Ideals! I have ideals. You have ideals. Yes, I believe we all have some ideals. Some think of the ideal car. Others think of the ideal vacation. Still others think of the ideal job. Yet how many think of the “ideal convention?” This, however, is the topic of my article.
We hope you have thought of the convention to be held this year. Maybe you haven’t thought of the “ideal convention” and maybe you have, but you have at least thought of the convention.
Not only the host committee and the Federation Board should be thinking of putting on the best convention yet but we should also be thinking about ways of making our convention really ideal.
Let us suppose that you have thought of an ideal convention. You thought about the weather? Possibly you thought about the banquet? You thought about the business meetings? You thought of the home in which you stayed if you were “from out of town?” You thought of the new friends—“friend” you would meet? You thought about the speeches? You thought about the theme? You thought about the outing? You thought about the programs? Ah, yes, there are so many things to think of in thinking about an “ideal convention.”
To have an “ideal convention” all things have to be ideal. It’s wonderful if the weather is just right—and it usually is. It’s wonderful too, if the programs are well prepared—and we aren’t often disappointed. God has given us talents which we are to use and we therefore should not neglect the use of them. The selection of the food is rarely a disappointment to young people with spacious appetites. How about those business meetings? Are they always as well attended as they could be? I know that voting can sometimes be drab and uninteresting, but isn’t that necessary too in order that the Federation of which we are a part can be properly run. You’re interested in that aren’t you? We can’t surely have that “ideal convention” if the business meetings are not properly attended. Not only do we have to attend but we should all try according to the measure of our ability to contribute to the discussion. Along with the business meetings are usually some sort of program. At the “ideal convention” we’ll all want to stay and enjoy those programs for which some have prepared themselves. It is a great gift when we are able to listen as well as perform, to the honor and glory of God.
The wonderful thing of our young people’s conventions and that also makes them ideal lies in the fact that it is here that we have fellowship with young people who are one with us in the faith. It is here that we make new acquaintances and renew old acquaintances and have the opportunity of rejoicing in our youth with those of Protestant Reformed persuasion. Many miles may separate us during the year but yet we are never distant because we are united in the faith. During convention time not only are we united in the faith but we are also united in the sense that we are not separated by distance. Haven’t you noticed though, that sometimes we don’t mingle and acquaint ourselves as we should. We stay in groups and with those whom we always associate with from our own societies and churches. It seems to me that it is part of the idea of the ideal convention that we also as much as possible try to mingle with others so that our unity may be physical as well as spiritual. Remember too that you might meet that “friend” and not just make new acquaintances. More than one have found their life’s partner in this way.
The ideal convention is always equipped with an interesting topic and a theme that is fitting to the needs of those who attend a convention. I think that is true of this year’s theme. Not many of us know all the implications of the theme “The Gospel of the Promise;” and yet it is very important that we do know these things. Therefore we must have topics and subtopics which bring out all these points so that our young people may go home and may be able to say that they had a “good time”—a few days of spiritual refreshment. We as young people need this too. This should not be reserved for the days when we become older but we should realize that life is very serious and that we need the pure milk of the Word when we are in the prime of our life. When we are in the. robust years of our life we often forget this and often do not even fully realize this. Therefore the speeches delivered by our ministers devoted to the proclamation of gospel, should hold a very prominent place in our convention activities. Apart from the Word of God, we as covenant young people are never satisfied.
If we truly seek to walk in the good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in, we will be satisfied. Then we will have a truly ideal convention. Yes, our convention will not simply be an ideal as an ideality but it will be ideal as a true reality.