The success or failure of a Royal Ranger outpost depends on your ability to recruit, train and keep leaders.

Whenever Ranger leaders get to talking together they often bemoan the fact that they just can't get the leaders they need. Many an outpost struggles and looses children because they can't get enough leaders to be able to put on a great program each week.

So let's look at a simple strategy for recruiting leaders. It is said that in the world of real estate there are only three rules "location, location and location". Similarly in recruiting leaders for your outpost there are three rules "Success, success and success"

Rule #1 - if you want to attract recruits to your leadership team you
need to have a successful program, with lots of smiling, happy kids
and smiling, happy leaders

Success breeds success. If you have a successful outpost - you won't have trouble recruiting new leaders. In fact you'll have people lining up asking if they can be involved.

People like to be successful. God wants us to be successful, and success attracts people. Just as flowers and trees put on beautiful blooms to help attract bees, so you must too - put on a successful program to attract leaders. People aren't interested in joining something that is a failure, or a disaster, or something that's boring. They want to be seen with successful people - being successful themselves.

Do you remember your time back at school? Why do you think we all wanted to be associated with the fastest, brightest people? 'Cause we want to be seen with successful people. Incidentally that's why people spend millions of dollars buying self help books because they hope to emulate the success of the author!

Rule #2 - if you want to keep your leaders, let them be successful

Just as it is important to recognise the achievement of the children in Rangers it is necessary to recognise the achievement, commitment and dedication of leaders. Make a fuss of them in public forums like Councils of Achievement and Church Parades. Jot them a note thanking them for their efforts. A pat on the back in front of the kids. Report to the parents of Johnny that Commander Brown worked very hard with Johnny to help him pass this advancement.

Make a fuss over presenting service stars, certificates of achievement for passing LTC sections. Represent NTC certificates at your church parade. Look for any opportunity to say "Well Done" - in public.

Rule #3 - your leaders need resources and training to be successful

You like it when you've run a successful game session, or program feature, or presented a great devotion. Well so do your leaders. In order for them to be successful on the night, they need to have access to resources and training.

Get a library of resource books together that you can loan out to leaders when they are doing a particular unit or task. Loan a good games book to the commander working on games this week. Loan the book on knots to the knot instructor. Give them all the resources they need to do a good job.

Now nothing takes the place of good training. I've been running children's program for years, organising week long camps for kids, running youth groups, teaching Sunday school etc. Yet it wasn't until I completed the Ranger training program (LTC) and did NTC that I saw the big picture of how the Ranger program fits together. Your leaders will similarly benefit from these experiences.

(of course you've done these too haven't you...)

Summary and case study

Let me close with a short story. We held out Council of Achievement last week and put together a modest, tight program. We started with a parade of our kids (we had about 40 leaders and kids on parade) and got the kids to present their patrol yells and songs.

The parents loved it - so did the kids (seen to be successful) and their leaders (seen to be successful).

There was a short speech from me at the beginning (you might recall this from a previous post) that spoke about the great leaders, great kids, and successful program we have.

We invited the new state chaplain along - who drove 4 hours to be there (parents and kids and leaders felt special and important) who gave a great devotion.

Then we handed out badges, awards, certificates etc. etc. etc, interspersed with songs and skits from the kids. We also had a (very) modest display set up - posters, tent, lashed table, washstand, bike, craft etc. and supper.

Well guess what. Two parents come up and ask if they could become leaders! Plus numerous parents apologised for being slack in either getting their kids to rangers late or not bringing them cause they were too busy.

Neat huh!