In light of several recent events, the Federation Board has recognized that we may not be as visible in our operations as we would like. As elected representatives of the young people in our churches, we feel the need to ensure that they are aware of what we are doing. And not only the young people, but also their parents and any other member of the church—we are beneficiaries of your support in many ways: encouraging the young people in their volunteering (and often being the ones to drive them around), attending their fundraisers, or volunteering to help or chaperone at conventions. You too are a very active part of what we are trying to accomplish at the Federation Board, and we would like you to understand what you are supporting.

The current members of the Fed Board are Karl Dykstra (President), Joel Bodbyl (Vice-president), Bennett Meyer (Treasurer), Jon Pastoor (Vice-treasurer), Leah Koole (Secretary), Emily Dykstra (Vice-secretary), Lauren Kraker (Librarian), Justin Koole (Youth Coordinator), Rev. Garry Eriks (Spiritual Advisor), and Rev. William Langerak (Spiritual Advisor).

Much of our schedule is spent completing the annual duties of the Fed Board—planning our various Mass Meetings and Singspirations, overseeing the Scholarship Committee and the Beacon Lights, and keeping track of and aiding the progress of the upcoming conventions. We are constantly trying to ensure that these events and institutions are both beneficial and interesting to the young people of our churches.

In addition to these annual duties, another major concern of the Federation Board is finances. We often deal with large sums of money, handling money from fundraisers and young people’s dues. In respect to this we have undertaken a major project that will solidify the legal standing of the Federation Board in the eyes of the IRS, a standing that was somewhat gray before. We are in the process of becoming 501C3 certified—which will register us as a non-profit agency, allow tax-exempt donations, and clear up any potential confusion that may have arisen.

Also, there have been several questions as to the Federation Board’s disbursement of funds for various projects. In the past, the balance of the Fed Board varied greatly, and the Board had to be very careful in its financial dealings. We have been blessed recently with a large increase of funds, and while good financial stewardship is still our major concern, we have re-evaluated our practices and decided that we should have more freedom in our funding. After all, our goal is not to build up a large balance, but to serve as an intermediary for the young people, providing funding when necessary and prudent.

As we said before, we are the representatives of the young people. As such, we desire the prayers and considerations of the church as we set out to complete the work that is before us. In all we do, we strive to be good stewards of the resources we have been given, to represent the young people well, and to set a godly example by our actions, events, and attitudes.

In Christ,

Karl Dykstra, President