prom night

By Diogenes ( articles ) | May 13, 2005

Reader Patricia alerts me to the website of Boston's Jesuit Urban Center, passing on an urgent request for volunteers:

The Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth seeks adult volunteers to help chaperone the up-coming BAGLY Prom on Saturday, May 21, 7-11 p.m. at Boston City Hall.

An old joke goes: "What's the difference between the Girl Scouts and the Society of Jesus? The Girl Scouts have adult leadership." I confess I haven't kept up with the latest developments in Jesuit spirituality, but I'm baffled by the intended role of the chaperone in furthering the mission of the Church. In this context, what exactly is the point of adult supervision? What does the chaperone have that the prom-goer has not? How do you tell them apart?