Catholic Youth Group: Overnight Lock-in?!

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Rob’s Wife said:
My attitude is based on what I remember from my own youth. My children will not be allowed in youth groups and especially lock-in/overnights.

There are many other ways to be social.
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Not even in participate in a youth group? No exposure to other kids at school or church? That sounds more like isolation.

I’m not an advocate of sending kids to public schools for the need of socialization. Yet it sounds like you are keeping them locked up until 18

You say there are other ways to be social, what are they?
 
Our kids can go to lock ins, but have to be picked up at midnight. I just don’t see any point in staying all night. I wouldn’t host a co-ed overnighter at my house, why would I send them to church for one? The youth group has plenty of other activities; we pick and choose the ones that suit us. —KCT
 
Island Oak:
Wow–thanks for all the (name removed by moderator)ut everyone!! I appreciate that some of these are well run and lots of (good, clean) fun and others, not so well supervised. I guess my gut is telling me even if well-run, 11, almost 12, is a little too young for this type of event. I think for now I 'll keep my antennae up to see how it actually goes, but have her wait another year or two before I let my daughter participate.
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Just my opinion - Most people I know began babysitting at age 13 (myself included), so I don’t think 11, going on 12 is too young. These programs were designed for kids in that age bracket. If you curious about it and the happenings, I’m sure they would love to have an extra chaperone! And if you see any problems you will be able to be there to address the issue for the next lock-in event, so when your daughter does go alone, you feel confident about the program.
 
I think they’ve been around for a while. I have a Baptist friend that runs their youth group and they have one every couple of months. Everyone wears like sweats and jeans and just hangs out apparently. Watches movies and stuff. At the beginning of the evening they have pizza and bible study. Lots of chaperones.

It seems pretty harmless to me. But, that’s just my opinion.
 
I’m opposed to the overnight lock-in. This just paves the way for co-ed sleepovers when the kids hit prom age.
 
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Giannawannabe:
Island Oak—

Is the lock-in your daughter attending set up this way? IMO, 11y.o is much too young for the co-ed thing, but it might make a difference to you.

My 12 y.o daughter attends weekend retreats and functions, but the events are all girl only with the supervision of consecrated women and teen leaders.

I think it was Princess Abby that pointed out that when she attended these things a lot of the girls were very much excited about the prospect of sleeping overnight so near a bunch of boys.

No matter how spiritually uplifting, how many fun activities there are, or how many chaperones, I think that the co-ed thing is simply unnecessary.

Again, I’m just an old fuddy duddy:D
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I agree with you, and I don’t think you are an old fuddy duddy… (that would make me a twenty some year old fuddy duddy)
BTW, I’m not even sure its a good idea for older people, especially high school age. Hormones and smart kids can mix and things can happen. The same goes for “chaperoned” co-ed trips.
 
I went to one a few years ago, before I became as Catholic as I am now–(not always such a fan of getting up and going to Church until a few years ago…long story)–and dreaded it. It was at a church in the next town and had all the rudiments of the average church teen activity–icebreakers, pizza, etc. We went to the bowling alley after Mass, and then sat down in groups for discussion of some passages from the Bible. It wasn’t a bad event, I enjoyed myself. Looking back, I’d probably say I wouldn’t enjoy something like that quite as much now, as it doesn’t suit my more scholarly bent. But they are a good way to meet other Catholics from your area (this was a regional gathering) and to have a little cliched “good clean fun.”

-ACEGC
 
As the youth director, we have done a two at our Church. The first was for a 30 hour fast.

The second was a work weeding party with a car wash to raise money for the youth group.

Both involved lots of physical activity, (make em tired:thumbsup: ), and daily Mass. At the fast, only one girl showed up. We prayed the Rosary multiple times. At Mass the next day, instead having the kids lead the church in the rosary, we just participated.

It was awesome. Several men, with deep “manly” voices ended up leading it that day. It was a great witness to all those boys to show them that real men pray.

God Bless,
Maria

PS After the 30 hour fast, every single one of the kids asked “When do we get to do this again?” Not just spend the night, but the fast!
 
Lock- ins are so much fun! I stayed almost through an entire one… but not until I ws in 7-12 grade… I found them fun and wasn’t worried… we all stayed awake most of the night… they are harmless and are chaperoned by the youth minister etc…

Laura 😛
 
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Princess_Abby:
Ha, well I only had my dance and soccer skills to protect me, lol. 🙂

(Although eventually we did take self-defense courses, but that was after my lock-in days.)
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you too! how cool! YAY! a friend who is jus tlike me! YAY! (Eamon there is another person like me!)

Laura 😛
 
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kage_ar:
In my youth, about a thousand years ago, (and a non-Catholic Christian one) – there were lock-ins. They never involved actual sleep, it was about staying up all night, and I never saw a pair of PJs – just casual teen clothes (sweats, jeans, etc.). There were always chaperones, and it was a fun evening.
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Same here - we did end up snoozing some (in uncomfortable chairs and such - ouch!) but no one brought pajamas to the one protestant one I attended. And maybe because it was a small church - nothing bad happened - anyone who did anything like that would have been too embarrassed to face the rest of the youth group from then on (I did attend a larger church prior to that where I’m sure the reason they didn’t have lock-ins was because some of the kids would have done inappropriate things)

Some of the girls used to wear pajama pants though when we were riding the chartered bus to church youth conventions (I thought it was a bit odd - but nothing inappropriate about it really)(normally we always left at about 9 or 10PM and rode all night - watched movies and attempted to sleep)

If you don’t let your kids go to all-nighters, do you allow them to go on church trips such as that that require spending a couple of nights in a hotel room? I would hate to have missed out on some of the best spiritual teaching I ever recieved in the protestant church, if my parents had not let me go (but then again - the first two times one of my parents went as a chaperone - but even when my mom went she was in a room with another of the female chaperones, not with me - the last time I went I was a senior in highschool and they didn’t go - but I’m not sure if it was just that neither could get off or what, but obviously they still let me go.
 
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Fashina86:
you too! how cool! YAY! a friend who is jus tlike me! YAY! (Eamon there is another person like me!)

Laura 😛
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You are too cute. 🙂
 
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Fashina86:
Lock- ins are so much fun! I stayed almost through an entire one… but not until I ws in 7-12 grade… I found them fun and wasn’t worried… we all stayed awake most of the night… they are harmless and are chaperoned by the youth minister etc…

Laura 😛
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We have one once a year here with our church youth group but around 2am all the girls go to one room to “sleep” (nobody seems to actually sleep) and the boys to a different one. I was one of the chaperons this year.
It is also common to have these at high school, for club members, but again boys and girls sleep in seperate rooms.

Gearoidin
 
When I went to lock-ins, No one slept,no one wore PJ’s, almost everyone wore sweats. There has never been anything funny going on. We talked alot about Religion and moral topics and of course filled up on a lot of Pizza! We opened up more that night and really felt good about Being Catholic and our beliefs. We usually were 17-20 kids and 6 chaperones.
 
Eh, I don’t like the idea if they are co-ed. I remember what all I did at the co-ed lock-ins.
 
I went to a couple parish lock-ins back in the early to mid 70s, so the format is not a new idea. There were no jammies- and sweats had not been really moved into the casual wear scene (they were for exercise in the cold). Jeans, tennies, body shirts, and t-shirts, with the boys and girls separated most of the time- very separated. We saw more of boys in our Explorer post. There was food, and Mass in the lounge (because it was the 70s, and why bother with a perfectly good altar in the church when you have a second-hand coffee table and beat-up couches in the lounge), and food, and games, and reading some of the writings of Vatican II, and a Bible study, and food, and breakfast. Nobody slept, at least not so I noticed. There was a lot of nodding off.

BUT, it was for high schoolers. I could see 11 year olds at a single-gender event, but not a co-ed lock-in, no matter how chaperoned.
 
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