November 6, 2008 Meeting

Sign In, Social Networking, Morning Hospitality

Introductions

Prayer

YMN Business

  • Report on fall social
    • Baseball theme
    • Good times
  • Bill’s Bulletin
    • Liability/Risk Management
      • Nov 11 @ Annunciation, 1:00-3:00
    • NCYC: Nov 19-21, 2009
      • NFCYM website has video clip
    • World Youth Day: Oct 26, 2008
      • Amy S. shared what her parish did
        • Printed pictures and post them all over the church
        • Part of intercessory prayers
      • Nikki S. shared
        • Blessing at end of mass
        • 2 petitions
        • Youth helped with Mass
        • Youth group had a booth
    • Faithsharing Rotation at Nikki S. church
      • Faithsharing at Confirmation
      • Asked adults to come and share their faith
    • Still interested in NCCYM in December? Contact Bill

Announcements

  • Center for Mission: Trip to Red Lake
    • Mike Huasl spoke briefly about trip, contact him or YouthWorks for more info
  • Illuminare Program
    • Alisa Weber encouraged us to join
    • Cohort model
    • 4 sessions/year
  • Fr. John Dear at St. Joan of Arc
    • November 9th at 3pm speaking on Peace

Professional Development:

Netsmartz Presentation by Commander Neil Nelson, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (Minnesota ICAC Task Force)

  • Can find on web, use program, and have them come out to talk to your parish.
  • Pedators are now on internet
    • 1 in 3 had unwanting exposure to sex explicit pics
    • 1 in 7 receive a sex solicitation or approach
    • 1 in 10 was threatened or harrassed
    • 1 in 25 received an aggressive sexual solicitation (from someone who asked to meet them somewhere; called them on the telephone; sent them regular mail, money, or gifts)
  • Internet Porn
    • $2.5 billion industry in US
      • #1 industry on internet
    • 25% of web searches are for pornography
    • 4 million websites
    • Average age of first exposure to porn online: 11 years old
    • Age range that makes up largest group of online viewers of porn: 12-17
  • Children are stumbling onto it, are curious, and not going to parents or adults to see if it’s normal
  • People lead an entirely different life in the cyber world:
    • Cyber life is usually the most skewed
    • How do we as ministers deal with this new component of life?
      • Beyond family life, spiritual life, and peer life
      • Need to create balance
  • Case Study: David Lakin
  • Kids equate time with trust
    • Because they have shared their intermost secrets and dreams then this relationship is real.
    • Most suspect-victim relationships
  • Mixed Messages
    • Magazines make pics and headlines that make internet relationships look exciting, even if they are telling about the danger of it.
  • Internet is most powerful tool and no lessons about dangers are given until later.
    • Internet is the children’s new neighborhood
    • Parents need to set the limits and boundaries of the neighborhood
    • Kids will test boundaries, but they will come back to those boundaries
  • Netsmartz program/tool: http://www.netsmartz.org
    • Tabs/Areas for all ages
    • Has downloadable teaching materials
      • Message to males: empowerment to tell
      • Message to females: stay away
      • If have problems with downloading can get materials from contact Archdiocese—Protection of Children & Youth Initiative
      • Also try www.netsmartz.org\education
      • Info page: www.netsmartz411.org
      • Can find your questions’ answers. Or post your own questions and have it answered, then it gets added to the list.
  • Predators slowly isolate the victim
  • Check out Second Life for idea of how cyberlife can get out of control, weird, etc…
  • Internet is not bad, but we need to teach kids how to use it responsibly
  • If you want someone form ICAC to come out to talk, you can email Neil (neil.nelson@ci.stpaul.mn.us) and he will forward the email onto the correct person. Amy Schroeder and Sharon Tomlin has the phone number.

Submitted by Maria Amundsen