A message to you as a parent or guardian from the Core Group on Alcohol Consumption at Dance Camp Wales
Each year we are asked to address issues or problems from the year before and alcohol use has been a recurring theme. Binge drinking or alcohol abuse is a national problem that is getting out of hand and the general tolerance of higher levels of consumption has encouraged a steady increase at camp. We have never tried to ban alcohol but rather encourage self control and consideration for others, while restricting drinking to circles rather than wandering around the camp or in any of the domes.
A specific problem is young people obtaining alcohol from older friends or adults. We would like to draw attention to the fact that it is against the law to buy alcohol on behalf of someone under 18. Obviously parents can give alcohol to their own children, but every parent has a different idea of amount and suitable age, and you need to be sure that what you give to your own child doesn’t get handed on, or that the bottles left in your circle aren’t being appropriated by someone under 18.
There is also a much wider picture to consider. At camp we are trying to experience a different way of being. We attempt to find deeper understanding about ourselves and to tune in to the subtle and the sacred. As someone once said, ‘we are picking up the threads of a lifestyle which is tuned to the heart, sharing and caring, consciously reconnecting with spirit... offering an affirming environment in which to grow.’ The effects of alcohol get in the way of this.