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Royal Ranger Leadership Series: PART 1 NEVER BECOME A HERMIT RANGER Chaplain Jeff Ortner # 446 "Social Activities" Working with boys in the Ranger program can be a really challenging position.Most boys often stay with the Ranger program because of the friends they make. So Royal Ranger gatherings needs to be a place to meet, greet, have fun, and learn about the Royal Rangers ideals. This is why social activities needs to be a regular part of the agenda when working with boys. Remember a boy’s work is his play and allowing individuals to get by themselves and play single games of electronics or anything that keeps him from the rest of a group atmosphere. Can cause the teamwork and relationships of a Outpost to stay weak. The problem is or may I say the solution is, real camaraderie is developed through " shared " experiences. That is true, that camping, hiking trips, adventure trips, or anything that causes boys to have to do the same thing " together " will build real friendships and a teamwork with each other. After all exciting retention, teamwork, and camaraderie are all good things to produce among boys and men too. Social activities can be appealing and those that get involved with week long academies begin to really understand the concept of belonging to a group. Yes those boys will be challenged, pressed, pushed to work harder, but it’s through that type of adversity that real friendships develop. It has been studied that the real problems of communication is the lack of common core experiences that we do together. We must come to the conclusion that in order to be " THE BEST OUTPOST. " Then Ranger boys actually have to be good at something, and that takes work. So sitting on your duffs playing space ball games by yourself isn’t making the Outpost the best. Hermit Royal Rangers need to come out of their caves.Social activities such as camping and working together is really a reflection that many boys are already doing in their local school activities, such as: athletics, drill teams, band, and even the after game get togethers. All theses things are built around socializing and working together. I also feel that in order for a Outpost program to perform properly there needs to be something different and better than what they already have. I would have to say that this concept is in the term of Esprit De Corps. I know of dozens of boys, commanders, and including myself that will talk for hours about how great it is to go to our academy and how it has changed our outlook about Rangers, but don’t realize why.Every school has social activities, but Royal Rangers offers something different. A Christian boys organization that does things that the schools don’t, a unique award system, teamwork, leadership, organization, and friendships that can last a lifetime. So I say again, " Don’t become a hermit Ranger " and " let your life become involved with those around at your Outpost. " |
