The Preventive System

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ThePreventive System

• In The Tradition of
• Don Bosco

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Salesian Spirituality is a Spirituality of

• Finding God
• Being happiest, holiest and healthiest
• Growing closer to God
• In and through and with the young.
• Note this If you do not want to work with
  the young dont be a youth minister

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1. The Importance of a Healthy and Holy
Environment

• St. John Boscos educational philosophy was
  centered on environment.
• Don Bosco believed that good Christians and good
  citizens would be formed when wise educators
  made sure that a healthy, happy and holy
  environment surrounded the young.
• Evil would be crowded outit wouldnt have a
  chance!
• Don Bosco created a home for a boy that was
  characterized by reason, religion and kindness.
• Unlike many religious educators of his time-- he
  practiced a philosophy now labeled The
  preventive System in which he promoted faith and
  fun in a free environment where kindness was the
  characteristic quality of the educator.

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CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT!

• THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR CREATING THE
  ENVIRONMENT!
• CLIMATE CONTROL- IS OUR CONCERN.
• Be thermostats-Not Thermometers.
• We place our energy in creating an environment
  where kids do the right thing because its
  automatically expected.

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2. The Characteristic Traits of this Environment-

• Joy and Optimism
• Care and concern
• Games, sports, music, drama
• Religion everywhere but very naturalnot a big
  split with life
• RELATIONSHIPS- Youth know that adults really
  care.

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The Characteristic Traits of this Environment-

• Peer Ministryolder take responsibility for the
  environment too!
• Educationfor life!
• Sacraments-Confession and Eucharist
• Mary-our helper
• Do your dutiesdo the right thing at right time
• A busy schedule----structure

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3. Style used while being with the Young
Assistance - Not Supervision

• Salesian youth ministers consider themselves
  assistants rather than superiors of the
  young,
• What do you hear in the difference of the 2
  words? Assistance and Supervision
• By good assistance we will make discipline easy
  and wont need to do a lot of supervising.
• Be there!
• Be aware.
• Care.

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To Be Vigilant

• Staying PresentStaying Zealous!
• The educator knows that if he lets his guard
  down with assistance thats precisely when
  something is going to happen.
• We are NOT LAZYwe cant afford to be lumps The
  whole system breaks down if we are soft on
  assistance!

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AGAIN, WHY ASSISTANCE AND NOT SUPERVISION?

• The term assistance implies that the educator is
  also on the journey toward holiness and -He or
  she is accompanying the young in lifes journey.
  
• The emphasis in this philosophy of religious
  education is on relationship rather than role. A
  friendship and a relationship of trust-even
  affectivity is formed. (pause to interpret what
  these means)
• Kindness is paramount.
• Modeling good behavior, modeling what it means to
  be a good human being - has a lasting effect on
  those being formed.

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In Summary

• Assistants rather than Superiors of the young
• The term assistance implies that the educator is
  also on the journey toward holiness.
• The emphasis in this philosophy is on
  relationship rather than role.
• A friendship of trust-even affectivity is formed.
  Kindness is paramount.
• Modeling good behavior and sharing the trials of
  daily life with the young has a lasting effect on
  those being formed.

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4. Presence is demanding

• Being there is the key to a holy, healthy, and
  happy environment!
• Don Boscos Dream of 1884 At the end of his
  life Bosco had a dream about the importance of
  Presence and Assistance/accompaniment rather than
  supervision and distance.

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Presence is demanding

• A. Part I of Dream Flashback- DBS oratory
  early
• - Recreation time liveliness, good presence
• -real assistance was going on!
• Closeness leads to affection and affection
  brings confidence."
• DB sees no fear, total openness, real honesty
• "Boys will do everything they are asked of by
  someone who they know loves them."

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B. Part II of Dream A look at his present
oratory

• Don Bosco sees at the recreation time (the
  playground) that there is no liveliness,
  boredom, (bad, bad assistance),
• Students reactions suspicion of teachers,
  kids off on their own--in the corners--conversing
  inappropriately, actually an us vs. them
  mentality between students and staff.
• Do a few places youve worked at come to mind?

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Conclusions from The Dream

• The Point Don Bosco makes in the Dream is
• apathy of the STAFF is where all APATHY
  progressed from. It led to.
• apathy in recreation . leads
  to.....................
• apathy toward their teacher and superiors
  .leads to............
• apathy toward religion.. leads
  to.......................
• apathy toward prayers and sacraments. leads
  to.................
• apathy toward holiness

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PRESENCE

• How can we lead kids to God?
• PRESENCE- AND A PRESENCE THAT SHOWS LOVING
  KINDNESS!
• YMs Can you say that being with the young is
  my biggest-main concern?
• You must say this for their sake because a
  loving-presence lets the young KNOW that they
  are loved.
• There is a difference between being faithful to
  your duties and being present when youre
  supposed to be around and really being present
  fully engaged and letting the young know that
  you love them!

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not enough to say Love

• NOT ENOUGH-- not enough to love, they must know
  that they are loved -
• Familiarity---Rapport
• IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP ON EVANGELIZATION
  youth ministers have to have a real interest in
  the lives of the kids --not a cursory
  interest--even when this is hard. Then and only
  then will they like the things of faith and the
  things of Christian mature living that we are
  challenging them toward!
• What's really missing in Education is. Humble,
  crazy, self-assured, creative educators---who
  arent AFRAID OF KIDS.
• the mixing!!! Being arrogant enough at times to
  be the heart and soul of the recreation
• Dont say I'm older- Ive taken on more
  responsibilities. My duties now force me to
  handle only the things that the youth need.
  Right now I have to face the facts - I'm caught
  up in administration

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Familiarity

• No matter what age you are---
• start with familiarity
• gain rapport
• let them know that you are there for them
• and it will breed a friendship AND affection
• AFTER THAT THE REST IS HISTORY!
• Be Humble enough to befriend kids This method
  of education has been tried and proves true from
  Salesian experience. It calls for humility

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6. Correcting the Young A presence that is
corrective not repressive

• In the process of correcting inappropriate
  behaviors, the educator must make sure that the
  youth is aware that he/she is still loved for who
  he/she is, even though the behavior exhibited is
  unacceptable.
• No matter how disturbing the behavior is and how
  disruptive it is to the overall learning
  environment, the educator must correct the child
  by stressing that the behavior was badnot that
  the kid is bad.

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Salesian Discipline

• In correcting, the emphasis should always be on
  learning, not revenge.
• This is not easy when a teachers entire lesson
  plan is shot because of a childs disruption.
• The tendency is to want to put an immediate stop
  to it and the quickest tool is to use
  humiliation. Humiliation will just reinforce the
  survival game being used and the educator will
  lose any credibility with the child. The
  teachings of the faith that we hope to share with
  the young will have absolutely no merit since we
  will have no merit in their eyes.

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Salesian Discipline Here are some tips on
giving corrections that may help a religious
educator

• A. Choose a favorable time to reprimand - Dont
  act out of anger- Wait until you are in control
  of yourself
• Youngsters can tell whether it is zeal or
  anger that is getting us fired up.
• St. Francis de Sales- reminds us not to drown in
  an attempt to save others (correcting harshly
  without analyzing the situation, Forgetting to
  ask yourself Whats really called for here?,
  Not waiting out the appropriate cool down
  period)
• The misbehaved and wayward child may be dead
  wrong, immoral and even outright mean but we will
  have a double tragedy if we act similarly in
  attempting to correct him.

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Salesian Discipline cont

• B. Never punish a boy/girl harshly at the moment
  of his fault Do it gently at the moment of
  his infraction/misbehavior,
• Then later on you should take him aside and talk
  about what happened.
• Bring him/her to good self-reflection and then
  tell him what the consequences of his behavior
  will result in.

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Salesian Discipline

• C. Punishments should always be proportionate to
  the disorder reason dictates that we need to be
  reasonable in correcting

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Salesian Discipline

• D. Love them but dont reward the misbehaved.
• Deny special privileges -- especially outings
  that are optional
• and simply hold back (very gently) some regular
  gestures of affection (e.g.-a smile). Dont
  over-exaggerate this!

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The Preventive System CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN 3
WORDS REASON RELIGION AND KINDNESS
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Reason

• The word preventive-- comes from praevenire which
  means to "foresee" and "provide". --the aim is
  to look ahead.preventive
• It is reasonable that the educator is looking
  ahead
• At the overall plan
• At the overall philosophy
• At the real needs of the young
• At the larger picture in the ministry
• At his/her own strengths and limitations

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Reason cont

• To encourage, counsel, and assist in personal
  growth and maturity with full insight into the
  present level of maturity/faith of the young and
  where they are heading toward
• reasonableness begins with good reflection
• self first and then situation of young

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Reason cont

• Reasonableness calls for consistency and clarity
• Especially with the young who are often
  thoughtless."
• On the part of the educator to always think and
  consider the situation of the young that he is
  called to serve.
• Walk the Walk! Reason dictates that the educator
  would never ask a young person to do anything he
  or she would not be willing to do herself.

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B. Religion

• Holiness is not a spiritual veneer
• RELIGION AND LIFE GO TOGETHER THERE IS NO
  DICOTOMY---FAITH AND LIFE FLOWWE DONT HAVE ANY
  RADICAL/ DRASTIC MOVES FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.
• Faith is fun alsoits not boring
• Faith is practical
• Confession forgiveness
• Mary Help
• Eucharist soul food
• Salesian MethodologyRELIGION IS EVERYWHERE
• It PERVADES THE ENVIORNMENT

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A Plan for Salesian Holiness

• The following spiritual growth plan for youth
  and adolescents might be helpful for you as a
  Salesian educator Remind youth of the
  following
• 1. I will be cheerful -Remain joyful and
  optimistic. Dont get down.
• 2. I will do my duties well. Do the ordinary
  things in an extra-ordinary way.
• 3. Jesus is my friend. I will stay close to
  him particularly in the Eucharist! He is with
  you- forgiving you, helping you and accompanying
  you on lifes journey.
• 4. Mary is a mother who helps
• 5. I choose to be kind.
• 6. Serve others. The surest way to happiness is
  by serving others in little ways.

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C. Kindness

• Kindness is the glue that keeps the whole
  Preventive System together!
• St. John Bosco teaches us that - Persuasion and
  kindness are our 1 method/means of disciplining
• IT TAKES KINDNESS TO CREATE THE PROPER CLIMATE
• THE POWER OF KINDNESS---go ahead and change 1
  lifejust one!
• With a few of our more real hardened kids we
  may be tempted to throw kindness out the
  window- we want to take instant and decisive
  steps to amend their behavior now.
• Dont Forget Kindness!
• We fail to be patient! Be patient!
• Lets avoid yelling screamers who shout too
  much lose respect and dont have any recourse
  when they really need to command.

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Preventive System

• Lived experience of Don Bosco
• Recommended
• Best learned by living it
• Morrisons book, Avallones Book, Braidos Book