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September 14, 2000 Community Meeting
Dear Moon Area
Residents, Students, Parents, Family and Friends;
On September 14, 2000 the Moon Area Task Force
Organization meeting was held at the
high school auditorium to further explore solutions and programs for
our community. We
had over 80 people in attendance comprising parents, children, school
administration and
faculty, community leaders and law enforcement officials.
During this meeting we
had a guest speaker from the Pennsylvania DUI Association who
presented the issues surrounding underage drinking in the state. The
speaker also performed
a drunken driving simulation by using special glasses that demonstrated
visual impairment.
One of our Moon students participated in the simulation with the help
of a Moon Police Officer.
We were also pleased
to welcome Shirley Turkula, District Magistrate, who discussed the
Pennsylvania DUI laws and shared with us a valuable website for
underage drinking and drug
use. Karen and Don Lewis presented further information regarding our
progress with programs
and community involvement throughout the summer, the forming of Moon
Area Task Force as a
non-profit organization in the state of Pennsylvania and the further
development of the website,
www.moonhelpline.com, that
was placed into operation July 2000.
We then split into
small focus groups to discuss community initiatives for the coming year. The
groups included; Businesses, Community, Law Enforcement, Ministerial,
Schools and Students.
Within each group, we were able to compile a list of excellent
solutions that are being examined
and prioritized for further development. Our goal is to
formulate small working committees
who can perform focused initiatives and move forward with positive
results.
In the next couple
months we are planning further community meetings and events. We are in the
process of soliciting board and committee members who can assist us in
this very important cause
for our community. We will be posting further information
on our website on upcoming events
and will post signs and distribute material throughout the community
for scheduled meetings. The
key for success is for everyone to continue to network and promote our
mission and gain further
support from other people. We need a strong coalition of people to make
this initiative successful.
We have only just
begun. Please join us in helping build a strong community for a better tomorrow
that will prosper both our children and adults!
Sincerely,
Karen and Don Lewis
Moon Task Force Members
Solutions
From Our September 14, 2000 - Breakout Teams
Student
Group Solutions
- Bring into the school "The 30 Minute
Program". This program is a simulation of an
actual set of events that take place when a drunken driver, which occurs every 30 minutes,
kills a victim.
- Extend the information on the website that
is targeted more to teen issues.
- Advertise aggressively through school
announcements and material on upcoming events and
meetings.
- Provide an opportunity for youth to speak
freely on social topics such as alcohol, drugs, harassment,
stalking, and safety. This could be done through school clubs or church youth groups.
- Develop a brochure toward kids that
explain the purpose of the Moon Task Force Organization
and the role that they play in the community. Show through a positive message and not
threats.
- Provide representation on the Moon Area
Task Force Organization board of directors that
provides the voice of the children.
- Have student representation present at all
upcoming school board and township meetings.
- Align the Moon Area Task Force initiatives
with the club sponsorships within the school.
School
Group Solutions
Mission Statement was
established "Affect positive change in the school and overall community"
- Find a program that works and model it in
other areas. Try one program at a time.
- Make a list of areas for improvement,
prioritize, and produce an action plan for execution.
- Establish a ‘Team Approach’
across the district. Break the barriers down and hidden agendas.
- Establish a better learning environment
for our youth. Apply concepts to actual life experiences
and incorporate into curriculums.
- Establish policies/rules with a set of
consequences that are consistently executed by administration
and staff members. Make sure discipline is established throughout the entire school
district.
- Provide better counseling experts and
programs to assist our youth solve ‘Life Issues’.
- Don’t except status quo, strive for
excellence in everything that is generated from all parts of the
school. From administration to children to improve on values, morals, and honor.
- Promote self-worth at all levels. Make
sure people at all levels feel good about what they are
contributing on a daily basis.
- Focused approach to fund new and exiting
programs within the school district. Assign a person
that focuses on the investigation and development of outside grants.
- Provide continuing education programs that
are mandatory for retooling our administration, staff,
and faculty members on dealing with managing our youth.
- Visit other schools and other communities
to examine their ongoing programs that work and identify
those that are unsuccessful. Continue to expand your network through other communities.
- Improve communications within all levels
of the district. From the top to bottom and provide consistency
across the district and community.
- Provide open forums for teen members to
assist in the development of a great school experience that
assist administration. Make it an opportunity for kids to learn aspects of education and
administration
responsibilities.
Community Group Solutions
Ministry
Groups Solutions
- Conduct monthly meetings with the group
Ministry to establish a goals and objectives
for our parent and youth groups.
- Develop a set of information material
that can be distributed within the churches.
- Sponsor programs and events through the
churches for awareness and further education.
- Provide a central facility for parents
and children that can be used for focused groups
and discussions.
- Consolidate youth groups together to
work on new programs and events throughout
the community.
- Promote the upcoming meetings and
activities of the Moon Area Task Force Organization in
current church bulletins and newsletters.
- Have our youth and parent groups
volunteer at alcohol and drug rehab centers, homeless
facilities, or local jails.
Law
Enforcement Group Solutions
- Conduct monthly meetings with local law
enforcement officials to develop new
programs and establish new awareness material.
- Assist schools in the development of
programs for middle school and high school
students that give them understanding of the laws and consequences.
- Be visible in the community.
Participate in monthly meetings, visit schools,
and educate the public on their work that is helping to keep our community safe.
- Demonstrate new equipment that is
available for alcohol and drug enforcement.
- Educate public on the availability of
grants that could be available to schools
or community coalition through local and state governments.
- Establish more sobriety checkpoints in
the community.
- Make reports available that identify
the work that they are performing. Number
of arrests and convictions.
- Patrol school property and other
locations that are known for higher alcohol and
drug trafficking in the area.
- Work with school officials to have spot
checks and drug sniffing dogs brought
into the schools.
- Help to promote new changes in laws and
present more proposals for legislation.
- Be more consistent with arrests and
participation in the conviction process.
- Participation in focused group settings
that give both parent and adults the opportunity
to freely discuss law enforcement issues.
Business
Group Solutions
- Align the Moon Areas Task Force
initiatives with the local business community.
- Participate in community wide events and
programs that are scheduled throughout the
year.
- Develop a newsletter or a section on the
website that communicate to the public what
beer distributors, convenient stores and bars are doing to stop tobacco and alcohol sales
to minors.
- Post information within each establishment
that deters the selling of tobacco and alcohol to
underage population in our community.
- Invest in technology that validate and
identify fake driver license information.
- Invest or donate money, products or
services that can be used for new programs and
events.
- Provide ongoing education programs for
their employees to stop underage selling and
consumption of tobacco and alcohol products.
- Participate in a spot check program with
local law enforcement officials to make sure
compliance is in order to the law set forth at the local, state, and local level.
- Sponsorships on new programs and events
within the community that promote
positive messages for saving our youth.
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