Pledge/Prayer: Pres. Peter Manley
Song: Andy
Brents Card Game Winner: Bill O'Shaughnessy
Sergeants Report - Gerri
Guests: Frank Barnaba and Jen Sheehan
Raffle Winners: Ran, Andy, Marty
Happy Bucks
Announcements:
Peter read a letter of thanks from a recent Student of the Month recipient, Helen Herrle
There will be a Board Meeting this Thursday at the L&M bldg. at 7am
Bill Burnhart called a meeting of the Outreach Committee following the regular meeting.
Program:
Joan Michaud introduced our speakers, Frank Barnaba and Jen Sheehan of the Barnaba Institute. BI has been in existence for 25 years. Frank grew up an abused child who landed on the streets. He turned his life around and wanted to give something back to god and community. The problem of sexual child abuse was under control until the explosion of the internet and is now a $24 billion industry. There has been an infiltration of pimps to the shoreline coming mostly from the New London area. Kids from Old Lyme, Madison, Clinton and Guilford are vulnerable. Pimps get them hooked on drugs (i.e. ecstacy) and then force them into a life of prostitution to support their habit. Gangs have given rise to this problem as well and larger cities such as Bridgeport have an especially large problem. Since the FBI and police have been more focused on homeland security, the problem of child prostitution has taken a back seat. There has also been cases of police corruption. Pimps sell girls for as much as $3500 and 200,000 people are trafficed annually. Events also attract pimps such as the Masters Golf Tournament, boxing events, etc. This is poverty driven with pimps and johns preying on the poor. The solution is education yet schools have been resistent to having a program that deals with this problem. Education needs to begin early, 6th grade preferably.
Barnaba Institute helps protect students by giving them the tool of knowledge. You can call BI and schedule a lecture, 203-484-0413 or visit their website at www.barnabainstitute.org
md
