Although the Federation Board has many responsibilities, it has assumed one more. The Board decided at one of their early meetings to auspicate the annual Spring Banquet, formerly cared for by the young people of First Prot. Ref’d Church. Having assumed this duty, the Board immediately relinquished it by transferring the planning to a committee. Members chosen were Gerald Kuiper, Bonnie Bylsma, Marilyn King, Dick Elzinga, Ken Schipper, and Marilyn Ondersma. The committee met and set the date of the Banquet for May 9, chose the place to be South East Prot. Ref’d Church, and designated the speaker to be Rev. R. Veldman.
The Board accepted the resignation of Redlands Young People’s Society from the Federation. Oaklawn’s Young people’s Society also requested that their membership be discontinued, and they were granted associate membership because their society was discontinued for the 1961 season.
Being very reformed, they divided their reasons for this request into three parts:
- Three of their members are getting married.
- One of their families is moving to Grand Rapids.
- As a result of the two above, they do not have a sufficient number of members left to continue their Young People’s Society; “consequently a non-existent society cannot be a member of the Federation.”
These two decisions by the Board will be brought to the Delegate Board for its ratification.
Probably the most work for the Board this year results from the scholarship program which surged into a reality at the last convention. The Board once again appointed a committee to work out a Constitution. You can detect how busy the Board is just igniting committees, adding fuel to them, and blowing the glowing embers. Embers of this committee include Rev. Vos, Rev. H. Hanko, Bob Decker, and Harry Langerak. A special word of appreciation is extended to Rev. H. Hanko who accomplished a great deal of work for the constitution of the “Alice Reitsma Memorial Fund Committee.” A copy of this Constitution follows this report.
Plans for the 1961 convention, August 22, 23, and 24, have also kept the Board busy. An out-of-state convention features new problems not encountered in local conventions. The main problems are money and transportation. At present, the Board has two of its members working out a feasible transportation. At present, the Board has two of its members working out a feasible transportation solution and all its members working out a money solution. Trying to convert the Board’s greenhorns into greenbacks just isn’t the workable solution.
At the 1961 Convention, the following officers have to be elected:
Treasurer for a 2 year term.
Vice-President for a 2 year term.
Assistant Secretary for a 2 year term.
Secretary for a 1 year term.
The societies should begin thinking of qualified young people to fill these vacancies.
The Board also recommends the following for assessments for the 61-62 society season:
- Convention assessments – $6.00. Reason? The Board has lost its financial balance having to pay for a convention in Loveland.
- Scholarship Fund – $1.00. Reason? This year it was $2.00, but since we’ve achieved our starting balance, dues have been reduced.
- Beacon Lights – $1.00. Beacon Lights is our magazine and we must promote it by our contributions,.
The Board still has a bulk of work to do, but it used this opportunity to slip you a glimpse of our work. We hope you sense a need for the wholehearted cooperation of you, the young people. Don’t ever think that the Federation Board just needs your money. No, indeed! But, rather it needs your opinions, your support, your prayers, and OUR GOD! Only then will we have a united, purposeful, spiritual Federation of Protestant Reformed Young People.
The Federation Board