Facility/Torture Center/Wilderness Camp Creeds etc.

[nimdA]

What is the creed, or whatever they gave out to the kids to memorize, for the duckfarm inflicted on you?

Here is the Three Springs Creed:

Our Creed

We believe that every person, regardless of age, social standing, sex, education or race is a person worthy of respect, and whose dignity as a human being should be considered at all times.

We believe that every child placed in our care has a goodness and strength to be found, regardless of their problems or unacceptable behavior.

We believe that the physical and emotional health of our residents is paramount. In no case should they be subjected to undue risk or emotional damage because of our actions.

We believe in discipline based upon love and care, and that decisions affecting those in our care should never be made in anger or haste.

We believe that growth and maturation come by doing, and our residents should never be demeaned by having done for them what they can do for themselves.

We believe that each person involved in our treatment program, be they parent, child, social worker, probation officer, counselor or friend is a part of a cooperative team, and that little can be accomplished without the valuable contribution of each team member.

We believe in truth, whatever the potential for embarrassment.
We believe in fairness, knowing that decisions are never fair to all people all of the time.

We believe in building bridges, rather than burning them, and developing friendships based upon understanding and care for others.

We believe in goals and commitment; for without them our lives are undisciplined and non-directed.

[Anonymous]

Did you memorize that or just keep a copy?

[Anonymous]

The Creed from where I went:

One for all we stand so tall
Mighty might we do right!
Here we shed our druggie past
Freedom comes to those who last!

We would hold hands and chant this everyday.

[nimdA]

I never memorized the 3 springs one. If I needed a copy I just borrowed one of the plastic cards the kids were given that had it on it. Now the kids had to memorize the creed to go up the stage system if I remember correctly.

[Rachael]

We just memorized the 12 steps and 12 traditions and the signs on the wall (one day at a time, etc.). I don't remember ever being commanded to memorize them, but they were just all we had to look at for up to 16 hours a day. So I think most of us had them memorized fairly soon. At one point I knew the exact number of each letter in each step - 7 'A's in step one.


Rachael

[nimdA]

The Creed from where I went:

One for all we stand so tall
Mighty might we do right!
Here we shed our druggie past
Freedom comes to those who last!

We would hold hands and chant this everyday.

Straight?

[Froderik]

You would think, but this particular brainwash rhyme rings no bells; maybe they used it in another branch, I don't know.

[Anonymous]

Our families drop us off to change
Get our boards and ride the wave
Strive for excellence nothing less
Let's clean up your parents mess

[mbnh31782]

as a counselor for 3 springs, they made us memorize the creeds and recite them as well as made the kids memorize the creeds.  its hard to NOT memorize especially when they made the kids recite the creeds 3 times a day (before meals).  after nightly each group had their own chant they yelled to the world.  ours was

 tschintanoesshen (shintanowessen) one group, one vision, one victory..... wooooooohooooooo.

we also had to recite: god grant me the serentity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference.  there was a little more to it but i forget the other things.  we also had to chant our prayer over our meal.. and i cant remember what we chanted.


oh and i almost forgot... we also had made the kids memorize the 100+ rules of the facility.... shit like

"shirts must be tucked in"

"hair must be brushed"

"beds must be made"

[psy]

god grant me the serentity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Same deal at Benchmark...  It's AA's Serenity Prayer.  Twelve steppery.  We would say that all the time.

Let's see..

"fake it till you make it"
"once an addict always an addict"
"keep coming back, it works if you work it, if you don't...  you're fucked" (and variations on that theme)
"let go and let god"
"two sickies don't make a wellie" (why no relationships allowed)

The twelve steps, of course, and terminology from Stepcraft, CEDU, etc.. I'm not sure if Benchmark (or any programs really) actually invented this stuff, so much as they copied it from elsewhere.

And the rules... Yes the rules that never stood still.  Those you had to know as well, and keep up to date... and you had to remember who was on "bans", and who was on house/room restriction... and if you talked to them you could get in trouble (especially if they answered... they were just supposed to say "BANS!").

[nimdA]

"fake it till you make it"

I don't think I've ever seen or heard of a program that actually made residents recite that. We heard that at 3 springs all the time, but never like a motto, but definitely like it was an accepted practice. At 3 springs it was sort of in use, but not in general use. Definitely accepted but not up in your face.

 At Eckerds I heard it, but my memory fails me as to if it was accepted or not. I seem to remember hearing from a program director once that we can't have these kid's faking it to make it as the change wasn't genuine. Then I also remember another master counselor saying it was ok as the end result was still change even if for the wrong reason.

 If that was the only thing I knew about benchmark it would be enough to tell me to stay well away from a bad thing.

Wierdly amazing how these sayings have made their way around the industry.

[try another castle]

I honestly don't remember if CEDU/RMA had a creed or not. I don't think we did. We had that "Here forever! Soar like an eagle" thing on our shirts, and I guess that is about as close as we got to a creed. Plenty of lingo, though.

[Oz girl]

How can you soar like a bloddy eagle when you are locked up! :rofl:

[try another castle]

How can you soar like a bloddy eagle when you are locked up! :rofl:

When I was in the lower school, I noticed a great turn of verse written on a binder buy a guy who was a couple of peer groups down from me. It said "Hip hip hooray! RMA! Soar like a brick!"

[Anonymous]

:cry:  :cry2: