WHAT IS A CON?

In its simplest terms a Con or conference is a weekend youth retreat for Unitarian Universalist youth. Usually in a church, Cons draw youth from all over the district to laugh, dance and be merry. But a conference is much more than good time. It is a safe place where youth can express who they are without fear of judgement. This safe space can allow the walls of classification to crumble. People who would normally not even talk become the best of friends. It becomes a world onto its own, a place for discussion, laughter, love and celebration.

WHAT TO EXPECT

One thing I have learned over the years is to expect anything from a conference. But of course, there are always some constants that give a Con structure and help to make it a more meaningful experience.

Touch Groups
A Touch Group is a family group within the conference which meets two to three times that weekend. You are randomly assigned to a Touch Group when you register, so you don't automatically clump with those you know. It is there to help you get to know more people, have fun, and to help others with the conference experience. There will also be one or two people assigned to lead your group. These wonderful individuals are there to help everything get started, with games to play and creative topics to discuss.

Energy Committee
The Energy Committee is a group of 2 or 3 people called the Energy Coordinators. The coordinators are awesome people who walk around making sure that there's good energy and positive vibes. The Energy Committee is not a police force- the community is responsible to tell Energy Coordinators about anything that makes bad energy (ex:rule infractions). The Energy Committee then tells the co-deans and the chaplians and the Conference Rules Committe is then formed; the Energy Committee is not responsible for making punishments. People can approach E. Coordinators to tell them of any bad energy, they can write it to the committee in an Energy Bag (usually in the bathrooms). EVERYTHING said to the Energy Committee remains anonymous.

Worship
The nightly worships are a time for spiritual growth and healing. The first worship is usually centered around the theme of the conference and reflections on life. It is a time that breaks down barriers and puts everyone at the same level so that the conference may be fully experienced. The second night is for celebrating the bonds of community that have been created, and exploring our inner evolutions. Worships are often the defining moments of a conference and it is hard to have a good Con without good worships.

Workshops
Workshops are held during the day on Saturday. Generally, workshops are based on the theme of the Con and give you an opportunity to create, learn or discuss something that interests you. Sometimes, though, workshops are just to hang out and have fun (i.e. fun with makeup or sleeping with Abby).

Coffee House
A coffeehouse is a non-judgmental, non-competitive place to perform your favorite songs, poems, stories, jokes, or share any other wonderful talents you have.
The Rules.

In order to attend any Conference in this district you must sign the Metro District Covenant

ONE MORE VERY IMPORTANT THING

Have Fun! Even though it seems like there are a lot of rules and stuff, that's just to keep things nice, relaxed, and to create an environment where people can have fun. So remember, no matter what you're doing at the moment, have fun. It may take a little effort, but I've found having fun tends to make my day a lot better.

HOW TO ATTEND

Youth
Keep checking the main page at MetroYAC.org for updates. There will always be a registration link to a formdesk online registration page. The procedure is to establish a formdesk visitor account, and with this account you can create/maintain your registration form for the next con. The word maintain is used here, because you can always come back and modify the information in the form. For example if you need to change your advisor, or you didn't have your insurance information handy the first time. You are not registered unless you fill out an online registration form. Once you submit your registration, then you will get a nicely formatted registration sheet which you should print and mail to the registrar. In addition to this, you will need to also include a front and back copy of your current insurance card. If possible it would be nice if you could get all that information onto 1 sheet of paper. All-in-one type printer/fax/copier machines are good for this. Your registration form needs to be signed by your parent or guardian, and of course don't forget to include the registration fee. You will need to mail your registration to the Con registrar. This information is printed on every registration product, and is also available in confirmation emails.

There will also be email notifications to you and your advisor. You should save this email notice, as it contains a link to re-print your registration product. There is also information in this notice about how to get to the con.

There are absolutely no walk-ins.

Advisors
For Advisors we have a different registration process. Starting in the 2007-2008 calendar year, we will have advisors maintain a single registration form for the entire year. This form has one section containing their personal information and there is also a Con Attendance section. The Con Attendance Section is laid out so that this form can be used to indicate your attendance at a specific YRUU event. OF course this means you can only indicate your intentions for only 1 event at a time, but so far we are not so busy that we have more than 1 event during a weekend. So we expect that your form will always reflect your intentions for the next calendar event.

We will keep a book of all Advisors, and this book will be present at all events. You should either mail your form (only once for the calendar) year to the Con Registrar, or bring it to the next event.

Click Here to establish a Metro YRUU Advisor form for the current year. You will also establish a formdesk visitor account which can be used to maintain your registration throughout the year. The same link is used to manage your form.

THINGS TO BRING

One advisor for every ten youth. (If you can't find an adult to attend, call us)
Toilet-trees and clothing (stuff to keep clean, smelling nice and look spiffy)
A sleeping bag and other warm, soft stuff
Coffee House acts
An open mind

THINGS TO LEAVE BEHIND

Drugs (of the illegal sort
Alcohol
Weapons
Bad vibes
Large amounts of cash and other expensive stuff