BALADEEPAM

Motto: "Towards Jesus Christ"

Catchphrase: "Let the little children come to me; ......." [Mk. 10:14]

Heavenly Patroness: St. Little Therese (Little Flower)

Baldeepam Day: October 2 (A day after its Feast)

Patron: Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, Bishop of Bathery

Director: Rev. Fr. Alexander Valiyaveettil

I. Aims & Objectives

Overall growth of Children: To lead the children into an experience of prayer; To create and develop interest for the reading and studying of the Word of God; To teach them the primary lessons of Christian life through CATECHISM; To inculcate the values of love, service and brotherhood in children; To enable them to discern between good and evil; To help them to become good members of the Church & of the Nation; To ensure the growth & development of intellectual, cultural and spiritual talents of children.

Mission thrust and Vocation: To make the children aware of the necessity and the greatness to dedicate their service for God and to His people. To help them to do justice to the vocation they choose.

Evangelization and Charity: To make them competent right from the childhood to bear witness to Christ and to spread His "good news" by practicing them in their day-to-day life and develop virtues of charity work etc. in every possible way.

Grow in Malankara Spirit: To help them to grow as a better Malankara Catholic with great love and enthusiasm for the Church.

II. Programmes

• To participate actively in the Malankara Qurbono on Sundays and on any Special Day/Feast Day, and if possible, participate in the week-day Qurbono at the Mass Centres. Come with Qurbono Texts.
  
• To make confessions at least once in a month. Receive Holy Communion on Sundays and on Feast Days.
  
• To attend the Sunday-school/Catechism Classes regularly.
  
• To serve/participate in the Altar-Service.
  
• Read the Holy Bible daily at least for 10 minutes.
  
• Memorize one verse from the Bible daily.
  
• Participate regularly in the Meetings/Camps/Seminars organized by the Association.
  
• To keep our Church/Mass Centres and its surroundings neat & clean.
  
• Participate in the common functions arranged by the Church.
  
• Make sacrifices in life and collect fund for the Unit, which can be used to help the poor/ any charitable work.
  
• Discuss, the current and relevant topics/issues appearing in the newspapers/magazines/ other media, during the Zonal Meetings. Animators can explain such points.
  
• Each member of "Baldeep" should try to do at least one good thing/deed daily.
  
• Find time to visit the houses of our members and to visit the sick people in the neighborhood irrespective of their caste and creed and pray for them.
  
• On special occasions (e.g. Onam, X'mas, August 15, October 2, Mission Sunday etc.) arrange "Baldeep" meetings and organize some relevant programmes.
  
• Attend the funerals and visit the houses of departed people and pray for them.
  
• Start a Library in your Zone. Develop the reading habit.
  
• Arrange prayer services once in two months for children.
  
• Publish manuscript magazines for each Zone/Parish.
  
• Develop team spirit and community-bond and try to work-together and cooperate/support in all the activities of the parish.
  

III. Structure

a) Unit
• Each Parish will be considered as a Unit.
• All members of the Unit will form a General Body.
• The parish priest/ priest in-charge will be the Unit Director.
• Unit Executive Committee consists of the Parish Priest/Director,
• Office bearers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer) and Unit
• Animators (Male & Female).

b) Zonal (Region)
• Zonal Executive Committee will consist of Zonal Director, the Zonal Office Bearers (President,
Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer, Nominated members) & Zonal
Animators.
• Zonal Syndicate will consist of the Zonal Executive & Unit Executive Committees.
• Zonal Animator will be nominated/appointed by the Zonal Director in consultation with the
Mission In charge.

Central (ETR)
• Central Director will be appointed by the Bahya-Kerala Co-ordinator.
• Central Director will supervise the Baldeep activities of all the Mission Centres / Regions.

c) General Rules
• Each office bearer will hold the post for a period of one year.
• Only the Baldeep's Zonal / Regional Syndicate is entitled to elect Zonal Executive Committee members.
• In case there is no representative from any Unit to the Zonal/ Regional Executive Committee, one member from the office bearers (preferably President) of such Unit may be nominated to the Zonal Executive Committee by the Director in consultation with the Unit Directors.
• Unit meetings must be held once in a month.
• Zonal / Regional Executive committee meeting must be held at least once in three months.
• Zonal / Regional Syndicate meeting must be held at least once in six months.

IV. Baldeepam Prayer

God, our loving Father, we praise you; we thank you and worship you. We offer ourselves before you with all our gifts and shortcomings. Enable us to grow and to live through your Son Jesus Christ. Bless us O Lord so that we may be able to work for the betterment of the Church and of our nation. We offer our parents, our brethren, our leaders, our church, our nation and the whole world before you. Bless us O lord. We ask these in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, our lord. Kindly hear our prayer. Amen.
• Holy Mary, Mother of God..... Pray for us.
• St. Thomas, the Apostle of India..... Pray for us.
• St. Francis Xavier ..... Pray for us.
• St. Little Therese, our heavenly patroness... Pray for us.

V. Baldeepam Pledge

• I feel proud of being a member of the "Baldeepam" association.
• I will try to develop the values of love, brotherhood, service etc.
• I will try my level best to come close towards Jesus Christ.
• I will behave with due respect to Priests, Religious, Parents, Teachers, leaders and Elders.
• I will work for the growth, development, benefits and fame of our Church and our country.
• I will develop, with utmost sincerity, various talents bestowed in me by our Good Lord.
• I will feel proud and happy in the prosperity of others and try to encourage them.
Holy Mary Mother of God, and our Heavenly Patroness St. Little Therese, please pray for me in order to comply with all the pledges in my life as best as possible. Amen.

VI. General Information

               
MEMBERSHIP:
Children upto the age of 17 years will be members of the association. The month of October will be the Membership-month. Membership fee of Rs.10/- must be collected from each member. Unit wise Baldeep support fund could be collected every month. The amount will be decided by the unit.
       
RECORDS TO BE KEPT
i. Attendance Register
ii. Membership Register
iii. Monthly Report
iv. Report of the Meeting
v. Yearly Report
vi. Files
vii. Constitution
viii. Circulars and guidelines/Letters sent by the Central Office / Regional Office
ix. Bank Account Book, Cheque Book
x. Flag of the Association.
        
HOW TO CONDUCT A MEETING
i. Kauma Prarthana
ii. Bible Reading
iii. Christian Song
iv. Reading of the report and passing
v. Discussion regarding the programmes and decisions
vi. Director/Animator's message/guidelines
vii. Attendance
viii. Prayer of the association
ix. Anthem

VII. Office Bearers

1. Director: To give leadership to form various Committees and to guide the process of planning out the programmes and their execution.
2. Animators: They must prepare the ground for all the programmes. They must guide and encourage the office bearers and other members. They must help the office-bearers to have interaction among themselves. They must always keep in contact with the office-bearers. Central Animator should visit the various Units/Zones and guide them to execute the plans and programmes. He/She must keep the Director informed about the progress of each Unit/Zone.
3. Sister In charge: To guide & help the office bearers and other members of Baldeep, to execute the plans & the programmes, in close association with Animators & Director.
4. President: He/She will preside over the meeting of the Committee. He/she must give leadership to all the programmes. He/she must be in contact with the Animators and Director. He/she must always interact with other office-bearers and other members of the association. He/she must encourage others and guide them to perform their duties.
5. Vice-President: To help the President in all the official activities. In the absence of the President, he/she has to work as an Acting-President.
6. Secretary: To convene the Committee Meeting; to prepare the report; to do all the correspondence work, to inform the decisions taken by the Committee to other members; Maintenance of proper records.
7. Joint Secretary: To help the Secretary in all the official activities. In the absence of Secretary, he/she has to work as an Acting Secretary.
8. Treasurer: To deal with the money matters. To write/maintain the accounts properly. As and when required, he/she must present the accounts before the Committee and the Director. Association's money is to be deposited in the name of the Director and the Treasurer (Joint account) in a bank.