The general sense of ease at the meetings makes it comfortable for the youth, as well as “young adults”, to wear practical leisure clothing, such as jeans, tee-shirts and sneakers. During the meetings, all the candidates “camp out” freely on the community room floor. Typically, those more engrossed in the conversations or topics of the day will sit up-front, close to the “young adults” who preside over the meeting, either sitting down or on their feet. As Amanda would point out when I questioned the seating arrangements:
“…It’s like ten or twelve of us, they call us the youth group ‘divas’, we
sit in the front…we are the ‘dominant’ ones with all the opinions we are really into it…you can just “hang out” loose…We lean on top of each other…you can lay on your stomach if you want…or we also prop up against each other, back to back.. We are like the leaders of the pack… In the back, you usually get the ‘bible huggers’ and the shy ones, who sit up all straight and sh..t”
The head of the group is Peter D. He is the director of the “youth ministry” which includes all religious activities, within the church, that relate to adolescents. This involves sacramental ministries of the Catholic Church, such as Reconciliation and Confirmation, as well as this “youth group”.
“Young adults” serve as the leaders and counselors within this cultural scene. They provide the parameters for the activities that the “candidates” engage in. They are either young-spirited parishioners in their thirties or college students in their early to mid-twenties, who have most likely been “candidates” in “youth groups”, themselves. Jointly, they voluntarily commit to guide and mentor these teens emotionally and spiritually, through their trusting friendships. Approximately twenty “young adults” take part, regularly, in the meetings. These individuals participate in weekly “young adult meetings”, under the guidance of Peter, the director. It is during these meeting that the schedules of events, as well as the logistics for the various activities, which include prayer and talks, are planned and worked out.
Loyalty and intimacy are emotional commodities highly valued by adolescents. Experts have hypothesized about the importance of intimate friendships in adolescence. During this transition into adulthood, adolescents have a deep need to share their innermost thoughts and feelings, without feeling judged. Within this particular context, the “young adults” try to fulfill that emotional support, as well as provide the information and advice which are key in making this transition a smooth and successful one.
The “youth group meeting schedule” is posted on the large black bulleting board, at the entrance of the church. The schedule which has been developed by the “young adults”, within their own meetings, lists one “theme” for each Sunday meeting. Some of the “themes” that Amanda has been part of, for the past three years, have included Friendship, Self-Love, Acceptance, Dating, Gratitude, Peer Pressure, Substance Abuse, Sex, Family, Teen Pregnancy, Racial Prejudice, etc.
“Candidates” select one of those themes in order to “throw a meeting”. There is never a shortage of enthusiastic teenagers willing to “throw meetings”, nor are candidates limited to “throwing” only one meeting per year. “Young adults” ensure a fair distribution of meetings amongst the teenagers, by having a “sign up sheet”. The details of the distribution of weekly “themes” is worked out during the first “youth group” meeting of the year. Although it is the intention of the “young adults” to have only one candidate assigned to each topic or “theme”; it is not uncommon for conflicts to emerge with regards to their distribution. Disputes over excess volunteers to one particular “theme” are usually settled fairly by pairing up the parties involved and having them “throw” the meeting together. The person who is “throwing” the meeting is also referred to as the person “running” the meeting.
“Throwing a meeting” can come in a variety of formats and include an array of activities. The “candidate” may work with the “young adult” who is chairing that particular session, to get ideas for that day, if necessary. They may meet at the “community room” before meeting hours or during the week, two or three times. However, the creative approach of each of these meeting is always a positive source of competition amongst the teens, who rarely find a need for suggestions from their mentors.
Each meeting begins with a brief prayer, followed by a reflective reading from the Bible (scriptures) that makes reference to the “theme” of the day. The “young adult” chairing that particular topic is responsible for this part. On the other hand, the “candidate” who is “throwing the meeting” would, typically, begin by rolling out the next step of the meeting which is an activity called “ice breakers”. Here is where the creativeness of the teen begins to be put to the test. “Ice breakers” consists of a wide assortment of games, which are left up to the imagination of whomever is running the session. One may even make up an “ice breaking” activity, if desired. However, the most popular ones are “three truths and one lie” or the “chicken dance”. For the first one, all “candidates” are randomly broken up in groups of eight to ten kids and sit in a circle. Each takes a turn in making four statements about themselves. One of the four is a lie, and so, the rest of the teens are to guess which is the lie. Each person gets a turn at it. The activity’s sole purpose is to “break the ice” amongst the large body of participants and become familiar with one another by disclosing information about themselves. The “Chicken dance” simply involves following a sequence of odd wing-flapping, hip twisting and hand-clapping movements, which increase in speed with the music. The silliness and awkwardness of it all quickly turn this into a great source of fun and laughter amongst the participants and the “young adults”, who also take part in the games as well.
Next, the candidate does a “talk”—some read it, some don’t—it involves “sharing” a personal experience relating to the “theme” of the day. In “sharing” teens may reveal to the group deep personal details which they feel they need to “get off their chest”. This process is significant for teens who otherwise may not even share this information with their parents, due to fear of being misunderstood, punishment or being misjudged. “Sharing” may include openly crying by a “candidate” or a massive round of applause by the entire group as the result of disclosing a difficult personal experience. “Talks” and “Sharing” are not only central to meetings, but also to other activities within “youth group” that I will explore later on. This allows “candidates” to create an atmosphere of intimacy and support amongst their peers. Afterwards, the “young adults” will also bring forth their own experience as teenagers or adults, as examples. This will encourage the rest of the group to also participate in the open-forum format of the discussion.
Amanda: “I will never forget my first meeting when I heard Mary
{A “young adult” whom she considers a role model} “share” a very tragic moment
in her life with us…Mary is like the perfect woman now…you know… she is
smart and sweet and a great mom. She told us about she was in college… she spent most of her time drunk or high on weed. One night her best friend, who was the “straight” one and spent most of her time “lecturing” to Mary about drinking and driving, drove herself and Mary to a party…her friend didn’t “party” {drink or do drugs}…That night, they had an accident and Mary’s best friend
lost her life in the hands of a drunk driver…Mary cried as she “shared”
with us…Most of us cried with her…She had to learn the hard way and carried feelings of guilt for a long time…I felt that if she had made mistakes in her past and turned out an admirable woman, then I could too…I became “hooked” to the meetings ever since…”
Although peer groups are essential at all ages, it is not until adolescence that friendships take the role of intimate relationships. Their trust, self disclosure and loyalty distinguish peer groups, during this period in life. A chief factor at work during adolescent development is that they are beginning to display autonomy, or a sense of being as a separate person. Another factor is that they begin to see situations from another person's point of view. As a result of these developments, individuals experience a greater need for intimacy and an increased capacity to enter close relationships which, at least in this case, is fulfilled through this type of group and their peer relationships.
Other activities involving “throwing meetings” do not take such serious dimensions, but are merely designed to add spunk and creative participation to the gathering. Amanda told me of a meeting she “threw” a few years ago, where for an activity, she divided “candidates” in groups of six or eight, and held a songwriting contest amongst the groups. The topic had to have something to do with the “theme” of the day. In this case it was “Sexual Abstinence”. She gave me some insight regarding the openness that exists within this cultural scene, by exemplifying:
“….let me tell you…people got carried away with some of the lyrics
they were making up…but it was funny to hear them… I don’t feel
comfortable singing the words to you…it was all double-meanings
and stuff…but I will tell you that the title of the song of the team that
won was ‘Choke the Chicken’…And I had elected a panel of judges
that was formed by all ‘young adults’…they picked it out as the winner…”
Games and/or activities, when “throwing meetings” can run the gamut from light-hearted competitions, such as the one illustrated above to more somber ones, such as writing “thank you” letters to parents and “sharing” their content with the group, on a gratitude-themed meeting, for example. Regardless of the kind of activities a “candidate” chooses to do when planning out their session, they most certainly aim to create a reflective state of consciousness and stimulate participation and a sense of belonging in all their peers.
At the end of each session, the “candidate” running the meeting will say a closing prayer to invoke God’s guidance in the issues or topics discussed that day. Sometimes, the prayer will be a brief ad-libbed statement. Others, may choose to write an extensive (one-page long) prayer that is read out loud to the group. Following, the “young adult” who initiated the session, will announce any up-coming “youth group” event, as a reminders (such as retreats). Then, he or she, will say “Thank you all for ‘sharing tonight” and the group gives an encouraging round of applause that signals the end of that meeting. Teens then “sign out” as they are picked up by parents or siblings from that same room.
The Retreats
Retreats are another type of event, within “youth group”. These are, most certainly, favorites amongst the teenagers. Retreats take place only a few times a year and last from two to four nights. Under the supervision of the “young adults”, teens have an opportunity to participate in well-planned activities and sleep away from home for a few nights. Some of the retreats are geared to specific age groups; some take place in conjunction with other churches and some even give the elder teens an opportunity to run a retreat themselves. Retreats take place in specific months of the year. Up-coming retreat announcements are posted on the church’s bulletin, next to the “youth group” meeting schedule. The yellow poster includes Peter’s phone number. Teens, then, contact him and he adds their name to the list. There is no deadline to sign up, although they prefer to have the headcount wrapped up, at least two weeks prior to the events. Reminders of any future retreats are also mentioned, as expressed above, at the end of “youth group” meetings, as well.
The “Antioch” Retreat
“Antioch” is the name of an ancient Syrian city where Christianity was early introduced. This name is connected with the early history of the gospel. Ironically, when I questioned my informant about the origin of the name, she was sincerely “clueless”, as she would put it. One thing is for sure, in this cultural scene, “Antioch” has only one meaning: the “baddest” (slang for best) and most celebrated of all retreats!
“Antioch” comes around once a year, on the first weekend of February and takes place at the church’s “community room”. It begins on a Friday evening, at six in the evening and ends on Sunday, at nine in the morning. Participation is open to all “candidates”, from freshmen to seniors. This retreat by and large has a great turnout, recruiting on average over one hundred teens, as well as, thirty to fifty “young adults”. Therefore, organization amongst those running this event is key to its success. “Young adults” are responsible for planning the schedule of activities for the retreat; however, as we will see, parishioners from the church volunteer their help in other areas, as well.
“Young adults” organize themselves in five “committees” of three to five individuals. The details are worked out during their own weekly “young adult” meetings. Each committee is responsible for carrying out different tasks, throughout the duration of the retreat. They are the Welcoming committee, Nametag committee, the Prayer committee, the Music committee and the Reconciliation committee.
One of the Welcoming committees’ responsibilities is to decorate the “community room” for this affair. They hang banners and posters they design along the large walls and across the high vaulted ceilings of the room. Cheery bright banners and colorful balloons welcome the “candidates” to that year’s Antioch retreat and also advertise the, long awaited, “theme” of the retreat. As in the “youth group” meetings, “talks” are central to the event. However, in this case, the “theme” is not revealed to them in advance. Trying to guess the “theme” always adds excitement to the anticipation of taking part in “Antioch”. Another job of theirs is to stand by the “committee room” entrance to greet and “check in” each “candidate”, as they arrive. They do this by checking off attendees’ names from the headcount list and carrying their sleeping bags and carry-on luggage, out of the way, to the far end corner of the room.
The Music committee has combined efforts to put together a well thought out selection of popular songs relating to the day’s theme. They take turns at the church’s old tape recorder, where they play music during “check in” time and in between scheduled activities.
Then, they make their way to the long wooden table behind which stand the members of the Nametag committee. The table is covered by creative handmade nametags for each of the “candidates”. Their design honors the “theme” of the day. Teens wear them around their necks throughout the weekend for easy identification. In recalling “Antioch 2001”, Amanda told me:
“…The “theme” was ‘Be One Body, Be Somebody’…they had made the
cutest name tags for us… they were made of different color paper and
they had the shape of a person’s silhouette...like a body… Each
of our names’ were written in black marker, in the front, and your ‘large
group’ (team) number was on the back…they really come up with some
great ideas …”
The Nametag committee also designs and puts together the “journals” that are handed out to the youth, at this point, as well. The cover of the twenty-page booklet, customarily, reads “Journal”, followed by the “theme” and the rest of the pages are left blank for the teenagers. As I will detail later on, journal writing is a common activity during “reflection time”, at retreats.
Familiar with the activities’ at “Antioch”, “candidates” sit around the “community room” floor and begin wrapping up last minute conversations. Impatiently, they wait for Peter’s quick “drill” of expectations, in order to roll out the weekend: 1) no alcohol drinking or smoking allowed on the premises, and above all 2) honor candidates’ “sharing” with respect. Subsequently, Virginia M., one of the “young adults” that serves as Faith Leader of all retreats, will dedicate a special prayer invoking love, strength and understanding from God, to all partaking in this special event. In her role of Faith Leader, “Ginny”, as the kids call her, also makes herself available to as a counselor. The youth, however, are
free to ask for guidance or counsel from any of the “young adults”, should they find it more comfortable to do so.
As a prelude to the “talk sessions”, adolescents are divided into “large groups” or “teams” of about twenty, that will the headed by “team leaders”. The “team leaders”—who are “young adults”—assist the “candidates” by checking the number written on the reverse side of their nametags. Once assembled into the “large groups”, “team leaders” will take a seat next to the group they are leading in preparation for the next step.
Like in “youth group” meetings “ice breakers” (as previously described) an important element of every “talk session”. After doing some type of “ice-breaking” game or activity, for about twenty minutes or so, the “talks” are ready to begin.
During this time, each “team leader” takes a turn at addressing the entire body of adolescents through a “talk” they have written and studied, in advance. These talks are the same in style and format, as the ones in “youth group” meetings and last around twenty minutes, as well. Afterwards, each “team leader”, with their large group, spreads out to more private areas, within the building. They may take corners of the “community room”, the hallways or any other two available offices off the rear entrance. There, they discuss and reflect upon what they just heard. In order to create a more comfortable and intimate environment, the leader, will randomly break up the “large groups” into three or four “small or mini groups” of a handful of kids. Amongst their peers, adolescents, find it easy to relate. They open up, revealing the pains and uncertainties, normal in this
transition in life. The guidance of an understanding leader, at a time when they may be distancing themselves from their own parents, also provides a well-needed dose of security. The discussions will go on for about an hour, as the leader shifts back and forth, providing emotional support and reassurance amongst the “mini-groups”.
Peer relationships, within this age group, come close to serving as archetypes for adult relationships, in social settings and in interactions with members of the same and opposite sex. The role of the peer group in assisting a teenager to define his or her own identity becomes very important during adolescence. At no other stage of development is an individual’s sense of identity so unbalanced.
Meanwhile, the “kitchen crew” set up person, takes advantage of the moment to arrange an array of “junk food” snacks on the long wooden “community room” table. All the snacks are gathered by the “food donors” and delivered to the church’s kitchen. “Food donors” are volunteer parishioners who collect the donated goods, after Sunday mass, a few weeks prior to the retreat. Snacks vary from potato chips, pretzels and cheese doodles, to canned fruit salad, candy and chocolates. Snacks will remain on the table throughout the “talk session” or, for as long as they may last… “Candidates” are free to approach the table, as many times as they wish, throughout discussions to mitigate their ravaging appetites….
After the large and mini-groups have discussed the topic on had, they congregate again at the “community room” with the rest of the large groups. The “team leader” presiding over that particular “talk” will entertain comments or questions which illicit further “sharing” from the part of the “candidates”. As in the meetings, these sessions quickly turn into an exchange of emotions and opinions, which they refer to as “sharing”.
“…I remember last year’s Antioch when Meg would not stop sobbing after a
discussion about teen pregnancy…the ‘talk’ had gotten ugly
and taken a judgmental twist…it’s the people they hang out with…
it’s the raise their parents’ raise them… That day, Meg confessed to having had
an abortion six month ago…she came from a good family…it wasn’t like she
was a pig or anything…it was an accident…we felt horrible for her…After she ‘shared’ the details of her experience we all got up and applauded her. She was
brave and we admired her for that…”
At approximately nine o’clock in the evening, after having heard the first few talks of the weekend, it is “dinner time”. “Team Leaders” will call out “sleep groups” of up to six youngsters who will be picked up by a “sleep group sponsor”. These sponsors are also parishioners that volunteer to pick up and drive the group to their own homes for dinner and a warm place to sleep. Teens love this time. Since the church is located in an upper middle-class neighborhood. Most of the volunteers live in impressive homes where the kids are fed filling meals and given large rooms to sleep in. Teens never run out of
energy and so most of the night is spent chitchatting and gossiping, rather than resting for the following day. “Breakfast time” supposedly should only take place back at “Antioch”. The sponsors’ responsibility ends with the drop-off of the kids back to the building. However, most of the time, the teenagers will avoid sharing this detail with them in order to sneak another spread of good homemade food.
The clean up person of the kitchen crew has made sure to leave the room sparkling again after everyone had left, the night before. The set up person, has now arranged the breakfast table with more of the donated goods. Platters of bagels, donuts, cookies, juices and sodas line the long table. Sluggish teens begin to trickle in at eight thirty in the morning and ‘attack’ the table for a half an hour, prior to the commencement of the new day. By then, they have re-fueled their ‘engines’, music is bursting through the speakers and they are ready to tackle the next string of ‘talks’.
The second day of the “Antioch” incorporates “Reflection Time” and “Games”. After every other “talk”, “candidates” are encouraged to scatter around the floors and bring out their journals. “Reflection Time” also includes background reflective music that is selected and picked by the Music committee, as well. In their journals, the teenagers may choose to write personal, drawings, thoughts, poems or experiences that come to mind, but these are not “shared” with the crowd. This is a quiet time where rather than venting experiences out loud, “candidates” take an introspective approach to the “theme” discussed.
By the time noon rolls around, bellies are rumbling again and in no time the kitchen crew set up person has managed to lay out a delicious catered lunch. Familiar with a teens palate, the catered lunch is ordered by “young adults”, in advance. The catering is also funded by cash donations, collected by the donors. Salads, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Italian heroes, chips and soda are every teenager’s favorite. By twelve thirty “lunch time” has become a supreme feast. Kids stand around the table or gather in little groups on the floor. Everything is consumed in less than an hour. “Free Time” is part of lunchtime and lasts for about an hour. Adolescents take this time to catch up on a their sleep with a little ‘catnap’ in the back of the room or getting some fresh air in the courtyard—if it is not extremely cold.
During the afternoon, and between “talks”, there will be a two-hour period allotted to games. Games, generally, take place against teams, which are usually the “larger teams”. They are simple and encourage fun, excitement and competition amongst the “candidates”. They are also planned in advance, by the “young adults”, and they can vary from potato-sack races to pin-the-tail-on the donkey.
On Saturday evening, in lieu of the their regular Sunday “young mass”, the Prayer committee will have organized a specialized service inside the church. Once again, they will make sure that the biblical reading and sermons relate to the general “theme” of the event. Following, the Reconciliation committee will present “the gifts” of wine and
bread to the altar in preparations for the service. One of the “young adults” in this committee officiate the service, rather than a priest. They will also be in charge of distributing the singing books to the “candidates” who line up the pews of the chapel in a contemplative mood.
At “dinner time”, on Saturday evening, it is 9:00 p.m., yet, their enthusiasm has not waned down. One more time, they gather around the “community room”, assembled in “sleep groups” , to wait for the volunteers come pick them up.
The next morning, as they make their way, through the large wooden doors for some breakfast, many parents have already arrived and anxiously await to greet their kids. After two nights of poor rest, the signs of exhaustion are evident in the faces of the teenagers. They have depleted every bit of energy, yet, once again, they leave the building fulfilled by the experience. They exchange “lazy” good-byes and hi-fives amongst themselves, and they will, hug and give thanks to each of the leaders, without exception. They have come to know each other a bit more, they have “shared” with their peers in exchange for their support, and they have had fun. They have renewed and deepened their ties amongst themselves and their mentors.
Other retreats
Although “Antioch” is, by far, the largest and most celebrated of retreats. Other kinds of retreats do take place throughout the year. However, some of them are geared for specific age groups and/or aim to provide community service.
For example, the “F-S” (Freshmen-Sophomore retreat) is only for freshmen and sophomores (thirteen and fourteen years old). The juniors and seniors (seventeen-year-olds) run it. Although the attendance to this affair is reduced to half of Antioch’s, it allows the seniors to organize themselves and plan, in order to carry out the event successfully. This one takes place every first weekend of June, each year.
In the same fashion that the “Antioch” is advertised on the bulletin board, so is “F-S”. The seniors will contact Peter, the director, whose only involvement is to schedule the first planning meeting and assign a “young adult” to accompany the minors on the “F-S” weekend. The “young adult” does not participate. He or she sits spends most of the time in the office and is available for supervision reasons or for emergencies.
This meeting usually takes place every Thursday evenings, for about a month, in advance of the retreat. Here, the seniors will vote for two “senior directors”, who in turn will select two “junior coordinators”. The “senior directors” will work out the logistics of the schedule of activities for the retreat. On the other hand, the “junior coordinators” are in charge of selecting the committees and “team leaders”. The committees are formed by three to five juniors or seniors and emulate those in Antioch, with the exception of the “Wake Up” committee. The complicated “dinner time” arrangements are, here, changed. Sponsors are not part of this event. All the “candidates” sleep in the “community room”, in sleeping bags on the floor. The “Wake Up” committee is responsible for laying out these arrangements: girls on one side of the room, boys on the other. In the morning they assist the “candidates” with the rolling up of sleeping bags, as well. The “team leaders”, who are now juniors and seniors will give the “talks” throughout the weekend of the retreat. And so, coming up with the “theme” and writing “talks” is another task they work out during their Thursday planning meetings.
When it comes to food, during F-S, the same “kitchen crew”, takes on the responsibility: The Greco’s. This event is not catered nor is it up to any of the “sponsors” to supply the goods. Each of the “candidates” is asked to bring in a tray of food or drinks, good for twenty people. There is never a shortage of food. Trays of cold cuts, macaroni, salads, cakes, desserts, ice-cream and soda are some of foods that Mr. And Mrs. Greco will neatly arrange, on the table, during lunch and dinner times.
The rest of the schedule tracks the order of “Antioch’s”, as well. Always, paying particular attention to the “talks” and emphasizing the importance of respect when other “candidates” share.
Amanda’s parents’ reluctance to permit her to go away on retreats, beyond the proximity of the church, have made it difficult to gather all the details pertaining to other types of retreats. And so, the insight received on the “Amayas” and “Mexican” retreats is limited. The “Amayas” is an annual retreat that takes place in the Pennsylvania Pocono region in November. The “candidates” of the Church of Presentation, comprise only a small segment amongst all of the teenagers attending. The groups of participants, who come from different parishes (churches) within the county, gather here for a weekend of fun and introspection. Indoor games are replaced by skiing and sleigh riding in the Pocono Mountains. A large bonfire replaces the snack table, where they all happily roast marshmallows in the evening.
Funded by the parish’s donations, the Mexican retreat, which is scheduled according to the availability of financial resources, is the newest addition to the list of retreats. It is only for senior aged “candidates”, who are recruited by Peter in order to perform community service in that country. For the past two years, the group along with several volunteer parishioners will join efforts to build a modest house in a poor town in Mexico. So far, they have provided two homes for families who, otherwise, would be living in shantytowns, under deplorable conditions. Several local Mexican churches donate the materials necessary to see these projects through, as well as clean rooms to sleep in and food for the volunteers.
Luckily, Amanda has had the opportunity to attend a couple of Service retreats, despite their off-premise locations. Service retreats are also aimed to provide community service/assistance, but within our local areas. Peter D. will seek out a plan to provide assistance in a particular community, which varies each year. He then seeks out only a hand-full of “candidates” to achieve his task. They, generally, last two to four days, depending on the type of project. Amanda expands:
“Last year we had the chance to go to Utica, to a really bad town…
We went to the local ‘battered women’s’ shelter and played with the
babies…we brought them clothes and toys that we managed to collect at our
Church and we also painted some of the rooms…it is sad to see how
bad some people have it…”
My informant would tell me how this type of retreat is so important to them, the “candidates”. The contrasting worlds they are exposed to, allows them to gain perspective on their own lives. And so, from the experience they will have emerged with a renewed sense of gratitude for the way they live, the things they have, the support from their friends and, mostly, the love from their parents. Somehow, in the face of these people’s harsh reality, their own temporary troubles are no longer so overwhelming.
Stations of The Cross
This is an important religious event within “youth group”. On Good Friday, (March or April, before Easter) the “candidates” act out the scenes of Stations as the Cross, as described in the Bible, prior to the mass for the congregation. This is an event they take very seriously and they combine all their creative efforts to provide the parishioners with an interesting experience.
Approximately two months prior to the mass they will begin devoting the second hour of their “youth group” meetings to its preparation. The “young adults” are not involved in the process. But, the director assists in the distribution of parts. According to each of their abilities they will choose a role in the depiction. There are actors, lectors (readers), a stage and a clean up crew, so there are plenty of parts to fulfill the interest of the all the participants.
Amongst the “actors”, the roles of Jesus, the thieves and the people must be assigned. Roles are rotated year after year and Peter is in charge of keeping track of that. Within the lectors, there is a “candidate” who takes on the job of selecting and reading relevant passages from the Bible, to the congregation. Yet, the narrator takes on the role of writing and then reading out an adaptation of each of the events during the stations. Both know they will be addressing the congregation from the priest’s podium on the day of the celebration, and so practice and rehearsals are not taken lightly.
The extensive “stage crew” takes pride in the visual effect of the presentation. The “art directors” within the crew, concern themselves with everything from props to the lighting for added drama. They set up hand-painted background posters in an attempt to reproduce the landscape and scenery. The “cue card” group writes the “actors” part on large white visible boards with thick black marker. During the play they scatter about on the floor around the actors and hold them up, as backup, in case they forget their lines. The “custom crew” raid their parents’ linen closets for sheet that will improvise the togas that were worn during the ancient time in history this episode took place. In order to create the right mood, the “custom crew” also selects and plays the background score that will give the event a reflective mood. Enya music usually does the job.
On the day that the presentation takes place, the church is chock-full of parishioners who proudly and eagerly wait to view the “candidates” their rendition. In the end, the “cleaning crew’s” job is to make sure that the church is left in the same orderly fashion that it was originally found. Posters are taken down and the flower arrangements and podiums moved back to their previous locations.
♦
My thoughts
During teenage years, peer groups and leisure time activities play an important role in the lives of teenagers. In most cases, they replace their families, and as specialists would find normal, these do become central during the transitional period of adolescence.
Often, as I have learned from this “youth group, “peer cultural scenes” encompass different sets of norms, customs and values which can be good. They can become sources of positive support not only to the teens, but also provide a sense of ease to parents, during these difficult years. Hence, the traditional perception of adults, with regards to peer relationships and leisure activities, as being a source of much anxiety, is not necessarily accurate.
This, somewhat limited paper, only describes the cultural scene of one organized group for teenagers. Many exist throughout the country: Girl Scouts of America, the Boys Club, Girls Club, etc. However, not a significant overall percentage of teens or parents take advantage of them. Personally, I believe that it would be a worthwhile endeavor for parents and professionals to explore further their place in our society and encourage mass participation.
As we have seen, more often than not, these types of peer relationships and activities reinforce family values and also provide a sense of ease to the entire family. Although
the negative influence of peers and activities continues to be greatly over-emphasized in our society, it is obvious that more needs to be done to help youths and their families during this time. By exploring these constructive environments further we can come to understand the benefits of some of the resources we already have in place and take advantage of them. Furthermore, we may be able to begin to understand how it truly takes a village to raise a child
