SEMINARY PHILOSOPHY GUILD

RATIONALE:

The Seminary Philosophy Guild is an association of seminarians enrolled at St. Joseph Seminary College, Diocese of Dumaguete who are committed to search for the truth and enhance love for knowledge in the exercise of their skills and the enhancement of their potentials through various curricular and co-curricular activities in the field of Philosophy.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE:

            To organize bona-fide seminarians of St. Joseph Seminary College who currently study Philosophy into an association called SEMINARY PHILOSOPHY GUILD (SPG) such that a venue may be provided for the development of the seminarians’ intellectual gifts in the light of the search for the truth and the quest for academic excellence.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

The Seminary Philosophy Guild (SPG) aims to:

1. Promote the field of Philosophy as a potent venue in enhancing the seminarians’ love for knowledge, quest for academic excellence, and the search for the truth such that they may be helped to think critically, analytically, and logically when they encounter concepts and ideas or when confronted with issues about life;

2. Give the seminarians a potent venue for Philosophical discussion and interaction or for an intellectual exchange of ideas such that they may be able to express and articulate, through speaking or writing, their ideas and understanding and raise their inquiries about knowledge towards living an enlightened life;

3. Prepare and aid the seminarians to dynamically build a strong foundation for Theology or, if they so decide or be recommended, for other fields of their choice such that they may be well-equipped with wisdom and will to more fully face life integrally.

MECHANICS AND FUNCTIONS:

1. The Seminary Philosophy Guild is composed of all bona-fide seminarians of St. Joseph Seminary College;
2. The Guild shall be governed by elected officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer who shall serve the organization for one term which is equivalent to one School Year.

3. The functions of the Guild Officers shall be:

        The Guild President:

       (1) to call for a meeting of all members and or officers of the Guild

             in consultation with the Adviser;

       (2) to preside over the regular meetings of the Guild,

       (3) to report to and coordinate with the Seminary administration,

             especially the Academic Dean, with the Guild Adviser, about

             their plans and on matters relative to Philosophy;

       (4) to represent the Guild in official functions like seminars, lectures,

             talks, meetings, and the like in matters pertinent to and relative

             with Philosophy with other organizations of similar nature;

       (5) to spearhead over the organization and planning of all Philosophy

             activities in the Seminary

       (6) to initiate the collection of Philosophy articles from among its

             members in view of the printing of a Philosophy journal;

    The Guild Vice-President:

     to take all the functions of the President in his absence or to take over

     his place if the same is incapacitated;

     The Guild Secretary :

     (1) to keep the record of the minutes of all meetings of the Guild,

     (2) to keep a file on all of these,

     (3) to keep a record of all the members, plans, and activities of the

          Guild,

     (4) to write the official communications of the Guild on matters that

          pertain to or have connection with other institutions,

     (5) to hand over these records immediately after the election of the

           new set of  Officers to the new Guild Secretary;

      The Guild Treasurer:

      (1) to keep the funds of the Guild from the membership fee and the  

            monthly dues and keep a record of them,

      (2) to keep all receipts from expenses incurred by the Guild,

      (3) to hand over these records after the election of a new set of

           officers;

      (4) to submit a monthly financial report to the Guild Adviser and

           the Academic Dean;

4. The Guild shall have an Adviser, who is a bona-fide Philosophy Teacher of St. Joseph Seminary, who shall be duly appointed by the Seminary Priest-formators in consultation with the Academic Dean;

5. The Guild aims to provide an appropriate venue for Philosophical interactions among seminarians to enhance knowledge on Philosophy and to reinforce what has been learned in the classroom through informal or formal discussions like symposia, paper presentation, Kiosk encounter, debate, corridor discussion, etc. on topics which members will so agree or decide;

6. The Guild also aims to facilitate the orientation and understanding of Philosophy to the lower years (seminarians who have not as yet any major Philosophy courses or subjects) by providing them with basic materials or sharing with them the essence and direction of Philosophy in the form of teach-ins or tutorial sessions;

7. The Guild is responsible in providing help to seminarians in understanding more fully classroom topics, assigned Philosophical readings, and report materials in the form of small group discussions or individual consultation;

8. The Guild also keeps a reserve section in the Library of past classroom Philosophy works, project papers, and research papers as guide materials and sources which all members may use and refer to;

9. As a fundamental task, the Guild is geared towards facilitating, supporting, and managing the interest of seminarians in Philosophy by initiating daily or weekly small Bulletin Board activities about Philosophy;

10. The Guild represents the entire studentry in functions and invitations outside the seminary especially on matters pertinent to Philosophy;

11. The Guild plans, organizes, and supervises the celebration of the Philosophy Week in coordination with the Academic Dean and the Committee on Academics;

12. The Guild is responsible in collecting Philosophical articles and researches from seminarians for a possible printing of a St. Joseph Seminary College Philosophy Journal;

MEMBERSHIP AND OTHER FEES:

            A membership fee is asked from each seminarian upon enrollment.  A monthly due of Php ______ will be asked to support and finance the expenses of the Guild such as: printing cost, cut-outs, CDs, Speaker’s honorarium, etc.  The Guild Treasurer provides a monthly financial report to be given to the Guild Adviser and the Dean.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS:

            Aside from its small daily and weekly activities, the Guild shall be responsible in managing the regular Paper Presentation (as scheduled), Philosophical Discussion (as scheduled), and the annual celebration of the Philosophy Week in coordination with the Committee on Academic Affairs.  The Guild shall also be responsible for the printing of the Philosophy Journal for the St. Joseph Seminary College.

Note: The Paper Presentation may be the product of a group research or investigation on a particular topic commended by the Adviser and approved by the Dean.  The Philosophical Discussion is an informal discussion on a particular topic on Philosophy that evokes interest among many.  This shall be preceded by a presentation of an article on the topic to be posted on the Bulletin Board. 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS:

            The election of Guild Officers shall be conducted on the first Monday of March at the end of each School Year. The officers currently serving (President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer) shall serve as ad hoc election Committee.  The election shall follow a two-Party-system based on the recommendations of the members and the serving Officers.  The names of the candidates then shall be made known once the officers shall have determined the recommendations of its members.  This is done on the Wednesday following the celebration of the Philosophy Week of each year.

INDUCTION OF OFFICERS:

            The Induction of Officers shall be made during the Holy Spirit Mass at a determined date in June at the opening of the School Year.