H.S. graduation

[wingedradical]

I haven't heard this one come up, although it probably has in one form or another.

 

Was talking to DFD today about graduation. She is only a junior, so this is more than a year and a half away, but it came up while getting photos taken because i offered to take her to a really good photographer when she graduates.

 

I told her that as far as I know, she has two options. One is graduate as part of our state association. They hold a graduation every year. The problem with this, I explained, is that sometimes, places for spectators are limited.  Plus it is a pretty fundamentalist Christian group and the speeches are likely to be a bit offensive since my husband and I are neo-anabaptist and Katie hasn't decided on anything at all. She came to us too late to really push it - we do try to live it but right now, she goes back and forth between maybe wanting to a Christian or maybe Wiccan (eye roll - not at any Wiccans who may come here, but at the differences in the top running, But to be honest, DH and I feel uncomfortable in many Christian homeschool settings. They assume if you are Christian, you're a Republican and probably a Tea party person. Now, DH and I a very conservative in our theology as far as believing God created the world (somehow, probably using evolution), that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one God in three persons; that Jesus became a man, lived and proclaimed the kingdom, died and was resurrected and that because he died and rose again, we can have eternal life, that He will come again and that the Great Commands, which are accomplished by HIs grace, are Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.

 

We don't think it means you are sinning or failing if you don't homeschool your kids. My husband voted for Barack Obama, while I   went on strike this past election. I don't see much difference between the government taking my money and paying a bunch of money to guys so that they'll put fires out or opening libraries and offering to lend free books and help to children - even if I never have a fire myself or if I never used the library myself (although that's not gonna happen!) than in providing health care from taxes. I know we can't afford it but  we could if we cut our military budget, which is 9x more than everyone else's together. But point is, I am not really a Democrat and neither, really is my husband ... we are just at loss to see good leadership. But I have  departed from my point - American flags, talk about how homeschoolers will take over the world for God through so-called public service makes me very, very uncomfortable. And that is what I've seen at every homeschool graduation.

 

Our older son graduated in 1987. We lived in MO then and 6 homeschoolers from around the state came to graduate together. The head of the state organization was supposed to speak, but alas, he had left his wife and children for another woman and wasn't available when the time came. So guess who the speaker ended up being? Todd Aiken, who believes woman can keep themselves from getting pregnant if they are raped. My eyes of m future daughter in law (who comes from a liberal Wisconsin family got big and round and she looked around nervously as if she feared she'd be snatched any moment by my brother or husband to be drawn into a cult.

 

Besides that, there was nationalism, with neo-anabaptists don't do. One I went to named in hnor honor all th past graduates who are now in the military (some ana-baptists "might have fought in Afghanistan - we all aren't complete pacifists, some went to WWII. I don't think any would go to Iraq. We believe in peacemaking -some right up to the end while some think there does come a point where you have to act but that the government at too quickly.

 

So, to be honest,  i don't like that option. But Katie does because it is more "normalaa" than the other option.

 

When DS2 graduated, we threw a very big party in the church  hall where we attended.. All his friends came, and he was popular. All the family came. Our friends came. Our whole church pretty much came. Our pastor opened in prayer and said a couple of words. Then my husband said a could of words. Then, Sam's best friend sang a song he'd written about the future. Then I spoke a few minutes. Then we played Pomp and Circumstance and he walked down the aisle in his cap and gown and I gave Lar his diploma and Larry gave it to . He gave a rose to me, then he made a speach  thanking those involved in his education, including parents, friends family and strangers. Then we all had a great party.

 

Katie still wants to do the first one and I am so disappointed. I could be wrong, but over time, I think she'd appreciate the second. She has had a hard past and is in counseling - she loves her counselor and I know she'd be willing to speak.

 

I know we have lots of time to consider, but what do you think? Is there another alternative? There is a secular group we attend but I've not hear that they hold graduations plus, we don't have much in common there, either. They are nice people they stick to education, it is fine. If they start talking about atheists and bashing Christians, that is not so cool. Most are very anti-faith partly because have felt the pain of exclusion from the Christian community.

 

What have some of you done for graduation?

 

[Rebel Yell]

Can you do both? Let her do the group graduation because it is what she wants.  Then have the party at your church or a local park.

 

Diamond did not want to participate in any group thing with caps/gowns.  We had aparty at my mom's church social hall because it was close, cheap, & convenient. But even if she wanted to group ceremony thing, we would have still done the party locally.

 

Most high school students I know only have immediate family- sometimes only 2 guests allowed- at the ceremony/commencement, and then have a larger party at another location any day they like over the summer.

[Ellie]

Both of our dds graduated before there were any group events in our area. We also graduated them on their 16th bdays, because both were full-time at the c.c. by then and we figured they weren't going to be doing anything else at home, so why not? :-) We bought each of them a birthstone necklace and took them out to eat at a very nice restaurant. Also, neither of them wanted anything very big, because to them, college graduation was much more important; "high school graduation" was just a blip in the road. :-)