July/August 2023
Dear friends and workers,
WELCOME to Olympia Convention, a Child Safety Zone (CSZ) {RCW 9A.44} convention ground in WA State. As we look forward to our upcoming days at the convention, we want to communicate a few guidelines that could help our time together to be safe, restful, and profitable. We want all victim survivors, known and unknown to feel our love and concern.
Abuse has included child sexual abuse (CSA), sexual assault (SA) as well as emotional, physical, bullying and psychological abuse. The news in recent months of abuse and accessory to abuse by complicity in hiding and not reporting it, involving both workers and friends across the USA and Canada, is alarming. All forms of abuse, sexual as well as emotional, are damaging and may leave the victim survivors with lifelong trauma. There is no doubt that we all want to minimize opportunities for any kind of abuse. While we respectfully agree and are happy to voluntarily host (provide the location/venue) for Olympia Convention to be conducted, we also have taken a zero-tolerance approach to any CSA/SA behavior on the property. Any allegation will be taken seriously with proper reporting and real transparency.
Considering this, here are some guidelines for Olympia Convention, a Child Safety Zone (CSZ):
- Convicted and alleged of child sex abuse (CSA) are not invited or allowed. In fact, they are illegal within 500’ of the entrance. WA State Law, RCW 9A.44.
- Minors must have a designated adult/guardian responsible for them at all times.
- Absolutely no drop-offs and/or minors attending without a guardian.
- If younger children need to use the restroom during a meeting, a requirement is for them to not go alone but be accompanied by their guardian or responsible sibling.
- The WALKING TRAIL will be closed promptly at 6:30pm.
- When departing the Grounds and turning East (right hand turn), it is a passing zone.
If any kind of sexual abuse happens….do not keep silent. Report it to the authorities (Call 911) immediately and inform both the workers, friends and owners of the property as soon as possible. Chat with your children before arriving about what to do if they feel uncomfortable at any time. The chat will be valuable to your children in school, after-school events, and thru life.
You can help by taking the Ministry Safe course: Click Here
This program is not just for ministers but for everyone. It was created by two attorneys with extensive experience in child sexual abuse among faith-based groups.
We are looking forward to being together again and feel it’s exactly what will help. There are some who are more reluctant, and understandably so, because of the breach of trust that has occurred. Feel free to attend or not. We understand your feelings and support your decision, either way. There will be no judgment on this very personal decision.
Sheri and I have taken unprecedented measures to make Olympia Convention Grounds safe. 360* Digital Cameras with limited night vision are now running 24/7/365. I walked thru 10 buildings with the Sheriff, in the dark at 10pm last week. Told him if I ever called, I wanted it to be the second time we met. Regardless, before, during and after Convention; TYPE any and all suggestions to me. Leave your name off. All suggestions are treated as equal. Put in black box.
Signed
John E Sheri E
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Will overseers and others who have covered up abuse be allowed on the property? Probably most or all of those people are alleged to be emotional or psychological abusers themselves, but in case they have not been named specifically to be abusers themselves, but only to have caused harm by protecting abusers…
Do you have a list of names of the uninvited? Have they been notified?
Can you share it?
We do not feel comfortable attending if we don’t know that the ones who have allowed abuse will be barred. No place, as far as we know, can be safe if they are present. They are as dangerous as the abusers, and more. To be clear, this includes even those who have announced new zero-tolerance themselves and/or acknowledged their missteps and apologized. We cannot trust that they have changed and will behave differently. Their words and actions have made them untrustworthy. Their presence will also be triggering to victims.
We appreciate your efforts!!
This is unbelievable. Trails closed at 6:30? Night vision cameras? Where are the cameras? In the bathrooms? Who is monitoring them? Trained Ministry Safety workers that were previous peds and perps? This is very creepy.
Why would someone put cameras in a bathroom?…..your creepy.
TS – Because that is where peds and perps tend to hang out. If this is not true, then why do most all of the convention safety guidelines tell parents to not let their kids enter the bathroom without them also being present?
Did a little more research – conventions in British Columbia, Montana, Tennessee, Kentucky and maybe more sent out guideline safety letters that say something to the effect that the “parent should accompany younger children to the bathroom or shower area”. Convention guideline safety letters for Illinois and Washington told parents to watch their kids at all times (i.e. in bathrooms). What is creepy is that all of these safety guidelines and cameras are necessary in the first place.
I’m guessing the cameras would be at the exterior of bathroom buildings/rooms. To see who goes in and when.
I was there this past Thursday, and there’s no cameras in the bathrooms nor in the dorms. That’s why they are requiring parents or “Responsible siblings” to be with children 24/7.
Having never met you, I already love you John & Sheri. Thanks for your hard work, advocacy and thoughtfulness in making Olympia a child safety zone. I hope many other convention grounds follow this example.
This looks to be an excellent letter and should be used for every convention, special meeting, or Sunday meeting around the world.
Basically there should be no reason to not adopt it as part of the organizations fundamental beliefs.
At this point, child sexual abuse is rampant and sexual abuse and spiritual abuse is happening on a regular basis. Then there’s the people that were not involved in the initial activity, or crime, but had knowledge of it later and did nothing, or actually covered up for it. There are many people, mostly workers, who have involvement in these activities. The blame could run, and should go wide and deep. Instead of sorting through the people entering the convention to determine who is eligible, and who is not eligible to be there, wouldn’t it be easier just to have everyone that enters sign a waiver? Because everyone now knows what they are going in to. As for the 360 degree Digital Cameras with night vision running 24/7/365 thru 10 buildings — who monitors those? Are these people trained professionals? Also, are the cameras posititioned so they can not be easily tampered with or deactivated? Are the cameras in the camping areas? Safeguards are good, but you have to remember, predators love a challenge.
24/7/365 night vision 360* cameras in 10 buildings????? I am assuming those building would include sleeping quarters, shower areas, and restrooms. This only opens the door to more abuse!!! Who is monitoring the cameras???
As a woman, I would feel so violated. I would NEVER attend a convention with this type of surveillance!
No. Read it again. Walked through 10 buildings with sheriff, not security cameras in 10 buildings. Of course they won’t put security cameras in the private areas you are concerned about.
Thank you, for actually reading the letter!
A good letter I think. But I’m not going to sit and listen to any known to have covered up abuse. Maybe if folks get up and walk out when these wolf enablers go speak perhaps they’ll get the message. Worth a try…
We so appreciate your vigilance, see you tomorrow at the meeting.
There are Privacy laws that prohibit cameras in certain areas, bathrooms, changing rooms etc. Knowing they had Law enforcement inspect their setup, I feel fairly confident in claiming that no one will have video of you snoring in the dorms unless there is obvious signage stating that cameras are being used in any specific areas. Anything less would be Illegal.
There are also laws regarding CSA. These laws did not prevent workers and professing folk from doing these horrible crimes. Most of the letters on Wings concerning convention safety are specific about not letting your kid enter a bathroom without supervision. If cameras are not in bathrooms and dorms, what good are they? These are the places where perps and peds tend to hang out. Do not think cameras are needed in the dining tent recording those that are eating watered-down stew and bread.
Thankfully, John Elley meant exactly what he said! One of the ministers from India has allegations against him, and he just strolled right onto the grounds and about like he had nothing to worry about, and those signs were for everyone else except him! So, once it was discovered, he was asked to leave!
Who invited him? Who organized which workers would be there? How did no one know about the allegations until he was there at convention?
He did not hop on a plane and show up for a convention tour without the involvement of a few someones.
Name those names.