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HUUmans at Home August/September 2001
HUUmans at Home
August/September 2001
Issue 22
A UUA Related Organization
Member, National Home Education Network
Member, Rose Rock Inclusive Homeschoolers
The Not-Back-to-School Issue
Living our Moral Imperatives by staying home!
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Editor's Note by Teresa Willingham: The Not-Back-to-School Issue Living our Moral Imperatives by staying home! Here we are, in the hot summer doldrums of August, and just as Christmas comes earlier and earlier each year, so evidently, do the back to school sales. They've begun already here in Florida, where school actually begins in two or three weeks: sales of backpacks - or the increasingly popular "rolling bookbags" to save young backs overloaded by hefty texts from early curvature of the spine; notebooks with flashy, pop culture covers; trendy pens and pencils; the latest hip-hop fashions of pricey "school" clothes (one friend recently confided that her children's private school uniforms must be purchased from Land's End!) and reams and reams of lined paper - the only unchanged item on the back to school lists - hanging prominently in local department store stationery aisles. Fortunately for us - we're NOT going back to school, and can largely avoid the consumer driven crush of school "necessities." And what better time than now to ponder what constitutes educational necessities, since the UUA has issued a statement of conscience stating that "responsible consumption is our moral imperative" (pg. 2). What, really, do we NEED, do our children NEED, in order for us to teach them and for them to learn? In this issue, we'll explore some different ways we can homeschool according to our principles, as well as how difficult that can sometimes be. When I first began homeschooling seven years ago, I was advised that it cost, on average, $300 to $500 a year to educate my children at home. Curricula, I was told, would add up, as would the myriad books we're all so enamored of, as would basic supplies. I scoffed - and I'm still scoffing. I'm a frugal homeschooler, and believe that all we really need to learn is a library card, pencils and paper and time, lots of unhurried time, to walk, visit museums and other places of interest (most of which are free), explore nature, and talk. On average, this has cost us far less than a hundred dollars a year for all three children, mostly because I do tend to frequent library book sales and indulge in an interesting learning program or two that may catch my eye (but remain well within my budget!), or for art supplies. Theoretically, a family could spend even less. Backtoschool events and sales, however, serve another purpose besides blatant consumerism, and that's as a sort of celebratory American ritual marking most American children's return to the educational institution of their (parents’) choice. A lot of public- schooled children I know enjoy doing back to school shopping with their families. It's exciting to get new clothes and new pencils and fresh paper and to approach a new school year ready for both academic and social success with fresh raiments of learning. I also know a few homeschooled children who watch wistfully while their public- schooled counterparts flock to the stores. Where's their ritual? What marks the beginning (or end) of their educational year? Heck, how many of them even recognize a beginning and end to their educational year? Since this is a lifestyle for most of us, and learning is pretty seamlessly interwoven with our daily lives, there often isn't a "start" date. There can be, however, a Not-Back-to-School date for your family: that's the date that all the OTHER kids in your area go back into the confines of public education, a date that can be tempered for your child with the knowledge that for most public-schooled children, the novelty of the new school year will wear off after a few weeks and then the drudgery will set in, the mind-numbing homework, the pointless reports and the endless preparations for assessment tests in the spring. Our family annually celebrates a Not-Back-to-School day on the first day public school is in session. We usually go fishing, trying to make sure we're in full view of passing school buses at some point, with our fishing poles slung over our shoulders. Sure, it's a bit juvenile, but it's fun! And it costs nothing more than the price of bait (and it'll probably be completely free this year, because of our vermicomposting project!). It's our way of celebrating our freedom to learn in the ways that suit us best, with all the outdoors as our classroom, free of peer pressure and its commensurate consumerism and spiritual emptiness. We always talk about the things we plan to do during the year, what things we like best about learning at home together and the beauty of wherever we are. You can celebrate your own Not-Back-to-School Day in any way that appeals to you and your children. Go hiking, biking or boating. Have a party, or a picnic in the park. Whatever you do, make it rich, meaningful and memorable. Show your children they don't need those back to school clothes or notebooks or bookbags. All you really need in order to learn is curiosity and time to indulge it. And few have a better opportunity to do that, in as meaningful a way, as we have! Happy Homeschooling! Terri Willingham |
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UUA News: William Sinkford was installed as Seventh UUA President in General Assembly Closing Ceremonies and Diane Olson bBecame Moderator. The UUA's Financial Advisor, Lawrence Ladd of Needham, MA, was re-installed as Financial Advisor by former Financial Advisor Robert T. Lavender. The Rev. William G. Sinkford was elected by a 2:1 margin as the seventh President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, thereby becoming the first African American to lead the UUA or any historically white denomination. Sinkford succeeds the Rev. John Buehrens who has served eight years. "It is a tremendous honor to be elected president of our religious movement," said Sinkford. "The hurting world in which we live desperately needs our liberal voice. During my presidency, our Unitarian Universalist voice will be heard in support of racial justice. We will speak for gender equality. And we will work to redress the economic injustices that plague our society. We can be, and will be, a transformative voice for justice in the world." Sinkford's election was picked up by the Associated Press and other mainstream media. On June 25, the New York Times wrote, "In the election, Unitarian-Universalists were certain to make history, as the only other candidate was a woman, the Rev. Diane Miller, for an office so far held only by men. Mr. Sinkford received 2,218 votes to Ms. Miller's 1,043. "The association, formed 40 years ago from the merger of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, is theologically diverse and bound by no creed. With 225,000 members in 1,051 self-governing congregations, it is considered among the nation's most liberal religious bodies. It permits ordination of gay men and lesbians and allows the blessing of same- sex unions. Recently, the association announced, as a result of a trend toward more women entering the Unitarian clergy, it had more women than men serving as ministers." Members of the UUA's elected committees and Trustees at Large of the Board of Trustees were installed as well; the ceremony included music by the 200-voice General Assembly Choir under the direction of Keith Arnold of Golden, CO, a re-affirmation of the journey toward wholeness process to confront racism and oppression, and recommitment to "our common call," the covenantal relationships of the association that must be nurtured in order to grow and remain healthy. Statement of Conscience Passed - Responsible Consumption is Our Moral Imperative Two years ago the General Assembly chose a Study/Action Issue on "Responsible Consumption". .. The draft was revised based on responses received from an all congregational mailing for feedback. The revised draft was included in the agenda for this year's 2001 General Assembly in Cleveland Ohio and passed in plenary to become a UUA Statement of Conscience speaking out to the world and to ourselves. Here's the entire text of the statement: Preface Material comforts that we enjoy in the United States and Canada come at a greater cost than we often realize. Our two countries, together with other industrial nations, consume a disproportionately large share of the natural resource base that sustains life on earth. While the United States and Canada alone account for only six percent of the world's population, we consume over forty percent of the world's resources. Some of us feel entitled to live materially comfortable lives. Our pursuit of happiness puts us on a treadmill of material acquisition and conspicuous consumption. Advertising, marketing, and peer pressure keep the treadmill turning. Perhaps our sense of entitlement comes unconsciously from a spiritual emptiness; we hope that material acquisitions will feed our hunger for deeper meaning. The Cost of Consumption The price we pay individually for the goods and services we consume does not reflect their ultimate cost. The hidden cost of irresponsible consumption is often far removed from the point of purchase or use. It is often difficult to document. The ultimate cost includes the price we pay up front and the hidden price paid by present and future generations when our actions increase human suffering and lead to the extinction of species, degradation of the environment, and depletion of natural resources. Our planet's natural resources are finite. We are depleting those resources at a rate which far exceeds the living system's natural capacity to replenish, cleanse, and sustain life. We have a responsibility to the earth and all of its creatures. We need to raise to consciousness the moral imperative of responsible consumption habits at home, at work, and in our religious communities. Our goal should be sustainability-a balance between the human impact on the natural world and the world's ability to support life indefinitely. A great deal of good work is being done by economists, business and others to include sustainability concepts, from which we can learn to change our thinking, habits and practices. Changes are needed by individuals, groups, private interests and government. Sustainability is possible when there is a dynamic balance of the economy, the environment, and the social system in a given community. An Ethic of Responsible Consumption The emerging ecological ethic values conservation, demands frugality, encourages saving, and emphasizes connectedness and community. Embracing this ethic makes socially responsible consumption more achievable. Individuals consume according to their need, ability, and taste; nonetheless, this consumption can, and should, be tempered by a collective ethic valuing the interests of the greater community as much as the entitlements of each individual. Moral values about responsible consumption can no longer be drawn from an ethic that assumes that our planet is available for us to exploit to fulfill our needs and pleasures. Our global dominion is limited, and we have already begun to encounter its limits. By continuing to follow an obsolete ethic, we are likely to cause irreparable harm to our ecology. We must cast away this ethic and begin to replenish what we take. We must work to restore and preserve what the interdependent web of life will need to sustain itself indefinitely. Unitarian Universalism Calls Upon Us Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls upon us to approach the ethic of responsible consumption with a passion for seeking truth, a thirst for making justice, a vision of interdependence, and a willingness to reexamine our own individual actions and beliefs. Becoming responsible consumers means putting into action our religious principles of the inherent worth and dignity of all people and the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part. We each begin a personal journey toward responsible consumption from a different place. Wherever we start, we must be mindful of our behavior, attentive to the voices and needs of others, and conscious of the natural rhythms of the world. Our journey continues through education. Through secular and religious education programs, we must challenge ourselves to rethink the underlying assumptions that guide our choices. Through dialogue in small groups, we nurture each other's environmental consciousness and examine competing claims of what individual responsibility actually means. Our journey is fulfilled by activism. We will work together for legislative changes that will reduce over-consumption, environmental degradation, and the unjust distribution of resources. This journey will change our lives. As we talk with our children about advertising and peer pressure, we will discover with them innovative ways to adjust our consumption levels, to conserve the earth's finite resources, and to simplify our lives. We will learn more about the hidden costs of the foods we choose to eat and the clothing we choose to wear. We will stretch the lifespan of our appliances, computers, and cars. Before buying, we will ask ourselves if we really need to make the purchase. When purchasing something new, we will buy the most energy-efficient model. We will extend the recycling circle by buying items already made of recycled materials. We will avoid purchasing products that are wastefully packaged or produced through the exploitation of animals or human labor . We will consider living closer to work or to public transportation. We will ensure that our individual and congregational pension funds are invested in socially responsible enterprises. We will pursue designation of our congregations as "green sanctuaries." As more of us become responsible consumers, we pave the way for systemic change. Individual actions are not enough to reverse the relentless tide of reckless societal consumption. Government efforts are needed to ensure the equitable balance of private interest with the public good. Recycling, environmental and fair labor standards, reduction of suburban sprawl, accessible and affordable mass transportation, and reduction of the causes of global warming - all these require the cooperation of public and private authorities. Many people have already simplified their lives. They confirm that it has been a liberating process, that their lives are more intentional, more meaningful, and happier. Prices, subsidies, and incentives may change as a consequence of this ethic. Entire industries may develop to utilize alternative natural resources such as wind energy, geothermal power, and solar power. We need to lobby government officials to end subsidies that promote the conversion of open spaces to housing subdivisions and to increase funding to rejuvenate inner city neighborhoods. We need to advocate zoning that promotes a mix of retail business and residential land use. By modeling the change in behavior that we wish to see in other people, we not only reinforce our own enduring commitment to this ethic, we also help others see the value of thinking and acting together. People learn to relish simplicity. They learn to rely less on possessions for filling the void in their lives. They understand that socially responsible consumption depends upon hearts, minds, and hands. The Unitarian Universalist Association hereby urges member congregations, affiliate organizations, individual Unitarian Universalists, and the wider communities in which we live, to embark on this noble journey. We are called to act courageously and to tread more lightly upon the earth. |
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Homeschool News from around the Nation: Homeschoolers Online Award-winning website lures surfers: Superior seventh grader wins state award for creation, by Maria Lockwood, The Daily Telegram, Superior, WI July 06th, 2001 "...If you ever wondered what the difference between a spinner and a lure is, what time of year you can fish for bass and walleye or what a belly boat is, "Abel's Lake Superior Sport Fishing Page" is for you. "The award-winning website was designed by Abel Gustafson of Superior, a home- schooled seventh-grade student. He won first place with it in the Wisconsin Webfair 2001 Competition, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA). "It's for beginning fishermen," said Abel about his site. "Just to get them started." It took the entire school year for Abel to put the page together. He worked on it three days a week, for an hour a day, under the watchful eye of his teachers -- parents Thomas and Cathy. ...The resulting site, http://members.nmci.com/abelg/, is beautiful -- filled with colorful photographs, a hand- drawn map, great tips and links to important sites. It was among the 147 websites, designed by 349 Wisconsin students in grades K-12, entered in the Webfair 2001 competition. "...Abel is not the only Webfair winner in the family. Four years ago his sister Emily, then in fifth grade, won first place in the competition with a website on Monarch butterflies. Emily's site not only won first place, it brought the family a flood of e-mail from throughout the world. Teachers and students from schools in the United States, Europe and Australia would write, telling the family that Emily's page was being used as part of their curriculum. (If you're in Wisconsin, you can learn more about the WebFair at http://webfair.wisc.edu. Or by contacting coordinator Alice Clausing at 715-232- 5168.)" From The Spokesman-Review, Idaho by Liz Kishimoto Marty Becktell, 20, is a homeschooled student and the editor who helped NIC to a national award for its online version of The Sentinel. He's certain that homeschooling boosted his skills into a realm most public-schooled students never reach. "Homeschooling gave me confidence. I wasn't judging myself by those around me," he says. "I think other kids make it in spite of public school." Marty wasn't enamored with journalism after a year in it at NIC, although he speaks highly of journalism instructor Nils Rosdahl. He wanted a change his second year, something more independent and separate from the liberal newsroom environment that fit his conservative thinking like a dress on a refrigerator. "I'm kind of a maverick, the only conservative on the staff," he says, explaining his belief in creationism, government's excess of power and man's inherent lack of goodness. "The Sentinel's online version offered him a challenge he couldn't resist. He still worked around the newsroom staff, but independently. The computer version of the college newspaper was his to shape -- if he could figure out how. That's where home-schooling came to his rescue. Marty knew he wanted the Sentinel online to grab and hold readers' interest. He didn't know enough about computers to do the job, so he bought himself a book -- "Sam's Teach Yourself HTML in 24 Hours." "...At home, he had no math teacher leading him through computations or science teacher explaining atoms, cells or diffusion. He studied books until he understood, so the computer book didn't intimidate him. Marty studied and practiced all summer on his home computer. He arrived at NIC in August prepared to add color photos to the Sentinel online. He was ready to streamline it, making it easy for readers to navigate, and dress it up with attractive fonts. "Readers and Marty's fellow journalists were impressed. "’At first I couldn't stand Marty. He's the most conservative person I've ever met,’ says Josh Studor, the Sentinel's editor-in-chief last semester. "But toward the end of our time together I really came to respect him. He did a great job online.’" Marty has no plans to pursue journalism. He wants to be a stockbroker. |
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Hometime Crafts and Ideas edited by Jackie Boone From member Jen Eagers, Long Island, NY (Thanks, Jen!) How to make a Travel Lap Desk You'll need: A shallow covered box that fits comfortably on your child's lap (such as a clothing box, or I used a box that books were shipped in), 2 cylindrical containers with covers (think oatmeal or Pringle’s cans), and decorative paper or photos to decoupage, or just use paint, and STRONG glue. Decorate the box and the cylinders any way you'd like, as long as the design stays flat. Glue the cylinders to the bottom of the box (spaced so your child's legs fit between them). The box holds papers, books, small toys, cards, game boards, etc. The cylinders hold pens, pencils, crayons, markers, doll clothes, game pieces and dice, etc. |
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Church Happenings From Amy Davidson: In May, Amy led an RE teachers’ recognition service at her church, North Fork Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, in Long Island, NY. Here's a portion of the text of that service, which is a lovely idea and a wonderful way to thank those who work so hard to give our children a good religious education. "Today we are honoring our religious education teachers. Please join me in reading # 728 (Blessed Are Those) "Blessed are those who yearn for deepening more than escape; who are not afraid to grow in spirit. Blessed are those who take seriously the bonds of community; who regularly join in celebration and learning; who come as much to minister as to be ministered unto. Blessed are those who bring their children; who invite their friends to come along, to join in fellowship, service, learning, and growth. Blessed are those who support the church and its work by their regular, sustained, and generous giving; and who give of themselves no less than their money. Blessed are those who know that the church is often imperfect, yet rather than harbor feelings of anger or disappointment, bring their concerns and needs to the attention of the church leaders. Blessed are those who when asked to serve, do it gladly; who realize that change is brought about through human meeting, who do the work of committees, and stay till the end. Blessed are those who speak their minds in meeting, who can take and give criticism; who keep alive their sense of humor. Blessed are those who know that the work of the church is the transformation of society; who have a vision of Beloved Community transcending the present, and who do not shrink for controversy, sacrifice, or change. "All: Blessed are they indeed. [After the reading, Amy recognized each teacher individually, commenting on the specific skills and important contributions of each one.] "I am proud to report that we have 100% participation by the parents of our Chalice Children. The children have grown to know and love each of you. "Matt teaches U.United Kids each Sunday, single-handedly. Thank you, for your commitment to our young people. And Max, you work each week with our Chalice Children. You are attentive and compassionate with our young children and they have grown to trust and to love you. (A note from Amy: Max is a 12-year-old member of our church who is the teacher's assistant every Sunday. He is more constant in the church lives of the children than even the teachers themselves). "Each of you prepares activities and reads books and spends an hour a week with our children. But what is most important is that the children feel cared about by the members of their church community and you are their first link to the adults of this church." [Each teacher was then presented with a flaming chalice pin as "a reminder of the flame of Unitarian Universalism that each of one of you carries and shares with our young people." The children were then asked to stand and be recognized.] Then the RE Leaders said: "You loan us your children one hour a week. For us to share the great adventure of meaning: Learning what is important. Grasping what each can count on and hold. If we would speak now, parents, to you, two things we would say: You are your children's greatest final teacher. Your children are wonderful, exciting human beings. Treasure who you are and what you have. It is sacred. It is good." "Please join me in reading the responsive reading printed in the order of service: "ONE: You have taught with Wisdom ALL: and helped to shape the minds of our children. ONE: You have taught with Truth ALL: and you have helped to shape the conscience of our children. ONE: You have taught with Vision ALL: and you have helped to shape the future. ONE: You have taught with Love ALL: and you helped to shape the world. I am only one But still I am one I cannot do everything But still I can do something And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. "Thank you, teachers, for doing ‘something’" Thank you Amy, for sharing this wonderful service! |
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Underground Mom By Jackie Boone The Raping of my Heart "No, no, nooooo." The heart-wrenching squeal tore through the core of my being and left its mark permanently branded in my memory. How could this happen? What was I thinking when I walked into this situation? I thought this was a good thing. I just knew that this was going to be fun and just an all round awesome experience. But instead, it has been a nightmare. Ok Undergrounders, I know you're appalled or maybe stunned by the title or maybe you're not sure about what you just read. But you read right, you did read rape. Maybe that word is a bit extreme but it's what I felt as well as what my daughter, my heart, felt. You see, my daughter began taking swimming lessons not long ago and has since completed them. But each day was a battle and was seriously dreaded, not just by her but also by her father and me. Every morning we all arose to upset stomachs and the long 20-minute drive to swim lessons. It was always the same speech about being brave and that the more you dread something the longer it will take for it to be over so you should just do it. But is that statement true? Do things really go better when you just "do it"? Is it ok to force your child to do something that they don't want to do even though it was originally what they asked to do? I know as stay-at-home-homeschoolingmoms we should put our children's best interests first. We are here to protect them but also teach them at their own pace. But yet this entire incident wasn't at her pace. It went faster than she was ready for and she was forced to do things that she didn't want to do. Just hearing her scream and seeing the tears just killed me. At what point do you intervene? When do you say "this is enough, stop, no more"? At what point do you do what you say? You know the phrase "I'll never make you do anything that you don't want to do." I was really tested on that level. I was making my daughter face her fear. Was that really for her good? Or mine? Well, you tell me. Are we supposed to have our children commit to following through on an activity that they asked to do, or do we let them quit? This is one of many questions I've been faced with lately and the answer isn't an easy one. I guess you hope that if there was damage done that it is healed with time. To be perfectly honest with you I won't know until my daughter comes to me one day in the future and says that this really affected her in a way that she just can't shake. How about it Undergrounders? How do you feel about this situation? Have you had to deal with such an intense moment? Email me (undergroundmom@mail.com). Tell me what you think, and if you had to deal with this issue share your experience. But don't worry, not one word of your email will be published unless we have your permission. Just know that your experience may help all of us struggling in this puzzle called parenting. Remember, let your child have fun and just chill. They are only young once. |
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Online and Off-line Resources As you make your Not-Back-to-School plans (so that's a little oxymoronic!), you're probably making every effort to keep it exciting and interesting for your children (and for yourself!). The best way to do that is to think outside the "school-at-home" box. Better yet, don't even *think* of school at home! Instead of looking for things like curricula and workbooks, consider some real life, real time, hands-on interactive education this fall. Locally, volunteering offers a myriad of wonderful opportunities for you and your children to indulge both compassion and special interests. One day a week of delivering Meals on Wheels offers not only real community service, but some good social studies and history opportunities as well, through conversations with elderly residents in your community. Most states have a Division of Elder Affairs you can contact to find out about volunteer opportunities in your area. If your interests are more environmental in nature, consider helping out at a nature center or park. Museums can often use helpers, as can libraries and other community resources. Most counties keep a list of volunteer agencies that can use help. Look online or contact your main county office. There are several online resources as well, including Volunteer Match at http://www.volunteermatch.org/ and CoolWorks.com, which offers a fascinating list of options at http://www.coolworks.com/vlnteer.htm. The Virtual Volunteer Project is another good site at http://www.serviceleader.org/vv/vonline2.html. You can also go global with your homeschooling. A wonderful and growing resource is the online collaborative learning projects. Principal among these (at least in my book) is Stevens University's (NJ) Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) projects. Offering a variety of K-12 learning opportunities in science, math and language arts, you can find a listing of CIESE projects at their website at http://k12science.ati.stevens-tech.edu/. There are collaborative projects linking students around the globe to study everything from water usage to human genetics, to real time data projects where students study real time earthquake data from around the world or follow ocean going research vessels to record marine and weather data. All the programs are free and typically run one to three months. We've participated in several and always learned something and enjoyed ourselves. We've also met some terrific and interesting folks through the projects. There are a number of sites listing various online collaborative projects, including: http://www.beaumont-publishing.com/efl/collprojects.htm, http://www.wtps.org/wths/imc/njea_online.htm, http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic1.htm and http://www.coweta.com/Internet/projects.html. NASA Quest at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/home/index.html is a highly sophisticated science and technology oriented site that provides a huge range of resources. And best of all, these programs fulfill our moral imperative of responsible consumption: They're all FREE! And they also do a magnificent job of bringing home just how very interconnected we are, in a fascinating and academically fulfilling way. |
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Socially Conscious Homeschooling A conversation on our online support group discussion list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UUHomeschoolers) raised an interesting issue recently. The topic was community service groups, like the Boy Scouts and Campfire Boys and Girls. The issue came up when a new member (we're up to 80 now, by the way, folks!) raised her moral dilemma about her son wanting to rejoin the Boy Scouts when they move back to the United States from Mexico soon. The new member wrote: "My husband and son both had a really good time together for about 2 years. At the time the Boy Scouts were just coming out with their homosexual policy and I was making noises about not liking him in a group that was discriminatory, but we all kind of just shlufted it off since he was already in it. ... Now we are moving and my husband wants to find a Boy Scout troop in the area. Since I've been looking into hs groups, and most I have come across are or seem to be fundamentalist Christian, I am nervous about the Boy Scouts. My son still puts on his uniform just to play around the house. He really did love it. He and his dad do other things together, but for some reason they liked all the pomp and circumstance of the Boy Scout meetings! I was hoping that the issue would just go away, but my son has stated that he is looking forward to going back to the states and doing Boy Scouts again. Any suggestions?" The suggestions came innocently enough, options like 4H and particularly Campfire Boys and Girls, which many members had very good experiences with, and a relatively new Pagan scouting organization called Spiral Scouts and Indian Guides. And then the reflections began: "My 7 yr. old son was a Tiger Cub this year, and he loved it. I disagree with the Boy Scouts' policy, and I do feel uncomfortable about it. But at the same time, I don't want to deprive Tyler of the experience. I am a Girl Scout leader, and my daughter is in my troop. Tyler wants to be a Boy Scout, and I feel it's not his fault that they discriminate. He should not be deprived or punished because of a bad policy made by grownups. His troop did some great work this year, including community service and personal responsibility." "I have been thinking about this, too. I know my daughter would absolutely love Girl Scouts, but I don't want to get her into something unless there is some kind of similar organization available to my son in a few years, and I will not allow Boy Scouts." "You can say that it isn't the kids' fault what the Boy Scouts believe and tell the world about, but if you allow your children to join such an organization, aren't you saying that their views are all right? Free speech is one thing, but saying that homosexuals can't lead or join a troop is quite another! Just my 2 cents..." "Just to add my .02, I am a gay UU Homeschooler and we started our own Campfire Scout Troop in response to the Boy Scout policy. Campfire does not discriminate and goes one more step by adding in a policy to break down sex-role stereotypes! I say don't' give into the Boy Scouts! start a campfire!" "I'm not saying their views are all right. I don't like being told what I think any more than the next person. I don't think making an assumption like that is open minded. Some people think that because I homeschool I am a born again Christian. Just because Born Again Christians homeschool, doesn't mean I homeschool for the same reasons. By allowing my son to join Boy Scouts, I allow him to have some bonding time with his cousin and his Dad. He is afforded lots of great learning experiences and opportunities. Is there anything out there that we can agree with all the views of a politician, organization or country? Is the Boy Scouts different than the don't ask, don't tell policy of the American government? Isn't it ok not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and say, while I disagree with this, I recognize the value of this, this, this and this? I am happy to see that there are groups out there that are more open-minded. I was sorry to read that the Boy Scouts do not even accept the UU religious recognition. I'm glad the Girl Scouts do. I don't know what the future will bring, but I wouldn't take away my son's year as a Tiger Cub. And several of the other parents (I haven't asked all) disagree with the Boy Scouts policy. Maybe it's a good thing to have open-minded people within the group? This policy doesn't affect my son directly right now, but as he grows, maybe he can make a difference. I hope I have expressed myself clearly; obviously this is a very difficult subject, and like so many other issues in life, is not black and white." And that is, of course, the crux of the whole thing: there are no black and white answers. Much of life is one big grey area where we're called upon to make individual choices based on ideas and opinions that can be difficult to articulate, even to ourselves. Sometimes life choices are easy: "I will homeschool." But life choices are never always easy: "My child loves this but I don't think it's morally right." "My child wanted to do this, but now she doesn't - do I make her see it through? Why or why not?" As UU Homeschoolers, we have an opportunity to live more deliberately and thoughtfully than many people. The world can be equally our classroom, our oyster and our heartbreak. But we have accepted personal responsibility for being alive and for those we have brought into the world. We have chosen not to defer the difficult choices to strangers. Whatever our choices, they are ours, and for that, we can applaud ourselves. |
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Homeschooling Contacts: See our web page here for the most up-to-date list of contacts. |
HUUmans at Home
HUUmans at Home HUUmans at Home is a quarterly publication of UU Homeschoolers Contents reflect the views of the authors and are not necessarily those of any particular group of people. The editor welcomes submissions of articles, letters, media reviews and other items of interest to our readers. Inquiries and submissions can be sent to:
Email: Terri sparrow@tampabay.rr.com
Rights to all submissions to this newsletter remain with the authors. Permission is hereby granted for homeschoolers to quote from this newsletter in whole or in part with the requirements that this newsletter is properly credited as the source and that a copy of the quote is sent to the editor at the above address.
