Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Other/AY Silver Award

AY Silver Award
General Conference Other	Year of Introduction: 1958

Contents

"PERSONAL RECORD
Name_______________________________________
Date completed_____________________20_______
Address_____________________________________
Gold Award presented________________20_______

At__________________________________________
Date begun________________________20________
By__________________________________________

CHALLENGE AND ACHIEVEMENT
The AY Silver Award plan for physical and cultural excellence challenges Adventist youth to clean living and wholesome adventure. Recognizing their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, God's youth will strive for a physical excellence which can meet the strenuous demands of these climactic times. The need also for clean thinkers and youth with keen spiritual perceptions has never been greater. As I examine the requirements for the AY Silver Award, I am convinced it will take time and perseverance to reach the high standard of excellence called for. Those youth who succeed in qualifying for the AY Silver Award will experience real satisfaction of achievement and will know their success is preparing them for leadership in both church and community. I heartily endorse the AY Silver Award plan of the Youth Ministries Department and urge our youth everywhere to strive for this high attainment.
Jan Paulsen
President
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

AY SILVER AWARD The Apostle John addressed the youth of his generation with the words "I have written unto you young men because ye are strong." God's remnant church in the 21 st Century needs the vigor and strength of its youth. This strength will be no stronger than the vitality and will of each individual member. The plan of the AY Silver Award challenges youth of secondary school age to give themselves as a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God. As the physical nature grows more healthy through exercise, temperance and purposeful living, the mind will expand and the spiritual nature will be vitalized. This threefold development is the goal of the AY Silver Award plan for each Adventist Young Person. These are exciting days when the strength and resources of youthful energy are needed to work in inner city evangelism, in overseas student missionary service and in other action programs of a church with a world vision. Like Daniel of old, God's youth of today will purpose in their hearts not to defile themselves in anyway. With the blessing of God they may stand forth in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation as stalwarts in the faith, excelling in strength, in wisdom and in moral principles. All of this is envisioned in the AY Silver Award.
Baraka G. Muganda
World Youth Director

IT'S SMART TO BE HEALTHY
Life should be an exhilarating journey from the years of effervescent youth to the golden days of full maturity. Along the way each traveler may hum a happy tune as he treats himself to health and abundant living. To do this and to make continuing progress, it is necessary to have a plan and follow it. Living successfully requires the programming of habits, the giving of priority to things that are important, and the discarding of that which will not contribute to success. It has been said that work is a kind of psychological glue that holds a man together. It takes "glue" to hold a person together in the midst of the physical, emotional and spiritual stresses encountered in modern living. Successful living requires that individual health be sacredly guarded. Assurance of optimum health is obtained through attention to a program of physical fitness and emotional stability. Physical exercise, adequate nutrition, clean living, and an abounding trust in God are the hallmarks of intelligent direction, the goals of AY Silver Award winners.
Allan Handysides, M.D.
Health Department
General Conference

AY SILVER AWARD PLAN
The AY Silver Award is presented to Christian youth in secondary through high school level who have demonstrated exceptional qualities of physical, mental and cultural development. Sponsored by the Youth Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the plan gives teen-age youth an opportunity to find satisfaction in worth-while achievement. Each participant and AY Silver Award winner will be better prepared to take his place as a constructive member of his church and community. The sincere effort and perseverance required to qualify in the various activities will develop qualities of character much needed in today’s generation. The future of our church depends upon the ability and willingness of young people to serve their fellow men by living Christ-guided lives. Under God these Christian youth have a high destiny in the final climactic hours of history. Because demands upon God's people will be great, only those youth who have a firm foundation on the Word of God and have chosen a moral platform which reflects the purity of the Lord Jesus, will be able to stand. Good health, clear thinking, and keenness of spiritual perception are closely linked together. The AY Silver Award plan has been established to give strength to these important elements of life.

TESTS, AWARDS, AND RECORDS
The conference/field Youth Ministries Director directs the plan and supervises the tests. He may designate certain qualified individuals to act for him in administering the program. In academies an AY Silver Award committee composed of the academy AY sponsor (as chairman), the physical education instructors, dormitory deans, AY leader and other personnel if desired, should direct the AY Silver A ward Plan. In the local church the AY leader is chairman of the AY Silver Award committee, with qualified examiners appointed by the AY executive committee and approved by the conference AY secretary to direct the plan. Although the AY Silver Award plan is designed primarily for Seventh-day Adventist teen-age youth, it is not required that one who receives the award be a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. An accurate record of the candidate's completion of each requirement is to be kept in the AY Silver Award manual. Space is provided in columns to the right of each requirement for entering (1) the date completed, (2) score (where indicated), and (3) certification signature of examiner authorized by the AY Silver Award committee.

PRESENTATION
The presentation of the AY Silver Award should be an impressive occasion at which a General Conference, union conference, or local conference Youth Ministries Director should be in charge. Other officials of the church or community may be invited to participate in the ceremony. The presentation of the AY Silver Award should be a principal component of the program. 'The AY Silver Award medal and ribbon will be treasured by all who receive it. The name of the recipient should be etched on the reverse. (No AY Silver Awards should be presented which do not have this personalized inscription.)

THE SCOPE OF THE PLAN
The AY Silver Award plan consists of five divisions:

1. Physical Fitness-There are a number of optional provisions, but it is very important that each individual who qualifies have the certification of an officially designated examiner when his final records are turned in.
2. Skills-The development of skills follows the outline as represented in the AY Honors program. Ten Honors are designated from which the participant will qualify in two.
3. Expedition-The directions are given for a rather strenuous outdoor expedition, and it is very important that those who anticipate making such an expedition check with a qualified examiner to be sure that all conditions are met and certified.
4. Service Projects-This requires the participant to have a record of leadership in which he has successfully discharged his responsibilities.
5. Cultural Improvement-There is a choice on the part of the participant. Recognized certification for the reading or writing accomplished is an absolute necessity. The importance of healthful living habits cannot be overemphasized in striving for these objectives, nor the wonderful feeling of accomplishment one will enjoy having achieved these goals.

MATERIALS AVAILABLE
This AY Silver Award plan manual is all you will need to get started. Of course, in passing the tests in Section II you will need an AY/Pathfinder Honor Handbook, wherein the AY Honors are outlined."