UUYOUth
Year in Review
by Cheri Armstrong, Director of Youth Programming

In September, we began the year with high hopes that a youth program for children could be established at the Chatham Unitarian Universalist Meeting House.  Our goal was twofold:  to create a Sunday morning program that would result in young families joining the church, and to continue the success of Beacon Youth Outreach.  It has been both a journey and a process. 
Despite a late start, we had one child enroll in the Sunday morning program during the  registration period.  He came faithfully every week, usually bringing a friend.  His family did become members of the church.  By December, we had a grandchild of one of the current members attending the Sunday morning program, too.  In January, she was joined by the granddaughter of another church member.  These children are our established beginning. 
Beacon Youth Outreach:  Children Changing the World through Creative Community Service had three successful events.  A fundraiser for UNICEF in October, followed by December Nights, December Lights in December, which raised almost $800.00 for the “Housing for All” charity, and Assignment Earth, which followed its performance during Earth Week with a beach clean-up.  In all, 21 different children participated in these events.  One family appears committed to joining the church soon. 
A performance of Assignment Earth at Chatham Elementary School increased interest in Beacon Youth Outreach, and we believe the numbers will grow in the coming year.  We discovered that calling the program on Sunday morning a “youth program” created confusion for parents and caregivers who were interested in enrolling their children in a “Sunday School”.  It is the belief of the Youth Program Committee that the Sunday morning program will grow if it is renamed the Religious Education Committee and Sunday School.  The name UUYOUth will remain for the entire program, which would include Beacon Youth Outreach.  Beacon Youth Outreach will remain clearly non-religious; although it will continue to promote UU values.
For the coming year, we ask that you continue your emotional and economic support of the program.  We believe that given the current number of children, the hours of the Youth Director can be reduced from 20 hours per week to 10 hours per week.  I have donated the cost for the Sunday morning program expenses, from this first year, to the church, but we will continue to need a supply budget.  Throughout the summer months, I will attend church regularly, and if children do attend the service, I will offer a program for them that morning, but there will be no family homily.  For the fall, the family homily will continue to evolve in light of the knowledge from experience gleaned this year.
As always, please know that I welcome visitors and volunteers on Sunday mornings.  If you have a suggestion for a program or activity for UUYOUth, please contact Gail Eldredge, Chair of the Youth Program Committee.
Again, thank you for your support.  Please know that it has made an ENORMOUS difference in the lives of all the children we welcomed this year!

Lots of love and thanks,

Cheri