A glimpse of the future

I spent a good part of last week at the Canadian Child and Youth Care conference; being with old friends, making new ones and generally learning and enjoying. The conference was chaired by Jessica Lusk and Cherie Smith. As I watched them at the front of the room, opening the conference, I was reminded of my own experience of doing the same many years ago. And I reflected on how little I knew then about organising large groups and conferences “and of, yes, the errors I made. I watched as Cherie and Jessica made their way through their agenda; how they struggled a few times and how they were determined to make it work. I don’t know how old they are – but I do know they are “of the next generation” of Child and Youth Care Workers. Okay, okay, I hear some of you saying “they are “of at least the next generation after you, Thom”. Fair enough.

And I watched Kelly Shaw, now the vice president of the Council of Canadian Child and Youth Care Associations, as she stood at the podium telling people about the Council, what it does, and what it is focussed on right now. She, too, is “at least” of the next generation.

As I hung out at the conference, I met many “next generation” Child and Youth Care Workers who were there to facilitate workshop sessions, sharing what they know, or have learned, or are doing in their practice, or their association, or their academic institution.

And I was proud of them all. Paternalistic as it might be for me to say so, I watched them with pride for our field. I saw, in these moments, and in these people a glimpse of the future of our work.

But you know what was even more thrilling “at the conference I met, hung out with and enjoyed the energy and passion of a generation “after the next generation”. The students from Ryerson University in Toronto, for example, who volunteered, supported speakers, and engaged with as many speakers, delegates and even “elders” as they could. And I saw students from Winnipeg, and new Child and Youth Care Workers from Alberta, and ... well, suffice to say, there were members of the “next generation” and the “generation after the next generation” from all over the country.
And as an “older fellow in the field” I was proud of them all. These are the people who will take our field to wherever it is going in the future “and the glimpse I had suggests that will be a good place.

Before I go, let me say that there were also a number of us “twinkles”, as Linda Wilson (Homebridge Youth Society) likes to call us: like me, Jack Phelan, Lorraine Fox, Karl Gompf to name a few who don’t mind being named. And one afternoon, a few of us were talking about how fine it is to be a part of a field that is not rejecting of its elders. None of us felt isolated or rejected; the younger generations allowed us to feel comfortable being with them as we all hung out together “and so, I also want to say to those “next generations” ... “thanks for that!”

The Canadian National Child and Youth Care Conference is a unique event “much like a family reunion where we all come together from our diverse locations and for a few short days experience our connectedness. When you feel connected with others for a “cause greater than yourself” you feel less alone, more connected. Valued, even.

Once when my own mentor Henry Maier was older (even a little older than me) he gave a talk about how he envied the current generation of Child and Youth Care Workers because they have the opportunity to connect every day with children, youth and families and at that stage of his life that was not available to him. At this conference, I also felt a little envious of those “present and future generations”, not for Henry’s reasons, but because, as I watched the future, I realised that these generations will experience a field of Child and Youth Care that I can only imagine.

I have the great good fortune to know members of the next generation all around the world and no matter where I go, I have the feeling that “we will be okay”. Previous generations (e.g., mine) have had the strength and support that comes from having quite vast networks of like-minded people. These future generations, because of the opportunity for “Making Connections” such as this recent conference have even more such opportunities “and the more you are all connected, one with the other across the country or the globe, the more I feel hopeful for both the field, and the children youth, and families who are a part of it.

Thank you all for taking a good thing a little bit further.

And Jessica and Cherie, thanks for all your work. I enjoyed the event you created. And I do hope that your courageous decision to let us all start the second day with some good laughter influences future conferences. It would be a nice addition to the field.

Thom