Chapter 9, Part V: Will The Real Junior League Please Stand Up?

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Junior League? is seen by some as an organization of well-to-do ladies who do “good” in the community and sponsor the annual flower show.? It was a surprise to learn of Junior League’s use of unsuspecting school children to collect data? for research on their sexual habits and use of birth control.? This was done under the auspices of an after-school leadership program.? One result was to be a reduction in teen pregnancy.

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unior League’s mission statement defines itself as “part of an international organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.? Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.”? Sometimes what we see on the surface doesn’t provide sufficient evidence of what accompanies it.? Junior League? is typically thought of as an organization of well-to-do, well-intentioned women who involve themselves in community projects such as fund raising for the disadvantaged.?

At first glance, one does not see Junior League? as a player in controversial issues.?

This book’s chapter titled “Local Connections to National Population Controllers,” documents Junior League’s? participation with the radical National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting (NOAPP).?

The July/August 1984 issue of Family Planning Perspectives? (published by Planned Parenthood’s Alan Guttmacher Institute), carried an article titled “A New Strategy for Preventing Unintended Teenage Childbearing.” It stated:?

“The Junior League, in conjunction with local schools, are offering Teen Outreach, a model after-school pregnancy prevention? and school retention program–It appears that school systems welcome such projects as long as they do not require financial outlays on their part, and as long as contraception? is offered within the context of general health care–The strategy proposed here envisions advocates of reproductive health? care for teenagers working in concert with advocates of educational and social services for young people.

“Those who have worked so hard to ensure the rights of teenagers to reproductive health? care have often been put on the defensive - for example, by accusations of stimulating precocious sexuality.? The life options approach gives those who are involved in reproductive health care? an opportunity to take the offensive by seeking to bring all the institutional resources of the community to bear in ameliorating the quality of life? for young people- including reducing the incidence of too-early childbearing.

“The family planning? movement grew out of a concern for the burden that unwanted fertility placed on poor families.? To complete the task of closing the opportunity gap between poor and nonpoor women, especially teenage women, will require wide-ranging efforts and a broadly representative movement.”

What the population controllers are saying here is that they will accomplish their goals by imbedding their philosophy of teen contraception? into broader “prevention” programs implemented in schools and community programs.? A look at the local Junior League letterhead provides a list of various community resources with whom Junior League has formed a partnership.? In one community, Junior League’s? letterhead includes the National Council of Jewish Women, a school district, Parents as Teachers, a coalition which includes five school districts and various government and community agencies, Division of Family Services? , the County Health Department, Maternal and Child Health office, three community hospitals, Family Court, and the Department of Mental Health.? ?

One of Junior League’s? programs is called TOTAL (Teen Opportunities to Achieve In Life) and is advertised as an after school program among 7th-12 graders.? All the students in the school are encouraged to participate, and are required to “apply” by filling out the appropriate form.? The application form for membership requests the student’s name, age, grade, sex, home room teacher, lunch shift period, home room period, counselor’s name, advisor’s name, as well as the parent/guardian’s name, address, home and work phone numbers, signature and date.

While all students? are encouraged to apply, only a certain number of students are chosen.? One method of selection is picking names from a hat of applicants.? Those students whose names are not chosen are told they can also participate by being a member of the “control group.”? For every student participating in the TOTAL program, there is to be one student in the control group.? The use of a CONTROL GROUP = RESEARCH!?

Each student in both the Teen Outreach? and comparison groups is to fill out Junior League’s? “Teen Outreach Intake Form.”? At the end of the school year each outreach and comparison student is asked to fill out another form called the “Teen Outreach Exit Form.”? Both are identical in content.? Among the questions asked of these children are:

“Have you ever been pregnant or caused a pregnancy? no/yes; How many times?; Have you ever had a live birth or fathered a baby?; no/yes; How many times?; HAVE YOU EVER? had sexual intercourse? (had sex, gone all the way)?; no/yes; How many times last month?; Did you or your partner use birth control? or contraception? during any of the times when you had sexual intercourse last month?; no/yes; Number of times used birth control last month?; What kind of birth control did you or your partner use?”

One facilitator? explained that when the students were given the Intake form, some refused to answer the more personal questions. Other students made statements like “This is none of your business,” while others gasped as they read the questions.? Additional survey? questions included:

“Did you smoke any cigarettes in the past month?; no/yes; If you said yes, on how many days did you smoke?;

“Did you have any drinks of beer, wine, wine coolers, or other alcohol in the past month?? ‘A DRINK’ means: A 12-ounce can or bottle of beer or wine cooler OR A 4-ounce glass of wine OR A mixed drink or ‘shot’ of liquor; no/yes; How many days did you have 5 or more drinks?; How many days did you have 3 or 4 drinks?; How many days did you have 1 or 2 drinks?

“Did you smoke marijuana (pot) or hashish in the past month? no/yes; How many days did you yourself use two or more joints or reefers?; How many days did you yourself use just one joint or reefer?”

Note that the researchers want to know if the child had ever had sexual intercourse, but only wanted to know if they smoked or drank in the past month.? There are an additional nine questions about grades, school suspension, joining an after school club or sport, honor roll, skipping school and cutting classes without permission, and getting picked up by the police or any contact with the court or probation.

The Intake and Exit? forms each inform the children that:? “This information is confidential and will not be shared with anyone in your family” (emphasis added).? Notice that it doesn’t say the information won’t be shared with anyone else!? In fact, the Intake and Exit Cover Sheets which the “facilitator” is instructed to fill out says, “Please mail your Intake forms to:? Philliber Research Associates; 28 Main Street; Accord, New York? 12404; (914) 626-2126.”

? The name of Philliber Research Associates? appears in Together We Can, a federal document published jointly by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.? In reference to designing a permanent and workable system for data? collection, Philliber Research Associates “developed a standard intake form.? The partners in the collaborative sought agreements to allow computer? linkups with schools and the social service and criminal justice systems to track? school progress, referrals, and criminal activity.”[1]? See this book’s chapter titled “Together We Can’ Socialize ‘Caring Communities.”

There doesn’t appear to be an attempt to guarantee student confidentiality, and young students are generally too naive to appreciate its importance.? The Intake and Exit forms ask the following questions:

“Your name OR

____ second letter of your first name

____ third letter of your last name

____ second letter of your mother’s first name

1. Your birthdate: ____/____/____

2. Grade in school this year _____

3. Are you ___male, or ___female?

4. What is your race or ethnicity?

____ Black or African-American

____ White, non-Hispanic

____ Hispanic

____ Asian

____ Native American

____ Other________ What?

5. What is today’s date?___/___/___

6. During most of the time you were growing up, with whom did you live?

____ mother and father

____ mother and stepfather

____ father and stepmother

____ mother only

____ father only

____ guardian

____ other_____________ Who?

7. What is the highest grade in school that each of your parents completed?? (Give us your best guess if you’re not sure.)

Mother? ? ? ? ? ? ? Father

____? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ____ less than high school

____? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ____ high school graduate

____? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ____ some college

____? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ____ college graduate plus

____? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ____ I can’t even guess”

The Teen Outreach? Location Form is kept by the facilitator? “so that you can find all your students at the end of the year.”? This form contains the following note:?

“Students:? Please answer all the questions below as completely as you can.? We are interested in keeping up with you over the coming year, even if you move away.? To help us do that, please give us the names and telephone numbers of three people who will ALWAYS know where to find you.? Relatives or adult friends of the family are best and they do not have to live locally.”

Students are to provide their first, middle, and last names; complete address with street, city, and zip code; area code and phone number; and month, day, and year of their birth.? The next section of the page asks, “Who will always know where we can call you?”? Space is provided for students to provide the name of that person, their relationship to the student, and their telephone number. The page ends with the following statement:?

“Thank you for your help!? If you do move, or have your telephone changed during the year, please be sure to come tell us so we can update this form!”?

Student participants and their parent/guardian sign and date a “Participant Contract.”? The contract? covers the attendance policy for the group meetings; the termination, behavior? and dress policies, and the field trip/service project policy.? Nowhere in this parental consent? form are parents notified that their child will be asked to fill out a survey/questionnaire? which includes very personal and questions.? Nor does this consent form mention the use of a control group, nor that a national research association will receive their child’s survey for research.

Students receive a Membership Agreement that states:?

“As a member of the TOTAL Team, I understand that my participation in group activities impacts the success of all Team members.? To make sure we all have the opportunity to grow and learn, I agree to:?

* Attend the regularly scheduled meeting each week of the school year.

* Participate in the volunteer activities with a positive attitude.

* Make up assignments missed due to absence from classes

* Express my feelings and opinions honestly

* Respect the feelings and opinions of other group members

* Maintain an open mind and positive attitude? while participating in group meetings

* Complete paperwork necessary for the program

* Keep all conversations that take place during TOTAL Team meetings completely confidential”

What “paperwork” does the agreement refer to?? When it was suggested to school district personnel associated with the Junior League’s? TOTAL program that the District discontinue using the Intake and Exit forms, it was explained that the tens of thousands of dollars which Junior League gave to the school district for the program was contingent on the use of the Intake and Exit Form!? “Data? collection is part of the program and necessary for us to continue the program and to make it better.”[2]? The TOTAL Curriculum states:? “Data shows that the program is successful in the following ways:? reduces drop outs, builds self esteem, give/get, service learning, and preventing pregnancy.”[3]?

The TOTAL curriculum includes an “Interdisciplinary Planning Form” for projects to include academic skills.? One example was a cemetery clean-up project? which included the following academic skills (misspellings and grammar are as printed in the original document):

“Language Arts

1) Contact Genealogical Society

2) Publicity, planned tour of Community

Practical Arts

1) Gardening & Tools Needed, etc.

Fine & Performing Arts

1) Social -Refreshments

2) Dramatized re-enactments

Social Studies

1) Research State law Re Death & burial

2) Explore religious & cultural Rituals & diversity

3) Talk with family members about ancestors

Science

1) Research horticulture-Types of plants that can grow

2) Body Decomposition

Mathematics

1) Estimates of cost of Project

2) Statistics on the population

One wonders - is this project used as an opportunity to mathematically prove that the world is NOT overpopulated since the entire population of the world CAN fit into the state of Texas?? Or are the myths of over-population? and the promotion of contraceptives? introduced to these young children?

Junior League? was among the sponsors of a conference titled “Primary Prevention of Teen Pregnancy”? to which area educators were invited.? Among the presenters was Susan Philliber, Ph.D. with the Philliber Research Associates? in New York.? Recall that it was the Philliber Research Associates to whom the Junior League TOTAL Intake and Exit forms were sent for analysis.? Remember also that the federal document “Together We Can” identified the Philliber Research Associates? as participating in data? collection for the federal Caring Communities program.

The St. Louis Health Care Network? (a consortium of Catholic? Hospitals) has created the politically correct Community Health Styles Institute which is collaborating with Junior League? and its TOTAL program “to address teen pregnancy.”[4]? The St. Louis Health Care Network’s Vice President of Women’s Services explained that they offer numerous programs on “preconceptual health care” which teach parents how to teach their children about sexuality.? He explained that these programs inform parents that their children have their own values, and parents must realize that “abstinence? is not always the most realistic approach.”? It was disappointing to hear this from a health care administrator who represents eight Catholic health care institutions.? Needless to say, this philosophy is NOT consistent with the teachings of the Catholic faith!? What is the responsibility of the “Catholic” St. Louis Healthcare Network and its allegiance to the Catholic Faith in the area of sexuality?? Is it possible that the philosophy of the St. Louis Health Care Network has more in common with that of the TOTAL program than the teachings of the faith they purport to represent??

Junior League? of Illinois? is found among the list of organizations supportive of Illinois legislation that implements health and education reforms.

[1] Together We Can; U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services; p. 75.

[2] TOTAL Curriculum p. 3.

[3] TOTAL Curriculum p. 1.

[4] St. Louis Review, Jan. 17, 1997.