Final Group Meeting

Tonight was the final meeting... it went very smoothly and quite a bit occurred. We had all of our kids except one, who unfortunately was home with the flu. The meeting began with all of the members going into Gelsons market and shopping for our BBQ. A few kids didn't want the steak or Kosher hot dogs we purchased and were not interested in other alternatives, except "Chicken Tenders." Our rule for the BBQ is that we will purchase side dishes, chips, fruit, and other items, but the food itself needs to be cooked by us. One child later changed his mind and another stuck with peanut butter crackers.

It's always a tough decision... we don't wish to make the BBQ experience unpleasant for any child, but eating something like Chicken Tenders, that they probably order all the time, makes it a different experience, especially because we've already had our "park dinners" and similar outings where that's what they ordered.

In any case, our 12 kids made it successfully through the market, with only one child not being able to figure out what he wanted to drink. We do not permit a child to have large sugary drinks, such as 2.5 servings of Gatorade and this child hadn't been able to decide when all of the other kids were making choices, so he wound up with water. Interestingly, he didn't complain or melt down, which would have likely occurred earlier in the group.

Tables and chairs were set up outside by the Alumni members (yes, I helped) and everyone socialized while dinner was being prepared. We have a new addition to the office, "Sophie." She is a Samoyed, presently 3 1/2 months old. She came to us at nine weeks of age and has been growing steadily, now up to about 25 pounds. I have been socializing her (just praise and mild verbal correction) and it seemed she was ready to go "into action." All of you will receive photos of your kids posing with her. Watching ten of them surround her and interact was truly wonderful... she seemed to be enjoying herself too (and slept very well last night).

They washed up or used "wipies" after playing with her and had dinner. Afterwards, we had a project for them, our "Parent Appreciation Certificates." They wrote out their portions on scratch paper, then copied them information onto the certificates. I don't know if we're getting better at this or you just have great kids (both?), but this went extremely smoothly. Last summer, when we introduced this project, it took double the time I had allotted and a couple of kids were not able to complete it. Not so this time around. Everyone participated enthusiastically, took it seriuosly, and completed it in a timely manner.

Finally, time for dessert. As you know, we usually do not give the kids desserts or treats, except infrequently. We let them shop at the bakery for cupcakes and other single portion items. One child who had a dietary restriction successfully found a non-dairy item to consume (Oreos) and even shared with another child who came late and had missed the shopping portion.

All of the kids received framed photos of themselves, the parent certificates, plus their certificates of achievement for participating in the group. Group members either "attained" Alumni Status or "maintained" it. This means they demonstrated an understanding of group rules and generally followed them, plus, can take on additional responsibilities in subsequent groups, should they return in the future. It's pure social status, but you'd be amazed how it affects kids if they temporarily "lose" their Alumni Status. This hasn't happened recently and the way they gain it back is to display expected prosocial behvaiors.

I think I covered everything. It was an active evening, with few or no problems. It's hard to believe that eight months have gone by so quickly. I will be doing a follow-up blog that shows the results from this year.

Thank you for participating. Have a great summer!

Bruce