HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-06-19-YC-rpt.pdf SGL.E6 i MEN v�/
JUN 201986 June 19 , 1986 I /
As Chairman of the Lexington Youth Commission, here is a
report from our committee which I am submitting to Human Services
at the meeting at 5 PM
For the last three years as Chairman, and member for five years ,
I have worked with many energetic young people When we first
started we had five youth members , today we have sixteen energetic
young people Their attendance is good in September and we
still have the same numbers in May Which is great' They
are full of ideas and speak freely to us adults about problems
they see, and how they want to solve them
Some of the projects we have worked on in the past have been,
Student Government Day, Alcohol/Drug Awareness programs , SPANS ,
Recreation, Outward Bound Fund, and we have a committee set
up in the Spring that does the medals for the Outstanding Youth
Awards for Patroits Day
One problem I see as Chairman very frustrating is the lack
of funding for our committee to work with We have a budget of
$500 00 to work with and now I would like to see an increase of
$500 00 Last year I had to go to an outside organization in
Lexington to help us fund our Alcohol/Drug Awareness Week
With the extra money we could do more in recreation, plan a dance,
have a recreation time with the handicap and student leaders
in the High School which our students wanted to do last year
One of many problems I see today is Alcohol/Drugs In the past
our committee had Evening programs once a year But the attendance
was not that good We had a panelist from the Fire, Police Dept
Replace and Emergency Ward - SymthesChoate Hospital This
past Fall , I felt the only way to reach the students was to
go into the schools That we did, and I felt our Alcohol/Drug
Awareness Week was very successful
We addressed 1400 students with the Lancaster Outreach Immates
in October, Ron Burton, ex Patroits Football Player, myself
and youth member Gail Previte went to the Junior High School,
and two youth members and Lt Steve Corr went to the Elementary
Schools , where Sean Maloney and Bart Graff spoke to the students
about themselves and how they stayed away from drugs and alcohol
Kids from our commission spoke to us many times about having a
building to go too , to hang out at night , hear the radio , do
recreational things , have some one available to talk to (Adult
for counselling) if needed I see a building in town already
available to many younger youth, some teenagers use it for
basketball and weight-lifting, that building is Hayden It
would be nice if more programs could be available to the older
teenagers , and maybe have a dance for them once or twice a year
The only other dances available in town are the CYO' s Replace
is available to the youth, to go to for counselling or just
� � � hang out , but not all youth want to go to REPLACE
If we could utilize Hayden, information could also be
available for the youth Pregnacy, Suicide support groups ,
Alcohol/Drugs etc Emergency Hot-Line Numbers available
in case some are in a situation where they need help immediately
some. day
Of course, this takes money and as I said before my
budget is very limited Working with the Youth in this
town is one of my biggest enjoyments , but I find it
very frustrating when my hands are tied, and our commission
is lacking funds to co-ordinate more programs for the youth
in town
I also would like to see Health Education in the sixth
and Junior High Schools Problems do exist , pregnancy, drugs
alcohol , and now we hear more about suicide
Now is the time to tackle these problems They do exist in this
town, and by co-ordinating all our resources and agencies we
can start by working together, making more adults available
to help these teenagers and educating them more before
more problems arise
Nancy Barter
Chairman
Lexington Youth Commission
In the past five years on the Youth Commission, I have also
seen an increase of students participating from five to now
sixteen students They attend regularly from Sept thru May
Note To organize this past Drug/Alcohol Awareness week
I have to go to an outside organization for money $150 00 for
the program, but it certainly was worth while I want
to do it again this Fall, where the ninth graders are going
to the High School