YRUU

During high school I was really shy and definitely not part of the popular crowd. I had some friends, but not tons.

YRUU was different. I was accepted by my peers. I had fun. I felt loved. I remember my first rally - Houston 1985 (the current crop of YRUUers was just being born!). Back then we had Initiations but no blanket rule. We did have a few blanket rules: like no sex, no drugs/alcohol, no violence.

When I was initiated, I think Christina Branum brought be down to the kitchen area to half-soothe, half-scare me (“it’s be okay, but be sure you are wearing clean underwear”). Ginnie Kilgore tossed some ice down the back of my shorts and sent me into the initiation room.

Good times. That was after a day of running around barefoot on maple gum balls playing this new awesome game called ultimate frisbee. Wow what a rush.

I remember calling my dad (or him calling the church) and him asking what we had been doing and me saying something like, “I don’t know but we’re having fun!”

Many years later, Anna Magwood described how she felt at her first rally: a happy state of shock.

YRUU is more of a state of mind than a place; it’s designed to give youth an opportunity to create their own programming, their own reality. An opportunity to affect positive change in the world around them and to begin experiencing that world in a more grown up way.

YRUU is based on 4 simple rules: (1) Respect everyone/thing (2) No sex (3) No drugs/alcohol (4) No violence. The resulting community bonds in a profound way: friendships are forged in a single weekend that.. amaze me

When I graduated from high school, I stayed in YRUU for a year, milking the YRUU goodness for all I could.

Then bang. No YRUU. No YA. Just like falling off a bridge into a nice big chasm of nada. Except college; I focused pretty effectively on that for seven awesome years of awesomeness.

Graduated from college and I was like, “hmmm something is missing.” “Oh yeah, church!”

I chose Emerson instead of First Church cause First was under construction at the time. Spent several weeks trying to find spirituality in the adult congregation, and I was able to meditate well enough, but I was generally spiritually unnourished.

2003 aug 08: to be continued one day?

   
R  S C G o Youth Council: 2  1999 (Iowa) and 2000 (Virginia)
a  W o A t 
l  U n   h 
l  U C   e 
y  S o   r 
   I n     
47 6 3 2 5
                   
Y1         Houston 4-6 April 1986
   1       SWUUSI 1986 
Y2         Dallas 1987
Y3         Oklahoma City 10-12 April 1987 
Y4         Baton Rouge 24-26 April 1987 
Y5         Houston 12-14 June 1987 
   2       SWUUSI 1-8 July 1987 
Y6         Dallas 12-14 February 1988 
Y7         Houston 10-12 June 1988 
     1     Con Con 15-23 August 1988
Y8         Dallas 10-12 February 1989 
Y9         Dallas 9-11 February 1990 
                                                                   QUOTES:
 1         Houston 12-14 January 1996
 2         Dallas 9-11 February 1996  7 years ago they said I was too old.  So I came back as an advisor, and now I'm addicted.
 3         Austin 19-21 April 1996
 4         OKC 7-9 June 1996
 5         New Orleans July 1996  Look!! I did it! I did it!
 6         San Antonio 1-3 November 1996  Leisure rules.
               
 7         Houston 17-19 January 1997  You mean *I* have to send in a registration?
 8         Dallas 7-9 February 1997  Spiritual Practice? Practice more.  After worship, Silent Football!
 9         OKC 11-13 April 1997 Now little man, I give the watch to you.
10         Ft Worth 9-11 May 1997 Whatever it is, LOOK OUT! IT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
11         Tulsa 13-15 June 1997
12         New Orleans 4-6 July 1997
   3       SWUUSI 26 July - 1 August 1997
         1 YAC Lock-in Horizon church Carolton TX
13         San Antonio 31 October - 2 November 1997
14         Little Rock 5-7 December 1997
              
15         Houston 16-18 January 1998
16         Dallas 6-8 February 1998
17         Austin 6-8 March 1998 Cause a year from now, when' you're kickin' it in the Caribbean, you're gonna say, "Marsellus Wallace was right."
         2 YAC Lock-in Emerson Church, Houston TX
18         OKC 24-26 April 1998 Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it Le Big Mac.
       1   GA Rochester NY June 1998
19         New Orleans July 1998 Mind if I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this down?
   4       SWUUSI July 1998
     2     Con Con Camp DeBenneville Pines August 1998
20         Tulsa September 1998
21         San Antonio 30 October - 1 November 1998  This is Jack, Rabbit, Slims.  An Elvis guy like you should love this place.
         3 Youth Caucus Hope Church Tulsa, OK
22         Little Rock 4-6 December 1998
         4 Social Action Conference Community UU North Dallas
	
23         Houston 15-17 January 1999 That's thirty minutes away; I'll be there in ten.
24         MDD Con in Albuquerque 5-7 February 1999
25         Dallas North (Plano) 26-28 March 1999  You sendin' The Wolf?
26         Oklahoma City 4-6 June 1999 You think that's air you're breathing now?
       2   GA Salt Lake City June 1999
27         New Orleans 2-4 July 1999  You sendin' the Wolf?
           Youth Council Iowa 26-31 July 1999
     3     Con Con Iowa 1-4 August 1999
28         San Antonio 29-31 October 1999  Yes, but you are aware there's an invention called television and on that invention they show shows?
	
29         Houston 14-16 January 2000  I know nothing!  I was not in charge.
30         Dallas 4-6 February 2000 It would have been worth him keying it just so I coulda caught him at it.
31         Plano 1 april 2000 Well yeah- I was sittin' here eatin' my muffin 'n drinkin' my coffee 'n replaying the incident in my head, when I had what alcoholics refer to as, 'a moment of clarity.'
32         Oklahoma City 2-4 June 2000 Donde esta la zapateria?
           Youth Council Virgina early August 2000
33         Tulsa 1-3 September 2000
34         San Antonio 27-19 October 2000 Oh I'm sorry.   Did I break your concentration?
	
35         Houston 12-14 January 2001
36         Plano 30 March - 1 April 2001 (I didn't make it into mugbook)
37         OKC 8-10 June 2001  I'm ready.  Let's do it. Right here. Right now.
38         New Orleans 6-8 July 2001  Customers sittin' there with food in their mouths.  They don't know what's going on.
   5       SWUUSI late July 2001  mugbook = ?
39         Tulsa   mugbook = ?
40         San Antonio late Oct 2001 So that means there could be up to five guys up there?
41         Ft Worth 30-2 Dec 2001 That gun goes against the entire idea behind piercing.

42         Houston 18-20 January 2002 Why don't you tell my man Vince here where you got the shit hid at.
43         Ohio-Meadville Social Action Con with David Johnston 1-3 February 2002 It's on the wall by the two African fellows.
44         Austin 1-3 March 2002  This is a seller's market.
45         Plano  12-14 April 2002  And five in there's one two three four five of us.
   6       SWUUSI 20-26 July 2002  Well now I'm definitely not gonna tell you cause it's been built up too much.
46         Tulsa  Sept 2002

47         Houston January 2003 

Quotes I didn’t use, but had queued up here:

• I gotta know what a five dollar shake tastes like.
• I don’t think Buddy Holly is much of a waiter.
• I don’t see Jayne Mansfield; she must have the night off or somethin'.
• You seem like a really nice person and I don’t want to offend you.
• They talk a lot don’t they?
• I do believe Marsellus, my husband, your boss told you to take me out and do whatever I wanted.
• That’s a little bit more information than I needed, Vince, but go right ahead.
• Don’t be rude; drink your drink, but do it quickly.
• Are you talking to me on a cellular phone?
• Do you know who Marsellus Wallace is?
• Alright, what I need is a big fat magic marker.
• If you’re alright, say something.
• What’s your thoughts on how to handle this?
• Now if you excuse me, I’m gonna go home and have a heart attack.
• No, you won’t laugh cause it’s not funny.
• It’s time, Butch.
• Great. I never thanked you for dinner.
• The name is Spanish, but I am Colombian.
• Let’s talk about the rich and prosperous Mister Butch.
• Keep the light off.
• You know what, I was thinking about taking a shower; I’m stinking like a dog over here.
• but it ain’t gonna be the kinda money that we can live like hogs in the fat house forever.