Date:  

September 20, 2007

Facilitator:  Maureen Cary

Location:

3 Blue Streak Blvd., 2^nd floor, School District Administrative Offices

Recorder: Maureen Cary

Attendees:

Kati Behrens, Mike Laudicina, Stephanie Lang, Dianne Greene, Karen Pettigrew, Mary Marcus, Maureen Cary, Terry Stortz, Stacy Bold, Dan Tallman, Bill Boehmke, Diane McGarry, Michelle Hadden, Courtney Lamport, David Torres, Tony Straus, Michelle Hadden.

Materials Distributed:

MADD Why 21? materials

Overview

Discussion

Decisions/Actions

Partnership
News

Staffing Updates:

• Tim Moon left the Prevention Council last spring. Rather than fill his position, the agency was restructured, offering existing employees new supervisory opportunities.
• Lori Beer returned to her position as a Crime Victim Advocate for the Center for the Family. She plans to continue her role as Partnership liaison at monthly meetings.
• Kati Behrens will begin a position with the District Attorney’s office as a Crime Victim Advocate on September 19^th. She will continue to be involved with the Partnership by attending monthly meetings.

Community Summit:
The Summit has been scheduled for Saturday, November 3^rd from 8 a.m. to noon at the high school. It will begin with a hot breakfast. The keynote speaker will be Mike Nerney, a consultant in substance abuse prevention and education, who will discuss the developmental reasons for risk-taking behavior and engage community members in a conversation about youth and the challenges they face today. All Partnership members are invited to attend, and encouraged to invite other interested community members as well. The deadline for registration for the free summit is October 19^th. RSVP to Maureen or Robin at 581-1230.

Parenting Wisely and Strengthening Families:
A Strengthening Families program has been scheduled for October 9^th through November 13^th at Maple Avenue Middle School. Families of all six graders have been invited. We’re still looking for volunteers for childcare for the program. 

The Partnership is also planning to pilot the online program, “Parenting Wisely,” this fall. Any Partnership members who would like to participate, or who know someone who would like to be involved in the pilot, should contact Maureen. A facilitator-led version of the program was scheduled at Lake Avenue Elementary school this fall, but was postponed by school staff until February.

E-Newsletter:
The fall version of the E-Newsletter was sent out in early September. A link to the newsletter is on the school district’s website. The next newsletter will be published in early December.

High School Athletic Initiative:
Peter Sheehan, school district Athletic Director since April, organized a mandatory high school athletic program on August 28^th for all fall athletes. A coaches’ session followed the athletes’ program, and a program for parents was held at the school in the evening. John Underwood, of the American Athletic Institute, spoke at the program and talked about the harmful effects of alcohol and substance use on training. He encouraged athletes, coaches, and parents alike to adhere to the athletic code of conduct. Sheehan is planning a November program for winter athletes. The Partnership funded the fall program.

Camp Update:
Once again, the 2007 DARE All Stars Summer camp was a sellout success, with nearly 200 campers attending. The camp implemented some environmentally-friendly elements this year, including recycling and planting trees. Photos of camp can still be viewed on the website. Hits to the website increased from an average of about 50 hits per day in May and June to 361 in July and 477 in August.

Why 21?
Presentation

Karen Pettigrew of Mothers Against Drunk Driving provided an overview of the debate on the minimum 21 drinking-age law and introduced members to MADD’s website www.why21.org for further information on the debate. For more information and for responses to those who argue for a lower drinking age, visit www.dontserveteens.gov.
 

Discussion

Members engaged in a discussion about the perceived disconnect between parents and teenagers when it comes to underage drinking and discussed ways of bridging that gap, including media campaigns to raise awareness and environmental strategies to change norms around underage drinking. Members also discussed ways to include pediatricians in the Partnership by developing informational materials, such as checklists, for doctors to discuss at annual checkups.

Next Meeting

The next Partnership meeting will take place on Thursday, October 11th at 12 p.m. in the School District Administration offices at 3 Blue Streak Blvd.