March 2012 Meeting

Boy, do we have an exciting meeting planned for March!  It will be an activity for kids of all ages.  So bring your kids (and hubby too!) for a fun-filled morning!  Andrew Bullock of Child Evangelism Fellowship will be leading the fun.  Andrew is also a local homeschool graduate!  Here is a quick message from Andrew:

Would you run into a battlefield with no combat training whatsoever? NO! Of course you wouldn’t! The Bible says our lives are a spiritual battlefield and the Word of God is our sword. At the L.I.G.H.T. meeting on March 10^th I’m going to be sharing with you a new “combat technique.” Codename GF2. Yes you read that right GF2. This technique of sharing the gospel is something that can be mastered by kids, teens and parents alike.

I’ll also be sharing about a program through Child Evangelism Fellowship for teens to be trained to share the gospel with children in fun, innovative and exciting ways!

Your drillmaster will see you there,

Andrew Bullock

CEF Ministry Intern

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is a bible based organization dedicated to sharing the gospel with children all over the world.  Founded in 1937, CEF provides a variety of different ministry opportunities.  From neighborhood activities, correspondence courses, camps, and teen training events  there is something for everyone in any age group.  They also have The Children’s Ministry Institute, located at their headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri , where they provide a 3 month training course in sharing the gospel with children.  For more information check out their website:  www.cefonline.com.

Please join us March 10^th from 9:30am to 11:30am at Norkenzie Christian Church to learn more about this wonderful ministry.  Bring the kids and be prepared for FUN and Fellowship.  RSVP’s are appreciated, either on facebook or email.  We look forward to seeing everyone there!

The fine Print:

While this meeting is geared towards the kids, parents still need to be present to supervise.  And please keep in mind, Norkenzie Christian Church has graciously allowed LIGHT to meet in it's facility and we have adopted the policy of leaving the building in better condition than we found it.  Therefore we need to contain our activities to the Fireside Room.

LIGHT meetings are open to all homeschool families.  We offer one complementary meeting, so please come to a meeting and check it out, we're sure you'll want to be a member!  If after your first meeting*, you choose not to become a member, subsequent meetings will be $5.  If you choose to become a member in the future*, any $5 fee's you have paid will be applied to your membership fee.  We have some scholarships available, please see a board member for more information.

*During the current school year.

Important information on HB 4016

Update 2/18/12:  HB 4016 Passed the Oregon House of Representatives WITH the amendments proposed by OCEAN Network.  This means that volunteers and independent teachers/tutors will NOT become mandatory reporters.  For more information visit OCEAN's Facebook page.


Today we have a guest post from local homeschool mom, Katie Thiel.  Katie has been actively following and opposing HB 4016 and has graciously agreed to share her knowledge with us!

HB 4016 would criminalize and punish volunteers who fail to properly report signs of abuse.  

The well-intentioned crafters of House Bill 4016 are attempting to legislate a solution to the very great evil of child abuse.  However, one of the unfortunate truths about governance is that when we attempt to legislate right behavior we often fail to further promote the type of behavior that we wish to see, and burden those who would already act rightly with unintended consequences.  We must carefully weigh the cost/benefit analysis of such legislation before we enact it.  HB 4016 fails to provide a benefit which will outweigh the burden, particularly in the case where volunteers are included in the legislation. 

This bill will create more problems for church or service groups trying to recruit and retain volunteers. Volunteers will have to weigh the good they can do in a volunteer capacity against the legal risks they run if they do not accurately assess possible signs of child abuse.  It is not reasonable to additionally burden those who are already giving of their time and efforts without compensation. 

Organizations would be responsible to train their volunteers -- even occasional volunteers -- on mandatory child abuse reporting requirements. This is in addition to the background checks these organizations already do on potential volunteers. The law is also so broadly written that it targets tiny organizations, like homeschool co-ops, and individual providers, like piano teachers, who may not have access to adequate training or resources to provide it.  If a volunteer is not trained adequately and does not report when they should, the organization or provider may be liable in any number of unforeseen ways.  The volunteer is subject to criminal and civil penalties. 

On the other hand, volunteers are not professionals, which may contribute to insecurity about their ability to accurately assess a situation. This will undoubtedly result in an increase of unsubstantiated reports, thus increasing the workload on an already overwhelmed Department of Human Services This will draw away attention and resources from valid reports that need immediate intervention, potentially increasing the risk of harm to children in Oregon. It will certainly increase the likelihood of innocent families undergoing the trauma of needless child abuse investigations which already happen too frequently in Oregon.

Recent current events have raised awareness among the general public and organizations alike. A real solution is already in motion as large financial legal penalties are causing organizations to implement effective policies to prevent child sexual abuse.  Individuals are alert to the reality of child abuse and continued efforts at community education should be taking advantage of this opportunity to speak to the public conscience. More legislation is not the solution.

However, HB 4016, however good intentioned, is overly burdensome and unreasonable in its response to what is admittedly a terrible problem. This bill will be unlikely to achieve its goals and will instead be fraught with unintended consequences. Good organizations will decide to cut beneficial programs because of the new costs and risks associated with this bill.  Talented, caring volunteers will step aside from their efforts because of the additional burden of legal liability. Frivolous lawsuits will be filed and mistaken investigations will be made.  Truly endangered children may be be ignored while those that should be helping them are investigating baseless reports. There are already 27 categories of professional occupations required to report child abuse. In addition, under current law, a volunteer is always able to report evidence of child abuse.  Laws regarding child abuse should be targeted toward punishing the perpetrators, not folks who are in good faith volunteering their time to help children.

Please read the bill.  Understand the threat it poses to volunteerism and homeschool families in Oregon. Then contact your legislature and ask them to oppose House Bill 4016. Thank you.

Katie Thiel

Thank you, Katie, for your words of wisdom.  For more information on HB 4016 you can visit OCEAN Network (While you're there, sign up for their email alerts!).  Or you can read the bill on the Oregon legislation website HERE.

First Class Spring Registration!

For any families interested in joining LIGHT's Homeschool co-op -  Eugene First Class, it's not too late!   Spring term classes run from February 24 through May 11.  We meeting on Friday mornings at Garden Way Church from 8:45am to 12:45pm*.  There are three blocks of class time and a quick lunch break on class days.  We offer a variety of classes, both academic and extracurricular, for all age groups, birth to grade 12!  General information including the fee structure is available on the Co-op page  (click on Co-op button at the top, inside a crayon.)  Parents are expected to sign up for various responsibilities including set-up/clean-up jobs and other service opportunities.  Not all parents must teach, but all parents must volunteer to help in a classroom for two of the three blocks of class time each Friday.  So, if you need an art class, a P.E. class, some help in the academic areas or just looking for some fun and a way to meet other homeschoolers, Eugene First Class just might be the perfect fit for your family!

The class catalog is available on our website  http://www.firstclasshomeschool.org/fchm/locations/us/or/eugene/ 

There is also a class schedule linked on the right sidebar.

If you want to join the co-op but can not make it to registration day, February 10, 2012 at Garden Way Church, 10am,  it is highly recommended to send someone in your place, to walk through the process for you.  This can be anyone, your husband, grandma, neighbor, friend, stranger you meet on the street...    But seriously, this is the best way to do it if you can't do it yourself on that day.  Registration is done on a first come, first served basis so we STRONGLY recommend arriving at the church with completed forms in hand.  There will be additional copies available onsite, but classes may fill while you are completing them.

Our main website for the Eugene First Class Christian Homeschool Co-op (EFC for short) is located at www.fchm.org     Read down the left sidebar to Co-ops, select Co-op Locations and then scroll down to find Eugene First Class under Oregon.  On our welcome page you will find links to become a member of First Class Homeschool Ministries, the national organization this co-op falls under.  It gives instructions to pay a $25 fee for your family, for the whole year.  This membership must be completed before you can register for classes and is best done at home before registration day.  When you have done this, we will email more specific instructions for registration day including all of the necessary forms.  This includes forms for local co-op membership, class registration and background check for all parents who will be onsite during co-op hours.  NOTE:  for printing out the class registration form, page four of the document is for the parent's schedule.  Don't miss that page if you don't need pages 2 and 3 for children.  Payment for our local chapter fees ($25 per family, per year) and classes can all be paid at registration.  There is a $4 fee for each class, materials fees vary, and some classes include a required text to be purchased on your own before the first day of classes.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Cynthia Johnson, Membership Coordinator at (541)688-9489 or e-mail them tolighthomeschooling@gmail.com.   We are looking forward to another great term of classes!  Hope to see you there!