Open Meeting...

[Anonymous]

The parents pile in while we're singing songs like zippity doo dah and shit. As they finally pile in we are made to sing one more song as if we hadn't been singing all week the same songs of hatred.

After I AM STRAIGHT is sung, I can't exactly remember what happens next. I think the Executive Staff member is there to make announcements. During our Open Meeting at headquarters there were the two captain's chairs. those always stood between the executive and the child group.

I do not remember the order everything went in, but it went something like this.

Executives would make announcements about bullshit going on throughout the week and the month and all that shit. Then they would make announcements about how great and wonderful Straight was/is, etc. Then they would hand shit over to the Senior Staff who would start talking about the phases.

Then first phasers would be made to give their introductions and confessions.

Parents would then give their shit talks to their wayward children. If the child made 2nd phase well then the newly awarded 2nd phaser would stand up and say Coming Home denoting 2nd phase privileges.

Finally, as the microphone was passed around the room to parents whose kids were of varying phases, each parent might hear their child made 3rd or 4th or 5th phase. 5th phase meant the child sat in group and then when they announced 5th phase they would go to the side of the group at the sayso.

After all the parent/child bullshit, some other shit happened maybe final announcements...no wait! The fucking baskets were passed around. Lots of money was put into those wicker candle/change baskets motherfuck.

then I think the I Am Straight song was made to be sung again among other songs.

I think after all of this the parents were ushered back into the waiting rooms to the left of group. Group walls were reassembled so the parents would go in the rooms near the cafeteria, and children would get ready for Open Meeting Rap.

among some of the things to go on during these Open Meetings were phaser talents such as solo singing, sometimes officials would come to speak like Bush or others. Sometimes, nothing.

I can't remember the protocol of Straight Open Meeting but I think I've covered it all. Then in Open Meeting Rap we'd chew the shit out of each other right? thanks y'all.

[Nomad]

I don't ever recall a basket being passed in Stoughton, tho I don't recall much from Friday nights except Review.[ This Message was edited by: Nomad on 2006-03-12 17:43 ]

[Anonymous]

After the first phase intros concluded with a brainwashed fifth phaser to provide contrast to the wayward druggie youth, the parents who were visiting to check out the open meeting were escorted out of the room.  This was done to protect "confidentiality" (I guess the 1st phasers are druggies still, and it doesn't count; druggies have no rights, remember?)of the kids, or so they said, in reality, it was done to prevent the parents from seeing the other parents talking to their kids who had not earned "talk" or "T&R".  Also, they didn't want parents who were just starting to sip the koolaid to see the full on guzzling that went on at open meetings, it may have scared them off, too much, too soon.

One thing I remember vividly is Miller NEwton's intro speech in which he described the "deep and implicit trust" between phasers and staff.  What horseshit.