Children cannot eat rhetoric, and they cannot be sheltered by commissions. I don’t want to see another commission that studies the needs of kids. We need to help them.
— Marion Wright Edelman in Brian Lanker, I Dream A World
Each of us, at any age, can serve as well as inspire others to act in service. This session prepares children to find their own point of entry into service and leadership. They hear the story of Craig Keilburger, who began working to make a difference at age 12. To help child laborers in Pakistan he founded Free the Children, a service organization which now involves thousands of child and youth activists around the world.
The children explore the nature of leadership in a game related to Follow the Leader. They incorporate the “tied together” theme of the program by making canvas rugs with fringed edges in the style of rugs child laborers knot in Pakistan and other countries.
The details about Sunday morning:
Babies – 4 year olds
- Children’s covenant, chalice lighting and joys & concerns
- Play inside
Kindergarten- Grade 8
- Children’s covenant, chalice lighting and joys & concerns
- Listen to story: ” Craig Keilburger and Free the Children“
- Play Find the Leader
What you can do this week at home:
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. How do you make a difference in the world? Discuss with your family what things each of you choose to do to act in service to the larger world. In what ways are you leaders? Invite family members to share stories of times when other people have followed their lead in doing service.
A Family Adventure. Visit a local rug or carpet shop. Observe not only the patterns and colors, but also how the rugs are constructed. Look closely at the individual knots on handmade rugs. What would it be like to tie all those knots? Ask the proprietor of the store whether the Rugmark Foundation has certified that the rugs they sell were made without child labor. You can read a story about RUGMARK in the online archives of the Unitarian Universalist magazine for children, uu&me!
A Family Game. The children played a game in which one person left the room or hid their eyes while another person in the circle was chosen as leader. The others in the circle tried to follow the actions of the leader as closely as possible, while the designated guesser tried to determine who in the circle was the leader. If you have enough people at home, try this game. You can always invite friends to play, or simply play Follow the Leader without the added challenge of guessing. How often do children in your family feel like they are the leaders? After you play the game, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being a leader.
Let me know if I can be supportive to you in any other way! I am here for you.
All my best with blessings,
Amy
re@beaconuu.com