Young Ambassadors’ Guild Convocation and Commencement
Last
Friday, the Young Ambassadors’ Guild inducted new members. Below are pictures, but now seems like a good
time to fill you in on the particulars of YAG.
YAG is still a mystery to many friends of Wayside, and it’s high time
that changed! So here’s a crash course
on what YAG is all about:
The
Young Ambassadors’ Guild serves as an advisory group for Wayside’s
Education in Action. Members between the
ages of 13 and 18 bring their passion for theatre to other young people,
inviting them to experience theatre firsthand through education programming and
social events. Their goals are to provide
opportunities for area youth to learn about and become involved in theatre, and
to learn about theatre as an art and a business.
Overstating the importance of YAG to Wayside is
nearly impossible. YAG organizes
fundraisers and events that fund Wayside’s administrative needs, education
programs and scholarships, and other theatrical endeavors. In the past, funds raised by YAG have been
used for everything from mailings to space rental fees. YAG also provides important feedback from the
perspective of young people.
One of the most unique aspects of YAG is their
knowledge of and involvement in the business and administrative side of
theatre. By being involved in YAG,
members learn about how nonprofit organizations in general and theatres in
particular are run. They also learn
valuable skills like how to plan and coordinate events, how to run a formal
meeting, and how to interact with professionally trained artists and staff
members in a professional setting.
The members of YAG elect an executive board,
comprised of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary Treasurer, and Member-at-Large,
that makes decisions regarding Young Ambassadors’ Guild finances, by-laws, and
actions. Wayside Theatre Education
Director Molly MacLagan acts as the Liaison, providing a sounding board for
ideas, communicating the needs and desires of the students to the theatre, and
advocating on their behalf. Membership
in YAG is achievement-based, and generally new inductees are nominated by
current members.
But it’s not all work and no play! The Young Ambassadors’ Guild is a family,
too. They support each other, inspire
each other, challenge each other, and have fun together. YAG hosts workshops and performance events,
and they hope to broaden the circle of experiences to include master’s classes
and visits to other theatres to learn about the different ways organizations approach
the same art form.
So now that you know more about this unique and exciting
organization, take some time to check out the photos below!
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| YAG Chair Brandon inducts his sister, Shannon |
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| Patrick receives his certificate of induction |
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| Olivia is thrilled to be in YAG! |
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| New inductee Ashley accepts her certificate |
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| Zoe accepts her Sunflower Award for always bringing positivity and a smile to YAG |
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| Vice Chair Josh receives the Super YAGer award for exemplifying what YAG is all about |
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| Outgoing Treasurer and graduating senior Jessie receives the George Award for Outstanding Dedication to YAG |
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| Kaitlin Duley: Newly elected Treasurer, Special Snowflake, and Most Likely to Win at Life |
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| YAG Secretary Libby: Most Likely to Come Up With a Better Name for This Award... But that wasn't very well written but that's ok because she'll write a new one |
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| Brandon, demonstrating that he is Most Likely to Steal the Show |
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| Member at Large Ursula is Most Likely to Laugh at Brandon's Lame Jokes |
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| Jake receives the award for being Most Likely to be Late to Receive This Award |
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| Brandon gives outgoing education director Megan her superlative award: Most Likely to Influence Lots of People with her Complete and Utter Awesomeness |
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