Kids These Days
Once upon a time, when the Wahey Boys were still in the Weymouth schools, everything was free. We drove cars (that weren’t free) to school and parked for free. We played any sport we wanted for free. We took the bus for free. We had to take Phys. Ed. (to learn Square Dancing), but it was free, and they gave you a funny outfit for free. Field trips- free. Pencils, rulers, paper…yep- all free. If someone told us we were going to have a fundraiser, we would have said, “sure, we like raising fun, as long as it’s free.”
Nowadays, families have to pay for everything. EVVVERYTHIIIING!! They probably have to pay a sidewalk fee when they walk to school. Oh wait, that’s right, nobody walks anymore; but we’re getting off subject.
Ok, so they have to pay, it’s a sign of the times. So how do they pay? Well, Mom and Dad, or maybe just Mom or just Dad, pays; or they pay by raising the money through fundraising efforts. Children in this day and age are used to this. If they’re involved with any out-of-school sports such as Little League or Pop Warner or other activities like Boy Scouts, then they are all too familiar with the concept of fundraising. There are fundraising parties, raffles, cake-bakes, car washes and probably the simplest method, “canning”. We always thought canning was a method of preserving vegetables; but these days, canning is when the children themselves, probably with supervision, stand outside a store and have people donate their money directly into a can. What better of a way to learn and appreciate the effort required to raise money for a worthy cause.
And it gets better. Instead of just raising the money, they have to do it by the rules. Yes, that’s right, there are rules to fundraising. Now keep in mind that no good parent would let his son or daughter raise funds illegally. That would be bad parenting. But let’s say we try doing some canning outside Curtis Liquors, for instance? Not illegal, right? Lots of traffic, especially on the week-end, great idea, right? NOPE. Evidently, if you raise funds outside a liquor store, you’re going to be tempted to go in and buy some beer and drink it. At least that’s the thoughts of the Weymouth Drug Prevention Czar, Lyn Frano. Wow, we just keep learning new stuff. So, alcohol abuse starts with fundraising. We didn’t know that. So it has nothing to do with improper parenting, or drug abuse education or enforcement of drug laws. Hm.
Oh, by the way, way back when the Wahey Boys were in school, we were taught that drugs and alcohol were bad and shouldn’t be abused. Later on, we taught our children the same way and this unique concept was enforced through a national program endorsed by the President called D.A.R.E. But that was back in the drug daze, you know, when everything was free.
So today, not only are children required to pay for everything, they’re required to do it according to a lengthy set of laws set forth by the Police Chief, Superintendent of Schools, the School Committee (Gail Sheehan), and the Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator. Can’t wait to read that rule book. No wonder we need a Substance Abuse Whosawhatsit.
Here’s some Wahey Boys advice. How about we get rid of the Substance Abuse Whosamajigga and take her pay and buy the kids some pens and pencils. Oh, and we should send the Drug Abuse Whosy to a seminar on WHAT CAUSES DRUG ABUSE.
One more, let the kids raise funds and be happy they’re being raised properly.
POSTED BY STAN at April 15, 2009
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