above them. Gradually, at the colony’s 
convenience, new adults are given var- 
ious gifts that reflect their altered sta- 
tus and are needed in their new roles. 
Both boys and girls are given a locked 
wooden chest in which to keep per- 
sonal belongings. The boy receives new 
cloth for good suits and shirts, the 
girl material for dresses. Boys are 
handed work tools, which they are re- 
sponsible for keeping in good working 
condition: a spade, a pitchfork, a ham- 
mer, a saw, and in some colonies, a 
spoon with the individual’s name in- 
scribed on it. The girls receive equip- 
ment that they will care for and use 
for colony work: a scrub pail, a paint- 
brush, a hoe, kitchen knives, a broom, 
knitting needles, and in some colonies, 
a rolling pin. For the next two years 
the young adult occupies an appren- 
tice position before being assigned spe- 
cific responsibilities, such as taking 
charge of a small tractor or doing 
the colony baking. These boys and 
girls constitute a mobile labor force 
that can be deployed throughout the 
colony as needed (in jobs considered 
suitable to their sex) and may be sent 
to other colonies to help during a time 
of need. The boys in this group do 
most of their colony’s hard labor and 
enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate 
their strength and stamina. 
Hutterite young people are in tran- 
sition between childhood and adult- 
hood. The colony recognizes both as- 
pects of their identity. Physically, the 
young people are adults who can work 
responsibly with other adults. Reli- 
giously, they are children who must 
attend Sunday school and memorize 
and recite weekly verses. Emotionally, 
they vacillate. Appropriately, this pe- 
riod is sometimes called “the in-be- 
tween years.” Certain limited disre- 
gard of colony mores is expected, but 
moodiness or poor work performance 
is not tolerated. A good young person 
is “always obedient and never talks 
back.” 
The in-between years are a time 
for exploring the boundaries, for flirt- 
ing with the world and learning about 
Hutterite boys and girls make up 
a mobile labor force that is 
deployed throughout the colony as 
needed. The children perform tasks 
that are considered suitable to 
their age and sex. 
Women are not involved in economic 
competition with the outside 
world. When ducks or geese are 
raised for colony use the women and 
children care for them; if they 
are a cash crop, men are in charge. 
that which will later be rejected. Most 
young people occasionally watch TV, 
have photographs taken (Hutterites 
believe no one should make a graven 
image), and even own cheap cameras. 
From hidden transistor radios, they 
memorize popular songs. Quite a few 
of the boys own wristwatches and oc- 
casionally a boy will smoke secretly. 
To earn extra money, some boys trap 
during the winter and sell the furs 
or moonlight on neighboring farms. 
The girls have colored nail polish and 
may use it to paint their toenails, 
which are hidden under heavy, black- 
laced shoes. They have perfume and 
dime-store jewelry, fancy underwear 
and perhaps a pair of slacks — all of 
which are forbidden in the Hutterite 
community. The in-between years are 
a period of limited self-realization. A 
young man may even leave the colony 
for a few weeks, several months, or 
sometimes for a couple of years. In 
most cases, however, he is a “tourist” 
in the outside world who plans to re- 
turn to marry and raise his family 
within the disciplined community. 
There is a tendency, especially pro- 
nounced among the girls, to create 
a secret world during this time. As 
long as the make-believe does not in- 
Robert Weinreb 
44 
