The SYC Advisors

Working with the Maine State Youth Council

Advisors are the people that come to all of our Executive Committee meetings and State Youth Council events to watch over us, making sure everything we do is within the rules and guidelines. 

The SYC Advisor team is comprised of three or four dedicated adults. It is preferred that at least one of the Advisors be a minister ordained in the United Church of Christ. We also strive for gender balance in the ranks of the Advisors. Being an advisor is a fun challenge that involves a lot of time and dedication, with huge personal rewards. 

The SYC Executive Committee meets about every six weeks to discuss the status of current projects within the SYC, and to help plan for upcoming events. In addition to attending these meetings, the Advisors are expected to be at all four annual SYC events; Beach Day, Annual Meeting, Fall Convention, and Mid-Winter. The Executive Committee is very active at Annual Meeting, where the members serve as delegates to conduct the business of the Conference, lead worship on Saturday afternoon, and co-ordinate outreach and some fun activities for the other Youth Delegates in attendance. 

SYC advisors are also members of the Youth Ministry Advisory Team. YMAT meets at the Hallowell Church once a month, excluding the summer months of July and August. It gives the representatives from all of the Conference-based youth organizations a chance to meet and discuss the current activities, and to be sure that all of their concerted efforts are on task.

The SYC by laws require that an advisor be 25 years old and a confirmed, active member of a UCC Church here in Maine. Potential advisors applications are screened through a background check by the Conference. Then the Executive Committee, with the assistance of Conference staff, schedules and conducts in person interviews with the advisor candidates. The members of the Executive Committee make the final selection of those adults with whom they would like to work. The term of an adult advisor is three (3) years with the possibility of an additional three (3) year term. The advisors are then approved by YMAT and the Commission for Community Life, which provides oversight of youth ministries in the Conference. 

Being an advisor is a lot of work, and it requires a fair amount of time, but they report having a lot of fun working with the wonderful young people in the conference. 

If you are unsure about being able to make such a big commitment, we also have volunteer opportunities available for event chaperones. For chaperones, we favor folks that are at least 21 years old and are active members of a Maine UCC church. 

While the Executive Committee members set up and carry out all of the nuts and bolts details of an event, chaperones come to an event and serve as an extra set of adult eyes and ears to help ensure the safety of the young people who are attending. Chaperones are there to make sure everyone is safe and enforce the policies set forth by the Executive Committee.

For all adult volunteers, we do require that they fill out an application form, and provide personal references. A background check is also required. 

If you are interested in helping the SYC as an adult volunteer, we would love to hear from you! Just contact an Executive Committee member or one of our advisors.

Also, please write to us if you have any questions about the SYC, or suggestions on how we may better carry out our mission of ministry to the young people of Maine. We are always looking for fresh ideas to help bring more youth, from more areas of the state, into a more active role within the SYC.

Meet the Maine State Youth Council Advisors!

Left to Right: Dan, Mary Angela, Kris & Phil 

The Rev. Mary Angela Davis returned to the Great State of Maine in 2007 to serve as Interim Pastor at the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield UCC, after serving for eight years on the staff of First Church in Windsor. CT. She lives in Ellsworth with her husband Nick, who is the Pastor at the First Congregational Church in Ellsworth UCC, and their calico cat Susie. They have a son Josh Davis, who is a member of State St. UCC in Portland,and a Bosnian daughter Ferisa Omerivic, who lives with her husband and two children in Michigan.  Mary Angela has enjoyed leading mission trips to Appalachia and Puerto Rico and going to PL. She loves to paint and dance. She’s excited about serving as clergy advisor of SYC!   

Kris Galasyn resides in Saco with husband Jim and four children, (two out of high school and two still in high school). She works part time as the Director of Christian Education at Saco First Parish UCC where she oversees Church school, Junior and Senior Youth Fellowship and is active in various mission/service opportunities.  Kris has a passion for social justice and organizes youth mission trips, (for the York Association), to help in the rebuilding of New Orleans, (2007, 2008, 2009). She is also a Medical Technologist and has worked part time at Mercy Hospital in Portland for over eighteen years. She became an SYC advisor in February 2008.

Phil Hilton is an IT Consultant from Wilton Maine, where he also serves on the Christian Education Committee and heads up the Youth Fellowship Group at the First Congregational Church of Wilton with his wife, Kimberly. Phil has been involved with Pilgrim Lodge as a camper since 1989 and as a counselor or dean regularly since 2002. He was an active member of the State Youth Council during his high school years and returned to chaperone events starting in 2005. Additionally, Phil serves on the Outdoor Ministries Committee. Phil joined us as an SYC advisor in the Summer of 2008.

Dan McGlincey lives in Sanford with his son Thomas. He works as a Residential Technician at the York County Shelters in Alfred. Dan has been involved with the SYC and Pilgrim Lodge since 1984. Growing up he attended the West Newfield UCC, and now belongs to the Alfred Parish Church. Dan joined our team of advisors in 2005.