National Catholic Youth Conference 2015

Catholic Diocese of Youngstown

CHAPERONE MEETING PACKET

Aug 17, 6:30 – 9 p.m., TBD

Aug 25, 6:30 – 9 p.m., St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Louisville

Meeting Objectives –

Chaperone familiarization

Review responsibilities, rules, guidelines, and policies

How to make the most of your chaperoning experience

Answer your questions

Agenda–

6:45 – 7:00 p.m.Arrival, name tags

7:00Welcome, review of agenda, prayer —Cindee

DOY Child Protection Policy highlights – Bob

NFCYM Youth protection policy & Codes of Conduct

Practical tips for chaperones/ General information —Rose

NCYC Emergency and crisis response manual

Emergency contacts, Medical Professional

Making the most of your chaperoning experience – Cindee

Youth Ambassadors - Bob

Shared wisdom – Returning Chaperones

8:30Closing Prayer, Go in peace!

Opening PrayerGET READAER

+ Scripture reading1 Samuel 3

ReflectionHow is it that YOU are chaperoning for NCYC?

Can you see how God has called you to this?

Is there some other time you have been aware of God calling you?

How did you sense it? To what were you called?

With 1 – 2 people seated near you, share any of your responses to

the reflection questions….

Lord, we take all of these calls, those that were obvious and those which were subtle,

And we lift them to you with thankgiving…. And we pray that we continue to have open hearts to follow you…

Together let us sing:

ResponseHere I am Lord, Is it I, Lord? I have heard You calling in the night.

I will go Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.

Together, let us pray:

Gracious and all-loving Father,

out of love for all people

you spoke your Word who became flesh for our salvation.

May your Word transform me so that the message of your Son,

our Lord, may be echoed through our service.

Allow me to guide the hearts of those whom I chaperone in such a way that

they will enter more deeply into your way of truth and salvation.

Grant me the insight needed to lead them to better know, love, and serve you.

With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may they become hearers and followers of your Word, so that they might help transform the world to follow the way of life

to which your Son has called us all, for he lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Index cards –

If you are a 1st timer, please take a WHITE index card –on one side, jot down any questions you have about serving as a chaperone for this NCYC….

If you have done this before, please take a card of color and jot down blessings from serving as a chaperone before and why you are back.

(Give a couple of moments)

Now, on the reverse of your questions or reasons, please write a HOPE you have for the NCYC

OK, hold on to those for a bit while we move into prayer – offering up all your hopes, questions and reasons for chaperoning this NCYC!

DOY Chaperone Guidelines for NCYC 2015

-Bob Barto


BE THE ADULT!


  • learn the schedule of events
  • learn the layout of the buildings
  • follow safety procedures
  • enforce curfew-only the diocesan group leader can extend it
  • check rooms-sign up for schedule
  • work as a team-- yes, even if it's your kid you're checking on
  • read AND know the adult and student codes of conduct

BUT PILGRIMAGE WITH THE YOUTH-

  • All participants- including chaperones- are expected to attend the activities.
  • if they are not allowed to do something or go somewhere - you shouldn't
  • no alcohol, weapons, drugs.

DOY NCYC Practical Advice

Rose Naegeli

General:

Credentials = Ticket

Lost Credentials = Lost time and money

Inside: 3 or more teens in Convention Center and Stadium

Outside: Chaperones required

Workshop Choices (and alternates): Choose night before

Camp Tekakwitha: Theme Park

Time……Be on time!

Travel, Meals, Hotel:

Same bus all weekend

Suitcase/luggage = SIMPLE, no valuables please

Backpack + Tags = Safety

Modest Dress/Clothing

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, rest on own, snacks encouraged

Pizza Party Saturday NIGHT

$$$$$ for meals, cd’s, t-shirts, books, etc.

2 + 2 = 4 teens in a room

12:00 midnight curfew, 7:30 am loading time comes quickly!

Safety:

  • First aid kit
  • Security checks for credentials and bag tags
  • Security and Medical Personnel on site
  • Medical and Permission Forms for each teen/adult to carry
  • Cell Phones and Phone Numbers and Home Contact
  • Meeting Locations Inside & Outside: Hotel, Stadium, & Convention Center
  • NFCYM’s NCYC Emergency and Crisis Response Manual

Trading Items:

  • Meet new people
  • Start a conversation
  • Include first name, city, state, parish
  • Parish
  • Diocese of Youngstown Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
  • Be Creative!

Index cards – part 2

If you are a 1st timer, please take a WHITE index card find someone who has done this before with a card of color ….

Share your HOPE for NCYC…..

OK, now let me get your attention again for a bit…

CHAPERONE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. General Guidelines and Code of Conduct –

Regarding the NFCYM documents – how many of you read printed out copies?
How many just read them online?

How many still need to honestly read them?

If you did NOT read them before tonight, vow to do so as soon as possible, please.

  1. NCYC Adult Code of Conduct - posted at
  2. NCYC Youth Code of Conduct
  3. Form F &Form 14 (Adult Individual Registration Forms)
  4. Our Diocesan Child Protection Policy
  5. "Safeguarding God's Children" posted at
  6. NCYC Emergency and Crisis Response Manual"- posted at
  1. NCYC Diocesan Gathering on October 4 – at St. Charles Church
  2. Plan to arrive at 1:45 p.. to start at 2
  3. We will spend time in prayer, icebreakers, discussing the conference themes, and covering basic information. Please model positive interaction and respectful attention.
  4. We will then move into 4 stations of different activities. Please help your teens enter into the activities and participate with them.
  5. Parents are most welcomed. Cindee will entertain questions during Station Round 1
  6. The event committee can use more help with some of the activity stations. Let Cindee know if you are interested.
  7. No full meal – snacks include hot dogs, chips, fruit – or bring your own, please.

3. November 8th Send Off – to bring your participants to the 2 p.m. meeting in the Cathedral Hall/4

p.m. Mass in the Cathedral – Parents are welcome to the Mass, but due to limited space, we cannot guarantee they can attend the meeting (but can pray for us/tour the Cathedral). Light dinner available after Mass (be sure to eat lunch before you come!)

  1. November 14 or 15 -- With your group leader and Pastor, decide on a parish Send Off and Blessing at your parish site– be there with the teens

BUS ASSIGNMENTS – if confirmed….

  1. Thursday, November 19 -- Arrive at 7:15 a.m. (except for 2nd stops) to help Bus Captain with check in and loading. On the bus ride, please help teens listen when an activity is taking place and encourage sharing, chatting, and Christian modeling. When arrive at hotel, please help everyone EXCEPT for the bus captain stay on the bus until invited to deboard. Assist as needed with load off and reboarding to head to the convention center. Region 6 Mass scheduled for 4 p.m.
  1. Each evening, be sure your teens head to their assigned rooms, and get a great night’s sleep yourself on nights when you are not “on hall duty.”When you are on hall duty – enforce the rules with gentle-assertiveness, and be sure not to be noisy as you walk the halls.
  1. On breakfast duty, keep the teens moving through the lines and notify hotel staff when items are running short. THANKS for taking a shift so that we all get time to relax.
  1. On the bus rides back, please help the Bus Captain again, as needed, with loading and unloading and facilitating any activities.

Thank YOU for your willingness to serve as a chaperone for the NCYC

– this will most likely be a beneficial experience for you as well as the teens

(as evidenced by adults who return!)

Youth Ambassadors Update: Bob

FAQs

Q: For those that take medicine, how we handle it?

A:Unless parent wants us/medical person to handle – trust the teens to keep

Q: How far to restaurants for lunch and supper?

A: More a question of lines/capacity – many places within 6 blocks – see map

Q: Are we going to be able to bring coolers to save money? A:Yes! For the bus, not in convention center though.

Q: How are cell phones handled?

A: NFCYM is trying to incorporate them by using them during sessions/evaluations – but we will need to remind our teens to turn off ringers and pay attention to the people WITH us!

Q: What happens to the teens if leaders have to leave?

A: Handled on a case by case basis, but try to see if we have enough adults to cover chaperoning the teens so the adult can leave but the teens stay.

What other questions might you have???

(Especially white cards…anything you wrote down that we didn’t cover yet?

OK, returners…what other advice would you like to offer?

Closing Prayer

Lord God, source of all wisdom and knowledge, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ,

to live among us and to proclaim his message of faith, hope, and love to all nations;

In your goodness bless us as we offer ourselves as not only chaperones for the NCYC,

but also companions on the journey of faith with the teens.

Strengthen us with your gifts that we may lead by word and example

the truth which comes from you. May our response of “Here, I Am, Lord”

provide a faith-filled example to the teens of what it is like to live as your disciples.

We ask this inof you who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.