At Friday’s plenaries, the Association endorsed two major organizing campaigns, created a new space for conservative delegates to meet at USSA conferences, rejected a proposal that the Association hire an executive director, and passed two dozen administrative resolutions pledging USSA action on various issues.

Friday was quite a day, and yes, I’m still working on that post. But I’m going to dash off something quick on yesterday and today in the meantime.

Yesterday, Saturday, the Association conducted a morning planning session for the upcoming year’s organizing campaigns, then spent the afternoon and early evening on workshops and the meetings of regions and caucuses at which most of the new USSA board of directors was elected. (One of the workshops was my session on social networks and student activism, which I’ll be writing more about after I get back to New York.)

After the meetings and workshops, the students gathered at an off-campus bar for the traditional end-of-Congress party. After a week of long days (and nights) of hard work on the University of Colorado’s dry campus, everyone was ready to celebrate, and exhaustion and altitude ensured that the celebration would be … spirited.

It was a great party.

Today the newly-elected 2009-10 USSA board of directors met for the first time, continuing the planning for the year. They also set dates for their next three meetings, the first of which will be in October in Washington, DC. By mid-afternoon nearly all of the Congress participants had left Boulder.

I’ve been asked several times since Friday’s plenaries how this Congress compares to others I’ve been to, and how I think it will be remembered in years to come. I hope I won’t be accused of cheerleading when I say that this was among the most positive, energetic Congresses I’ve ever attended, and that I suspect it will go down in USSA history as an important milestone in the Association’s progress.

More on why in my next post.

Previously:
USSA Congress Begins Today!
USSA Congress 2009, Day One
USSA Congress 2009, Day Two
Late, Short Wrapup of USSA Congress, Day Three