Leadership

Each year, two chair-persons are selected to design and bring to the conference a theme speaker, minister and workshop leaders of their choice, who will provide interesting and thought-provoking programs for all conferees. The Chairs recruit all the adult leaders for our youth program. The Chairs are responsible for all aspects of the program for their week.

The LOAS conferences are governed by a group consisting of all current and former Chairs of both LOAS conferences. The former chairs meet on-island during the conference and again in November to conduct ongoing business, make plans for the future and elect conference Chairs, Registrar and Treasurer. They also elect a Coordinating Committee consisting of three people who, together with the Registrar and Treasurer, handle issues which arise between Chair meetings.

The current coordinating committee consists of Cori Hoffman (chair), John Pustell and Tad Crawford (elected members), the treasurer - Gail Henry and the registrar - Patti Emmons. Please contact a member of the coordinating committee if you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions.

Several years ago, the Star Island Corporation organized a Council of Conferences consisting of representatives from each week-long conference. LOAS participates in this organization with representatives for both LOAS I and LOAS II. These representatives are elected by the LOAS Chairs. The current LOAS Council of Conference Representatives are: Josh Davis, Myra Aaronson, Gary Kunz and Marie Dupree. The alternates are: Jill Brody and Phil Sears .

The Star Island Corporation (SIC) runs the facilities on the island and is the hotelier for the conferences. The SIC hosts around 30 conferences each season, including full-week conferences from mid-June through August and shorter conferences in early June and September.

Registration forms should be mailed to LOAS conference registrar; Patti Emmons, 104 Columbine, West Grove, PA 19390.

LOAS Registration Policies (The LOAS Registration Policies below were revised in November 2002.)

Admittance Requirements

Island registration policies are observed. Applicants must be self-sufficient and not in need of regular medical or psychiatric treatment.

In addition to existing Island rules about minors attending without parent or guardian (including, for example, proper medical treatment authorization forms), it is the policy of the LOAS Conferences that a person under the age of 18 may attend only as part of a family unit including said minor’s parent, guardian, aunt, uncle or grandparent. If the minor is attending with a sibling as guardian, that sibling must be 21 years old or older.

If a family is aware that a family member requires special attention in order to function in the conference environment without unduly interfering with the ability of others to enjoy the conference, it is their responsibility to:

- make arrangements satisfactory to the conference chairs for special care and supervision

If the problem arises during the conference, then it is the responsibility of the family/guardian to make such arrangements for the special care as are satisfactory to the conference chairs.

Children of divorced or separated parents can be added to both parents’ registration forms if the parents are registering for two different weeks. Children cannot be added to both parents and grandparent’s registration forms if the parents and/or grandparents are registering for different weeks.

Reserved Spaces

Spaces are reserved for LOAS chairs (current chairs and chairs from the past two years), treasurer, and registrar. These people have the option of attending both LOAS weeks. The conference chairs are guaranteed in for two years following the year they were chairs.

The outgoing treasurer and registrar are guaranteed in for two years following the years they worked, provided they worked for at least three years as either treasurer or registrar beginning with people elected in the fall of 2003. For the treasurer and registrar elected before 2003, they are guaranteed into the conference for three years following the years they worked, provided they worked for at least three years as either treasurer or registrar.

If an application is postmarked by the opening day of registration (March 10th) and remains on the waiting list until the day before the conference begins without being accepted into the conference, the applicants are guaranteed space in either LOAS conference the following year if they re-apply by the March 10th deadline. An additional family member may be accepted at the discretion of the registrar.

Staff of LOAS I and II, and those automatically accepted as past chairs, treasurers, and registrars will use discretion in whom they include on their registration forms for automatic acceptance. Inclusion of adult children and their families is strongly discouraged and will be disallowed by the registrar if the conference is oversubscribed. Adult, dependent children living at home, widowed parents, a niece, nephew, or grandchildren are permissible if they could not stay at home on their own.

The immediate family of youth leaders under the age of 22 are guaranteed for the year or years that youth leader works. Only the youth leader receives the option of a guarantee for the second week or the following year. (See Staffing below)

These two paragraphs do not apply to families submitting registration forms for routine acceptance.

Cancellations

Conferees who cancel six weeks before the conference begins will receive a registration refund.

Those who cancel during the three weeks preceding the conference will be placed at the bottom of the next year’s waiting list, should they apply.

Conferees who do not cancel and do not attend the conference will not be accepted the following year.

All applications postmarked on or before the March 10th deadline are drawn at random until the conference quota of 260 are filled. Remaining applications are placed on a waiting list in the order drawn.

Applications postmarked after the March 10th deadline will be added to the waiting list in order of postmark.

Those not accepted into a conference will be advised of their position on the waiting list and will be asked to confirm their wish to remain on the list. If they do not reply within 20 days, their names will be removed and their deposits returned.

The registration fees, room and board, parking and boat fare will be paid by the conference for the theme speaker and the theme speaker’s immediate family. The theme speaker is not guaranteed into the conference the following year.

Parking and boat fare will be paid by the conference for the Minister of the Week and spouse or partner.

Full time youth leaders and youth coordinator will have their registration fees and room and board paid by the conference. In addition, they will have the option of staying for a second week the same year or have guaranteed acceptance into one week of the conference the following year.

Workshop Leaders and part-time Youth Leaders

All workshop leaders and part-time youth leaders will have one half of their registration fees and room and board paid by the conference. They are only guaranteed in for the week they work.

Starting in 1995, the children of the chairpersons will be charged for their registration fees and room and board.

Preface: The LOAS Conferences shall maintain an environment in which all children are free from child abuse. All persons associated with the conferences are expected to conduct themselves at all times so as to provide a safe and nurturing atmosphere for children and adolescents. Child abuse is unlawful and will not be tolerated. Any member of the LOAS community who engages in behaviors that are defines as child abuse by state and federal laws will be in violation of this policy. Further, retaliation against an individual for filing a complaint or assisting in the investigation pursuant to this policy is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

1. Child abuse is defined, in the New Hampshire Child Protection Act. [NH RSA 169-C: 3, II an XXVII]:

(c) Psychologically injured so that said child exhibits symptoms of emotional problems generally recognized to result from consistent mistreatment or neglect; or

"'Sexual abuse' means the following activities under circumstances which indicate that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened with harm: the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or having a child assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or any simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct; or the rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children. With respect to the definition of sexual abuse, the term "child" means any individual who is under the age of 18 years."

1.1 NH law defines a child as any person who has not reached his or her eighteenth birthday [Chapter 169-C: 3]

1.2 Under NH law not only professional caregivers of children but also "...any other person having reason to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected shall report the same..." [Chapter 169-C: 29]

1.2.1 Responsibilities: As care providers and the host of care providers for children, the staff, volunteers, and conferees of the LOAS Conference have avery serious responsibility for the health and well being of children.

1.2.2 Reporting: If any staff member, volunteer or conferee suspects that a child has been or is in danger of being abused while attending a LOAS conference, it is the responsibility of the staff member, volunteer or conferee to immediately discuss his or her concerns with the Youth Coordinator, or one of the current chairs who in turn have the responsibility of bringing it to the Grievance Officer of the Star Island Corporation. The Grievance Officer is the Manager or his designee. This applies if the abuse appears to come from another child or from a parent, guardian or other person responsible for the welfare of the child while on Star Island.

1.2.3 Discipline: No child shall ever be disciplined by the use of any physical method including shaking, spanking and slapping by any LOAS staff member or volunteer. Verbal reprimands shall be calm, yet firm, and shall not include destructive criticism. If a child is disruptive, a parent, guardian or other person responsible for the welfare of the child while on Star Island shall be informed immediately.

2. The Grievance Officer: According to the policy of the Star Island Community, the Manager will annually designate him/herself or appoint a senior staff person of the Star Island Corporation as the Child Abuse Grievance Officer who will be vested with the authority and responsibility of processing all child abuse complaints. In the event the complaint is against the Manager who is also the grievance Officer, the alternate Grievance Office will hear the complaint. In the event the complaint is against the grievance Officer when not the Manager, the complaint will be heard by the Manager.

2.1 The Grievance Officer working with the Youth Coordinator, Current Chairs or their designees will enusre that the matter is investigated through the following process:

2.1.1 The Grievance Office along with the Youth Coordinator and/or the Current Chairs or their designees will guide the charging party through the process of making an oral report of the child abuse or the Grievance Officer working with the Youth Coordinator and or Current Chairs or their designees will him/herself/themselves make such report to the Bureau of Children, Division for the Children, Youth, and Families. Department of Heath and Human Services in accordance with NHRSA 169-C: 29 which states "any...person having reason to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected shall report the same..." and NHRSA 169-C: 30 states "An oral report shall be made immediately by telephone or otherwise, and followed within 48 hours by a report in writing, if so requested, to the bureau."

2.1.1 The Grievance Officer working with the Youth Coordinator and Current Chairs or their designees will take whatever action is necessary to ensure the child's safety and they will guard against subjecting the child to multiple interviews.

2.1.3 Privacy and confidentiality: In the course of taking any action, the greatest degree of privacy and confidentiality possible shall be maintained.

2.2 The grievance Officer along with the Youth Coordinator and Current Chairs or their designees may gather additional information as deemed necessary to protect the welfare of the child and ensure his or her safety and that of other children and adults. The Grievance Officer along with the Youth Coordinator, Current Chairs or their designees may impose any sanctions deemed appropriate, including expulsion from the conference and/or denial of the right to attend future LOAS Conferences.

3. Protection of the Parties: Retaliation against any person who has filed a complaint of child abuse or cooperated in an investigation regarding a complaint of child abuse is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

4. Policy Dissemination; In accordance with the law, this policy shall be given by the Chairs or their designated Youth Coordinator to all children's staff upon appointment and shall be made available at the fall meeting of the Chairs of LOAS I & II.

5. The policy shall be referenced in the conference mailing sent to all conferees by the Chairs and/or at the orientation at the beginning of each Conference. Copies shall be made available to anyone requesting them.

6. Annual Review: This policy shall be reviews annually at the fall meeting of the Chairs of the LOAS Conferences.

*The Child Abuse Grievance Officer for the Star Island Corporation is the Island Manager. The alternate Grievance Officer is the Assistant Manager. They may be reached by telephone at 603-430-6272 or by mail at 5 Vaughan Mall, Suite #8, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

Adopted: November 4, 2000, Revised: November 3, 2001, Revised: November 2, 2002, Revised: November 15, 2003, Revised: July 7, 2004, Revised: July 19, 2004, Revised: November 2, 2005