So even systems based on voting are not always fair.
In our country, children cannot vote. But most adult citizens can vote for people to represent them in local and national government where decisions that affect everyone are made. So, too, in most UU congregations, members elect other members to represent them on a governing board. The board makes many, but not all, of the decisions for the congregation. Decisions may be made by staff or committees. Some decisions are made by the whole membership. At congregational meetings, all the members of the congregation can vote on important issues. Using different methods of making decisions gives more opportunity for congregational leaders to hear the opinions of everyone in the congregation. Using the democratic process as a fair way to make group decisions is a sign of our UU faith.
Using the newsprint you have prepared, explain three different ways groups make decisions: authority, majority, and consensus. Ask which method sounds the most fair. Ask which method sounds the easiest and fastest and which the hardest and longest. Say that consensus can be hard to reach and time consuming, but, if the group is small enough and has enough time for everyone to hear one another's opinions, it can be the most fair way for a group do make a decision.
Say:
Sometimes one method might be best; sometimes, another. For example, cars at an intersection cannot use consensus as to whose turn it is to go. Traffic lights, stop signs, and the rules of the road are a form of authority that makes that decision. When you receive your driver's license, you agree to obey the rules of the road, which is a form of consensus.
ACTIVITY 3: ROLE PLAYS (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Children role play making decisions as leaders.
Invite participants to role play the use of authority, majority, and consensus in a situation where a decision needs to be made. Present a scenario—your own idea, or one of these:
Act out "authority" first. Designate one child as the authority and explain that their decision is the one the group must follow.
Then, act out "majority." Help the children clarify the choices, and hold a vote. Have children move physically to show their vote. Count heads to find the majority, and announce the decision.
Finally, act out consensus. Encourage the children to arrange themselves in a circle, and guide them to take turns sharing their opinions. Facilitate only as much as needed, with comments such as "It sounds as if you have decided... " or "Many people seem to think [X] is the best idea."
Once you have enacted all three approaches to one scenario, ask:
Enact and process another scenario, if time allows.
ACTIVITY 4: MAKING A GROUP DECISION (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants practice reaching a group decision.
Tell the group you will guide them to use consensus to make a decision. Explain the decision they will make together now and when they (and, if applicable, others) will carry out the decision.
Optional: Use the sticker voting method mentioned in the Game Day story.
Here are some tips you may share with the group to help the process:
CLOSING (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Distribute stoles and invite participants to put them on.
Distribute Taking It Home. Remind participants that at the end of every session, they receive this guide to fun activities they can do with family or friends. Read it aloud to give participants an idea of activities suggested.
Gather everyone in a circle around the chalice table. Lead the group to say:
We end as we began: together.
May we remember to be UU not just when we are together here, but every day and in every way.
Ask all participants to blow out the chalice the same way they made decisions: together.
FAITH IN ACTION: ENACTING THE GROUP DECISION
Description of Activity
Participants follow through on the Faith in Action idea created in Activity 4, Making a Group Decision.
Be sure to gather the group after the activity or event they had decided on together. Ask if they feel they made a good decision. If not, how would they do it differently next time? Revisit the consensus process they experienced and reinforce the actions individuals or the group took that embody the fifth Unitarian Universalist Principle—that is, remind them of actions they took that ensured the decision-making was fair or encouraged every person to participate in the process.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
With your co-leaders, reflect on the session. What went well? What would you do differently next time? Ask yourselves: How have you made decisions together? Is there anything from this session you will apply to your personal life?
Review the next sessions and assign any advance preparation. If the last session will include a celebration, start planning now.
TAKING IT HOME
I believe that decision making should not be the exclusive right of the privileged. That those who are affected by policy—not those who by default often stand above it—should be heard in the debate. — Winona LaDuke, Native American activist
IN TODAY'S SESSION... we talked about ways to make fair decisions. Our fifth Unitarian Universalist Principle says we believe that everyone should have a vote on matters that affect them, but sometimes simply voting is not fair enough. In our congregation, many people are involved in decision making. Some decisions are made by the board of trustees. Others are made by the whole congregation. Trying to make group decision making as fair as it can be is a sign of our UU faith.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about ... family decisions. Which decisions are made using authority, majority, and consensus methods? Why is it necessary for parents and caregivers to sometimes make authority decisions?
Family Game. Try playing a board game with teams instead of as individuals. Every decision must be made as a team. How will you reach agreement?
Family Ritual. When a public election or referendum is held, go to the polls as a family. Talk about the people and issues on the ballot. Do not forget to get an "I voted" sticker.
Family Discovery. Go to a meeting of a neighborhood or civic association. How is decision making done there? Is it an informal discussion to reach consensus, or, more like ballot voting... or something else? If decisions are made according to the vote a majority, is there at least some opportunity for everyone to voice their opinion?
Leadership Suggestion. The next time you find yourself in a group that has to make a decision, suggest the group try reaching consensus.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: LEADERSHIP IN ACTION—OUR CONGREGATION'S GOVERNANCE (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Children talk to board members about congregational governance.
Say that any group of people will find itself having to make decisions if they want to do anything. Ask the group what they know about how the congregation makes decisions. Affirm that different groups within the congregation might have decisions to make, and they might make them in different ways. If your congregation has staff, tell the group what kind of decisions the staff makes and how—for example, who chooses the hymns that will be sung in worship? Who decides what will be posted on congregational bulletin boards? Who decides what the snacks will be at coffee hour?
Introduce the guests and explain that they are members of the board of trustees or directors (use your congregation's language), which makes decisions for the entire congregation. Invite the guests to give their presentation, using any visuals you or they brought. Encourage the children to ask questions.
SIGNS OF OUR FAITH: SESSION 14:
STORY: GAME DAY
Abby always liked school, but she was especially excited about today. Her class had earned a reward: a game day! Their teacher, Dr. Liu, promised they could spend most of the day playing games. Abby's best friend, Kamal, hoped they would play his favorite board game. Abby hoped they would play basketball.
Before everyone had taken a seat, Kamal was showing everyone the board game he had brought from home. "Can we play my favorite game?" he asked Dr. Liu.
"Who has a game in mind that they would like to play today?" asked Dr. Liu. Almost everyone raised their hands.
"How will we decide which games to play?" Dr. Liu asked.
"Since you are the teacher, you could decide," said Corey.
"Well, I could," said Dr. Liu, "But I would rather the group decide, because the decision affects everyone. I think that would be more fair. What do you think?"
"Why don't we play everyone's game?'" asked Ty.
"Let's do the math," said Dr. Liu. Everyone groaned. "We've just started learning division. Let's see who can find out how much time we would have to play each game." The children added up all the time they would need for lunch in the cafeteria, their visit to the school library, and their music class. Not even three hours were left to play games. The class had twenty students. That meant if they played each student's game, they could only play each game for about ten minutes. No one thought this was a good idea: Some games take almost that long to set up!
"We could vote on which games to play," suggested Abby. "In my congregation, we say that everyone deserves a say about the things that concern them."
Everyone thought this would be fair. Dr. Liu invited everyone to suggest games and wrote all their suggestions on the board. Some games needed special equipment which they did not have; Dr. Liu asked the children who suggested them if he could cross these off the list and they agreed. Dr. Liu suggested a game, too. It was a game he used to play as a child in China.
"If we take a simple vote, most of you will vote for the game you suggested," said Dr. Liu, "and that won't get us very far. So I will give everyone three star stickers. Put your star stickers by three games you would enjoy playing. After everyone has voted, we'll see which games have the most stickers." Everyone talked excitedly while placing their stickers.
Dr. Liu tallied the votes. He listed all the games in order of most votes. Dr. Liu said he wanted to make sure everybody got to play at least one game for which they had voted. He pointed to the top three games and said "If you did not vote for any of these games, raise your hand." Two people raised their hands. Dr. Liu pointed to the top four games and asked the same question. No one raised their hands. "We will play these four games today."
So the Game Day started. Dr. Liu's game had the most votes because everyone wanted to learn a new game. Kamal was happy that his board game was third on the list. He enjoyed playing it, even though he did not win.
When Abby went home, her sister teased her. "I thought school was for learning, not playing games."
"We did learn something today," Abby countered. "We learned a new game from China and we learned about making fair decisions."
SIGNS OF OUR FAITH: SESSION 14:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: ILLUSTRATION – GAME DAY IN ABBY'S CLASSROOM
Illustration by Ginger Wyatt.
Download a high-resolution PDF (at www.uua.org/documents/tapestry/signs/game_day.pdf) for printing.
SIGNS OF OUR FAITH: SESSION 14:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: WAYS TO MAKE GROUP DECISIONS
Download a high-resolution PDF (at www.uua.org/documents/tapestry/signs/decisions.pdf) for printing.
Authority
"I will make the decision."
One or more leaders decide what is best for the group as a whole at this time. Leaders may consult with other members before making a decision, but the decision belongs to the leader(s) alone.
Majority
"We will make the decision because most of us agree."
The majority of members (51% or more) agree that the decision is the best one for the whole group at this time. Often achieved through voting.
Consensus
"We will make the decision only when everyone can agree."
All members of the group agree on one decision all believe is the best one for the whole group at this time.
FIND OUT MORE
The Tools for Change (at toolsforchange.org/resources/org-handouts/consensus-process.pdf) website has helpful material on consensus.
A Quaker blogger, Robin Mohr, writes about teaching Quaker methods of decision making (at robinmsf.blogspot.com/2007/05/voting-vs-quaker-decision-making-in.html) to an elementary school class.