The event was meant to teach the group’s members about leadership skills and the confidence to speak their minds.
Evesham’s elected officials weren’t scheduled to hold a council meeting this week, so the members of Evesham’s Youth Advisory Committee took their place.
This week marked YAC’s fourth annual “Mock Council Meeting,” during which officers of YAC took to the dais in the township’s municipal courtroom and held a mock council meeting meant to emulate the meetings Evesham’s Township Council holds on a monthly basis.
According to YAC founder and Deputy Mayor Debbie Hackman, the mock council meetings, and YAC as a whole, are meant to teach YAC’s middle school and high school members about leadership skills and the confidence to speak their minds.
“It’s all about leadership and putting themselves in a position where they understand or at least get a taste of what it’s like to make decisions for the greater good of a whole bunch of people,” Hackman said. “It helped bring some of the kids out of their shells, so to speak. I’ve seen them really morph into wonderful young adults.”
Yet rather than preside over the township at this week’s meeting, the YAC officers filled the roles of elected officials for the fictitious town of Hillsdale.
Coincidentally, Hillsdale just so happened to also be located in South Jersey, with 45,000 residents, more than 200 business and a council-manager form of government.
The YAC officers proceeded to run their mock council meeting by debating two upcoming decisions with “members of the public” played by other members of YAC, parents, friends and Evesham residents.
The first issue involved a decision of whether to consolidate Hillsdale with the much smaller, neighbouring Catsville as a cost-saving measure, and the second issue involved whether to allow a pilot program where residents would be able to keep up to five hens in their backyards.
Here’s where much of the fun of meeting took place, as YAC members in the audience and other attendees took on the roles of fictitious characters to state their positions.
Members on the fictitious council had much to deal with, whether it was a raspy-voiced “old man” who opposed consolidation with Catsville because one of its residents looked at him funny while walking their cats, or a resident named Mrs. Chickensworth who was actually, as it turned out, deathly afraid of chickens and said she would board up her windows and doors if they were allowed in town.
Yet despite the comments from “residents,” as serious or frivolous as they might have been at different points, the YAC officers on the dias listened intently and tried to respond to the concerns they heard.
Ultimately, the mock council unanimously decided to merge the two municipalities, but council split 3–2 when allowing backyard chickens.
Senior Nik Kadirisani, vice president of YAC and deputy mayor of Hillsdale, said he always enjoyed the mock council meetings because they introduced him to the workings of local government.
“Now I see it’s really important in the everyday law-making process,” Kadirisani said. “If I wasn’t allowed to be up here and talking to everyone, I would have no idea how important it is to be involved in government.”
To that point, Kadirisani praised YAC as a whole and the positive effect it had on his life during his years of involvement.
“I can speak publicly now. I used to be terrified of public speaking, and now I’m able to do that and I made a bunch of great new friends,” Kadirisani said. “I’d recommend YAC to everyone.”
Senior Rachel Hackman, daughter of Debbie Hackman, president of YAC and mayor during the mock meeting, also spoke to the positive influence of YAC as she serves her final year with the group.
“This shows us that we can do something, because if we don’t do something, nothing’s ever going to happen … this is an opportunity for us to come together,” Rachel Hackman said.
Those looking for more information on YAC and its initiatives to serve the community throughout the year can email Allison Bittner at bittnera@evesham-nj.gov.
