The thought that our relationship with the youth of today is relative and concern over their behavior is a constant throughout history caught my eye this morning. While there is ample evidence that teenage disruptions have been going on for quite some time, I cannot help but think about the path of society and evidence that it is not circular or simply repetitive. While kids have been "acting up" forever...I do not think that even 10 years ago anyone would have believed that kids would kill kids in schools with the frequency we see. If society does exhibit some sort of linear path and the outcome is not a good one, I can only believe it's because we do not "sweat the small stuff". As a museum director, I choose to sweat the small stuff. At the same time I try to engage teens in dialogues about what will engage them and help them decide to become involved...I ride them pretty hard about behavior, manners, courtesy, and proper language. I do that to my own son. Teens need to be embraced and loved, but at the same time they require guidance and an understanding of accountability and consequences. It's suppose to come from the parents. I pray that my son doesn't learn to be disrespectful from me. Just last weekend, we buried my 82 year old father-in-law, a nationally known choir director and music teacher. Former students from the 1950s-1970s flew into Chicago from all over the country to perform and speak at his memorial service. I think of one former student from the late 60s telling the story about being kicked out of choir because he wouldn't get a required haircut. And while the whole "hair" issue of the 60s and 70s may seem minor, this young man told everyone how HE had decided to go into teaching and that he now realized that his music teacher was holding him to a higher standard. I think as museum directors, we want to at least try to have a higher standard. D. Neil Bremer Executive Director Elmhurst Art Museum ***************************************************************** D. Neil Bremer Bremer Communications Image and Communication Skills for Business Office: (708) 848-5945 Fax: (708) 848-6011 Email: [log in to unmask] URL: http://www.bremercommunications.com ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).