Anyone in the mood to feel really, really old should take a couple hours out of their evening and chaperon a youth dance. It's a real eye-opener.
By the end of the night, you may find yourself muttering phrases directly from "The Parent's Handbook To Alienating Your ChildWhile Branding Him A Social Misfit."
Such comments generally include:
* But you have such a pretty face. Why do you insist on covering it up with all that makeup? And your hair. All that teasing and gel is causing it to point toward the polar ice caps.
* Your mother let you out of the house wearing that? Just a wee bit too tight, perhaps. Well, just shuffle over to the corner and we'll lean you against the wall.
* What do you mean, everyone wears their overalls with one strap hanging down? Is this GlenBurnie's tribute to Jethro Bodine from "The Beverly Hillbillies"?
* You call this music? The Rolling Stones made music. The Beatles made music. The Cowsills made music. Any song with the recurring lyric "Mamma's gonna knock you out" is not music. It is a cry for help fromsomeone chaperoning a dance.
But at the end of the evening go home, turn on VH-1. Watch some of the old tapes of our dancing and our music. Check out the white lipstick, the hot pants and the gyrations.
Oh yes, we wrote the book how to distress parents.
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There are two opportunities to chaperon a dance this Friday.
Teen-agers 15 and under are welcome at a youth dance from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the recreation hall at Country Club Estates on Paul Marr Drive. Music will be provided by disc jockeys Tim Konig and Joe Connell. Admissionis $2 each, and refreshments will be sold throughout the evening.
For additional information, call Sue Martin, 761-0317.
Across Ritchie Highway, in the cafeteria at Corkran Middle School, a group of teens and soon-to-be-teens meet every Friday for the dances sponsored by the Rebels' Teen Center.
The Rebels sponsor two dances -- one from 6 to 7:30 for ages 6 to 12 and one from 8 to 10 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Admission is $1 for the younger dance and $2 for the older dance.
Adult chaperons are always welcome as guests of the Rebels.
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Mothers helping mothers. That's the premise behind La Leche League of Glen Burnie, a group of mothers and mothers-to-be who seek advice and support from one another in their decision to breast-feed their babies.
The Glen Burnie group meets the fourth Monday of each month in the home of one of their members. There are between eight and15 mothers who attend the meetings regularly.
Katie Torrey is a group leader with the Glen Burnie group. She became involved with the group three years ago when her son, Andy, was 6 months old. She is also the mother of Jeanne, 5, and Sarah, 9 months.
According to Torrey, some mothers seek out the group for only one or two meetings and then leave after their questions have been answered. But usually the women come and like what La Leche has to offer. They stay for information and fellowship.
"More women now than in our mother's generation want to breast-feed. They contact us for information, and we're able to help them with the proper resources," said Torrey. "We also work with many women who want to breast-feed even as they continue to work."
The Baltimore area La Leche League operates a telephone Help Line, 526-4285. A recorded message directs callers to a volunteer whocan answer questions.
The December meeting of La Leche League of Glen Burnie is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, at a private home in the Riviera Beach area. The topic for discussion will be "TheBirth of Baby and Baby's First Weeks."
For additional informationon the group or the meeting, call 437-9507.
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The results of the recent student council election at Richard Henry Lee Elementary School are in, and it looks like Jason Green will serve as president for this school year. Other members of the executive board are Heather Behegan, vice president, and Jennifer Moody, secretary.
The students will work with representatives from each of the individual classesat RHL and their faculty sponsors, Joann Radcliff and Carolyn Barranco.
"We meet once or twice a month on a Friday afternoon for a meeting. We're trying to teach the students the democratic process of running a meeting," said Radcliff.
Throughout the year, the studentswill also try to become more familiar with parliamentary procedures.
The student council at RHL organizes several activities at the school, including a book fair and a Santa's Secret Workshop, planned for Dec. 7. Proceeds from these fund-raisers are used toward purchasinga gift for the school.
In addition to fund-raisers. the students are also involved in projects such as the red ribbon program, which promotes awareness of drug and alcohol abuse.
Their involvement extends to offering suggestions on school policy ranging from recycling projects to what type of ice cream the cafeteria sells.
A new project for this year will be a type of school store selling pencils. Thecouncil has also expressed an interest in giving special pencils to students with perfect attendance.
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Parents who are looking forsomeone to watch the kiddies while they trudge up and down the aisles of stores looking for Christmas bargains need look no further than Girl Scout Junior Troop 947.
The girls are offering a baby-sittingservice for children 10 and under from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Country Club Estates Recreation Association hall.
The $5 fee per child includes refreshments and activities.
Money raised from the service will be used to help finance the troop's trip to camp next year.
For information call 761-0317.
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David Payne has been elected the president of the Mid-Spencer Community Association.
The association represents communities of Shannon Square, Shannon Forest, Woods of Shannon and Hartwell Road.
Other members of the 1991-1992 board include Dave Weaver, vice president; Lisa Powell, treasurer; Barbara Weese, recording secretary; Donna Stramella, corresponding secretary; Bill Greer, parliamentarian.
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They really know how to celebrate Christmas over at the Harundale Presbyterian Church. For more than 18 years, the congregation has been gathering with family members and friends to ring in the holidays with their annual Christmas Family Night.
This year the celebration begins at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec.8, at the church, 1020 Eastway Drive. Holiday music by the church's band and children's choir will start the activities.
Afterward, the Boy Scouts of Troop 474 will serve a light supper. Tickets for the meal will be sold for $1.75 before and after church services Dec. 1.
After supper, everyone is invited to attend one of the many workshops scheduled for the evening. With careful planning, the family willbe able to make Christmas cards, ornaments and cookies, exchange recipes or dress up as an angel, shepherd or a wise man and have a phototaken.
For more information concerning the holiday event, call the church office, 766-4338.
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Report cards were sent home last week (no matter what your child may try and tell you) and local businesses are preparing for the various incentive programs they offer for good grades.
Every child will tell you that area Pizza Huts offer a free personal pan pizz and a drink to students with three A's in one quarter.
Another pizza place, Chuck E. Cheese, offers game tokens for good grades. Students will receive three tokens for every A, two for every B and one for each C in one quarter up to a maximum of 15tokens. This offer is good only with a food purchase and not in conjunction with any coupons.
Parents can thank a Ferndale mother for the new policy at the Chuckster's. Sharon Van Hove called the pizza chain's main office in Texas and asked why they no longer offered any type of incentive program for good grades. Before you could say "Is that a giant rodent dancing on the tables?" she had encouraged the chain to offer the free tokens. Nice touch.
Phone: 766-6790