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NRL News
Worth
Every Penny, Every Minute, and Every Prayer It’s a fact ... they make every right-to-life event brighter, more fun, and vastly more effective! They are inexpensive, full of energy, come in all colors, and will make you smile, laugh, and feel better about the future of our cause than you have in a very long time. They will bring people in droves to your fair booth and increase your numbers at fundraisers. In short, they are the secret weapon of our movement. I’m not talking about balloons, posters, or bumper stickers. I’m not even talking about t-shirts with catchy pro-life messages ... much as we love all of those things. I’m talking about teenagers. Every community has them. You need only put in a little effort to find them. Scour your churches, take a look around your dinner table, visit a local Christian school and share the message about abortion and euthanasia. Talk to your kids’ friends, talk to your friends’ kids, get the word out that you have an opportunity for young people to get involved in the cause of a lifetime and they will come. And once they have indicated an interest in all things pro-life, use every resource at your disposal to educate, train, motivate, and inspire them. They are worth every penny, every minute, and every prayer you invest in them because they are the leaders of tomorrow. Without them, life doesn’t stand much of a chance. So, in practical terms, what can you do this summer to engage and enhance the pro-life youth presence in your community? Here are a few ideas to get you started, but don’t feel as though you are limited by this list. Convention. As in the National Teens for Life Convention, July 3–5, 2008. Those dates may be bearing down on us by the time you receive this issue of NRL News, but if you live within driving distance of Washington, D.C., it is not too late to get a group of teens to the NTL Convention. We promise tons of education, equal amounts of fun, and the chance to connect with other teens who share a passion for life. Our opening teen session will feature youth right-to-life advocate turned congressman, Chris Smith. We will hear from the siblings of Terri Schindler Schiavo and leading stem cell expert Dr. David Prentice, among others. The event closes with a teen pizza banquet and dance. And so as not to leave out the adults, the National Right to Life Convention runs in conjunction with the NTL Convention. For more information log onto www.nrlc.org. Camps. Wisconsin Right to Life sponsors teen leadership training camps every summer. Teens from around the country can attend these “right-to-life boot camps for your brain” and learn everything they need to know in order to have an effective presence for life in their schools, churches, and communities. Educational sessions offer tons of information, interspersed with great food, recreational opportunities, games, prizes, and more. Both camps are located within an hour of major airports. We strongly encourage NRLC chapters and state affiliates to consider sending their best and brightest to be trained and energized on behalf of life! Camps will be held this year in Walworth, WI (South), July 20–25 and Osceola, WI (North), August 10–15. For more information log onto www.WisconsinTeens4Life.org or e-mail jlittle@wrtl.org. Fair and Festival Booths. Many chapters have them and have done so for decades. They are a great way to get your group out in front of the community in a positive way. And they offer dual opportunities for teens. You can round up a few quality young people who are familiar with your organization and ask them to work at the booth. Their youth and energy are natural draws. You can also set up a special drawing for teens in order to get their attention. Many chapters offer a teen-friendly prize and then have a little quiz on right-to-life issues along with information about summer camps, starting a Teens for Life group, and other items of interest to the younger crowd. Fundraisers. Teens are a huge asset to chapter and state affiliate fundraisers. Again their youth and vitality add a lot to any event, but they are also full of energy, not afraid of hard work, and are very eager to help out a cause in which they believe. Ask a few of them to help with your next food booth, flower sale, or dinner. As a bonus, offer to use a portion of the proceeds to help send a few of them to a convention or camp. The benefits to your chapter will be beyond anything you can imagine. Churches. Summer is a great time to expand your outreach into area churches. Get permission to set up an educational booth in friendly churches and find a few well-educated teens to staff the booth. It will increase your volunteer base and introduce people to your group in a positive way. As you can see, the opportunities are many. We have learned that if you offer teens a chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves, you enrich not only their lives, but your own life and your chapter’s future as well. And really, how can you lose? Joleigh Little works full time for Wisconsin Right to Life as a region coordinator and Wisconsin Teens for Life director. |