The enthusiasm of the youths led them to form groups, initially independent, and from 1930 onwards inserted as departments in the Spiritists Centers. Youth actions in the Spiritist Movement became significant, nationwide, and in the 1960’s it reached its peak.^{1, 2} 

In the context of the country's political difficulties, the support to youth movements cooled and, at the same time, in the early years of the 1970s, based on the decisions of the Brazilian Spirist Federation (FEB), several doubts regarding the courses, and events for young people arose and thus caused a disincentive and even a closing up of activities directed to childhood and teenagers. However, this was not followed by all the State Federations. The President for FEB, Mr. Francisco Thiesen, considered this an “unfortunate decision” and “questioned the methods and means used by the Area Councils to arrive to such a conclusion.⁴ In his management, Thiesen, as President in 1977, installed the National Campaign for Children and Youth Evangelization, then transformed it into a Permanent Campaign. Another cycle began regarding the youth in the Spiritist Centers.

In the second half of the 1980s, during Thiesen management, the National Federal Council (CFN) of the Regional Commissions of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) were deployed and began to create their departments or areas, such as of Children and Youth. In the context of these events, recently, some years ago, questions and proposals were made to assess the real situation of the Spiritist youth in the country, and to further define the boundaries between childhood, adolescence, and youth.

Guidelines for the actions regarding the young Spiritist in Brazil

On 2011, there were demonstrations on the topic in plenary meetings held in four regions of the National Federal Council (CFN) events. Simultaneously, the Children and Youth’s Department (DIJ) of the Spiritist Federation of the State of Goias proposed holding an Interstate Event for the Youth in the Central region, which led to the Fellowship of Spiritist Youth of Brazil - Regional Center Commission, approved by the National Federative Council of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) and which took place in Goiania in 2013. Now a similar event is being organized for the South and Northeast areas, in 2015, and in 2016, the North area. 

“The Guidelines regarding the actions of the young Spiritists in Brazil" ⁵ in 2013, were presented at the regular meeting of the National Federal Council (CFN). They defined what should be done for the young Spiritists, such as: "To enable young people moments of study, learning, behavior, integration, exchange of experiences, providing a space for the participation of the youth within the Spiritist Youth/Young People, at the Spiritist Centers, in the Spiritist Movement, and family life. The essence of the main document is to open space for the youth’s participation.

During the regular meeting of the National Federal Council (CFN)  of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) 2014, Jorge Elarrat presented a study, as a professional in the area, on the IBGE statistics - the 2010 census - related to religions. Based on comparative data with other religions, it showed that Spiritism and Eastern religions are the ones that least grew until the age of 29. (Figs. 1 and 2).
 

About Spiritism in general, he concluded:

   "It is the third religion in the country with 2% of assertions. It grew 55% in a decade. It grows in all regions being most present in the Southeast (3.1%). It requires action in the North (0.5%) and Northeast (0.8%). It has a greater presence in social groups, A and B, and those with a higher education. It requires a disclosure plan for low-income populations. It shows a deep valley regarding the juvenile participation. It requires a revision of the modus operandi model of the youth’s movement. The movement is growing old." ⁶

The analysis of this subject on the Spiritist Youth, in a timeline - from the pioneering associations in the 1930s to the present day - allows us to think that a dispassionate and comprehensive assessment of the whole process is needed, taking into account the successes and failures and, even in a dialectical reasoning, consider that after specific moments such as thesis and antithesis, follows the synthesis, with the planning of a new and appropriate phase and adequate to our present reality and meeting the demands of the Spiritist Youth. ²  

You have to work through problems and not only with topics 

Also related to the subject, on a series of four seminars entitled "Education and Spiritist Activities", undertaken in 2014 and early 2015, by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), it was concluded that there is a need for some changes so that a few amendments can be made, such as:

"Creating interactive and dialogue spaces in learning meetings (more conversation, less enunciation; the participants have much to contribute); arrange attractive learning spaces and diversified (gardens, excursions, cultural visits and assistance); promote more informal moments of fellowship; know the group's profile and take it into consideration when choosing didactic and pedagogical approaches, which must be creative and diverse; developing care and zeal in interpersonal relationships; address the doctrinal knowledge to support the moral and social transformation and not as an end in itself; consider the previous and current knowledge of the participants in developing the content; developing care and zeal in interpersonal relationships; address the doctrinal knowledge to support the moral and social transformation and not as an end in itself; consider the previous and current knowledge of the participants in developing the content; work with problems and not only with issues”. ⁷ 

Emmanuel comments on the 2nd Epistle to Timothy (2, 22): "The lad can and will do a lot if the spirit aged in experience will not abandon him in work. Nothing new will he be able to build, if he does not use the efforts that preceded his activities. In all, he will depend on those who preceded him. [...] Youth can do much, but it must follow in all, righteousness, faith, love and peace with those of a pure heart, who invoke the Lord". ⁸

References: 

1) Perri de Carvalho, Antonio Cesar. Approach on youth. In: Several authors, Directions for a new society. Sao Paulo: Publisher: USE. 1996. Pages: 145 to 155.

2) Perri de Carvalho, Antonio Cesar. Young people in the Spiritist Movement. The Reformer. Year 131, No. 2.214, September 2013, Pages 326 to 328.

3) The FEB and the so-called "Movement of Youth Spiritists”. The Reformer. Year 93, no. 1752. March 1975, Pages 60 and 61.

4) Thiesen, Francisco. Legacy of an administrator. Special edition. Rio de Janeiro: FEB. 1978. Pages 49 and 50.

5) http://goo.gl/NojGlh (Access on 04/26/2015).

6) https://goo.gl/LpzABT (Access on 04/26/2015).

7) http://www.febnet.org.br/blog/geral/noticias/material-do-seminario-educacao-atividades-espiritas/ (Access on 04/26/2015).

8) Xavier, Francisco Candido. By the Spirit Emmanuel: Path, Truth and Life. Rio de Janeiro: FEB. Chapter 151, Pages 317 and 318.