| Communities that Care! |
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| By Pam Lyle | |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | |
| Last Updated ( Saturday, 24 May 2008 ) |
John Montgomery and “The Hutchinson News” stand up and beware… with “Whats Up Hutch” rolling off the internet and me being asked to be a regular columnist - who knows what could happen with local news media??? It could just explode!
Was I ever surprised and excited when Mitchell Hargrave, Editor of “whatsuphutch.com (WUH) of LogicMaze, Inc. asked me, Pam Lyle, General Flunky, to be a regular columnist for this great new adventure.
After quickly agreeing, I thought about it and asked myself “why me?” – well, Mitchell knows me pretty well, he knows I’ve lived in the Hutchinson area since 1964, knows I’ve volunteered for most every organization that exists in this area, knows I love living here, knows it’s very important that it is a safe environment and that the education and extracurricular activity opportunities are important to me for my grandchildren and he knows I talk a lot and this might keep me quiet for a while. So with that in mind, I will try to do my best and, hopefully, I will inform you and entertain you for as long as they agree to anyway! It was very easy to come up with my first topic as it is very fresh in my mind...
I have just taken on a new task. I am now a new “sector representative and board member” for the non profit organization here in Reno County called “Communities That Care”. I have to tell you I did not know much about this organization when Diane Caton called and asked me to represent the “Civic/Volunteer” section of this organization. She explained quickly that it involved helping youth and their issues and that has always been my love. I had just stepped down from being on the board of the Boys and Girls Club and had chaired it for two years so agreed. Communities That Care started in 2003 and their vision is to “have a community where all individuals have the opportunity to develop a safe and caring community through positive relationships and healthy beliefs and clear standards”.
Right now their concentration is working
very hard with a grant through the State on obtaining funds for “underage
drinking” in Reno County. This intrigued me from the start.
I must give you a little personal history here. When I was very
small, I came from a very poor, single mother environment where my father
had been an abusive alcoholic. My former life was working 8 years
in law enforcement, married to law enforcement for 23 years and now
with a judge for 12 years who feels strongly that the majority of his
cases are caused by alcohol or drug abuse. So saying that, we do not
drink and it is not in our home. I have never offered my child,
nor will I ever offer my child or my grandchildren alcohol. They
know that and they respect that – amazingly, without ever saying a
word or even discussing it, none of our kids (who have a beer occasionally)
drink in front of us. My husband and I are not opposed to drinking alcohol;
we are opposed to abusing it in any form or fashion.
Now back to my original column.
I was in a meeting last week for Communities that Care
with some pretty outstanding people to include law enforcement, educators,
health care, business owners, state representatives, parents, and ministers
– a very well rounded group EXCEPT kids. They were all in school
taking finals. We were disappointed in that aspect. We were
given lots of data on underage drinking and information they had obtained
from surveys that were given to high school students.
The survey turned out to be very interesting to me. I’m not going into the “detailed” information with you – I’m only going to give you the highlights. The survey stated we have a big problem in Reno County with underage drinking. While we were “brainstorming” we spent a great deal of time looking at the “influencing factors”. The two factors I want to cover in my column today are:
- Parents buying and providing the alcohol for their underage kids
- 21 year old kids buying it for underage kids
For the first one, I will never, never understand, nor will I accept any rational explanation a parent gives me. “They are going to drink anyway, I would rather they do it here”; “I don’t want them to drive and drink”; - parents, get real! It’s against the law, set the example, start a positive lifestyle!
I talked to my 17 year old granddaughter and she was amazing and I was proud, but she set me straight. “Yep, grandma, that’s where most of them get their alcohol – from their parents in their parents house – I think it’s awful, grandma!” She said she’d been to a few of those parties and really could not believe it was happening. You know what though, she’s pretty much a straight A student, has lettered in 3 sports and her parents (and grandparents!) definitely keep track of her so she has little time or desire for it.
For the second issue, I believe it could the 21 kids that maybe did not go onto college, maybe have too much time on their hands, not sure where they fit in, maybe do not fit in with the “young professionals”, still trying to fit in with the “high school kids”? – Maybe Hutchinson hasn’t done a good job of having positive things provided for them or maybe we haven’t made it known to them. Maybe whatsuphutch.com can help them and they would find something positive to in Hutch instead of providing alcohol to minors!
You’re going to be hearing more from Communities that Care regarding this issue and I hope you step up and help where you can. I have four grandchildren in the school district and I will work hard to keep it the positive environment that I get to enjoy with them – drinking alcohol has not be a part of that!
Didn't your momma teach you to share? Share us.
Users' Comments (12) |
 05-24-2008 15:57, , Guest Will you??? Use a fake name if you want but stick to that name so we can have a discussion.  05-24-2008 16:51, , Registered I'm not a parent, but I can just imagine having told my mother I wanted her to buy booze for me when I was underage. I can easily picture the look that would have said, "Oh my, my poor baby, you must have totally and completely lost your freaking mind. What happened to you? Did your brain get sucked out be aliens? Have you confused me with someone else? I'm your MOTHER."  05-24-2008 19:21, , Registered 05-24-2008 22:08, , Guest 05-25-2008 02:49, , Guest for minors, I personally don't like to get drunk and I see what is so fun about it, its just depressing, I mean I have been known to have the-occasional import beer but thats even a rarity. I Just wish there were more concerned responsible kids out there too. Strong emphasis on the more I you are out there. 05-25-2008 02:52, , Guest for minors, I personally don't like to get drunk and I don't see what is so fun about it, its just depressing, I mean I have been known to have the-occasional import beer but thats even a rarity. I Just wish there were more concerned responsible kids out there too. Strong emphasis on the more part I know you are out there. sorry for reposting this but there were some pretty serious grammar errors to take care of. 05-25-2008 02:54, , Guest for minors, I personally don't like to get drunk and I don't see what is so fun about it, its just depressing, I mean I have been known to have the-occasional import beer but thats even a rarity. I Just wish there were more concerned responsible kids out there too. Strong emphasis on the more part I know you are out there. sorry for reposting this but there were some pretty serious grammar errors to take care of there thats the last time I promise. 05-25-2008 22:05, , Guest 05-25-2008 23:02, , Guest 05-26-2008 01:19, , Registered |
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