Perhaps thegreatest injustice to a great culture is not only for it to be misunderstood,but for it to be misrepresented. It is up to the youth of the currentgeneration to set the benchmark and standard for future generations on how tointeract not only with each other but with and around the church. Last Sunday, 20September 2009, the youth of Adelaide organised a seminar to address this verypoint and to highlight the objectives of the Serbian Orthodox Youth Association(SOYA). Despite being one of the first SOYA meetings held by the Adelaide youth, theturnout of around 20 youth hinted at a bright future.

After ashort meet-and-greet out front of the church hall and an introduction into thestructure of SOYA and the main issues encountered by teams around Melbourne,attendees had the privilege of hearing Father Milan Milutinovic (Keysborough,Victoria) speak about the role of the church in modern-day society and theimportance of keeping the youth involved and interested in their own faith. Asalways, Father Milan approached each issue in a way that each person couldrelate to and to understand and we are very grateful.

Some of themajor issues addressed throughout the seminar were the need to keep a realisticview of objectives, and to maintain a positive attitude regardless of thesuccess or lack thereof of particular events. As discussed on the day, thegoals of SOYA won’t be reached quickly, and we need to remember that even thesmallest step in the right direction means progress.

Once again,I’d like to thank all involved for their kind hospitality and supportthroughout the day, and their active involvement in the afternoon’s seminar. Isincerely hope to see more events being organised throughout the Adelaide parishes,bringing the Serbian Orthodox youth together and closer to the church.

MilicaPopovic