Panel Discussion

• Usually held in the morning of the last full day of camp during the two education sessions. It can also be held on the third full day, as happened in a recent week.
• This event is for Supernovas and older. Comets often are also invited. Depending on the maturity level of the Comets group, they can stay just for the first session (testimonies) and leave during the break, or stay for the panel discussion as well.
• Usually all group leaders (event those helping in younger age groups) are invited to this program, to give them all a chance to be with same age kids and hear/discuss their concerns. The education director will have to find replacements for them. If possible, parents of younger kids or those who do not plan to attend the panel discussion can step in and replace the group leaders for this morning.
• Most directors will announce to the parents at breakfast time that they are welcome to attend the panel discussion, too, and many parents really are interested in hearing what the kids have to say. The parents should be sitting in the back and not intervene unless invited by the facilitator to do so.
• The education director will give a general introduction, introduce the people who given testimonies, and then facilitate the panel discussion.
• First some kids give testimonies, then 3–6 others (previously chosen group leaders, younger adults) join them on the stage for a panel discussion. The panelists also introduce themselves shortly. An older parent could also be on the panel, or at least somewhere in the room, for support and to address more difficult questions.
• The testimonies should address topics relevant to the younger kids. Matching and/or blessing, peer pressure at school, how to overcome bad habits, breakthrough in relationships.
• The people giving testimonies should be carefully chosen and given clear instructions. They should be asked a long time before the testimonies take place so they can prepare properly.
• After the testimonies are over, the kids write their questions anonymously on a piece of paper, the moderator collects the papers, sorts them by topics if needed, and hands them to the panelists.

Below are some of the (actual) questions that have been asked at panel discussions in the past. This is not meant to be a complete list, just to give you an idea of what to expect. Kids can ask the panelist any question they want, but some of their questions will naturally address the topics that were covered in the testimonies they just heard. If kids want to address one panelist specifically (maybe someone who gave a testimony), they can write the name of that person on their paper.

Education

• What was your NGA or GPA experience like?
• What was community college like?
• What is it like to be a freshman in college?
• What was your biggest struggle during your gap year?

Relationships

• How to deal with peer pressure?
• What should I do if I cannot open up to my parents?
• How do I confront a friend who I feel is getting too close to someone of the opposite sex?
• Some of my friends watch porn, how can I help them?
• How do you react to people who leave the Church?

Matching and Blessing

• How do you know if you are ready for the Matching/Blessing?
• What do you think about self-matching?
• What is your matching story?
• Why is the marriage/matching process so secretive?
• What is the best and worst part about having and raising kids?
• Is alcohol okay once you are blessed?

Faith

• Why do you choose to have God in your life?
• What is the hardest aspect of the church to accept?
• Where are you at in your relationship with True Parents?
• How important is it to pray? Do you pray with tears?
• The first generation and the second generation seem to have different opinions about some ideas in our church. They both make up rules and eliminate rules in our church. Can you explain?
• What are your personal experiences explaining yourself to others a a Unificationist?
• What do we stand for as Unificationists?
• How to deepen your understanding of our movement and the Divine Principle?

Sexuality

• What do you think about homosexuality and how does fit with the teachings of our church?
• If a gay couple loves each other, why is that wrong? Animals do it, too, so it’s natural.
• Would it be wrong to support the LGBT community?
• If I speak publicly about homosexuality, I will be labeled homophobic and I might lose my job
• Difference between lust and love?
• I have homosexual thoughts sometimes, does this mean I'm gay?

Created by Claude Aubert, September 2017. Updated September 2018.