Updated post 5/16/19:
May 15, 2019 was Alyssa Nelson’s last day in the YPC job. You can read more in her farewell letter, YPC Epistle XIII – May 2019.
The Youth Programs Coordinating Committee will be making an announcement about the new YPC shortly. At the end of Alyssa’s final epistle contains contact people for the interim.
Updated post 1/9/19:
Alyssa Nelson has agreed to postpone her resignation from the Youth Programs Coordinator position, originally slated for January 31, until later in the Spring in order to continue supporting youth and children’s committees as they prepare for upcoming events.
We are actively recruiting for a new Youth Programs Coordinator and ask your assistance in circulating the following job posting:
- Pacific YM Seeks Youth Programs Coordinator: Pacific Yearly Meeting is accepting applications to fill the full-time position of Youth Programs Coordinator. The role of the Youth Programs Coordinator is to enhance the spiritual development and nurture of youth (‘youth’ being defined as children, teens, and young adults) and intergenerational community within the Yearly Meeting. The full position announcement, job description, and application process are posted here. The position will remain open until filled, however priority will be given to applications received by February 15, 2019.
Original post 11/5/18:
Dear Friends,
We are writing you as co-clerks of the PYM Youth Programs Coordinating Committee with an announcement that might come as a surprise, along with a request for input into our program evaluation by December 30th.
Resignation announcement:
While sometimes difficult, change can be a healthy thing for all of us. After considerable reflection and discussion with her supervisor and support committee, our PYM Youth Programs Coordinator, Alyssa Nelson, has decided that it is time to move on. Alyssa will continue in the YPC position through January 31, 2019. Because a certain amount of this work will involve internal YPC/YPCC preparation of materials and systems for hand-over, and as Alyssa might need to work a reduced schedule (using her earned leave), we are informing you that you can reasonably expect to be able to communicate directly with Alyssa on two public-facing days per week: Wednesdays and Thursdays.
In her letter of resignation, Alyssa wrote: “I have valued the opportunity to grow and learn [together] while serving Pacific Yearly Meeting Friends in this way since August 1, 2011. I wish you all the best in the transition to what comes next. With love and gratitude, Alyssa.”
We are so grateful for all the work that Alyssa has done for our community. Through her ministry, Alyssa has created bridges to make the whole PYM community more truly intergenerational than merely multi-generational, provided youth and adults with leadership and spiritual growth opportunities, counseled and supported many individual young Friends and adults, mentored adults to become better allies to youth, increased the number and diversity of adult Friends willing to volunteer in the teen and children’s programs, and developed infrastructure to make all this work possible. Having served previously on the original planning committee in 2008-2009 and the initial supervisory committee from 2009-2011, Alyssa has been an integral part of co-creating the YPC position and programs with our committee and the first YPC, Sarah Beutel. Together, the coordinators and the committee have developed policies, refined the role as experiences and Spirit guided us, and compiled a vital structure of institutional knowledge by collaborating with multiple PYM committees and officers as well as with the broader PYM community, Quarterly Meetings, Monthly Meetings, Worship Groups, and a number of Quaker organizations.
We are not soliciting applications for the YPC position at the moment. If you have any questions about the process, please ask. We will keep you updated as to how Way is opening, and we expect to do so at the PYM Representative Committee in early March and to the wider PYM community by this coming Spring, if not earlier.
Invitation to participate in the program evaluation:
The YPC Committee is taking this time to reflect on the expectations of the YP Coordinator position, the roles of the committee and coordinator, and how to improve PYM’s ability to effectively operate as an employer. For these reasons, we are sending this invitation to participate in our program evaluation surveys along with this resignation announcement letter so that we may get your thoughts not only on the programs, but on the roles of the YPC and YPCC within PYM in general.
We ask individual Friends as well as groups (Monthly Meetings, Worship Groups, Committees, and related Quaker Organizations) to help by providing feedback and input by December 30, 2018 by filling out the online survey (via the group and/or individual form). Please see the more detailed post about the surveys and program evaluation.
One final note: We continue to welcome applications to our Youth Programs Fund of the Bob Vogel Endowment (next deadline December 20th). However, please be advised that our turn-around time might be longer than usual during the transition.
Thank you, and thanks again to Alyssa for her years of dedicated service,
Bertha Peña and Rebekah Percy, Co-Clerks
PYM Youth Programs Coordinating Committee
Bertha Peña <bertha.pena@gmail.com>
Rebekah Percy <rebekah.sophia@gmail.com>
11/5/18