We are not a large Youth Group...and in many ways, I love that. Each person knows the other and is connected...we have relationships! I have been blessed to lead the group for several years...
I haven't particularly followed the "Mean Girls" phenomenon...perhaps, given that I work with youth, I should have. I have witnessed them face to face...at ballgames, a large youth events, etc. but never in my group. I have "Nice Girls"...those who speak to the 7th grade boys even when the girls are in high school and are with their friends. They encourage one another. We were recently planning to take a trip in which a "new" girl would be a part. Because she doesn't attend the public school, the girls didn't really know her. She's also 4 years younger. As it happened, she wasn't able to go with us. I announced to the group that we would be one short on the trip and received the following reaction, "Did we do something that made her nervous about going?"...I answered "No, she's just not ready." They responded with "That's a shame, we were really looking forward to getting to know her." I could have cried!
Looks as if I am not the only one having experiences with "Nice Girls"...John Moe wrote an article for the NY Times...
Down North Smith we rode, past the hospital, up Grand. The girls talked in overlapping bursts and lots of sentence fragments, a little too loudly, but everything was friendly and positive. These weren’t mean girls. These were nice girls. As we passed over the freeway, I capitalized the Nice Girls in my mind to give them a title, to make them a team in the hope they would stay together. I needed them around when Kate got older. Maybe she could join them! Maybe they could get jackets made!
Read the whole article here.
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