Credentials

Eligibility

To be a Medallion Candidate, a young lady must be of recognized spiritual and moral character, single, not more than nineteen years of age, and at least in her senior year of high school, at the time of presentation. Although the Ball is under the patronage of the Bishop, of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, girls of all faiths are encouraged to participate.

Time Frame to Accruing Volunteer Hours

Junior Medallion Candidates may officially begin to accrue the 150 volunteer service hours required to earn the Joan of Arc Medallion on June 1st after completing their 8th grade school year. All Junior Medallion Candidates will have until May 1st of their junior year in high school to complete the required volunteer service hours in order to be considered as a Candidate for presentation at the Medallion Ball. It is recommended that the Junior Medallion Candidates set a goal of completing an average of 50 volunteer service hours each year, which provides three full years to complete the required 150 volunteer service hours. This includes three summers in which the volunteer (the summers after 8th, 9th, and 10th grades).

Documenting Volunteer Hours

All Junior Medallion Candidates are required to request credentials letters from the organizations where they volunteer. The required credentials letters are issued by the volunteer organization on their official letterhead, confirming the number of volunteer hours as well as the type of work performed. Each credential letter must also include the signature of the coordinating supervisor overseeing the volunteer service at the respective agency or organization. Please collect the required credentials letters at the time that the volunteer service is performed, keeping them until requested by the Credentials Committee.

Candidate Registration for the Medallion Ball

On May 1st of a Candidate’s sophomore year, the Credentials Committee will send an email with the registration form to the parents/guardians of Junior Medallion Candidates. We request a non-refundable registration fee of $500 (effective 2020) and documentation verifying at least 100 hours of volunteer service. The required deposit and verification of hours must be received by August 31st, the Credentials Committee will reach out to the Candidate’s parents/guardian. If there is no response after a reasonable amount of time, a final notice will be sent to document that the Junior Medallion Candidate has been removed from the program. In the spring of the Candidate’s junior year, the Credentials Committee will ask for the official volunteers credential letters on agency letterhead. These credential letters should be submitted no later than May 1st of their junior year. If the Candidate has any issues or questions, they should contact the Credentials Committee Chair(s).

Status Checks

All Junior Medallion Candidates awaiting presentation at the Medallion Ball must remain in good standing with the St. Lucy’s Auxiliary. In order to remain in good standing, each Candidate will be responsible for completing annual status checks from the Credentials Committee. The status checks will require Junior Medallion Candidates to provide an estimate of all volunteer service hours completed to date and updated contact information in preparation for the Medallion Ball. The Credentials Committee will initiate the status checks after freshman and sophomore years.

St. Lucy’s Auxiliary Membership Requirement

Mothers or guardians of active or qualified Junior Medallion Candidates are required to be members of St. Lucy’s Auxiliary. Please visit www. Stlucysauxiliary.org for an application and additional information.

Junior Medallion Luncheon Meeting

All Junior Medallion Candidates are invited and honored at the Junior Medallion Luncheon Meeting (held annually in the fall). The Luncheon is a fun event, giving an opportunity to meet other Junior Medallion Candidates, and learn about St. Lucy’s Auxiliary.

The Credentials Committee

The Credentials Committee of St. Lucy’s Auxiliary is composed of five members, in good standing, and their decision as to each Candidate’s eligibility shall be final. In the event there is a question as to acceptable hours, it should be addressed to the Credentials Chair(s).

Acceptable & Unacceptable Types of Volunteer Service

Type of Service

Acceptable

Unacceptable


Traditional

  • Candy striper at a hospital.
  • Helping at a community library.
  • Serving in a nursing home.
  • Volunteering with a non-profit organization or CBO (Community Benefit Organization) that serves the underprivileged, a group or a need e.g. National Pancreas Foundation, Autism Speaks, etc.
  • Any service performed for compensation.
  • Cutting grass, weeding, shoveling snow etc. unless supervised by a group or organization.
  • Volunteering to foster or adopt a pet.
  • Serving St. Lucy’s Auxiliary because volunteers must be members of the Auxiliary; Junior Medallion Candidates are not members.

School

  • Community service that takes place after school and is not required for school, clubs or an organization.
  • Volunteer peer tutoring after school.
  • Coaching/assisting/training athletes after school.
  • All required community service for commitments or organizations such as band, orchestra, chorus, drama, student council, and graduation, National Honor Society etc.
  • All community service that takes place during school.
  • Coaching/assisting/training athletes at a private club e.g. swim club, racquet club or country club.

Church

  • Participation in any part of the weekly religious service e.g. altar servers, cantors, readers, etc. Serving as a teacher/helper/aide for religious education classes
  • Helping with church-sponsored community activities such as food or clothing drives, etc.
  • Mission trips/work camps are limited to 40 hours per week or service

Political

  • Driving senior citizens to polls to vote.
  • Volunteering/working for a political campaign.

Community

  • Service to a non-profit agency or for-profit CBO (Community Benefit Organization) e.g. American Heart Association, National Kidney Foundation etc.
  • Counselor at camps that serve the underprivileged, handicapped, or needy in the community e.g. YMCA Camps, The Woodlands Foundation, Girl Scout Camps Note: When in doubt, please get prior approval from the Credentials Committee.
  • Helping at a fundraising walk/run.
  • Coaching/training athletes enrolled in community youth league sports.
  • Working for a profit-making business, unless it is a CBO, (Community Benefit Organization), which serves the community.
  • Counselor at camps that do not serve the underprivileged, handicapped, or needy e.g. private camps or some camps held at private schools. Note: When in doubt, please get prior approval from the Credentials Committee.
  • Walking/running in a walk/run.
  • Participating in a day of awareness.
  • Performing in a community drama play, orchestra, band, choir, or chorus etc.