Blast From the Past - 4

Here are four more pictures from days past.

Your Opinion Is Sought

Last Thursday afternoon I left for an early Friday morning meeting in Covington (located in the mountains). I pulled off for a stretch and took the following picture. Which version do you like, the color or the black and white?

Virginia Banking Laws

One of the frustrations we have encountered in moving to Northern Virginia was Virginia’s banks. For a state that prides itself in being more enlightened and balanced in family matters, banking laws restrict the family’s ability to teach children to handle money responsibility. The state’s position is that no minor can have their own bank account. All accounts for minors must have a parent, and the parent has to be present for small withdraws and even for deposits.

When we lived in Iowa the boys had their own accounts and could make deposits without us present. They could make small withdraws without our written permission twice a month. Larger or more frequent withdraws required parental approval until you are sixteen.

In Virginia a person must be eighteen to have a bank account. Hence, each year there are thousand of families of college freshmen who have logistical challenges to pay for their children’s school books, tuition and provide children with spending money. In most cases parents must either give their children a large amount of cash at the beginning of the semester to pay for their books and spending money for the semester or go with them to shop for their supplies.

Evie and I hold that the best way to teach children to handle money is to allow them to manage their own accounts. The state believes not only are children under the age of eighteen not able to make decisions on financial matters but they also believe parents are not responsible enough to sign forms that would allow their children to handle their own bank accounts and to set limits on withdrawing of funds.

I believe if a child uses small portions of money unwisely, so be it. Loosing money or using it unwisely is a powerful teaching moment. It is better to loose $40 at fourteen due to unwise choices than a thousand at the age of eighteen. Evidently the legislators feel that a sixteen year child who is deemed responsible enough to operate a motor a vehicle lacks the capacity to handle a bank account.

The state laws make it impossible for Josh to have money this summer without having a large amount of cash/travelers checks in his wallet at the beginning of the summer. It is ironically that in its effort to protect children our legislators are exposing Josh and thousands of Freshmen to theft.

Evie and I have found a legal way around the state laws by closing Josh’s account and transferring his money into a new one under my name. This account will only contain his funds. By use of a bank card at ATMs he will make deposits and withdrawals from this dedicated account.

Evie and I hold that our youth are capable of handling cash banking responsibilities. We also hold parents should have the right to sign the appropriate forms to allow their children to conduct basic banking business. Evidently the state legislators have a less of an opinion of our youth than us.

For Cathy and Barb

This funny video speaks for itself. Cathy and Barb, how do your cats measure up?

Living in Washington DC - V

Finally a very significant amount of snow fell Tuesday night, very significant for this area. It started off as early Tue afternoon as rain. By 4:00 it turned to freezing rain and by 4:30, sleet. We had about 2.5 to 3 inches of sleet by the time everything ended by 4 AM.

The affect, all schools closed for the day, manly local governments and businesses remained closed and the Federal government was on 2 hour delay/liberal leave. I headed to the office just after 8 to find the roads wet and slushy in spots. The traffic was thin as most people were staying home and within 35 minutes was at the office. At the office only about one out of three came in at all and at 3:20 it was announced that we were closing at 3:30 to allow people extra time to get home. For the return trip the roads were wet but clear.

Evie’s office was closed so she stayed home with Josh. Jonathan went to the Day Care which they closed at 10 because no children were being dropped off. The Corps activities, Songsters and Band, were cancelled.

Everything would have moved as normal for those in the north. What we got was not significant, but here it is another matter. The mention of the least amount of snow causes some to express concern about travel. Snow falls are over hyped. The over hype can be bought into in subtle ways as evidenced by Jonathan who on Monday night turned around from going to Cap Band because he ran into a small snow flurry in Falls Church (we all had a good laugh at his expense over it).

Today (Thursday) the schools are still closed. This evenings concert is being rescheduled. It is all part of living in this area where the least bit of snow and temperatures below 22 make the top of the news. All Evie and I do is smile.