WINGS Note: This relates to the letter posted at https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/08/09/preparing-for-convention-at-clever-mo/
With knowledge comes responsibility. We take our responsibility of hosting convention seriously, and we acknowledge that there are liabilities involved. We are thankful for the victim-survivors and others who have made us acutely aware of the safety concerns among us. With this knowledge, we must act to make changes. One of which is providing a safer environment for people to gather.
We will be putting in place the following guidelines to ensure we are doing all we can to create a more Safe and Edifying environment for God’s people to worship and have fellowship.*
- Known Sexual Predators (Convicted/Accused/Alleged) will be barred from entering the Clever Convention Grounds.
- We will not permit access to the convention grounds by anyone (including Workers) who has knowingly allowed a predator to continue to cause harm (EG: falling to warn Friends, covering up, or moving a sexual predator to another location).
- We recommend that all individuals and families create a personal safety plan prior to arriving on the Grounds. Caregivers should review their safety plan with their children and educate them about all safety issues (including Fire, Natural Safety, as well as Personal safely).
- Each child is to have a designated adult responsible for their care. Caregivers must monitor the safety and welfare of their children at all times
- Children will not be permitted to stay in the bunks without a caregiver — if you need help finding accommodations for your family, please reach out to us as soon as possible.
- Caregivers must monitor their children in the playground area, bathrooms, etc.
- We will be assembling a Safety Monitoring Team, which will be responsible for addressing Security and Safety concerns:
- A Dorm Dad/Mom will be assigned to provide more safety in Sleeping areas
- Safety Rounds on grounds day and night
- 6am- 10pm: 10-15 safety monitors available at all times
- 10pm-6am: One male, one female
Two-hour shifts with rounds to monitor all areas for safety, including camper areas, bathrooms, and empty buildings (meeting shed, dining shed, cookhouse, etc)
- Members of the Safety Monitoring Team will:
- Complete Ministry Safe and Mandatory Reporting Training
- Have proper education on Child Safety
- Be identified via a distinct method (EG: lanyard, etc)
- There will be a strict 10:00 pm curfew. No one may to enter dorms or grounds after 10:00pm
- Possibly all dorm doors are locked at 10:00pm to prevent entry (for safety reasons, the exit will still be available).
- Campers/ tent/ Parking Lot areas
- Security Cameras
- Specific monitoring team designated for these areas
- No Wifi will be available on the grounds during preps or Convention.
- All Workers attending Clever Convention must have Ministry Safe Training, Mandatory Reporter training and be aware of and willing to address the issues of SA and CSA in our fellowship.
‘This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all safety procedures. We are actively working to develop and finalize a more complete policy for our convention.
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Thank you for being willing to stand up and be proactive in keeping convention grounds as safe as you can. I only hope that Ontario conventions will have the same guidelines next year. It takes brave people to be pioneers in implementing new policies. Thank you.
The T’s “recommend that all individuals and families create a personal safety plan prior to arriving on the Grounds”. If conventions are this dangerous, the best “safety plan” may be to stay away. Conventions are just another holdover from William Irvine’s days in the Faith Mission anyways.
Max, it’s not necessarily that conventions are “this dangerous”…ALL family outings to a gathering of people are “this dangerous.” It’s just the unequivocal clarity of seeing it all laid out in print for a gathering were historically, IMO, many parents abandon all natural caution! All of these rules seem normal for a Boy Scout camp or other organization youth gathering. Having a “safety plan” that you review with your children should be really be normal for every outing but especially one where you don’t plan on having eyes on your child at all times. Because a safety plan isn’t just about personal boundaries/safety, but natural safety as well. Children are taught in school to develop a fire safety plan for their home and now also have safety plans for school shooters, etc. I think we have been remiss in reviewing safety protocols for convetion with our children as well! This isn’t a new concept, it’s just one that we are being reminded of!
I beg to differ. Me and my wife have spent a lot of time this summer camping at a very popular beach. There are dozens of little kids all over the place riding bikes, playing in the dunes, getting ice cream and things of that nature – usually in their swim suits. These kids use the bathroom also, without adult supervision. I do not see anyone “monitor the safety and welfare of their children at all times”. There is no “Safety Monitoring Team”. There are no warnings given or posted about CSA/SA perps, preds or pervs (3P’s) when checking into the campground. I have not read about one CSA/SA issue at this campground or any other campground in the USA this summer. If there was, the press would be all over it.
The group really needs to figure out why they have such a massive CSA/SA problem and why there is such a high percentage of 3P’s in the group, and why so many of current and ex-members have been victims of this horrible un-Godly practice. Maybe it is because workers do not preach basic human morality? Or the Ten Commandments? I would bet big money that not one word will be spoken about these two topics at Clever or any any other convention.
I wonder how many families’ “safety plan” will be to stay home or to find a different church.
I will give them credit were its due, they are taking a firm stand, thank you!
Call me ignorant but I never even thought that these things occur at conventions years ago, mostlikey many others aswell.
“…we acknowledge that there are liabilities involved”. From a convention owner standpoint, LIABILITY, is the key word here. Having spent decades in the courts, legal and insurance side of life, liability would be a huge factor for convention ownership. They are personally liable and a very easy target for any victim, or alleged victim. Outside of any pay out, the legal fees will be staggering. Payouts will happen simply to get rid of the legal fees. This is common place. Also, payouts will be made to keep the press quiet, because if there is press, local pressure will mount to shut the convention down in order to keep outside the community child sex offenders from being drawn to the community by the convention. Child sex abuse is very ugly and of all the exploitation our society tolerates, child sex abuse is not one of them. Yes, convention owner, you will be the next victim in this rampant sex abuse scandal. The mother organization, Christian Conventions, the official church name registered with the U.S. government, will at some point also be brought in to a major class action law suit. There’s way to many cases and the leadership has blatantly and obviously covered up for the predator so often, this matter will see its day in court. And, yes there will be massive publicity.
The first two guidelines are what needs to happen. These need to be applied to every fellowship meeting everywhere. Immediately.
Couldn’t agree more, Glad someone finally added this to their protocols. Long overdue.
💯 agree!
He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. —Psalm 23:2-3. From the set up vital to, “keeping convention grounds as safe as you can”, it’s going to be difficult to have quiet water with all that tension, disturbance, confusion, and uncertainty. I have found my soul restored, I have found a wonderful place to worship and bow down, and it wasn’t at a convention.
#2 is going to eliminate a lot of friends and workers
The best safety plan would be to stay away.
Maybe you need to let other sheep feed where they will..maybe you need to refrain from commenting if all you do is run those trying in the ground. These convention owners might want to see a father who might be his last convention have that wish and joy. The father has cancer and his wish might be his last convention or many of our last conventions..we do not know. So show heart and compassion just once.. Don’t be a purpose-killer. Stop and realize that there is a purpose to some who have reasons. Those of us who live out our purpose protect it from an untimely death at all costs. Be kind, be loving, it our choice to leave the street corner and step into the elevator.