Your Guide to the Youth Committee and Elections of the Kalymnian Youth Society

This guide outlines who can become a member of the Kalymnian Youth Society, who can nominate to be a member of the Kalymnian Youth Committee, how to nominate, and who can vote in Youth Committee elections.

The Kalymnian Youth Society, also known as KYΣ, is an integral part of the Kalymnian Association of NSW (KANSW).

Two teams, one dream - Our mission is to keep the Kalymnian spirit alive by actively supporting our youth, dance troupe, and broader community, fostering cultural pride across generations. Through charitable events, we celebrate and safeguard our Kalymnian heritage, bringing people together in the spirit of unity and pride.

The Youth Committee is the elected team of Youth Members.
The KANSW Committee is the Association's board of directors and governing council. The Kalymnian Youth Society operates under the auspices of the KANSW and its Constitution.

Who can get involved?

Joining the Kalymnian Youth Society

A Youth Member is someone who has joined the Association in its Junior Member category. These two names mean the same thing. If you were born in Kalymnos, or are a descendant of a person born in Kalymnos, then you may be eligible to be a member of the Kalymnian Youth Society.

You can apply for membership online. Applications go to the Association's Secretary and are handled under the Constitution.

Your membership is not automatic; the Association’s Secretary and Committee validates your application and will advise you if it is accepted.

Voting and standing for election

Every Youth Member can vote in youth elections and put their name forward for the Youth Committee.

To stand for the committee, your membership must be valid when nominations close and when you are elected.

To stand for an executive role - President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer - you must also be aged 18 to 24 on election day.

What does the Youth Committee look like?

The Youth Committee has 11 seats, or places:

Four executive roles: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer
Social Media Manager is a recommended position to have included in the Youth Committee.
At least 5 General Committee seats.

The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer roles must be filled. The remaining seats are General Committee seats if the recommended positions are not filled. If fewer than 5 executive roles are filled, the other elected members are General Committee Members. The total stays at 11 seats.

Youth Members elect the committee first. The elected committee then votes to choose its executive team.

A person can hold only one executive role. Two people from the same immediate family, including siblings, cannot hold youth executive roles at the same time without the Association Committee's prior approval.

All Youth Committee members have equal voting rights at meetings.

How long do members serve?

A normal term lasts 1 year. Terms do not roll over automatically. If you want to stay, you must stand for election again.

How do elections work?

Who runs the election?

The Association Committee appoints 3 independent Active Members to the Youth Election Committee. Members of the Youth Election Committee cannot be a candidate in the election or an Association Committee member.

The Association Committee chooses one of the three as the Returning Officer - this person oversees voting and leads the election of executive roles.

The Youth Election Committee will liaise with the Association's Secretary to confirm nomination and voting eligibility, manage nominations and create a ballot, organise election day with the Association Committee, manage voting process, count votes, record the results and provide the election records to the Association's Secretary. These results will be shared with the Association Committee.

The Youth Election Committee will call for a meeting of the 11 elected members and manage the election of the executive positions. These positions are voted on by the 11 elected members.

In the event there are 11 or less nominations for the Youth Committee, the Youth Election Committee will liaise with the Association Committee and declare the nominees as successful candidates.

Look out for the election notice

The Youth Election Committee will give all current Youth Members at least 7 days' notice.

The notice tells you:

The election date, time and place.
How many seats are available and when the term starts.
Who can take part, including any properly approved age requirement for executive roles.
How to nominate and the closing time.
How voting will work.

Put your name forward

Submit your nomination for a place on the Youth Committee via the Youth Election Committee.

A nomination form is available for you to complete, including:

Confirmation of Membership status and eligibility.

Your name, contact details and signature.
The names and signatures of two other eligible Youth Members who support you.

Send your nomination to the Youth Election Committee by the closing time in the notice. The closing date is 14 days before election day.

If there is an error in your nomination, the Youth Election Committee will inform you promptly and allow for corrections to be made before the deadline. If it rejects your nomination, it must explain why in writing.

The Youth Election Committee cannot accept nominations after the deadline or make exceptions to the above guidelines.

Voting for the Youth Committee

Voting only occurs on election day, and each eligible Youth Member votes once, in person.

All instructions on the ballot must be followed, any errors will deem the vote as invalid.

The first 11 candidates with the most votes win the seats.

If there are 11 or less nominations those candidates are elected without a vote, after the Youth Election Committee has liaised with the Association Committee.

The Association Committee, in conjunction with the Youth Election Committee, may appoint reserves to fill any empty seats.

If there is a tie for the last seat or seats, the Youth Election Committee will confer with the Association Committee for guidance.

Choosing the executive team

The Returning Officer will arrange a meeting of the elected Youth Committee within 7 days of the committee election.

At this meeting:

All elected members must be present, where possible.
The Returning Officer leads the election of the executive positions.
Only elected Youth Committee members vote, with one vote each.
Candidates must meet the age rules for executive roles.
The committee fills the roles of President, Secretary and Treasurer first, then Vice-President and Social Media Manager.

The results are recorded and sent to the Association's Secretary within 7 days.

The Association Committee will review the election results and ratify the elected Youth Committee.

The Youth Election Committee is announced to all Youth Members. The Youth Election Committee, on behalf of the KANSW, will announce the election of the new Youth Committee.

Need help?

For questions about membership, elections or a concern, contact the Association's Secretary at secretary@kalymnianassocnsw.com.au