Kids Just Being Kids–100 years later.

A Once-Novel Concept Created Enduring Characters in The Little Rascals

A Culture story excerpt from The Daily Citizen. Read the entire article by Paul Batura.

The idea for what would eventually become the legendary “Our Gang” (also known as “The Little Rascals”) franchise came to Hollywood producer Hal Roach after a series of personal incidents in the summer of 1921.

It had been a long day in the studio, and the 29-year-old producer was desperately trying to come up with a storyline for his next series of short films. Arriving home, Roach began playing with his young children, Hal, Jr., and Margaret, along with two four-year-olds from the neighborhood.

According to an account in The New York Times, Hal became “engaged in a free-for-all with the quartet of mettlesome youngsters.” The frivolity planted a seed, which later took root back at his office.

After enduring an audition of a young girl singer made up to look like an adult starlet, an exasperated Roach retreated to his office and was drawn to the sounds of a lumber yard outside his open window. For the next fifteen minutes, he became mesmerized watching a group of young boys fighting over scraps of wood and playing with their new treasure.

“Those are kids doing things kids do,” he thought. “If you do things kids do, maybe the public will like it.”

While some studio executives were intrigued with the idea, the majority were not – but Roach nevertheless plowed ahead.

“Our Gang” debuted a year later, a delightful silent film series featuring young, often poor, children, engaged in simple but humorous hijinks. Many of the kids had little to no professional acting experience, a fact that led to greater authenticity – and a warm public reception. To keep the flavor of the shorts young and fresh, he rotated boys and girls every three to four years. 

The public loved the films, and the series was in production for 22 years.

Nearly a century later, 22 of the “Our Gang” episodes have been remastered and are being released for an entirely new generation of children.

Hal Roach’s move to highlight amateur children was unique, but so was his decision to feature white and black children playing together – something that few, if any, filmmakers did at the time.

Genius has been sometimes defined as restating the obvious, especially when everyone around you seems blinded by distractions and empty trends. After all, insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. 

Roach was trying to create something different and didn’t want to keep doing what hadn’t really been working well. He knew from watching his own children that most kids don’t pay attention to skin color, nor do they need a lot of adults orchestrating every recreational outing for them. By leaving them alone, youngsters are often forced to make good things happen. 

Imagination is a powerful gift and one that leads to great fun – and admittedly, even a little innocent mischief from time to time. That’s exactly what the exploits of Chubby, Spanky, Stymie, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and the gang aimed to demonstrate, and to great acclaim. 

Hollywood has long tried to force young people to grow up too quickly not only by creating content that corrupts them but by portraying children far more sophisticated and emotionally mature than they really are. As a result, other children watch their contemporaries on the screen and feel compelled to catch up and keep up – and the vicious cycle continues.

Yet, beyond the intrigue of the minutia of “Our Gang” lies a fundamental distinction to which purveyors of today’s family entertainment would be wise to return:

Embrace the innocence and charm of where children reside socially, intellectually, and spiritually. Celebrate their unique and fun point of view and their all-too-brief season of youth. Such a posture will not only allow them to flourish, but it will enrich those adults fortunate enough to be around them.

In the end, children don’t just say humorous things but also unknowingly utter the profound.

“Take my heart,” once said the “Our Gang” star Darla. “But please don’t break it.”

Parents might say the same to Hollywood’s producers regarding the hearts of their children.

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Coming up this Fall for Kids:

So many things are going on in Children’s Ministry. Here are a couple of important announcements:

Back to School Blessing – Sunday September 12, during both services.

4K-6^th Grade Sunday School

Sunday, September 12 | 9:45–10:40 am

Attention all 4K-6^th Graders! Sunday School is back beginning Sunday, September 12 from 9:45–10:40 am. Come join us for Popcorn and Praise to celebrate the beginning of the new school year! We will have some activities, music, time to play on the playground, popcorn! So ‘pop’ on in to see what Sunday School is all about!

Sunday School Registration:
Please help us plan for this year’s Sunday School. Click the link below to register your child/children for this school year! This will also make sure you continue to receive FPC Children Ministry’s email communications.  

We are looking for some help!
Are you someone who likes to work with kids, plan events like Trunk or Treat or the Easter Trail? Do you enjoy working in the background to make events successful or just want to have a great time praising God? Children’s Ministry is looking for you! We have several areas in need of volunteers! Follow the link below to find service areas that might interest you. If you have any questions please contact Patricia Coley, Director Of Children’s Ministry at pcoley@myfpc.org.

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Upcoming Blood Drive

Masks are now required for all donation appointments. 

There is a severe shortage of blood so it’s more important than ever to sign up to donate. Patients are in need!

To sign-up for an appointment click here, then choose the August 13 date. Or you can call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

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WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS | August 8, 2021

Stephen Ministry at FPC: Providing God’s Care to Hurting People

What is this ministry about?

Extensively trained and supervised Stephen Minister Caregivers provide high-quality, one-on-one confidential Christian care to anyone in need. They provide weekly visits and ongoing support as long as the care receiver needs. Should the care receiver have needs that are beyond the scope of a Stephen Minister Caregiver, they are referred to professional caregivers.

What kind of care is offered from a Stephen Minister?

1. CRISIS CARE – For people experiencing change(s) that significantly challenge their ability to cope. 
2. FOLLOW-UP CARE – After the crisis event. 
3. CHRONIC CARE – For a person whose situation is unlikely to change.
4. PREVENTIVE CARE – Providing care before a crisis occurs.
5. SUPPORTIVE CARE – Care for the caregiver.

How can I find out more about this ministry?

Call the church office at 608-949-9445, or reach out to a pastor or deacon. Stephen Minister Caregivers don’t replace the care of pastors and deacons. They carry it a step further.

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