Leader David Taylor Jr.
LeaderForum Replies Created
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They aren’t.
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In fairness, I resigned from staff last month over the Trail Life issue Jim.
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Just got done watching this, wow, crazy car designs for sure!
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Good information @dave-gregg !
Even after Covid restrictions pass, I believe Zoom (and tools like it) will still be good for various uses in a Brigade setting and these are good guidelines to help keep everyone safe.
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There is still Tadpoles material.
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The more I think about this topic, the more I lean towards mentors should be Brigade Leaders. Why do we have non-Brigade people mentoring Brigadiers and talking about Brigade topics?
I recently read the 1963 edition of “Boys For Christ.” I had already been thinking about this and then read something that gave my thought some validation. The book said “Only Captains and Lieutenants are qualified to sign off on achievement tests.”
I am not saying that we should necessarily change, but to me, there was a reason that in earlier days of Brigade that was the thought process and, to me, that thought process makes total sense.
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Without formalizing it, our unit does very much this same thing. Each leader has his wheelhouse or wheelhouses based on his interests and strengths.
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@shaima the link doesn’t seem to be working.
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While we ultimately let guys choose which book to go to, our Battalion promotes the “Classic” version.
I feel that book is more well-rounded as well as more appealing to teen boys. I feel it is stronger in leadership training than Quest and also focuses more on individual discipline.
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I used to be an Adventure Guide at Alpine Ministries in Beckley, WV. Caving was one of my favorite things to do so this looks like it was a really cool trip!
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Hard to believe we are less than 24 hours away from the event! Looking forward to it!
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I will also be talking about mentoring in my workshop at the Leadership Advance this weekend.
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If you want more details about the program itself you can get it at https://csbministries.org/hoc/
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@amusselman @davegregg just a note that they are simply called “Achievements” in the Adventure Trails Classic book. I would like to see promotional materials equally highlight both tracks as they both have pros/cons but are good resources in their own right.
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There were 25 people on this year’s invitational trip. Several were not able to attend due to scheduling conflicts. A few alumni were able to join the trip as well. They had great weather.
Friday night the boys spent time playing Mafia and Manhunt (don’t ask me what that is, I do not know), and they had a nice bonfire.
As a side-note, on Friday night the Brigadiers called me on the phone and we talked for about 30 minutes.
Saturday some went for a hike around the lake at the state park while others played disc golf and some just stayed and fellowshipped around the camp fire.
Overall a great time was had by everyone and the trip was a success!
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Looking forward to this finally getting released!
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We utilize https://biblememory.com/
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The above was from one of the old achievement books but is a good starting point.
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Mentors
Congratulations! You’ve been chosen to serve as a Battalion Mentor. To fulfill this exciting experience you should:
Commit to helping that young man grow spiritually and being an example for him. Seek to have a positive impact on his life. Developing this relationship is as valuable as the achievement material he is working on. This will take time, require sensitivity, and demand plenty of attention.
Work with him until he completes and entire unit. It will take 2-6 months. Meet with him at least 7 or 8 times for about 10-20 minutes each. Augment these times with informal meetings and phone calls.
Look at Adventure Trails. There are six adventures: You and Your Faith, You and God’s Word, You and Prayer, You Serving Others, You Building Others, and You Telling Others. Within each there are 7 or 8 action steps.
Discuss the material with him (one per meeting), after he has done each Action Step. He may have questions for you. Don’t feel like you must be an expert. Listen and allow him to talk. Help him feel at ease. The 15-20 minutes of Battalion squad meetings can be used for this purpose.
Initiate interaction with him whenever possible. Because you have been chosen by him to be his mentor, you can encourage him even when he has not completed an Action Step. Find out what you can do to help.
Be a learner yourself. Notice the Bible memory verses. Try to quote them to him before he says them to you. Allow him to make as many mistakes as you make. Do the Bible studies on your own so you are familiar with them.
Allow him to do the work. Ask yourself, “Has he completed it to his ability, even though it may not be perfect?” When finished, sign in his book. Look at the next Action Step and determine when you’ll meet next. Pray together.
Figure Out if you will need to provide some extrinsic incentive (a reward) to help him finish the unit. These young men are busy and will get distracted. Keep a positive attitude, even when he may appear to be losing interest. You can work along with him in things on which he does not understand. This may be of great encouragement to him.
Report back to the Battalion Leadership when all is completed. Keep adequate records and turn them in. Another man may be his mentor in his next achievement adventure. Pray for him as he continues.
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I knew Josh was a nerd, but so am I! This is a really cool idea.
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I agree Keith, this is a very good book by Kevin DeYoung!
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Oh this is at least some good news!
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Unfortunately, at the moment, the state of West Virginia will not let Hemlock Brigade Camp open for the Summer.
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While it is true that to be an official unit there must be a signed working agreement with the church, there is really nothing stopping a dad from purchasing the material and going through it with his son or a group of dads/sons. Just like there is nothing stopping a youth group from purchasing a bunch of copies of Leadership Trails and using it as a discipleship training program without being a Brigade Unit.
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@davegregg this conversation has actually prompted me to come up with some training for mentors that work with guys in our local unit. I’m currently writing a “Mentor Handbook.”
I’ll be glad to share it when it is complete.
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I can come up with something.
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Ah yes, the old model (which we are trying out with one of our Corporals and Brigadiers this year) is that actually the corporal would do a lot of the mentoring and would decide when a brigadier was ready to sign off on something. Then they would be sent to a Sr. Leader for completing the step.
I like this model for two reasons. 1. It allows the corporal to really build relationally with the guys in their squads at a much deeper level than just the weekly squad meeting. 2. It allows the Sr. Leaders to have more 1-1 contact with the regular members and not just the Leadership Team.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t use mentors outside of the unit. But there are pros and cons to both models as have already been discussed.
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Good tip Scott!
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I agree with Dale. Perhaps even talk with your pastor about having a men’s breakfast one weekend where you can talk about the program and give the urgent need for volunteers.
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@davegregg one of the things we do when a new mentor comes on I setup a meeting with them and go over the whole program one-to-one.