PROFILE
Youth. Passion. Showcase. of the Performing Arts is a newly registered NPO aiming to hold a large-scale talent show organized, run, performed, and inspired by students. Our purpose is to showcase youth talent and passion for the stage. This is a respectable project that involves the handling of several thousand dollars, and therefore is highly important. The success of this show is achieved by:

• Regularly planning, implementing, and attending meetings.
• Cooperating with local/ large businesses.
• Networking with various youth-based organizations and agencies.
• Abiding by all policies, restrictions, and deadlines.
• Engaging in positive and constructive discussions.
• Committing to assigned tasks.

MANDATE
YPS and its members are committed to fulfilling the purpose of showcasing youth talent and passion for the stage. Through the actions of the group, YPS will give youth an opportunity to debut in the community and immerse themselves in the world of performance.

VALUES

• We believe that youth are an integral part of the artistic community, and have inherent rights and responsibilities.
• We believe that youth are able to make positive contributions to the aritistic community.
• We believe that an investment in young people is an investment in the future of performance.
• We believe that there is strength in artistic youth diversity.
• We believe that all youth bring with them a unique and valuable talent.
• We believe that youth should be encouraged and given the opportunity to display their passions and talents on stage; and that youth should be regarded as respected artists.

GOALS

• To facilitate and forge strong connections between youth in the community and the artistic community.
• To provide youth an experience to grow through performance.
• To enhance the lives and opportunities of all youth living in the community.
• To positively enhance the profile of youth in the community.
• To influence change, through positive actions.
• To respect and celebrate the diversity in the talent of the youth community.
• To provide youth with performance opportunities that will encourage personal and career growth.
• To support charities of related causes.

COMPOSITION OF SHOWCASE.

• Membership/ partake in committees is limited to students.
• The group shall strive to create a representative group of young people.
• Three Directors over 18 years of age are elected for legal purposes
• All new members are required to fill out and sign Membership Form, the Terms of Reference, and obtain approval from the President or Vice President prior to becoming part of YPS

GOVERNING STRUCTURE

The YPS Executives (consisting of President, Vice President, and Secretary) are responsible for the daily operation of YPS and reserve the right to review and veto any decisions and actions that do not match the philosophy/ restrictions of the group. The Directors are elected for legal requirements only.

MEETINGS

YPS members generally meet weekly (1-2 hours per meeting as needed) at pre-determined locations. The meetings are held for the duration of the planning and production of the show. Depending on project workload, additional meetings may need to be called throughout the course of the year, with additional meetings during the summer break. YPS members work as a team and consult the Executives in order to fulfill their mandate, values, and goals.

Members must be present, unless previously arranged with the Executives, at all group functions, events, and meetings. Absences are expected to be compensated with personal time. Failure to attend these meetings may result in the removal of the individual from the group.

DIRECTORS

The founders of YPS are the Executives for the start-off year, unless subject to personal resignation. Future Executives will be voted by YPS members annually. All Executives should be responsible, organized, and enthusiastic and must be prepared to invest a lot of time and energy into the group, as these positions require an elevated sense of commitment. The Executives will work to maintain the values of YPS, while also overseeing the committees in fulfilling their mandate, upholding their values, and achieving their goals.

Specifically, the Executives shall:

• Schedule meetings and supply all committees with a calendar of meeting dates/times/deadlines.
• Facilitate meetings, create meeting agendas and record meeting minutes.
• Keep meetings focused on the task at hand, lead by example, and encourage teamwork.
• Assist with the development of ‘timelines’, ‘task lists’, and other aspects of project management.
• Track and support members’ involvement.
• Monitor all matters for the group.
• Review and approve all progress made by the committees.
• Perform operational day-to-day tasks, on behalf of the group.
• Recruit/approve new members, and provide appropriate orientation, updates, and placements.
• Resolve any internal conflict between members, by employing effective conflict resolution techniques.
• Preserve the integrity of the YPS ‘brand’ within the community.
• Maintain an up-to-date contact list of all YPS members.
• Ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard, and remains positive, friendly, and fair at all times.
• Continually monitor the group to ensure that it is functioning as a cooperative and cohesive team.
• Function as a catalyst in group discussions, encouraging all members to share their ideas.
• Remain approachable, friendly, and compassionate to all members of the group.
• Represent YPS at any social function, meeting, or event that is deemed relevant to the group.
• Recording all updates at meetings.
• Approve committee work, and Expense Records.
• Facilitating votes and decision-making.

COMMITTEE HEADS

Committees are an integral part of YPS. Committee Heads are selected by the Executive under the influence of the votes of the members. The “Head” will then assume the responsibility of leading the Committee, and will be responsible for the following:

• Keeping the Executives updated on the committee’s progress.
• Creating a “timeline” and “task list” associated with the project for the committee for approval by Executives.
• Establishing and meeting all deadlines associated with the successful implementation of the project.
• Scheduling additional committee meetings whenever needed, with or without the Executives.
• Conducting a thorough evaluation of the project, once it is complete.

Note – Executives cannot serve as Heads. This approach provides other YPS members with an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and experience, and evenly distributes the responsibilities and workload between YPS members.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Individuals who do not hold a position as an Executive or a Committee Head are considered to be a Committee Member. The committee is an integral part of YPS and requires enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication from everyone involved.

The Committee Members are responsible for:

• Contributing to every decision that affects YPS.
• Bringing new ideas/initiatives to the group.
• Assisting with the development and implementation of activities and events.
• Following directions from the Committee Head and Executives.
• Meeting all deadlines.
• Attending all activities, events, functions, presentations and meetings of YPS.

Note – Any individual seeking to join YPS as a Committee Member is free to do so at any time with the approval of the Executives. Recruitment for new Committee Members is always open.

REMOVAL OF MEMBERS

All members of YPS are expected to attend every meeting, event, and function. If a member misses three meetings, events, or functions, or is late six times (without notifying the Executives in advance of their absence/lateness) during the course of the planning year, they will be automatically removed from the organization unless otherwise noted.

RESIGNATION

Members who wish to resign from further commitment to YPS must discuss with the Executives and train a replacement before resignation.

VOTING

YPS conducts voting sessions only for survey purposes. The right to decision remains with the Executives. All Executives must agree to pass a decision.

EXPENSE RECORD

Every committee keeps track of expenses for YPS, made temporarily by a purchaser. If purchaser wishes to be reimbursed for purchase, approval must be obtained before-hand from an Executive. Upon return with proof of purchase, an Executive will then initial to approve reimbursement. Unapproved purchases will not be reimbursed.

GRIEVANCES

If a member of YPS has a problem with any aspect of the group (members, team cooperation, peer conflict, project tasks, etc), they are encouraged to approach the Executives with their concern(s). From there, the Executive will record the complaint and determine if further action needs to be taken in order to rectify the problem. The identity of any individual filing a complaint with the Executives will always be kept strictly confidential.