As I already mentioned on this blog, my husband and I have been members of the Committee To Improve Carroll Park for more than 15 years. One of the events we helped plan during that time was the annual Halloween Haunted House and the Parade. We loved giving back to the community. At the same time, we did it for our own kids, who had a safe place to celebrate Halloween, show off their costumes and hang out with their friends.
Now, our children are in high-school and college. It is the same for the other Committee volunteers. Halloween is not a high priority for us any more. However, one of our members has agreed to organize the parade in order to keep the event going, but she needs help. She has reached out to the community. To no avail.
So pardon me for asking, but of the hundreds of young parents using the park on any given week, are there really no six or seven available to help organize an event for their kids?
They seem to have enough time to email the committee to find out about the parade, but don't respond when I write back to say that it may not happen if we do not get help.
So unless we get a few volunteers in the next week, the Committee will have to cancel the Halloween Parade in Carroll Park.
I think that it is a sad comment on the younger parents in the neighborhood. Are they really so much busier than we were ten years ago? Or have they gotten used to having other people doing things for them without getting involved themselves?
I like to believe that is not the case. So come on people. Get moving. Help organize something fun for your kids and for their friends. Its incredibly rewarding, and your children will be so thankful.
To help, email fellow volunteer Pearl Lau at pearllau@aol.com or friendsofcarrollpark@yahoo.com
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7 comments:
I received an email directing me to this blog and I have to say I am really puzzled by your statement that one of your members has reached out to the community "to no avail." I was one of the parents to whom the member reached out and I, along with about six others, agreed to help out with the parade. In fact, it has been about a week since the CICP member thanked those of us who volunteered and shared the names with us all. While this is not an appropriate forum for me to share those names with you, I will happily forward them to the CICP if they have not already been submitted by the organizing member.
As the parent of young children who frequent the park and attend PS58 across the street, I want to bring to your attention the fact that the school now annually organizes both a Fall/Halloween festival (afternoon of Oct 26) AND a Halloween parade around the neighborhood (Oct 31 morning); both of which require and get a large contingent of parent volunteers. Perhaps in the past there were no such alternative events in the neighborhood, but now there are. It's not that parents of the new young park users are ungrateful for the Halloween events organized by the CICP, rather, I suspect that parents are simply Halloween fatigued! I know I am.
I would even go so far as to say that parents of kids at PS58 are already operating in overdrive on extracurricular PTA activities. Their (our) contributions via our work with the PTA are a big reason that the school is now so highly regarded (ranked among the best in the city) and a big reason that so many new families are moving to the neighborhood. Obviously the convenience and community of our wonderful park is another, but there is no longer a cultural vacuum that the park events committee needs to fill for many local families. I point this out not to devalue the park, the work of the CICP, or the events you all organize; but, rather, because of your statement about the younger parents "Or have they gotten used to having other people doing things for them without getting involved themselves?" Your words reveal a lack of awareness of how things may have changed since your children were young. Where you see complacency or indifference among the newer generation of park parents (We're not necessarily younger!), I see great generosity and community involvement...just not where you were looking for it. "...a sad comment on the younger parents in the neighborhood"? Nothing could be further from the truth.
Respectfully yours,
A 16-year CG resident.
Dear Anon,
Thank you for your well written letter and for your view point. In the last few weeks, I have received
many, many emails inquiring about the Haunted House and the parade. It was always a big favorite for Carroll Gardens Children and their parents. Therefore, I believe
that though P.S. 58 may be having their own event, there still is a demand for the park festivities.
My children both went to P.S. 58 and I too was involved with the P.T.A. I know how many hours creep into volunteering be it for candy sales, special events or just helping out teachers.
P.S.58 was always a great school and did not just become so in the last few years. We are lucky that we have such a wonderful school right here in our neighborhood. I am glad that parents are staying involved and are continuing to make a difference in their children's education.
As a member of C.I.C.P. I have become more frustrated as I have seen less and less involvement with keeping the park clean and helping with any type of event. The Parks Department relies on volunteers to plant, paint and to clean up. Yet during special planting days such as "It's My Park Day" we literally have to beg people to plant a few bulbs.
If the neighborhood decides that it does not want any more Halloween Events in the Park, so be it. However, as I mentioned, that is not what seems to be the case judging from the request for information.
If you can help on that day, it would be greatly appreciated. And if you have already contacted Ms.Lau, so much the better. Lets hope we can make this happen for the neighborhood children
A change I have noticed on my block
near Carroll Park (I have lived here
14 years) is I see more parents sending their kids to schools out of the neighborhood than before, and definitely far more nannies/babysitters doing drop-offs and pick-ups of children, so I have a feeling: fewer parents seem to be likely to have spare time these days as many more couples seem to be "both working". This is just my unscientific guess.
I find it interesting that there is so much talk on Halloween festivities on public property, including the school and park, but in about a month or so, the more revered holiday of Christmas will likely be banned from both areas.... just a thought....
The Committee would welcome any ideas for the upcoming holidays. We just need people to organize and take charge.
A few years back, we had an evening of singing carols for Christmas. D'Amicos together with the Court Street Merchants Association sponsored it and provided hot chocolate and cookies. It was really neat and festive.
Like I said, we are open to anything as long as someone wants to make a proposal and can take charge of it.
To a 16-year CG resident -
So your logic is, there is no longer a cultural vacuum in Carroll Gardens because of PS58 so the CICP no longer needs to organize events. By your logic we should be able to close down half the museums in NYC, so we don't get "culture overload." Plus, not everyone in the community has a child at PS58. My feeling is, if you use the park, you should contribute in some way.
Anonymous -
You said there wouldn't be anything in the park for the "revered" holiday of Christmas. Revered by whom? Not everyone is Christian, you know.
Judy, try to relax, a bit... Christmas is revered by a majority as well as Hannukah (in Brooklyn, at least), etc... My point was not to Christianize the community nor to suggest Christian events for our park, but to make the point that our society is so PC that a manger scene or choir singing carols in the park may make people like you uptight, however there seems to be no such issue for halloween, which in fact is the eve of All Hallows Day - a Christian holiday and a quasi-pagan/satanic holiday.
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