BE A NATIONAL VOICE FOR YOUTH

A new Youth Observer (YO) to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees is elected every year prior to General Assembly. The Youth Observer to the Board is an important, national leadership position held by a Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth who is voted into office by UU youth in a national election.

WHO MAY RUN – Any youth who:

• Will be in high school (Grades 9-12) or the equivalent for the 2014-2015 school year;
• Is active in a UUA congregation;
• Is able to attend the first Board of Trustees Meeting on Monday, June 30, 2014 in Providence, RI (following the close of General Assembly) and all Board meetings thereafter. Attendance is also expected at the 2014 and 2015 General Assemblies. (NOTE: All expenses related to presence at Board meetings and GA are paid by the UUA.)

LEARN HOW TO APPLY TO RUN FOR THE POSITION OF YOUTH OBSERVER HERE. WHO MAY VOTE – Voting youth must be active in their religious community. “Active” may be defined as regular participation, registration in the religious education program, or congregational membership. Each congregation determines what "active" means for their community. VOTING – The voting process for the election of the 2014-2015 Youth Observer to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees is based on the process used to determine the number of congregational delegates at General Assembly. Each congregation receives one vote for every 5 youth participants, with a maximum of 6 votes per congregation. A one-page information sheet (PDF) of the following information is also available for download.

Voting opens TUESDAY, MAY 6, when candidates information is updated for the 2014-2015 election. Review the Youth Observer Candidates information (you may also print out a hard copy (PDF)), watch the candidates' videos, and discuss the candidates as a group. Use whatever decision making process works for the youth in your congregation to make your voting choice. Each congregation may split their total allotted votes among different candidates on their ballot, and the congregation submits their ballot as a group. You have the choice to submit via an online ballot or a printed ballot.

Ballots must be received by MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014, at midnight (in your time zone) or postmarked by Friday, May 30th. Learn more about the experience of being the Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees: Meet the current Youth Observer Rosemary Dodd.