William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-12-01 / 12. szám
Re-joining hands America’s fraternal benefit societies prepare for the second Join Hands Day As a member of the William Penn Association you often have the opportunity to participate in a variety of volunteer, social and heritage programs developed and sponsored by our Association. In 2001, we hope you will take part in Join Hands Day, a day created by the WPA and 84 other fraternal benefit societies that focuses on something unique: building partnerships between youth and adults through neighborhood volunteering. Join Hands Day is special for a few reasons: It was created by fraternal benefit societies. That means you and the more than 10 million other fraternalists across the country have the opportunity to take part on June 16, 2001. It involved partnering youth apd adults together to plan and participate in a day of volunteer activity. As youth and adults plan and volunteer together, they take their first steps in building relationships, relationships that help break down barriers between the ages. If properly maintained, these new relationships could lead to new young members in your branch. The second annual Join Hands Day will take place Saturday, June, 16, 2001. When your branch begins planning events for its 2001 year, please include Join Hands Day in your plan. More information on this day will be coming out over the next few months, including complete "howto" information, as well as details on the Join Hands Day recognition program that will award more than $20,000 in cash prizes to the best projects. Getting started is easy, and in February we will send you everything needed to make your project a real success. Why is it so important that we strive to build youth-adult partnerships? For the answer, we can begin by looking at a recent Newsweek article which cited a one study revealing that teenagers today spend one-fifth of their time alone. We can also pay attention to what Patricia Hersch writes in her 1998 book, A Tribe Apart: "Adolescents are not a tribe apart because they left us, as most people assume. We left them. This generation of kids has spent more time on their own that any other in recent history." Is it any wonder that only 20 percent of young people perceive that adults value youth? So how can an event like Join Hands Day help? Mingling among different generations doesn't happen naturally today. Such events need to be incorporated into daily living. Join Hands Day begins the process by 'On the first Join Hands Day, young people and adults worked together as volunteers in thousands of communities to paint, clean and improve things right where they live. In the process, they discovered the real and wonderful truth about each Other.' - John Dutton, president, Join Hands Day helping youth and adults find and learn about each other. By planning one day a year when generations volunteer together to do something good for their communities, relationships will begin to develop. Join Hands Day stimulates action. As individuals of all ages merge their strengths, communities can again build the richness of an age-integrated society. The Join Hands Day contact person at the WPA is John E. Lovász. If you ever have questions about how you or your branch can participate, please contact him toll-free at 1-800- 848-7366, ext. 135. You can also contact the Join Hands Day Action Center toll-free at 1-877-OUR-1DAY or visit the Join Hands Day web site at www.joinhandsday.org. We look forward to hearing how your branch will participate, and we thank you for your support of Join Hands Day-pf] A JOINKMMIESDAY it starts with us Sponsored by America's Fraternal Benefit Societies In Partnership with The Points of Light Foundation JUNE 16,2001 Willi» I’pnn Life, December 2000 9
