There are small tasks at spiritist education classes which can be done by the children. This will make them feel valued; at the same time, this gives them the opportunity to be more responsible and develop the joy of working at the spiritist centre. After all, the children will be tomorrow’s workers of the spiritist movement.
         You could start by explaining that every work at the spiritist centre is VOLUNTEER; which means no one is obliged to do it, but if they want to do it they need to try to make the best of the tasks. Please explain we don’t get a salary for the work, since this is a way we have to help, as we help someone cross the street or give information to a person when they are in need (where is the nearest pharmacy?). You could explain that every task at the spiritist centre is important. Please mention how bad it would be if we arrived at school and the classroom would be dirty, untidy ….
         It might be a good idea to create an assistant badge (it doesn’t need to have the child’s name written on it but just the word ASSISTANT in a colourful font). This will allow the assistant to be identified by the other children if they need help; plus it will make the assistant feel valued. The badge is well accepted and valued; especially amongst the adults who work at the spiritist centre. This allows the workers to be identified at reception, at the library....
         The children usually enjoy this task, but if one child doesn’t want to take part on it you should not force him/her to do so. Her/his wish of not wanting to be an assistant needs to be respected without much questioning. Please do not ask the child why or reprimand; as the year goes by this child will probably change his/her mind and start collaborating in class.
         Please organize a program so that every day there is a new assistant in place. This could be displayed somewhere visible in class; this could also allow the children to know who will be next week’s assistant.
         As soon as the class begins, the assistant should get the badge which needs to be returned by the end of the class. After the closing prayers, which will be done by the assistant, please make the next week’s volunteer worker aware that he/she will be the next assistant. You could also give him/her a note which contains an explanation for the parents. (Please find here underneath a suggested note).
         Please bring with you a book of prayers, thoughts or phrases which could be used in class, in case the child forgets to bring a prayer to class or feels too shy to spontaneously pray at the end of the lesson. This would avoid the child to feel constrained in front of the class.
         The children feel happy and willing to collaborate. The opportunity to help also develop responsibility and respect for the task they are involved with. They also develop, slowly, love and dedication which are needed for volunteer work.


SUGGESTED NOTE FOR THE PARENTS:
(give this note to the next week’s volunteer so he/she can take it to the parents, as it contains an explanation for them)

         Dear Parents,
         Next week your son will be the Class Assistant. He will be a volunteer worker for the group for one day. This is a very important task and he needs your support, incentive and authorization to be able to fulfill this task.
         His tasks will be to help the spiritist teacher by handing out paper to his colleagues, write the date at the black-board, clean the board at the end of the class and remind the children they need to place the chairs at the right place by the end of the class. He will also be in charge of doing prayer, which could be spontaneously, memorized or read from a book.
         We ask you please to help the assistant to get ready for these tasks, by giving him assistance with the choice of prayer, as well as talking to him about volunteer work.
         Volunteer work is the one we do without getting money in return. It can be done at nurseries, asylums, mental illness communities, schools, churches, spiritist centres, orphanages, hospitals, etc. Through volunteer work we do many important tasks, help other people and help ourselves as well, since we learn many things from it. Every work at the spiritist centre is volunteer work.

SUGGESTED BADGE:             [Click here to print the badge]

SPIRITIST EDUCATION - HELPER

Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, Sir William Crookes Spiritist Society linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.

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