Majlis Youth Committee Hosts Annual Retreat
The Muslim Youth of North America’s officers and advisors met last weekend in Flint, Michigan, to review its 2017 achievements and explore areas of growth for the upcoming calendar year.
MYNA’s seven executive committee members and six regional executive committee chairs worked with ISNA Youth Programs and Services Department staff members and Majlis Youth Committee advisors to accumulate a number of action items that president Sana Baban hopes will further the organization’s growth.
Many of the action items included focus on further enhancing the quality of programming, preserving policy, communication and implementation, and capitalizing on MYNA’s potential to provide youth, counselors, and advisors with professional resources. MYNA’s youth officers were at the forefront of the discussions, a fact Baban believes contributes to MYNA’s uniqueness.
“Our annual MYC retreat is always extremely uplifting and refreshing, with youth at the center of change and working closely with advisors to take MYNA a step further in contributing and leading the way in crucial work,” Baban said. “This is an organization that is for the youth, by the youth, and it’s empowering to see youth making important decisions and using their leadership skills to make a difference.”
One of the many achievements the group reflected on included the organization’s continuous growth. In December, MYNA served 433 youth across five different states during its annual regional winter retreats compared to 327 last year.
That pattern has extended into the start of 2018. The first day of spring camp registration featured over 200 camper registrations, and with retreats in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, California, Florida, and Texas coming up, Baban is excited to witness MYNA’s growth once more.
“More and more youth each year are embraced and welcomed into the MYNA family, and that is really exciting to be a part of,” Baban said. “This year’s spring camp is already kicking off 2018 with incredible momentum, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”
