CYM Update August 2, 2006

Diocese of San Jose Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries

*Info regarding the Middle East Crisis from Linda Batton’s Office
*Draft of the policy regarding chaperones for Youth Ministry Events
*NCYC—National Catholic Youth Conference
*Safe Environment Training for all YMC’s Youth Summit
*Dates to Remember

From Linda Batton’s Office:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Attached is the latest bulletin announcement from CRS regarding the crisis in the Middle East and a request for the U.S. leadership to achieve an immediate ceasefire, deliver humanitarian aid and to seek political solutions. Please circulate this action alert to your networks. For further information and to view the recent statements from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Church leaders, see http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/mideastind.htm#general.

In solidarity,
Linda Batton
Associate for Evangelization, Justice, & Peace
Director of Missions
email: batton@dsj.org
Read “Faith Doing Justice
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Policies regarding Chaperones On and Off site
I am sending you a draft of the policy regarding chaperones, off and on-site, drivers, etc., for your feedback. This is based on conversations I have had with many of you. Once I hear back from you I will set this as the policy for the DSJ regarding chaperones on and off site activities.

On site (on parish grounds)
Minimum: 1 adult male and 1 adult female.
We would like to see a ratio of 1 adult to 10 youths as something to aim for. Good Youth Ministry implies that there are a good number of adults to help with all the dynamics and jobs required for a decent youth ministry night. One adult may never lead a YM group by him or herself without any other adult present. If it happens that no adults have come to help supervise, then the session is cancelled and the parents need to be called to pick up their children.

Off-site local retreats and activities:
1 adult to 8 youths
The number of girls to boys should be reflected as closely as possible to the number of women to men chaperones.
-Confirmation retreats
-other youth retreats
-day trips

Off-site retreats, conferences, outside the Bay Area:
1 adult to 6 youths
The number of girls to boys should be reflected as closely as possible to the number of women to men chaperones.
-NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference will be in Columbus, Ohio in 2007-this ratio is set by the NFCYM and is non-negotiable),
-Tahoe Retreat, which is out of state
-LA Youth Day

Sleeping arrangements:
For overnight retreats or activities, adult men and women may not sleep in the same rooms as the youth. However in the case of a dorm style sleeping arrangements, two adults (never one adult) must stay in the same dorm as the youth. Adults and youth must be of the same gender in dorm sleeping arrangements.

Drivers: minimum age 21-preferably 25
No driver may drive alone with any one youth.
No adult may never be alone with a youth out of sight of other adults
All licenses and insurance info must be on file at the parish or entity sponsoring the retreat.

All chaperones, drivers, adults who work in ministry to youth must have fingerprint clearance before they are allowed to work with the youth.
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NCYC—National Catholic Youth Conference
Nov 8-10 2007, Columbus, Ohio- and it is not
too early to start planning.
I would like a committee to help me plan this trip. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please email me at scott@dsj.org.
Let’s bring a delegation from the DSJ—it is an awesome event!!!
Click here à: http://www.nfcym.org/ncyc/index.htm for more info!
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Safe Environment Training for all YMC’s
Aug 14, Aug 21, Aug 28, 6:30-8:30 pm
This training series will help you train your young people about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and teach them that they have a voice—they have dignity!
This is especially important information for all new adult YM Leaders, volunteers or staff.

Youth Summit
We will be sending you a process for the Youth Summit that will take place on November 10.
We are asking that you do this process at one of your Youth Ministry gatherings so that we can have the information from the parishes for the Youth Summit. The themes of the summit are Vocation; Leadership, and Parish Partnership.
We are also asking that one youth rep from each parish participates in the forum. You can decide who to send and how you will choose this young person. We do ask that this youth is articulate and exhibits some leadership skills.
I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you in your programming. Our intent is to gather information from you and your youth that will help all of us work toward a partnership of handing on our faith to young people in concrete and intentional ways.
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Dates to remember:
September 7
Orientation Day for all Youth Ministry Directors-Coordinators
9-3 at Santa Teresa Parish

September 16
Youth and Young Adult Day: Bridging the Gap
noon-midnight
Mass with Bishop at 5 pm
St Julie Billiart Parish

October 29
World Youth Sunday
Click here for more info: http://www.nfcym.org/resources/ymrm/index.htm

November 10-11
Faith Formation Conference:
Empowering Those in Ministry
"Rooted in Faith, Embracing our Future"
"Arraigados en la Fe, Abrazando Nuestro Futuro"
Santa Clara Convention Center

Nov 30-Dec 2
NCCYM in Las Vegas
Click here for more info: http://www.nfcym.org/nccym/index.htm