Seraph Oluwatobi Akeke
The Eternal Youth Fellowship (EYF) of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Hotonu mother church and branches last weekend held her Annual General Conference, the 17th of its kind. It was a two-day camping exercise, and it had in attendance members nationwide.
The just concluded annual conference took a new turn as there were a couple of new agendas tabled for deliberation.
While preparations had started almost a year ago with Brother Patrick Goungo as the chairman, and Bro Ishola Olasunkanmi as secretary to the 2022 conference planning committee, the committee of 20 members were able to successfully organize and mobilize members, as they also acquired a convenient environment for travellers from far and near.
This notwithstanding the efforts of the host Ikorodu District that worked harmoniously with the conference committee towards securing a perfect locale in the Ikorodu environs.
With the conference properly kicking off on Friday at C&S New Jerusalem, the youth fellowship paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Majesty, Engr. Bashiru Aremu Shotounwa, the Sekunmade of Ipakodo, Ikorodu.
This activity is a custom usually carried out by the fellowship during their annual conferences. They make familiarization visits to the traditional ruler of their host’s domain.
This visitation is usually done in favour of the host district of the annual conference. It affords them the rare privilege to have the ruler’s support as well as an unbridled access to the palace. The fellowship believes in relationships and how keeping strategic ones can come with unthinkable benefits.
In an organized car convoy, the Eternal Youth Fellowship national executives, conference committees and members of the Ikorodu District called at the monarch’s palace. Upon arrival, they received a warm welcome from the king as he accommodated them in his visitor’s chambers.
They had quite a thoughtful discussion with the traditional ruler, informing him of their presence and of course seeking goodwill for the host district. The King revealed that he had always admired the white garment church. Although born to a muslim family, he always liked the fact that members of the church puts on a white garment to worship. He particularly emphasized that he is happy because the white signifies holiness.
The visit ended on a good note as the king assured them of his support and approval.
Resuming back to base, the conference continued with an opening charge by the national President, Bro Femi Adesanya, after which the conference committee chairman gave a welcoming speech which ushered in the next item on the order of programme for the conference.
A New Development
The Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Hotonu mother church and branches of which the Eternal Youth Fellowship is a wing, had just undergone a new set-up. There is a new breakdown, which involves the splitting of the branches into territories for administrative convenience.
The new territories formed are, Lagos (West, East & Central) and Ogun (West, East & Central). However, the Ondo and Ibadan branches maintained their former set up.
With the youth wing taking on this new development, the next item for the conference was to inaugurate the newly selected executives for each territories. The pattern of administration had always been from the national down to the district level, then the individual churches. However with the decentralization, the tree had just grown more branches.
It is now a stretch from the national executive, to the territories, to the districts, then the churches.
Deliberations
Fast forward to day two, in an arrangement that resembled the ancient Greek city states, a place considered to be the bedrock of democracy, where members were at liberty to directly contribute to the decision making process and to make resolutions that would guide the activities of the fellowship for another year, such which is the major reason for the annual conferences, different units and districts under the fellowship hopped on the merry-go-round as they delivered their annual report.
The difference in the arrangement was, however, in the mode through which matters were tabled for deliberation which include the delegates and observers. Delegates have the privilege to examine each reports as they are being read, ask questions, critic and also offer solutions, while the observers as their name implies, simply observe.
Each report consists of long details of activities as well as informations worthy to note from all the units and districts. All units and districts spoke of their achievements and challenges, on which appraisal and solutions were immediately meted out by the general house to all and sundry.
Another session of the conference was the reading out of the proposed mode of operation for the newly founded territories. After a clear briefing by the national general secretary, Bro Olumide Ajayi, the floor was open for deliberation. Some few changes were made, and the territories were more than set for operation.
The financial report was read, all T’s crossed, and I’s dotted, bringing the conference to an end.
What to look forward in the next annual conference?
The Eternal Youth Fellowship annual conference accomodates the entire member of the fellowship. It is fondly called the larger house. Decisions reached by the larger house can be binding on the national executives. It however doesn’t undermine their prerogative to make decisions.
The national executives usually indulge the larger house in matters they find a bit difficult to legislate on.
The new era looks auspicious, providing for a closer representation of members in the fellowship, an advantage attributed to the new territorial set up.
Plans are in motion, and the next annual conference holds in store the unimaginable. The next annual conference would usher in new set of national executives, as the incumbent national executive’s tenure already runs to a close end.
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