Youth Delegates
Click here for the form: Youth Application 2018
• REGISTRATION/ELIGIBILITY
• AGENDA
• ARRIVAL
• DEPARTURE
• WHAT TO WEAR
• HOUSING AND FOOD
• BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUTH
REGISTRATION/ELIGIBILITY
Up to three youth (ages 14-17, preferably who have completed one year of high school) per district are invited to attend this event. This leadership program will give youth insight into church systems and how to communicate effectively with the Conference. Youth must complete and submit an application no later than February 15, 2018. Get the application form here. [insert link to 2018 application here] Youth who are accepted will then have to register online and submit a $50 registration fee. All other costs are covered by Apportionment giving.
For more information, please contact Sharon Cook, Coordinator of Age-Level Ministries at 1-877-947-2267 or scook@wisconsinumc.org.
AGENDA
All youth will be voting members of the Annual Conference. You will be an active participant in all plenary sessions, discussing and voting on all matters. Youth will be expected to remain as a group, with their chaperones, the whole weekend. Youth will also plan and present a panel discussion on matters of importance to young people.
ARRIVAL
Plan to arrive in Madison on Thursday, June 14. You will need to present your signed permission/medical release forms and confirm your departure time. (Forms are attached/enclosed). If you have not yet paid your $50 registration fee, you will also need to do that when you sign in. More details, including time and location, will be given to those who are selected for this program.
DEPARTURE
Youth are requested to remain at Annual Conference (AC) until the end of business at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. We encourage all youth to remain for the service of ordination and commissioning, which will conclude by 7:00 p.m. With no exceptions, all youth must be picked up no later than 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. You must notify a chaperone before you go home.
WHAT TO WEAR
Annual Conference runs from Friday to Sunday. Don’t get carried away. You will see a wide variety of dress styles at AC. You may want to consider a sweater/fleece for layering if the air conditioning is too cold. The Conference Youth Council has decided that youth will be expected to dress in informal business casual. This means no t-shirts or graphic shirts. Clothing should be modest, with no holes or fraying. “Nice” jeans are acceptable.
HOUSING AND FOOD
Youth will be staying at the Comfort Suites, next to the Marriott. We will walk between hotels together as a group.
Youth will be assigned 2-3 to a room. Every youth will have their own bed to sleep in.
All meals will be covered by your AC registration fee, and will happen in the Marriott or at Comfort Suites. You will not have the opportunity to go off-site for meals. Chaperones will provide some snacks at our gathering table. You are welcome to bring snacks as well – please be prepared to share.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUTH
Youth Delegates on the Wisconsin Annual Conference are an important voice at the conference. They represent United Methodist youth all over the state. As a delegate, you will be expected to be present at all parts of the Youth Delegation: Plenary and legislation sessions, worship and fellowship. You will be expected to be an active part of setting policy and addressing critical issues, so we expect you to have read your Annual Conference information when it arrives in the spring.
As a Youth Delegate, you will also be expected to represent yourself at the highest standard. Delegates will adhere to the rules and schedule. We will look, sound and act in a way that is reflective of the honor we have been given by being part of this process. The delegation as a whole will be a positive, uplifting group of individuals loving God and people. Even in disagreement, we will treat all people with the respect and love that Jesus has shown us.
If there is something you do not understand, we expect you to ask. To be an informed member of the broader delegation, you need to understand what is happening so that you can honestly and accurately reflect your opinions and what you believe the opinions of the youth of Wisconsin would be.
