Sorry - I have to disagree.....Our daughter started collecting shells on the
beach at 2 years old.  She could identify shells by their scientific names by
the age of 5.    She learned to snorkel when she was 7 and was SCUBA diving at
14.    She absolutely loved  it.   She was involved in lots of school
activities too....but her shell collecting hobby was used constantly in the
class room.   In high school her marine biology teacher turned the section on
mollusks over to her to teach.  She used the nautilus for her final in
Humanities.   It all ties in.
 
We have a jr. shell club in our club.  The young parents are very involved with
it.
The juniors meet one hour before our regular meeting and they love it.  They
can hardly wait from month to month for the next meeting.  They have their own
newsletter and t shirts and they helped with the children's area at our shell
show this year. They had so much fun.    I am amazed at how much they are
learning.  Having the meeting just before our regular meeting means the parents
don't have to make two trips....they just have to come a little earlier.    We
do not allow parents to just drop off their kids (no baby sitting services).
The parents stay and help with the craft projects, etc. and often learn
something themselves from the advanced collector who teaches the session.
These children often participate in our field trips.     I guess it just
depends on what priorities you have.   Our whole household revolves around our
shells even after 35 years of collecting.   There are always shells being
cleaned in the kitchen...shells being labeled by the computer....new shell
exhibits being worked....more cataloging to be done, etc.
These same children are involved in sports, school activities and indian
maidens, etc.
 
 
 
 
Patty Jansen wrote:
 
> Dear all,
>
> This discussion has come around before, and as before, I will say that the
> generation of parents of the kids clubs hope to attract is severely
> stressed-out, and there are so many things crying out for their attention.
> After all, it is the parents who will play drivers for these kids to go to
> meetings. To attend a meeting, a kid will have to be taken by a parent.
> Let's consider a few things:
>
> 1. More families have both parents in the workforce than before
> 2. Working hours are increasing, instead of decreasing, especially in the
> educated section of the community clubs hope to attract members from
> 3. More people are travelling longer distances to get to work
> 4. As a parent society dictates that you have to 1. attend school functions
> during the daytime, 2. put all your spare time into school-related
> activities, 3. after school, take your kids to as many organised activities
> as you can fit in before going to MacDonald's (let's face it, you couldn't
> possibly have time to do the cooking as well)
>
> If you don't comply with 1-3 then you won't have enough money to enjoy the
> lifestyle your parents always have, if you don't comply with 4, then you're
> being made to feel guilty that your kids are missing out on vital parts of
> their education.
>
> Basically, if you're in this stage of your life, you have much more
> pressing (I am not saying important) things to worry about than attending
> shell club meetings. I attend such meetings because I like to and I am
> keen, but I find it enormously frustrating that I cannot attend
> excursions. My children are simply too young to walk around on a rock
> platform. All that would happen is that I'd get stuck in the nearby
> playground, and the closest I'd get to collecting shells is watching the
> others do it! Sometimes I feel I should just give up for a few years. Most
> people do.
>
> Whilst I strongly support people teaching kids about the value of nature in
> museums or more formalised, such as at school, I don't think that it will
> be very effective in attracting new members to your local shell club.
> Because young kids depend on their parent's approval and time to attend
> such functions. And many parents of young children are caught in the above
> catch 22. Most simply do not have the time, energy or both.
>
> In trying to attract local members, I believe shell clubs should target the
> 40 - 50 age group. These people have slightly older and more independent
> children, children, I might add here, too, that are old enough to start
> thinking about a hobby, although they will very quickly forget it when they
> reach puberty. If the parents are interested and start doing things with a
> club, many children will follow, even if only out of curiosity. The 40 - 50
> age group also have an increasing amount of free time to spend, plus their
> work experience, which may benefit the club, and the resources to support
> that experience.
>
> A society of which I am a member (not a shell club) has about 400 local
> members. About 100 turn up at local meetings. At 35, I am one of the
> youngest. But, they also regularly get new members. All are in this 40 - 50
> age group. Many take their children to shows. There is nothing more
> pleasing than to look at the enchanted face of a 10 year old girl at an
> orchid show (or a shell show).
>
> By all means, target the children, but remember it's their *parents* who
> took them to these meetings in the first place. Target the parents, and you
> will get the children. After all, by the time they get to the end of high
> school, most kids have figured out that computer games are boring.
>
> I'll get off my soap box now
>
> Patty
> WWW: http://www.capricornica.com
>
> Capricornica Publications               on-line natural history bookshop
> P.O. Box 345
> Lindfield NSW 2070
>
> phone/fax: 02 9415 8098 international: +61 2 9415 8098
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
 
--
Jim and Bobbi Cordy
of Merritt Island, Florida.
 
Jim Specializes in Self-Collected
Caribbean & Florida Shells
 
Bobbi in Shell Creations