Here's my story and I'm sticking to it. ----------------------------------------
I think I had something to do with it when I started asking questions about what national policy was and reflecting on the mission of Royal Rangers. *I had assumed.. because I had been a Royal Ranger in 1962 that it was all about the boys and not a Men's club. I was shocked to learn that in fact it was a exclusive and elete group of personalities who dominated the agenda. That got me to investigate the organizational structure and oversight of Royal Rangers and had some fantastic conversations with former Ranger leaders. Then I attended NTC and didn't know for a long time that it was a drama theater. I returned to apply NTC to the Outpost and that resulted in reserching the Patrol system, useing the NTC format- Boy Leadership (NTC Patrols) was promoted and Adult leadership was to be supportive of useing boys in ways to Reach,Teach and Keep. On return.. further information on applying this princeipal caused me and GMA#3911 to look into Boy Scouting, we then joined.. *This was about the time in Glad Tidings AoG Church,Vancouver,Wa when politics entered to bring involvement in right to life work and we had a friend become a Washington state repesentitve. In time, the local US Congressional republican candidate found he had to "drop out" and nominated Linda Smith to replace him in the race. The ballots had allready been printed so their was a grass roots effort to "write in" Linda Smith for US Congress. *She won! Linda Smith was elected to US Congress by "Write-in" with the Republican "Contract with America" sweep.. She was re-elected by the people with zero acceptance of "special intrest" funds two years later.. *then lost a bid for US Senete to Ms. Patty Mury Wash.-D "Mom in tennis shoes". *That election had Linda Smith return to our church and speek from the pulpet one sunday on the subject of "special intrest" and the real workings of politics in Washington DC. She said her political challange was not a Democrat but her own "Party" who insisted she enter the special intrest pool of soft money along with them. *Do it or face the loss of our support! (Quote: Newt Gringrech) She refused and the Republicans pulled support and Linda Smith lost.. *My total respect/trust for conserveitive republican causes was compromised then.. admittedly in line with my College degree and experiance as a Vietnam Vet. *Tempered by my duty as a Royal Ranger leader. Pastor Bo I Melin was supportive and was invited along with rep.Smith to attend the AoG General Council. OP207 was thriveing and so was Rangernet. We were able to put Pastor Bo togather with the "MANDATE" Internet group useing e-mail to build the missionary fellowship around the world. E-mail was new and the result was increased speed of communication between pastor Bo and friends such as "Terry Law" who distributes bibles ect. Rep.Smith was critical to assisting Pastor Bo in an outreach to the "Sex slave trade in asia" and rescueing girls from that crime and provideing altunitives. *About this time- Pastor Bo's wife Paulene was stricken with cancer and over the year she fought it with prayer and many visits to faithful friends, but lost her battle. Pastor Bo was grief stricken and requested a time away from duties to recover. God was merciful, but he also called Pastor Bo to a new work. The church elected a new Pastor from Texas. His agenda was completely different than what the church had barganed for.. and his message was one of Domination and subjection to pastoral authority. He was preaching in such a way that I "heard" *I had to die... Dead Men walking! He had the authority, and he had the pulpet. The Childrens pastor suddenly became a micro-manager and had all sorts of concern with Op207's attempt to use Boy Leadership as a format for Royal Rangers. Rangernets own Cdr.Victor came to visit as well as Sir Brian of wiggenshire,England and saw that Sr.Commander Duane was about to become toast<G> I was called in.. laid out the RR LTC courses and explained the organizational structure of Royal Rangers under mens ministry. *I protested the obvious change in agenda. *That didn't cut it.. and i was asked to "Yeild to pastoral authority" I did promptly. All this drama has been recorded over the years by myself on Rangernet. Today.. no one we knew, no people,kids or staff remain at Glad Tidings Church. No Royal Ranger outpost.. and no "Childrens pastor or #2 pastor" all were fired or dismissed. The Church is now up for sale. The 40 acres we invested in is likely a new college campus or theatre.. The Wheelers landed on good ground..*Thaks for your concern<G> Son Josh did earn the GMA and had a nice service with two other NW Boys in USMC Mitch Silvers *brothers church. Brian Hendreckson of the National office officiated and we got a chance over dinner to talk about the comming changes to RR with the arrivial of Cdr.Marriot (who BTW was my NTC'96 camp commander at Donner Mine camp,Calif) Our involvement in Scouting has led to many-many outdoor adventures and bridged much of the missing gap in my Ranger vision... and son Josh became a Eagle Scout. However- *I do have some fundimental trigger points. The experiance Linda Smith shared wised me up to "Special Intrest" influence in Politics. In 2000 I saw Repubicans assult the character of John McCain a champion of several nobel causes important to me. Regretibly, GW Bush backers became blind to "special influence" loss of jobs, needless war in iraq ect. ergo- my report<G> D.Wheeler ===== *High MORALE is the Index of effective Leadership. --------------********+********-------------------- Morale raises belief of the Leader in the follower, of the follower in the Leader, of each in themself, and both in the .....cause! __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools _______ List host: http://eBible.org/mpj/ List info: http://eBible.org/rangernet/faq.htm To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://eBible.org/subscribe.htm
