ST.

JOHNS UNITED METHODIST YOUTH FELLOWSHIP CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Section 3.

To reach out with the love of God to

all of His children and creation

Section 4.

Preamble We, the youth of St. John's United Methodist Church, influenced by the service of Jesus Christ and ministries of the Church to grow as a loving family and a dynamic fellowship, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution. Article I NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION The lay organization shall be known as St. John's United Methodist Youth Fellowship or St. John's UMYF. It shall be referred to in this Constitution as the UMYF. Article II MISSION OF THE UMYF St. Johns UMYF is committed in fulfilling the following objectives:
Section 1.

To spark enthusiasm to be involved in

the life of the Church and the UMYF

Section 5.

To provide avenues for the expression

of the faith of the youth

Section 6.

To develop servant-leaders dedicated

to follow the footsteps of Christ

Section 7.

To uphold an organized system of

youth affairs
Section 8.

To become good stewards of our

God-given resources Article III MEMBERSHIP Section 1. Definition An official member of the UMYF shall be a member of the United Methodist Church who is 12-23 years old. Section 2. Transition Period

To respond to the call of knowing

Christ and making Him known Section 2. To build a deeper relationship with God through Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience

The year when a member turns 23 years old is called the transition period. It is the time to prepare for the Young Adult ministry. Section 3. Ceremony The UMYF shall conduct an annual ceremony in January where all new members shall be officially welcomed and transitioning members shall also graduate. Section 4. Youth Circles The age groups of the UMYF shall be called the junior circle (ages 12-17) and the senior circle (18-23). Section 5. Responsibilities Members of the UMYF should be faithful Christians who abide by this Constitution and By-laws and take part in the ministries and activities of the UMYF. Section 6. Full-Time Ministry All youth within the age range of the UMYF who are in ministerial or deaconess work and in the process of being in the same ministry shall not be recognized as an official member. These youths are welcome to serve as ex-officio members or advisers. Article IV YOUTH MEETINGS Section 1. Rationale The UMYF shall meet as one family to discuss the youth affairs and other relevant matters. They shall hear, accept, discuss, and approve the reports of the Council during the youth meetings.

Section 2. Composition Those who are welcome to the meeting must be official members of the UMYF. Majority of the members must be present in order to convene the meeting. Section 3. Convening The UMYF shall convene at least once a month with the youth coordinator/s and/or advisor. Should the youth coordinator/s and advisor not be available, the youth council must invite an adult to observe and advice in the meeting. Article V YOUTH COUNCIL & FUNCTIONS Section 1. Definition The officers shall be members of the Fellowship who are duly elected by the youth to be part of the council. The leadership positions of the council include the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Finance Officer, and the Program Coordinator. Section 2. Composition The council shall be comprised of the officers, the youth coordinators and the elected youth advisor. The elected officers must consist of at least one (1) youth from the junior circle and the senior circle. Section 3. Responsibilities The youth council shall lead by example as they carry on the following powers and functions: a. supervise and coordinate the implementation of programs, projects and actions approved by the UMYF;

b. authorize the disbursement of funds as approved by the

f. connect and build partnership with other committees and

UMYF; c. act on matters referred by the UMYF and ADCO; Section 4. Functions of the President The President shall: a. be the official representative of the UMYF in all activities and affairs; b. convene and preside over the meetings of the Youth Council and the UMYF; c. assist all officers in their respective duties; d. prepare the agenda for all meetings; e. train and equip servant leaders through leadership development programs; f. issue directives and memos that will assist in implementing the actions and approved programs of the concerned level; and g. write the regular ADCO report with the Secretary. Section 5. Functions of the Vice-President The Vice-President shall: a. assume the duties and functions of the President in case of resignation or temporary unavailability; b. take charge of the mission and ecumenical programs of the UMYF; c. promote awareness of The United Methodist Church Social Principles alongside current and vital issues in the society among the members of the Fellowship; d. promote social holiness by providing opportunities with young people for mission and service; e. ensure that the Constitution and the bylaws are followed; and

organizations inside and outside the church Section 6. Functions of the Secretary The Secretary shall: a. make notices and correspondences as directed by the President b. manage membership and membership related activities and ceremonies c. record and safe keep the minutes of the meetings and other documents; and d. take charge of information dissemination via bulletin board, text and web. Section 7. Functions of the Finance Officer The Finance Officer shall: a. receive, collect and keep the financial assets of the UMYF; b. disburse funds as authorized by the President and Youth Coordinators; c. present an audited financial report to the ADCO and to the Youth Council during their meetings; d. propose the budget and ensure proper disbursement in adherence to it; e. deposit the funds of the Fellowship in a reputable bank; and f. manage grant applications. Section 8. Functions of the Program Coordinator The Program Coordinator shall:

a. promote the Wesleyan tradition and heritage and make it relevant in the lives of the young people through innovative approaches; b. oversee retreats, holiday programs and fellowship activities; c. initiate programs for evangelism and discipleship; d. initiate income-generating projects; Section 9. Qualifications and Functions of the Youth Coordinator The UMYF shall have at least one Youth Coordinator who is a youth-oriented pastor, deaconess or lay person. He or she shall: a. work together with the youth in planning and implementing their programs; b. work with the Youth Advisor in mediating conflicts among the youth; c. help in communicating the concerns of the youth to the church; and d. be an ex-officio member of the UMYF. Section 10. Qualifications and Functions of the Youth Advisor The UMYF council shall appoint every two years one (1) Youth Advisor who is from St. Johns Young Adult Ministry. He or she shall: a. provide wise advice to the youth council in planning and implementing their programs; b. become the liaison between the UMYF and the Young Adult Ministry; c. work with the Youth Coordinator/s in mediating conflicts among the youth; and d. be an ex-officio member of the UMYF.

Section 11. Convening (Calendar planning and regular) The youth council shall meet as often as necessary, but at least once a month. The majority of the youth officers and the youth coordinator/s and/or advisor must be present to official commence a meeting. Should the youth coordinator/s and advisor not be available, the youth council shall invite an adult to observe and advice in the meeting. Article VI ELECTORAL PROCEDURES Section 1. Qualifications A candidate shall be eligible for election if he/she is: a. a member of St. Johns United Methodist Church; b. within the age range of the UMYF as stated in Article III Section 1 upon assumption of office; and c. active in the affairs of the UMYF for at least one (1) year before running for office. Section 2. Election Procedure The election shall be conducted in the following manner: a. An eligible candidate shall be nominated by at least two (2) official members of the UMYF. The endorsers shall submit on a piece of paper the name of the candidate with his/her consent and reasons why they believe he/she shall be elected. b. The screening committee shall gather the nominations within the set period. c. The nominees shall be interviewed and screened according to the criteria stated in Section 3 of Article VII.

d. The chair of the screening committee shall present to the

UMYF each qualified candidate together with his/her profile. e. Each candidate shall be allowed to speak openly and briefly about their visions and plans for the UMYF. f. After all the candidates have spoken, the youth coordinators shall facilitate the election through secret balloting. Section 3. Election of a Candidate A candidate shall be considered elected if he/ she has received at least 50% + 1 of the total votes cast and be among the candidates who received the highest votes to take the available elective positions. There are five (5) leadership positions to fill in. If there is any deadlock, the Youth Conference shall settle the matter by a secret ballot. Section 4. Assertion of Positions The officers-elect shall meet immediately after elections to determine their positions. Article VII THE SCREENING COMMITTEE Section 1. Composition The Screening Committee shall consist of: a. A pastor b. The youth coordinator/s c. The youth advisor d. An elected youth who does not currently hold a position and is also not running for a position

Section 2. Powers and Functions The Screening Committee shall have the following powers and functions: a. elect the chairperson and the secretary; b. handle the nominations of candidates and set the schedule of screening prior to appointed date of the election; c. interview and screen the candidates based on the qualifications stated in Section 3 of this Article; d. present to the UMYF a maximum of eight (8) candidates; e. facilitate the election process; f. decide on all election matters, provided that these decisions are not contrary to the policies and best interest of the UMYF; and g. present the elected officers after a prayerful deliberation of their respective positions. Section 3. Criteria The Screening Committee shall consider the following in interviewing and screening the nominees for elective positions (additional criteria may be included if necessary): a. vision and plans for the UMYF; b. talents and skills that they may contribute; c. level of commitment; d. strength of personal relationship with God; e. other needs of the UMYF. Article VIII TERM OF OFFICE Section 1. Commencing of Term

The term of office for the elected officers shall begin on the 1st of January following the election. Section 2. Duration of the Term All elected officers of the UMYF shall serve for two years. Section 3. Resignation An officer shall be considered resigned due to any of the following reasons: a. Inability to perform his/her duties and functions as an officer for three (3) consecutive months provided there is proper explanation. b. Appointment to full time ministerial or deaconess work. c. Voluntary resignation. The resigning officer shall talk with the coordinators of the UMYF before making a final decision. A formal letter explaining reasons for resignation must be submitted to the Council and the pastor. Section 4. Incidence of Vacancy In the occurrence of a vacancy, the incumbent Vice-President shall assume the vacant position. Section 5. Appointment There shall be no appointment of an officer in the UMYF. Section 6. Evaluation and Training Youth Council shall evaluate their performance every six (6) months. Newly elected officers must undergo leadership training before the start of their term in January. Article IX

AMMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION Section 1. Revision This Constitution shall not be revised within eight (8) years after its ratification. However, amendment to this constitution can be made four years after the ratification and every two years thereafter. Section 2. Constitutional Committee The Constitutional Committee shall consist of volunteer officers and members who will review the Constitution and make necessary changes to it. Section 3. Proposed Amendments Any amendment to this Constitution may be proposed by: a. The Youth Conference in any level of the Fellowship upon two-thirds (2/3) vote of all its voting members present in its session. b. Any duly registered voting member of the Constitutional Convention. Article X TRANSITORY PROVISIONS Section 1. Prerequisite to Ratify the New Constitution The proposed final draft of this Constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the UMYF. Section 2. Effectiveness All the provisions in this Constitution shall take effect immediately upon ratification.