Hi all, Just been catching up on the thread of recent digests and came across Joke & Lyn's messages regarding teaching children.
Lyn wrote: I apologize, but your posting struck me the wrong way. I'm sitting here with tears of laughter running down my face, thinking, "Rats, my extensive criminal convictions will not let me teach lace to children..." I know it's serious, and probably expensive, but really, lacemakers going to schools to prey on young children? The thought is such an absurdity. I suppose there could be a predator out there, lurking amongst us Lacemakers" Joke wrote: It would be lovely if children could have an afternoon to get to know lacemaking.............. For 12-14 years I voluntarily ran a lace club in the lunch hour at what was then the local middle school [children aged 9-13] where I taught both girls and boys to make lace. Living in a relatively rural area it had to be during lunch because after school clubs were difficult for the majority of children who had to be bussed to and from school each day. The class was always full [14 max] with a lengthy waiting list of youngsters wanting to have a go at making lace, often inspired by the annual exhibition the group put on to coincide with parents days. Some lasted for a few weeks before deciding it wasn't for them others stayed on until they changed school, one is now my groups membership sec. All went well until the school had a new headmaster who thought it a waste of time and spent a year making life very difficult....... so that class moved to my home along with the class I'd already set up for the older children going to high school. But gradually numbers dwindled and life was made even more difficult because of all the scandals of child abuse that were coming to the fore and CRB checking was introduced and became compulsory ..... this was when I bowed out of teaching children, not because I wouldn't pass through the CRB checks I hasten to add, but because the cost of it was prohibitive. And yes Lyn I do see the funny side of what you wrote. Another problem that we now face in my area at least, is the lack of lacemakers who are able and willing to teach. Over the past couple of years when I've been out giving a talk/exhibiting within the county I've been asked where folk can go to learn, but classes are non-existent in many parts of the county, so cutting a long story short this has resulted in a new class of adult beginners [not all retired] and a bit of a trek for me, so far it's going well, though I do have to watch out for herds of deer suddenly leaping out from the hedgerows across the road when I drive back home in the dark, it's happened each week so far. Clearly this particular narrow lane crosses their regular route, but it's the only way home for me, but I have to say that one particular stag is quite an impressive animal and I do so enjoy seeing them, fingers crossed they won't one day actually land on my car. Never imagined that lacemaking could be so fraught with danger!!! Nicky in a gloriously sunny Suffolk so wonderful to see some sunshine at long long last. - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
