Click Here to download a word document of the Houston Neighborhood Reflection Gathering Agenda.

Compiled by youth serving in three focus neighborhoods around Harris cluster, the agenda represents the questions that arise from experience by those laboring shoulder to shoulder, not in the abstract, with animators and junior youth in the field of service. Please reflect on these agenda items as a teaching team, prepare responses on the basis of your shared experience since the last reflection gathering, and divvy up the topics amongst your team members to encourage universal participation. Thoughtful reflections, stumbling blocks and how they became stepping stones, beautiful pictures and audiovisual presentations are all welcome! Looking forward to seeing you!

Harris County Cluster

Neighborhood Reflection Gathering

18:00, 8 Sultan 170 B.E.

(1/26/2014)

Attendees: ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  ____________  __________  __________

.

*******************************************TEAM PRESENTATIONS********************************************
(Agenda derived from consultation with indigenous and visiting youth who are serving at the grassroots  in focus neighborhoods)

Each team please present an update on your experience and learnings since the last reflection gathering. Please share your team’s prepared responses to the questions below, having divided the questions up amongst the group members.

1. Frequency and regularity of meetings: How can we extend our grassroots neighborhood mode of learning to other spheres of operation, like our reflection meetings? Discuss the frequency and regularity of the teaching team’s meetings and how its focus on the messages of the Universal House of Justice in weekly cycles of action, reflection and consultation has led to increased intensity.
2. Focus and Act on the Messages of the Universal House of Justice: Has our understanding of the implications of Revelation increased manifold by joining study and service? In the field of service, what knowledge has been put to test? What knowledge has been generated out of practice? How can we make our gatherings such as the one we will have an instrument to diffuse that knowledge more effectively?
3. Three Challenges and Three Overcomings: Have we seen how progress is achieved through the dialectic of crisis and victory? Describe three challenges or crises your group has faced and three ways you overcome those challenges and it led to victory?
4. Application of 3 month cycles: How the groups are using the three month cycles to expand and then consolidate? Describe the cycles of activity to which we are all aspiring, and what we have done to emulate it.
5. Discussion/stories of:
   1. Books: How have the animators inculcated a meaningful discussion of the lessons with the JY? What are some of the adversities faced? How has the group overcome them? 
      1. How to create and maintain focus and participation in the JY group
         1. Tactics for increasing participation
         2. Healthy incentives and rewards
   2. Maintain discipline
      1. Dealing with youth who distract or disrupt others
      2. Enforcing rules – going over them periodically (Book 5, section 3)
      3. Form strong bonds of friendship to eliminate the need for discipline
   3. Parents: How has the group articulated the purpose of the JYSEP to parents in the community? What are some challenges encountered? How has the group overcome them?
      1. Discussion in different languages? Overcoming language barriers.
      2. What concepts are most key to eliciting parental support?
   4. Methods of expanding JY membership and number of groups
   5. Conversations that were formative for relationships with Junior Youth
   6. Overcoming prejudices of race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status within the neighborhood
   7. Usage of the arts
      1. Incorporate singing – powerful in assisting memorization
      2. Drawing, Drama, Painting, Composing Music/Rap,
   8. Service Projects: what projects have been attempted and how did it go?
6. Long-term goals
   1. Home-front pioneering: How we are investing long-term in transformation and investigating realities conducive to home-front pioneer, in which youth commit a year or two to live in the communities where the grassroots movements are occurring?
   2. Empowerment of indigenous youth: How are we empowering local youth, those who are indigenous to neighborhoods, to take full ownership of the JY program, as well as empowering them in the consultation, action, and reflection cycle?

“O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light, and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth…”