Lakeland Area Community Meetings

The meeting began with each person introducing themselves.  There were about 30 people present.  There were 5 students at the meeting, they were not able to stay for the whole meeting due to other commitments, but it was great to see them!  (Sharlee LaBarge, Gage Hockings, Justin LaBarge, Sierra Poupart and Misha Johnson)
 
Citizenship Committee
Bob shared the progress of the LUHS Citizenship Committee meeting he attended earlier in the day at the high school.  They are looking at the 7 characteristics of citizenship-some of which overlap with the values that we have been talking about.  The committee wants to involve students, teachers and the community in the discussion of what citizenship means.  They are planning to spend a day interacting with students and teachers on citizenship and to conclude the day with a survey to collect their thoughts.  The survey will also be given to people in the community.  It is great to see the high school reaching out to the students and community to get their input.  This is another opportunity for our group to be involved in.  Several people voiced a concern that students are over-surveyed, and felt that a survey would not truly capture what the students think.  They shared that there is value in discussing and interacting with others about it.  Is there another way to gather the input that is needed?  What kinds of questions should be asked on the survey?  And how should they be asked to be relevant to the students? 
 
Recognizing Positive Changes at LUHS

• Jon Berg commended the high school for opening up and asking for help.  He is noticing a change occurring in a positive direction.  Saying the school year is off to a good start with a great incoming freshmen class.
• The search process for the new superintendent is beginning.  Parents and community members will be involved in the process.  They are still determining the process for involvement, but they will be looking for people to be a part what happens.  A question was asked if other school boards would be included.
• The Lac du Flambeau Women’s Healing and Peacemaking Circle and the Northwoods Restorative Justice Program were spoken of at a recent board meeting as good groups to have involved with students at the high school.

Questions

• Is an advocate present when administration meets with a student?  No, this is something that should be addressed.
• Is there a parent committee? Yes, but not as active as it used to be.  A suggestion to advertise meetings better so that interested people can attend.
• How do we safeguard the gains we have made and prevent sliding back?  Continue meeting, set-up structures (ie. Women’s Talking Circle, Restorative Justice, quick response teams). Create something that will outlive us.
• How does our dialogue get to the administration?  Building relationships, building trust, talking with them to share what we are working on.
• Are students aware that people are working to improve things for them so that they can be involved in the process?  Because change will come from the students.
• Are there student groups that this group could be involved with and create awareness?  Student Council, Social Studies Class, ILI

Comments

• Legislature makes changes often after hearing from only a few constituents.  Encouragement that a small number of people can bring about great change.  Which gives us hope that what we do does make an impact, and knowing that we need each other because it is impossible create change alone.
• ILI has given students a good foundation to start their freshmen year. They have more trust and more dialogue at home.  If you get word out that something is positive, people will get the message.

 
Lac du Flambeau Women’s Healing & Peacemaking Circle
SuAnne Vanatter was asked to share about the Women’s Talking Circle.  They have just started meeting.  They will be meeting with several girls from the high school.  Below is their description of the circle:
 
“Our desire is to offer an opportunity to bring the younger women together with the older women.  Our hope is to use the talking circle as a way to deal with painful and difficult issues.  We intend for the circle to be used to bring us together in a way that creates trust, respect, intimacy, good will, belonging, a way to give and a way to receive.
 
Our Women’s peacemaking & Healing Circle will be based on these basic principles:

• Respect for each individual’s unique personality
• Equal and voluntary opportunity to participate
• Freedom to act according to their personal values and belief system
• Speak from the heart
• Speak with respect
• Listen with respect
• Remain in the circle
• Honor confidentiality

We have all been gifted by the Creator with the ability to make choices. The talking circle is not about changing others but rather an invitation to change oneself and ones’ relationship with others.”
 
The high school invited these women to meet with several girls.  Right now the group is focused on high school girls, but they could see it spreading to others too. 
 
Restorative Justice
Charlotte Hockings and Mary Jo Berner talked about Restorative Justice.  This program focuses on the victim and gives them a voice.  There are options for how to bring resolution.  One of the options is to be involved with a talking circle.  One of their concerns is that they only get to meet with student over the lunch hour, which limits their time together.   Statistics were shared about costs for keeping students at a secure holding center (ie. Lincoln Hills), $8800 per month per student.  That amount could hire a social service person for each student.  The cost is great once a student gets into the system.  Our hope is to put more focus and funds into prevention with programs such as Restorative Justice and Talking Circles, so that students avoid getting into the system.
 
What Next
Towards the end of the meeting, some people expressed frustration that we have not been able to get things done.  There is a wide range of people at the meeting, who all bring important gifts and skills.  It is a long process to learn how to best use everyone, and to make sure everyone feels valued.  It is also a long process to determine how to bring about change in a community.  Change does not happen over night.  Some mentioned they felt the group had lost momentum, and would like to know where we are headed.  Others suggested that we spend more time in the small groups, so that people can focus their energy on the areas that they have interest in.  Some would like to be involved in all groups, and others have a specific interest for AODA, parent, racism or youth.  Bob responded that part of why the meetings are unclear is because there is no clear path to follow.  How do we bring about change?  It is unclear and takes time, and we need accountability.  Below are comments, questions and suggestions for how to move forward.

• A suggestion to do it in small increments.  There are often lofty goals set that are unattainable.  Set attainable goals. 
• There are so many issues that it is overwhelming. 
• Attitudes towards smoking have changed.  But it took time. We can use some of the same strategies that have been so effective.
• You can’t dream it if you haven’t seen it.
• Education is important.
• Important for people to learn to get along.
• What are small things we can do?
• Continue to share success stories of how things are moving forward.
• Success breeds success.
• Have a to-do list with action steps.
• Things have happened, we need to acknowledge the good things.
• Let other groups in the area know what we are about.
• Consensus that we are all agreeing to the same thing, umbrella, position paper.
• ILI brings social wellness to the community.
• Agree to show up at a school board meeting.
• Can get more people involved if we are moving forward.
• People are here because we believe there are issues to address.  Want a fair chance for students at the high school.
• Need something that draws 4 groups together.
• What will energize us to keep going?  What formula will work for us?  People come expecting different things, but why can’t we do both?  It involves trust.  Trust that we all believe in the same values, so that as we meet in different groups, I can trust that those in another group are working towards the same goals as the people in my group.
• Maybe add a 5th group for a think tank.   
  

This was the first meeting, we think, that we are all finally on the same page: everyone was in agreement that we are now ready to take action in our small groups. We’d like to propose the following:

1. Next meeting will be Tuesday December 6 from 5:30-8:00pm at the LdF Wellness Center.
2. Food from 5:30pm-6:00pm
3. Breakout into 4 working groups from 6:00pm-7:30 to brainstorm action plans and strategies for action (feel free to roam between groups if you have multiple interests)
4. Come back together from 7:30pm-8:00pm to share and plan

We have a suggestion from one person that these working groups also could meet in-between our monthly community meetings. Another person shared the following statement about what this group will do: