[Ansteorra] Youth Participation

Elizabeth Crouchet elizabeth at crouchet.com
Wed Jan 23 08:38:52 PST 2008


Youth Collegiums are great but cannot be done at every event. Thank you
for those wonderful people that do make them happen.

MOC activities are great but cannot take up all the time at an event,
but again, thank you to those wonderful people that make that happen.

It seems like what we need to do is look for the places where our youth
can participate with us with little or no change to what we are already
doing. We need to let those youth and their adults know about these
activities and make a point to invite them and make them feel welcome
while participating.

If the youth develop the habit of participating they will, without being
asked. They will develop that habit if they are allowed to and can
successfully participate. (this means everyone should behave well). The
adults need to develop the habit of including the youth without having
to think about it too hard, either.

If it is not an organized youth activity then an MOC with a background
check is not needed and no one has to enforce the two deep rule. That
being said, it is a parent' responsibility to make sure their child is
in a safe place doing a safe activity. Also, the adult that allows that
child to participate with them has a personal responsibility to be sure
they are covered as they see fit.

Fortunately this is easy to do in the kitchen, on the list field or in a
classroom of mixed age students, or other group activities. Children
over the age of 12 do not have to be individually supervised and can be
supervisors for younger children. This still does not mean they can run
amok. It does mean a 12 year old with parental permission may 
independently ask to help with kitchen duties or to take a class and the
like.

With a little care and forethought, we can include our youth. Notice
that the parents are never absolved of the responsibility for their
children and the responsibility for those children  is never inflicted
on anyone. That is just good manners.

So it is not that we just need more youth activities, we need more youth
in our activities.

My observations,

Claire
No, I don't have any children of my own



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