Encouraging young people to learn and become involved

I’m starting a new thread as I think the Sahara P-40 thread should be left to information about Flt Sgt Copping and his aeroplane.

I couldn’t let Lincoln 7’s comments pass without response. Jim, I have nothing personal against you, but I feel that your comments are indicative of a certain sector of the community, and warrant examination.

David, Your right, apart from what you say, we have a younger generation now. Last night, I went to my wifes sisters 60th Birthday party in a pub, sitting next to me was one of her sons, aged 37. He has a very good job in “The City”, and has the latest mobile phone.

And he probably has to work bloody hard to get by. The work expectations of today are greater than when I was a kid. Anyway, good on him for working rather than sitting around, expecting everything to be handed to him on a platter, as many do. As to having a new phone, that’s hardly a massive investment today.

As we sat awaiting the meal, I flicked through my mail, and saw an update on Bletchley Park, I commented to her son what I had just read, and he asked me, what Bletchley Park was, I explained was it’s purpose was during the War, and the enigma machine, he had never heard of either:eek: They are only interested today, which our generation wouldn’t give a hoot about.

Every generation is accused of being “only interested (in?) today” by the preceding generation or two. I’m forty one. Twenty five years ago, I started volunteering at several Australian preservation groups. I’m still involved. At that time, people in their forties and fifties said I was just another of those lazy kids, only interested in today.

I’d also ask you, Jim, did you ask any fellow partygoers of your age about Bletchley Park? How many sixty year olds would have given the same blank response?

As to expecting someone to have an esoteric knowledge of a small point of history from seventy years ago, c’mon, really?! You know about it, I know about it, most people on an historic interest discussion forum know about it. Do you have knowledge of, say, the medical developments of the time? What’s your thoughts on the effects and value of M+B 693? Not your field of interest? If not, why not? You expect everyone to have a deep knowledge of the complex history of WW2, what about you?

So expecting the general public today, I can see why they are not concerned about the P40, ask them what a P40 is, and they would no doubt it was some sort of Form, like a P45.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Jim, with due respect, what is a P40? I understood that the Pattern 1940 battledress was known as P40, but the aeroplane we’re discussing is a P-40, not a P40. I read your later comment about teachers, and note a cynicism as to the ability of teachers to impart knowledge. Jim, I’d respectfully suggest that if we’re going to attack the integrity of teachers, we’d better not make errors ourselves. Pot, kettle, and all that.

Unless we know what stresses and expectations the average teacher has to endure, I don’t believe we’re in a position to be critical. Teachers can only build upon what parents impart, and if a kid doesn’t give a stuff at home, he’s hardly likely to give a stuff at school. Life in 2012 is different from life in 1982 and so on. Things have changed, how do we adapt to this fact?

This really leads on to the perennial question; how do we get young people interested and involved? When I started, quarter of a century ago, there were plenty of older people who crossed their arms, snarled and said I wouldn’t last, as I was a ‘typical kid of today’. Well, I’m still here, because other older people were interested enough to help explain, teach and mentor me in history and aviation preservation.

There are plenty of entertainment options available, all competing for the decreasing amount of leisure time available to the young. Costs of living are such that they either work damned hard, or fall behind. So, expecting them to come to us, just to be looked down upon, isn’t going to win them over.

Some museums are quite successful in encouraging, respecting and nurturing young people. This ensures that the same young people will stick around when the older people can’t do it any longer. I believe that this topic (which has been examined before) is of vital importance and worthy of continued thought and discussion.

I think it’s worth asking every museum, “what are YOU doing to encourage the youth and to ensure that your museum has a plan for the future?”

Cheers,
Matt