11Youth

11.1 Principles

11.1.1 Youth work in 墨门 / The Mohist Community has two aims: to let children meet Mozi with their hands, and to let teenagers grow into people who can judge for themselves through reading, debate and service.

11.1.2 Youth activities do no recruiting of any kind. Children come because their parents choose it; teenagers stay because they choose it. A participant of any age may leave at any time without giving a reason.

11.1.3 The protection rules in 11.4 take precedence over every other provision of this Handbook. When a protection rule and an activity plan conflict, the activity is cancelled.

11.2 科技堂 — the science workshop

11.2.1 科技堂 is a hands-on science class for children aged six to twelve, run by a chapter (墨社). Its content is drawn from the Mohist Canons and the city-defence chapters of the Mozi, recreating with real materials what the Mohist school observed more than two thousand years ago.

11.2.2 The core lessons are:

1. The pinhole camera — a cardboard box and a candle recreate the Canons' observation that "the image is inverted, because there is a point at the crossing."
2. Levers and balances — a ruler, a pivot and weights test the principle of the steelyard and the meaning of "short on the root side, long on the arm side."
3. The city-gate model — following the description in Fortifying the City Gate (备城门), children build a gate that opens and closes from strips of wood or cardboard, and discuss why Mozi defended cities and never attacked them.
4. Geometry — "A circle: one centre, all lengths equal." Children draw circles with string and a nail and use the definitions in the Canons to talk about points, lines and surfaces.

11.2.3 A chapter may add lessons, provided each one points to a passage in the Mozi and lets a child produce a result with their own hands. 科技堂 teaches nothing religious or supernatural.

11.2.4 A class has at most twelve children and at least two adult leaders. Materials are paid for from the 兼爱基金 (9.5.1). Parents may stay without giving notice.

11.2.5 All 科技堂 lesson materials are published on mohist.org for any school, family or organization to use freely.

11.3 少年墨者 — Young Mohists

11.3.1 少年墨者 is the organization for young people aged twelve to seventeen, run by a chapter or by several neighbouring chapters together. Young Mohists are not members, give no contributions, and may apply for membership under chapter 3 when they turn eighteen.

11.3.2 Young Mohists have four activities:

1. The reading track: the main chapters of the Mozi over three years, following the 每周一篇 (weekly reading) order, with an adult leader reading alongside while the young people themselves lead the discussion.
2. The 墨辩 league: debate under the rules of the Xiaoqu — "names to pick out things, sentences to express ideas, explanations to give reasons." The young people set their own motions. Judges score whether the reasoning was made clear, not who won. The league runs between chapters and is decided each year at 兼士营.
3. Service hours: each Young Mohist records their own hours at local service days (chapter 10) and other service. There is no minimum; the record is for the young person alone.
4. Youth pairs: young people pair up and check in with each other once a week, in the same way as chapter 8. Both partners must be young people; no adult takes part.

11.3.3 Day-to-day matters are handled by a group of three chosen by the young people themselves. Adult leaders provide the space, the safety and advice.

11.3.4 Young Mohists aged sixteen or over may assist in 科技堂, but do not count toward the adults required by 11.4.

11.4 Protecting minors

11.4.1 The two-adult rule: any activity with minors present has at least two screened adults present from start to finish. No adult is alone with a minor in an enclosed space, including a vehicle.

11.4.2 Background checks: wherever the law allows, every adult who works with minors completes a criminal-record check or its equivalent before starting and renews it every three years. Where the law does not allow such checks, the region (墨区) interviews each leader and records two referees.

11.4.3 Parental consent: before a minor takes part in any activity, a parent or guardian gives written consent stating the activity, place, time and emergency contact. Trips and overnight activities need separate consent.

11.4.4 Online safety: there is no one-to-one private messaging between an adult leader and a minor — no texts, social media, in-game chat or email. Every necessary notice goes through a parent or through a group that includes at least two adults. Photographs and video of minors are used only with a parent's written consent (chapter 13).

11.4.5 Any adult who learns of, or reasonably suspects, harm to a minor must report it to the 社长 (chapter lead) within twenty-four hours and to the authorities as local law requires. The 社长 may not delay a report in order to handle the matter internally.

11.4.6 Breaking any rule in this section is a ground for discipline under chapter 14, whether or not harm resulted.

11.4.7 Every leader reads this section and signs it before starting. The region keeps the signed record.

11.5 兼士营 — the annual youth gathering

11.5.1 兼士营 is the Community's annual youth gathering, hosted by a region chosen by the 墨门理事会 (the Council), held in the summer for three to five days.

11.5.2 It includes the final of the 墨辩 league, open 科技堂 sessions, one service project, talks by several 兼士 (chapter 10) about their service year, and activities arranged by the young people themselves.

11.5.3 All of 11.4 applies at 兼士营. Sleeping quarters are separated by sex and age, with two named adults responsible for each.

11.5.4 The cost is set at the 节用 standard (chapter 12). Whatever a family cannot pay is made up from the 兼爱基金, and no one is told who was helped.