The Children and Youth (C and Y) Commission of the Detachment of New Jersey has the following to report:

·        Cookies for Vets: This year we raised $1,700 to purchase cookies from the Girl Scouts to deliver to our vets in the hospitals. That ends up being 284 boxes being delivered to the VAs at East Orange and Lyons – 142 boxes per hospital. We’re working with the outreach coordinator for New Jersey’s VA facilities on booking a date to deliver the cookies in early April, which is Children and Youth Month. Unfortunately, minors are still not allowed to enter the facility, so we will have to just drop off the cookies as in years past. The VA coordinator has promised us, though, that she will have a few veteran employees available to chat with the scouts and young SAL’s when they do the drop off.

·        Facebook: We have created a Facebook page for the SAL NJ Children and Youth Commission. This page has resources on it, as well as news from around the state and the country as it pertains to all things children and youth. It is a great place for ideas about projects, and has downloadable forms and resources available. It is being followed by Sons from around the country – for example, the 10 Ideals Medal post was shared 13 times in January by Sons on Maryland, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and Delaware.

·        Washington Conference: I had a wonderful opportunity to chat with members of the Detachments of Maryland and Nebraska at the Conference last weekend, and see how they were able to coordinate programs benefiting kids in their states.

·        April is Children and Youth Month: Challenge Letters targeting squadrons and counties are available at this meeting, pushing April as Children and Youth Month and asking each squadron to hold some sort of event or make some sort of donation. These are available at this meeting, will be forwarded to the adjutant for his email distribution list, and will be placed in the mailings to all squadron hopefully in March.

o  As part of this April initiative, Squadron should specifically push the 10-Ideals Medal, which they all do at the squadron level. This is a fantastic way to engage younger members. Resources are available through this office.

·        ALA Youth Events: The ALA Juniors will be holding a June Junior Camp on the USS New Jersey, as well as a Juniors Convention on the Friday of the Wildwood Convention.

·        The Commission would like to meet shortly after this meeting to discuss awarding the “Richard J. Phillips Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Children and Youth” at this year’s convention, if not at some point over the next few weeks.