Emergency preparedness helps girls learn value of life

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

Learning how to respond to emergencies – including using self-defense - is one way some local girls are reflecting on the value of human life.
The youth are part of American Heritage Girls Troop 0716 chartered through Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish at Our Lady of Loreto Church. A national, Scout-type organization leading girls to a more Christ-centered life, AHG aims to build women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country, according to the website americanheritagegirls.org.     
The five Pioneers (girls ages 12-14) in Troop 0716 were unexpectedly given a free self-defense class last month as part of working toward earning their Emergency Preparedness Badge, according to Jaclyn Penny, co-leader with Melissa McDonald.
Working toward the badge includes learning how to respond in dangerous situations, prevent serious injury and save lives, Mrs. Penny said. She said her troop is discussing this in the context of human dignity and the right to life.
“When there’s an emergency, the first priority is always life – if there’s a hurricane, active shooter … car accident,” she said. “There’s a lot of talking with this badge … how we’re called to be a light in the darkness. … That’s what we are as Christians.” The “darkness” can include emergencies, she said.
“One thing we can do is be prepared,” she explained. Working toward this badge engages the girls “in the conversation about life.” As they talk about responding to emergencies, such as giving CPR to a young heart attack victim, they see “how precious life is … how easily things can go wrong,” she said.
“When we’re doing CPR ... we have to remember that life is the most important thing here,” commented Alex Burl, one of the girls.
“I want to be prepared for emergency situations like choking, fainting and difficulty of breathing,” said Mrs. Penny’s daughter Sophia, another Pioneer. “I want to protect the lives of people and maybe even save them from dying.”
Mrs. Penny said that when she and Mrs. McDonald decided to have the Pioneers work on the Emergency Preparedness Badge, they wanted the girls to take time to reflect on what it means to be prepared and to practice being prepared, over the course of an academic year. The youth are learning about available tools and ways they can use them in an emergency, she said.
Learning self-defense is one of the requirements for earning the badge, Mrs. Penny said.
“We don’t have a budget for this,” she said. “Things get expensive.”
So, she inquired about classes at local colleges and learned that the Pioneers didn’t qualify at one, since they’re not students there, and that training at another would be too expensive.
But when she asked James Alty, owner of New Horizon Karate & More in West Boylston, about his fees, he offered to give the girls a free class, she said. After the studio closed for the day on Dec. 17, Mr. Alty and three of his assistants stayed and taught the girls.
The studio owner said simple self-defense incorporates karate and jujitsu and that they talked about the principles of self-defense and applied techniques. The girls learned about releases from grabs and holds, and about unbalancing one’s opponent. The idea is to free oneself and get away; no killing is involved, Mr. Alty said.
None of the girls had previously taken such classes, Mrs. Penny said.
“They loved it!” she said. “It was an hour. They could’ve kept going. … It’s a way to inwardly look at our response to life.” She and the girls were struck by the point, “You are responsible for the health and safety of your partner,” even when that person is pretending to be an aggressor. Until they were told that, the girls saw the training as play; after that they realized they could hurt someone with their moves, she said.  
“I’m following up with a karate class (at New Horizons) to keep up with what we learned,” said Hannah Curl, one of the girls.
In addition to self-defense training, badge requirements include learning CPR, listening to speakers and finding out what the community would do if there was a disaster, Mrs. Penny said. Specifically, the troop plans to inquire about plans for nearby houses of worship, residences and community centers, and how those places work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.     
Mrs. Penny said she doesn’t want to scare the girls but wants to help them feel less helpless and less afraid should disaster strike.
“You would feel more scared by not being prepared,” noted Lydia McDonald, one of the Pioneers.
As junior high students, they are beyond just learning about using gauze and bandages when someone gets hurt, Mrs. Penny said.
“They want to be invited into these conversations and they want to do things,” she said.
This spring, the girls will create an assessment plan for injuries incurred when a person falls at home, she said.
Pioneer Ariela Holmes summed up the program in one sentence: “You have to be ready so then you’re steady!”