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Article I

GENERAL INFORMATION

Section 1.1

Grecian Odyssey Dancers is the officially known name of the dance program. The governing body of the dance program will be the dance council.

Article II

PURPOSE

Section 2.1

The purpose of the dance program is to bring our people together in Orthodox Christian fellowship and to afford them the opportunity to live, learn, and experience the Hellenic culture. We also strive to grow together in spirit and strength, always to bring out the best in each participant in ethics, morality, character and leadership, holding high the banner of Orthodox Christianity. This mission includes:

1. To develop an awareness and appreciation for our Hellenic and Orthodox culture and tradition.

2. To inspire our young people to understand the concept that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

3. To establish the principles of this Diakonia utilizing the same spirit of Hellenism used for the original Olympics.

4. To be led by the comments of St. Paul:

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;” ~ Romans 12:10

5. To encourage Christian outreach and the overall missionary work of the Orthodox faith.

Article III

ORGANIZATION

Section 3.1

MEMBERSHIP: All participants in the program must adhere to the following requirements:

a. All Dancers

i. Registration and waiver of liability forms are required of all dancers prior to first practice.

ii. All dancers are required to have regular church participation, defined as attending Liturgy, singing in the choir, and/or serving as an acolyte with a goal of 75% of Sundays during the school year. When attending church, it is expected the youth will also attend Sunday school.

iii. All dancers will be held to an honor system, whereby they will sign in each Sunday.

b. Non-Stewards

i. Non-stewards of St. Katherine’s are required to have a letter from their parish minister/priest/pastor addressed to St. Katherine’s parish priest indicating the youth is a member in good standing, participating in the life of their church community by November 15th of each year.

ii. Non-stewards are required to show proof of attendance from their religious establishment each week to their instructor (e.g. signature from religious leader, weekly flyer/bulletin, etc.)

iii. If the child does not have a faith community, they are expected to be guests of one or more of our youth who agree to “sponsor” them, which includes bringing them to Church and Sunday school.

iv. Non-stewards will pay $30 more than our regular registration rates, although financial hardship will not preclude anybody from participating.

c. Upholding these requirements for all dancers is the responsibility of the dance council, instructors, parents, and dancers.

Section 3.2

COUNCIL: The dance council shall consist of a Director, Treasurer/Secretary, Music & Education Coordinator, Costume Coordinator, and Fundraising Coordinator. Instructors are included in an ex-officio capacity. The parish priest shall serve as a spiritual advisor to the council members, dancers, and parents. The roles and responsibilities of the council members are as follows:

a. Administrative Director: Acts as coordinator of the council, representing the dance program at conferences, performances, festivals, meetings and to the ECYD Committee. Primary responsibilities are to ensure regular meetings and coordination among the Council on major decisions and events, as well as to support Council members in fulfillment of their responsibilities.

b. Treasurer/Secretary: Responsible for all correspondence to and from the dance group, including taking and sharing minutes from all meetings. Maintain attendance records, filing system, data categorization, and communication. Maintains budget and an accurate accounting of all finances in cooperation with the Parish Council and Church Administrator. The Treasurer/Secretary will also be responsible for overseeing registration and attendance forms.

c. Fundraising Coordinator: Responsible for meeting the program’s annual fundraising goals through coordination of events and other revenue generators.

d. Music & Education Coordinator: Responsible for coordinating workshops, guest instructors, securing and maintaining a library of music and curriculum materials and serving as a resource for all instructors.

e. Costume Coordinator: Responsible for all the details of costumes for the dance program, including, but not limited to, inventory, cleaning, repairs, distribution, collection, rental and purchasing. The coordinator should have a point of contact within each division to coordinate costumes.

Section 3.3

DIVISIONS:

a. The Grecian Odyssey Dancers shall be organized in four divisions, as follows, based on age as of September 1 of the current year, however, performance ability and level may be taken into consideration:

i. Primary: 4-9 (4th grade and under)

ii. Juniors: 10-13 (5th -8th grade)

iii. Senior: 14-18 (High School)

iv. Adults: 18+

b. Advancement from one group to the next will be based on age and /or performance ability. Special exceptions can be petitioned to the council for review and approval.

Article IV

PRACTICES & PERFORMANCES

Section 4.1

SCHEDULED PRACTICES: Scheduled practices shall be conducted weekly with the practice schedule set by mid-August of each year, and will be held from September until the Greek Festival, unless other performances necessitate continued or additional practices.

Section 4.2

ATTENDANCE:

a. Regular attendance is expected and is critical for the success of the groups and the highest performance quality.

b. A dancer cannot miss more than six scheduled practices. If a more than six practices are missed dancers may not be allowed to dance at the Festival or will be pulled from other performances. This is at the discretion of the dance instructor.

c. If a dancer cannot attend church and/or Sunday School due to extenuating circumstances on a particular Sunday, the dancer is responsible for CALLING- not texting or emailing- their instructor prior to the missed Sunday. The dancer would be granted special permission to dance that day.

d. Failure to comply with 4.2 c. will result in the dancer not being able to attend dance that Sunday. This will result in an unexcused absence and will count for one of their allowed absences.

e. Upholding these requirements for all dancers is the responsibility of the dance council, instructors, parents, and dancers.

Section 4.3

OTHER PRACTICES: Each instructor may schedule additional practices as required to prepare for specific performances or competitions.

Section 4.4

PERFORMANCES: Performance decisions are made by the instructor, based upon each individual’s abilities, commitment, attendance, and skills.

Article V

COSTUMES

Section 5.1

INVENTORY: An up-to-date inventory of all costumes shall be maintained. All costumes shall be housed on church property in a secure, climate-controlled area.

Section 5.2

COSTUME EXPANSION: Instructors may suggest and recommend which costumes to expand for Council approval. The Costume Coordinator shall then source the purchase of new costumes, or costume parts, or try to solicit the talents of a seamstress from the parish. The costume coordinator will make every effort to keep the quality as high as possible and the cost as reasonable as possible.

Section 5.3

COSTUME RENTAL: If an individual costume needs to be borrowed for a non-Dance Group function, a rental fee of $25 will be charged as well as a $500.00 refundable security deposit. The security deposit will be refundable upon return of costume and the costume must be in excellent condition. The costume coordinator will itemized the costume(s) being rented to ensure all pieces are returned to St. Katherine’s collection. Only stewards of St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church are eligible to borrow costumes.

Article VI

FUNDRAISING

Section 6.1

FUNDING SOURCES: An annual budget needs to be submitted for inclusion in the parish budget. Funds to support the budget will come from registration fees, donations, annual dances, performances, luncheons, or other fundraising events. Dancers and their parents are expected to participate in these fundraisers. Volunteer hours are expected of all parents throughout the year to support this program.

Article VII

CODE OF CONDUCT

Participation in the dance program is a privilege. Dancers are representative of our Orthodox church; therefore, all conduct should reflect positively on our community.

Section 7.1: Participants in the dance program, including dancers, instructors or council members, must sign and agree to the Metropolis of Atlanta Code of Conduct and Demeanor.

Section 7.2: Participants and observers are expected to exemplify the highest moral and ethical conduct at all times. Any violation of the Code of Conduct will lead to dismissal from the dance program as determined by the council.

Section 7.3: Participants under the legal age found with alcohol or anyone found with illegal drugs will be immediately disqualified from participation. Non-smoking, drinking or eating areas will be strictly enforced.

Section 7.4: Damage to personal or public property of any kind is strictly prohibited and is the sole responsibility and liability of the person or persons involved.

Rev A Oct 2, 2011