GUIDELINES Updated 2017 Allegheny East Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists YOUTH & CHILDREN MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT
Youth Federation Guidelines STRATEGIC PURPOSE The Adventist Youth Society (AYS) of the Allegheny East Conference (AEC) constituency seeks a closer bond of fellowship for the exchange of ideas and experiences as we work in sharing faith and carrying the Advent message to our communities and to the world in this generation. To foster meaningful cultural activities, and wholesome recreation, to keep our young people actively engaging in taking the Advent message to the entire world, to help inspire our youth to higher scholastic achievement. Mission The mission of the AEC Adventist Youth Federation (AYF) is to help facilitate spiritual programs and activities that will motivate our youth to a closer relationship with Christ. OFFICERS Section 1. The Officers of this organization shall be the Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Chaplain, Parliamentarian, Social Activities Coordinator, Public Relations Secretary, Athletics Coordinator, Bible Bowl Coordinator, iserve Coordinator, Campus Ministries Coordinator, Children Ministries Area Coordinator, Pathfinder Area Coordinator, Adventurer Area Coordinator, AY leaders, Ministerial Youth Liaison and Youth & Children Ministries Director. Section 2. Elected officers shall assume their responsibilities within two weeks after the elections and shall serve for one (1) term of five (5) years. All shall hold their offices until their successors are elected and enter upon their duties. Section 3. An officer can succeed themselves in office or any other position of the Area Youth Federation (AYF) Committee. However, officers shall be eligible for reelection for no more than two consecutive terms on the AYF Committee. The AYF Committee shall recommend names to the Area Ministerium and Youth & Children Ministries Director to fill any vacancies between elections. Section 4. Any AYF officer or member of any standing committee not carrying out their duties as described in the guidelines or not cooperating with the Allegheny East Conference Youth & Children Ministries Department shall be removed by order of the Allegheny East Conference Youth Director and Area Ministerium in consultation with the Area Youth Federation committee. Section 5. No person shall continue to serve as an officer, committee chairperson, and member of the AYF committee, who ceases to be a member in regular standing of a recognized Seventh day Adventist church. Section 6. This organization shall maintain the following standing committees: (a) Religious Activities (b) Social Activities and (c) Outreach Activities. Section 7. The Conference Youth Director or designee shall be the general supervisor and sponsor. MEETINGS Section 1. Federation meeting shall be held at the time and place designated by the AYF committee. Section 2. The AYF committee should meet at the call of the coordinator at least four weeks before a general meeting to confirm and finalize all program plans. 2 Youth Federation Guidelines Allegheny East Conference Youth Ministries
Section 3. There should be at least one special meeting held in a calendar year. Section 4. To conduct other business, a majority (50% +1) of federation committee members shall be considered a quorum. OFFICERS RESPONSIBILITIES Coordinator The responsibilities of the coordinator are as follows: a. Be responsible for the smooth operation of the federation by overseeing to the coordination of all the committees. b. Is the chairperson and therefore shall preside at all AYF committee meetings and all general meetings of the federation. c. Be considered an ex-officio member of all committees of the federation, standing or special. d. Be granted the privilege of appointing special committees, with the approval of the AYF committee. e. Supervise and manage the federation according to the provisions of the guidelines. f. Render a quarterly report of the activities of the federation to the Conference Youth & Children Ministries Department. g. Shall be a member in good standing, and well versed in the operations and policies of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Assistant Coordinator The responsibilities of the assistant coordinator are as follows: a. Assume the duties of the coordinator in his/her absence or when called upon by the coordinator to do so. b. Attend all AYF committee meetings and other meetings. Parliamentarian The responsibilities of parliamentarian are as follows: a. Shall be acquainted with parliamentary procedures in order to facilitate the smooth operation of federation business. b. Interpret the guidelines. c. Use General Conference rules of order as the guide for parliamentary procedures. d. Attend all AYF committee meetings and other meetings. Secretary The responsibilities of the secretary are as follows: a. Recording secretary of the AYF committee. b. Be responsible for keeping all records of items of business as well as the minutes of all meetings. c. Be responsible for all correspondence of the federation. d. Send copies of the minutes of all meetings to the federation officers and to the Conference Youth Director. e. Have all the minutes attached to the agenda of a schedule meeting. f. Attend all AYF committee meetings and other meetings. Assistant Secretary The responsibilities of the assistant secretary are as follows: a. Serve in the absence of the secretary, and help the secretary in all of his/her duties when called upon by the secretary or the coordinator. b. Assist the secretary by recording all statistics relative to federation meetings and other meetings, including the following items: Allegheny East Conference Youth Ministries Youth Federation Guidelines 3
1. The AY societies present. 2. The attendance. 3. Other information that that the AYF committee may specify. c. Give statistical data to the secretary. d. Attend all AYF committee meetings and other meetings. Treasurer The responsibilities of the treasurer are as follows: a. Stay in constant communication with the Area Ministerium Treasurer, who is the custodian of all AYF funds. b. Keeps accurate record of all financial transactions of the AYF. c. Ensure that funds collected by all entities within the AYF be deposited on the established account. d. All disbursements must be made with the approval of the AYF committee. e. The treasurer shall present a financial report of federation funds quarterly and at other times deemed necessary by the federation s committee. f. A copy of the financial report is to be forwarded to the Conference Youth Director s office and the Area Ministerium Treasurer on a quarterly basis, accompanied by the signatures of the treasurer and coordinator. g. Attend all AYF meetings. Assistant Treasurer The assistant treasurer shall assume all the duties of the treasurer when the treasurer is unable to carry out his/her duties, or when called upon by the treasurer or coordinator. Chaplain The responsibilities of the chaplain are as follows: a. Shall be responsible for the devotional activities of the federation. They shall give counsel in choosing a speaker for the general meetings, and to help ensure the spiritual climate of federation meetings. b. Chair the religious activities committee. c. Render reports of committee activities for executive approval. d. Shall be responsible for encouraging an effective youth witnessing ministry within the federation. e. Assist and encourage the public relations secretary to publish senior youth news in the local city paper, church bulletins, local conference papers and social media. f. Attend all AYF meetings Social Activities Coordinator The responsibilities of the social activities coordinator are as follows: a. Chair the social activities committee. b. Render reports of committee activities for executive approval. c. Be responsible for all the recreational and social activities of the federation. d. Attend all AYF meetings. Public Relations Secretary The responsibilities of the public relations secretary are as follows: a. Shall be responsible for promoting and advertising all activities of the federation. b. Chair the publicity committee. c. Attend all AYF meetings. 4 Youth Federation Guidelines Allegheny East Conference Youth Ministries
Athletics Coordinator The athletic coordinator shall be responsible to coordinate and promote fellowship, encourage the service of mission outreach and give positive direction through athletic play. Accomplished through sports such as; basketball, softball, volleyball, etc. iserve Coordinator The responsibilities of the iserve coordinator are as follows: a. Chair for the iservice committee b. Responsible to develop and recommend service projects to and for the federation. c. Attend all AYF meetings. iserve is a part of youth ministry where young people are encouraged to serve in their communities through various projects: Clean up Painting Repairs Mass feeding Child care Volunteer programs Supplies distribution Campus Ministries Coordinator The responsibilities of the campus ministry secretary are as follows: a. Provide Adventist students on non-adventist campuses with an avenue to develop their relationship and live for Jesus where they spend most of their day. b. Secure a list of all youths from area who attend non-adventist schools. c. Ensure that students receive quarterly publications provided by individual churches d. Provide list of nearby churches and other resources for students to stay connected even when away from home churches. e. Attend all AYF meetings. Bible Bowl Coordinator The responsibilities of the Bible Bowl Coordinator are as follows: a. Promote and coordinate the Bible Bowl League. b. Recruit and foster church teams in the five divisions of Bible Bowl. c. Provide training for individuals interested in participating. d. Coordinate drill material for teams. e. Attend all AYF meetings. Advisors The Conference Youth Director or designee shall be the chief advisor. All conference officers and pastors of churches. FEDERATION AREA COMMITTEE Section 1. The Federation Area Committee shall consist of the following persons: a. Coordinator* b. Assistant Coordinator* c. Parliamentarian* d. Secretary* e. Assistant Secretary* Allegheny East Conference Youth Ministries Youth Federation Guidelines 5
f. Treasurer* g. Assistant Treasurer* h. Public Relations Coordinator* i. Chaplain* j. iserve Coordinator* k. Athletics Coordinator* l. Campus Ministry Coordinator* m. Social Activities Coordinator* n. National Service Organization (NSO) Coordinator* o. Area AY leaders p. Bible Bowl Area Coordinator q. Children Ministries Area Coordinator r. Pathfinder Area Coordinator s. Adventurer Area Coordinator t. Master Guide Area Coordinator u. Ministerial Youth Liaison v. Conference Youth Director w. Ethnic Representatives *Elected Offices Section 2. The responsibilities and duties of the AYF committee are as follows: a. To exercise general administration over all matters pertaining to the work of the federation. b. To set the time and place of all meetings. c. To recommend persons to fill vacancies. d. To appoint all chairpersons of standing committees. e. Shall convene as often as necessary to discuss, plan, devise ways and means for accomplishing its goals and purposes. FINANCE Section 1. An AYF account shall be set up with the Area Ministerium through the Ministerium Treasurer. Section 2. Federation shall be financed primarily by the dues of the members (AY Societies) and special Federation offerings. Each AY society shall pay according to the size of its local congregation. Church Membership Yearly Dues 1-100 500 101-300 1000 301 and up 1500 The Federation encourages all churches to pay by the end of the first quarter. Section 3. All federation meetings held on Friday nights will receive the offering. A special offering can be taken on behalf of the federation. 6 Youth Federation Guidelines Allegheny East Conference Youth Ministries
Section 4. Federation Funds The Area Ministerium will set up a Federation Bank Account for all Federation transactions. Signatories on the account would be the Area Ministerium Treasurer, Federation Treasurer and Federation Coordinator. Section 5. The Federation Treasurer will provide a quarterly financial report to the Ministerium Treasurer and the Youth & Children Ministries Department. ELECTION The following procedure shall be followed in the election of federation officers: a. Elections shall be held during the quarter after AEC Quinquennial Conference Session. b. An Area meeting will be called by the Youth & Children Ministries Director to conduct the recommendation process of officers. c. Each Church will select delegates to the area meeting which will include the AY Leader and 2 others. d. Delegates will recommend two names for each position to be passed on to the Ministerium. e. The Area Ministerium will review the submissions and make a recommendation to the Conference Youth & Children Ministries Director for final approval. AEC YOUTH FEDERATIONS Official Names Northern New Jersey Area Youth Federation Bay Area Youth Federation Delaware Valley Area Youth Federation Baltimore Extended Area Youth Federation Washington Metro Area Youth Federation Virginia Area Youth Federation Allegheny East Conference Youth Ministries Youth Federation Guidelines 7