I read your post to Robert Tripham. Unfortunately I didn't get all of the references because my E-Mail was getting so loaded up with unread posts I did the unmentionable.
I did catch the gist of what was being said.
It seems as if this Scout troop has more vision than your Royal Rangers outpost. I will try not to whine too much but it seems to be a common malady in many outposts. About three of us in our outpost seem to get these visions, we look at Royal Rangers as a ministry rather than a club. We are not satisfied showing up to club ( as it is often referred) doing a Bible study, working on a skill, having Gametime and then a devotion, then Mom and Dad are through with the Wednesday Night Fellowship and get their boys. They ask for consideration because they can't get their kids there on time but we are dead meat if we keep them two minutes too late. We are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and He is the one giving us the vision.
Last Wednesday we went out to the farm of my assistant Commander to launch rockets. This was just a small thing compared to the rest of my visions but the boys were excited over the entire activity and it got them out of the classroom.
The week before we went out on the church lawn. I gave them plastic drop cloths and some string and showed them how to construct a lean-to. Some of them have a long way to go but they actually DID SOMETHING.
I have a vision for some Royal Rangers going up to Northern Wisconsin on a week long trip canoeing. There is the Willow Flowage which is part of the Wisconsin River Headwaters. The Wisconsin actually begins in UP Michigan just over the border.
the Willow Flowage is a series of connecting lakes with Islands designated as primitive campsites. They say during dry years a person could wade across the lakes to the islands. I have been trying to arouse interest in going there for a couple of years. Maybe, the Pioneers we are cultivating will want to try this when they get into Trail Blazers. It seems as if the enthusiasm is starting to catch in some corners of our outpost. Our biggest hurdle is getting our Senior Commander interested in doing projects like this and then the rest of the church. I had one mother complain to me one Wednesday night because we went outside on the piles of dirt and got muddy. Even though we told them what we were going to do she thought it appalling that her son got dirty in Rangers.
In the early Eighties I worked with AWANA Clubs, I made the the commitment to serve the Lord in the capacity of childrens ministry. I have had the vision of there being some church group that goes on canoe trips, backpacking trips and snorkeling trips in the Florida Keyes, etc.
Woodstock has finally become smart and allowed something of significance to take root in this town and are providing facilities for a Childrens Space Museum and Space Camp. Our Pioneers seem to be very interested in rockets and space exploration, maybe, we can cultivate interest in that area.
I am often looked at as the "John Wayne of kids ministries but the i always have been eccentric.
Randall A Hermanson
Pioneer Commander
FCF1998
OP#1 Woodstock Il
Robert Triphahn wrote:> > So how do the Boy Scouts do it?
>
> Monetary support from outside groups like the United Way.Just read this and called the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts
in Portland and they said that funds from United way went to support
special needs and the greater operational budget of the council.. and that
funds for the local troop were the responsibility of the troop organization,
and it's sponsering group.*The Ranger outpost we ran had much more resources than the troop we
participate in. We had Church facilities at no cost and vans with gas cards
and could bill back exspences to set up fund raisers ect. We had a sitting
congregation of
1,500 families and suposedly the support of Men's Ministry.In a perfect world the plan was that your Men's group would be working to
make
for a vibrant exciteing Royal Ranger outpost. Reality was just a peg below
that as truth.To my surprise- Boy Scout Troop 328 has no funds except those generated by
fundraisers and the resources of the Parents... With those limits, their
active
involvement in the Community generates much good will and they feild a
Troop of 45 scouts who attend summercamp at $185 a head...Next year about half over 13 will be flying to Florida to sail in the
Fla.Keys
and snorkle dive in tropical waters<G>*Money may seem the hinderence... but the true wall is *vision and
leadership.Ranger's could do the same... and make it a whittnessing /missionary trip and
adventure of a lifetime.
*You want me to set one up?
$1000.00 bucks a Ranger to Coasta Rica..
Fly a big jet out of Miami...Visit the Exploredores del Rey camp.. meet the locals..
Hike the tropical rain forest and go to the beach and learn to Surf!We'll eat taco's and fresh fruit...
We'll sing praises under Palm trees!->A No.1<-
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