CEYC

I think you're definitely right that having a youth council is one thing, but doing anything with it is something else! -- certainly, if you're looking to set one up, it's worth having an idea of what it can and will want to actually do, otherwise you might get asked awkward questions...

What exactly do you mean by "youth reps"? Is that a position on diocesan synod?

both models you've suggested -- influential people put onto the council, and people on council made influential -- sound as if they might work. The first would be easier, but less reliable (esp. if you mean having eg. DYOs, people from bishop's councils); the second much harder to do, but probably better in the long run...

how do people's existing youth councils work?

i think that you should make the youth the influencial people. the youth reps will have some influence but not as much as you'd possibly like them to have.

One thing I would say is that running a Youth Council in the same structure as CEYC works sometimes, but we found that if your too strict about having only 2 reps from each deanery then your limiting people.

An ideal council has a balance of youth from accross the Diocese with a blance of some 'Clergy Kids' (I can say this as I am one) and non-Clergy kids as the experience of church from the vicarage is very different from outside. However, we have to be realistic. In Derby Diocese we struggled to find anyone interested, but then 5 people from one Youth group in Chesterfield became interetsed. We now have 2 reps from around Derby the City, 2 from other parts of the diocese and 5 from chesterfield (top of the Diocese).

Although this isn't the ideal council, we still have great diverstiy in opinions even though majority are 'Clergy Kids'. For me its more about doing something possitive from the Diocese, and working towards an 'ideal' council, rather than trying to start with the ideal and finding it failing from the start.

Hope this is useful for anyone starting up a council. Get in touch with me.

dan_leathers@hotmail.co.uk

Dan The Piano Man

Church Action Group
Minutes from 21/04/07

Before the November meeting we will create a document helping CEYC members in the processes involved in setting up a local youth council.

This document will include:
• List of contacts that may be useful eg DYO, Bishops, finance etc (not exclusive)
• Very general guide lines that local youth council could stick to
• Examples of different models that are currently being used
• A list of very broad titles that need to be addressed before starting
- Mission statement
- Who will attend
- What funding is needed and where to get it
- People to inform
- Aims (both short and long term)
• Ensure that social time between council members exists

Alex will collate this information

We will also look at the equivalent FURY document to compare (ask Andy)

Make sure that whoever recives the document realises that this is only a guideline and not all ideas will work in all areas and so nobody who is setting up a local youth council has to follow what is written in the document but instead can use it to gain ideas and can amend what is written to suit their situation

This document will be primarily for CEYC members but could also be given to DYO’s

We will also try to set up a forum on the CEYC website were members of local youth councils can discuss issues.