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I ran into this very situation and see it quite often. Almost without
exception you won't go any higher than your vision is.
If your vision is Royal Rangers where on Wed. night you have a
structured meeting plan, advancements being worked on, devotions, group
presentations, pledges, and uniform inspections then share your vision with
your Sr. Commander. It takes a lot of work to maintain even these
basics.
Start with getting your boys in uniform. They can afford it. You just
need to make them see the need for it.
Start with your own outpost. Get you and your Lt. Commanders in
uniform. Start with a walmart 20.00 dart pistol and some balloons and
candy and a prize. Items don't have to be expensive perhaps a 4.00 pocket
knife. The boys with uniforms get to shoot the gun. Start with one
step. Send home a note to the parents that a khaki shirt is required and
if they are so destitute they can't afford it go to some of the people in the
church and ask them if they could spare a 20.00 for a RR shirt and
patches.
Quick way to make several hundred dollars in our church of 400 is to have a
baked potato feed by donation. Let it be known you are working for the
boys to get in uniform. Sunday night after the service.
When I first started I had the same story as you have. I worked at it
from the bottom up until one day the Sr. commander jumped one of the first boys
I had in complete Khaki uniform and asked him why he was wearing that
uniform...it was all could do to nicely walk up to him and tell him that in two
weeks I would be attending the prayer group and started making Royal Rangers a
matter of prayer in every aspect of our prayer life at church. After a few
months the phone rang and "we want to talk to you about your feeling on Royal
Rangers". At that time we talked and I shared my vision and in a few weeks
I had the Sr. Commanders position. I tried it from the bottom up and got
very discouraged. When it came from the top down it was a blessing.
A pastors support, not neccessarly evolvement but support, is a vital part of a
healthy outpost.
Pray for God to move your vision into action. Sometimes the worst
thing for a outpost is a old rut. If you have to back that feller up and
try for a new rut that takes a new path through the mud then so be it.
Just because they have always done something that way doesn't mean it is the
only way to do it. Keep on them but let God do the moving.
Download the Ranger Database and start using it to track your boys send
home already made up letters about donations...etc. Lots of stuff to help
you out.
Hope this helps!
Mark Jones
I
believe the best way is to get your Sr Commander and other Commanders into
NTC. It won't hurt to go your self.
I tried to send this last night, but nothing
happened. If we get two of these, read this first, there's a few
additions from the other one. If you don't get the other one, ignore
this first paragraph! ;-)
O.K. In my first post introducing myself I said I had some
questions. So I think what I'll do is ask a few, read, digest &
process the info. Then, if necessary, do it again.
As a way of
leading into the first question(s) I think I should give a little background
about our outpost.
Once upon a time . . . . Way back when, we had a
very active outpost. Now mind you, this was before I moved here and
joined the church. My wife, who grew up in this church, tells me
there were a few GMA recipients. Not to downplay this, but all the
recipients were sons of commanders. Our Sr. Commander's son was the
most recent, about 3 or 4 years ago. Since then, there has been a lot
of Rangers talk by commanders, but little visible activity - from either
them or the boys.
At this time, I am cmdr. of Pioneers/Discovery
Rangers (I am already looking to the new program for help and ideas).
There are about 5 boys who attend regularly, sometimes as many as 12.
I know I have enough boys for one regular patrol and possibly one irregular
one. However, out of 5 boys, 1 comes because his nephew comes for SA,
one comes because his parents work with the youth group at the same
time. He and another boy (my patrol guide) are only killing time until
they go into Youth next year. My patrol guide has a uniform, but
doesn't wear it and only 2 of the others will wear a Rangers T-shirt.
Some of the kids just can't afford a Class B uniform, and I would like
to find a way to get them one. All I get from my Sr. Commander is
"First we have to see how much money we have in the account." I get
the same line when I talk about ordering the God and Me program for the
boys. I'm trying not to want a lot of stuff until we change over to
the new program, but the God and Me will, I think, stay the same under the
new program. So I want to start on that. My thought is: if
we have the money - spend it (on the boys!), if we don't have it, raise
it. But I just can't seem to get firm support from my Sr.
Commander. When I've talked to my pastor *very supportive of Rangers*
he tells me I need to work with my Sr. Commander, as that is the chain of
command. The Sr. Commander is not necessarily tight with money, in
fact in Sept. all the boys who ordered a long sleeved T-shirt got a free
short sleeved one paid for from outpost funds. But only 3 or 4
did.
Also, I have recently gotten my own Class B uniform (The Holy Spirit
has moved on me to be involved in Rangers properly or to get out, and He
won't release me to get out! I love the Lord's sense of humor.)
When I wear my uniform, every Wednesday night, the long time commanders (who
don't wear their uniforms) feel the need to tease me for wearing mine.
Attitude says a lot.
Now my question is this: how can I, with
lackadaisical (sp?) Sr. & other commanders and unmotivated &
disinterested boys create an environment to inspire a transformation within
our Pioneers/Discovery Rangers group? How do I change this from a
babysitting service to a true Royal Ranger Outpost to live up to our
charter? How do I motivate the boys to want to wear uniforms or
T-shirts? How can I impact the other commanders of the magnitude of
responsibility God has placed on our shoulders? How do I weasel funds
from our Sr. Commander for materials, uniforms and other necessities for the
boys?
I have not yet been through LTC, but will be
attending the first possible session when the new LTC is released. I'm
hoping to get some more ideas there, but for now I turn to you, my fellow
commanders and ministers of the Gospel to tomorrow's men and
commanders.
God has given me a burden, but this situation sometimes overwhelms me
and I find myself (once again) crying out to Him who sits on the
Throne.
I know this message is long - like my first one, but I
promise they will get shorter!
In His
Grip,
DJ
Mark Jones, Ozark MO, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Download a Free Royal Ranger Database visit my website at:
http://home1.gte.net/mjones02/index.html
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