Validate All

We often hear many proposals on how to cure the ills of our Society.  These proposals are usually more frequent after shootings, killings and other violent crimes are committed.

Yes, this is a trait of the human race.  Just as we all  pray to be spared right after we hear a tornado warning alert.

I would suggest that we all commit to improving our Society each and every day; not just after a series of violent events.

As I reflect on my youth and the development of the citizens that I and my peer group enjoyed I would like to share a few ideas that apparently worked then; and could also be employed now as we all strive to solve the problems of our current society.

• I attended a school where Scholars were allowed the opportunity to explore an interest.  I could write all the Countries of the World and spell them correctly when I was in the Fourth Grade.  (The map of the world was always pulled down so I focused on the countries of the world when I was not involved in other scholarly activities).
• When I was twelve years old I joined 4-H.  My Brother, who was ten and I had "Baby Beef" projects our first year in 4-H.  I had a steer which I named "Ike" and my  Brother named his heifer "Mamie."  Neither of us won a blue ribbon at the Clayton County Fair; but we did learn a lot about being responsible.  In addition to daily feeding and watering, we had to halter break our "Baby Beef" projects so that we could "show" them at the County Fair.  When we joined about three dozen other skinny farm kids in the show ring for the "Baby Beef" judging we wore our white trousers and white shirts.  You can be sure that prior to putting on our "show" clothes that we had groomed our "Baby Beef" projects.  They were shampooed, curried and even had their hooves polished.  I do not recall my weight at that time, but I suspect that it was not more than 105 pounds and yet I was leading a 750 pound baby beef around the show ring on show day.  Every one of us was proud of our accomplishments and My Brother and I were especially happy and proud of what we had accomplished during our first year in 4-H.  We both, as well as our other four Siblings participated in 4-H throughout our young lives until we each graduated from High School.
• During my High School years I was involved in Mixed Chorus, Boys Glee Club and Band.  I state this fact to relate that the High School I attended had only 126 Scholars and there were 110 in Mixed Chorus and 60 in the Band.  Because I was a farm kid; like most of my peers; but from a large family with limited cash resources I rode the bus home each day to be a farm worker.  I was not involved in sport such as Baseball, Basketball or Track.  I state this here to relate that each Scholar at this High School had the opportunity to participate in activities in addition to Classroom work.  We all had the opportunity and indeed were involved in wholesome activities in addition to the Scholarship activities we all also participated in each School Day.
• I was able to enlist in the U. S. Navy; which I did to avoid the Draft into the U. S. Army.  I had had enough of walking on gravel roads as a farm kid.  Besides that I wanted to view the World.  I served for 21 years and had many opportunities to interact with peoples of all cultures in the World as I traveled and also served my Country.  I might add that I was 132 pounds when I enlisted.  If I had been four pounds less I could not have enlisted.  I stated this fact to simply point out that there was no obesity problem in the Society I was raised in.  My Boot Camp company consisted of 79 kids from Iowa and one from Alaska.  We accepted him and he was our "Boot Camp Petty Officer for Scholarship."

These brief reflections on my development opportunities are shared today to point out that I was not raised in a wealthy family; yet I was afforded many opportunities to have my young life validated.  The events of my youth did not require vast sums of money and I grew up to appreciate challenges and the rewards of dedication to the task at hand.

Today, we in Bibb County Georgia have great infrastructure for the schooling/education of our scholars.  We have all participated in the funding of these many buildings and the lovely looking Campus environments.

Yet we are not allowing our Scholars the opportunities to be validated citizens such as I was allowed to do!!!  What a tragic and indeed a senseless loss!!

So, you may be asking, "What are we doing incorrectly?'  I would suggest that our current system of education/child development suffers because we do not allow our Scholars to have fun during the learning process.

• We stifle the development of imagination.
• We fail to challenge our Scholars.
• We do not all Scholars to digress from the "established standards" to that they can explore their interest.  Yes, we have AP courses in High School; however the normal Elementary Education process must adhere to a posted outside each classroom door "established standards" list.  I have even heard where children in the much lower grades have to be evaluated on how well they perform body elimination functions when they are at school.  If this is true, what have the parent/s accomplished in the first few years of their Scholar's life/lives?  (Please refer back to my self-imposed "World Map Activities" that I enjoyed in the Fourth Grade).
• Most critical is the fact that we do not accept the fact that a child learns more in the first three years of life than they do during the balance of their time on Planet Earth.

The fact that very early childhood education is critical is stated here to place major emphasis on the fact that Parent/s are the "Most" responsible members of our Society to insure that we develop appropriate citizens for tomorrow.

I also realize that this may be difficult to achieve when we have so many children having children; but please be aware that one of my Grandmothers was married at the age of sixteen!!  But she was also a responsible Farmer's wife who raised four children, including My Mother.

Yes, I was validated as a young child.  Yes I was well blessed with five younger Siblings.  Yes, I learned teamwork as a young farm kid.  Yes, I enjoyed the opportunity to be raised in a two parent home.  Yes I was born in another era.  Yes, it was post the Great Depression!!

Yet, I submit today that in spite of all the technology advances of the past sixty years that we as a Society are short changing our future.

So I ask - Are we stifling the development of our next generations by not allowing them and also future young peoples the opportunity to be validated.

Thank You!!