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Somewhere along the way some commanders started to say, “they’re in school all day, we don’t want them to be at school in Rangers.”  If the best you can do on Wednesday night is to make Rangers not like school, you may want to reconsider your approach.  That’s just bad messaging and vision casting.  This isn’t a discussion about school being good or bad, but the comparison is an absurd one.  It’s a total apples to pipe wrench comparison.  I am so glad that I know math, science, and English, but rangers teach you how to live life well.  How to nudge some mountains into the sea and climb others to their summits.  How to fight the good fight and carry one another’s burdens.  Here are three things you should include in your elevator speech.

Put It Into Practice

The boy lead adult facilitated approach in Rangers can have a major transformative impact on some young man’s life.  Not only does it build with in a young man know-how but helps him gain confidence and competence by letting him put the know-how into practice.  Ranger’s is hands on, and even in the mists of a seemingly ordinary merit boys can learn, teach, and lead.  One of the most exciting personal experiences of this was our Summer Merit Camps abroad.  The entire organizational chart was filled by boys who were mentored by commanders and the result was a life changing experience for everyone.

Relationship Building

At the core of the Royal Ranger relationship building model is their relationship with Jesus Christ.  Without that an Outpost may as well just shut down.  You just wasting everyone’s time.  This is no small mater and not the easiest of tasks.  This is one of those, more is caught than taught, situations.  Boys and young men will learn from your story and your example.

The other side of this Ranger model is the close personal relationships the boys forge with each other and those they forge with their Commanders.  Forge is the operative word here, because these relationships develop in the mists of great adventure and servant leadership experiences.

Mentoring Future Men

What group or activity can you involve your sons where Christ centered mentoring is the primary focus.  Boy and young men need this now more than ever, and much o

f this is happening around an adventure rich calendar of events.  Engaging creation reboots all the creativity and wild at heart spirit every young man is born with.

If you must use a school like phrase, fine, it’s a classroom under the stars.