How the Program Works

Getting started with anything can be exciting as well as challenging. If are the only one starting up something with no help, it can be hard. Most of the time,you learn as you go and make a few mistakes. Those mistakes you learn from and get better at what what you do.

Here's some "tid-bits" you might find a big help. Most of all, love the Lord as you go.

By Yourself

I've never done this before or never been in it as a kid.

You're not the only one. Shack hands with Moses. Pharoah ordered him out of Egypt and Moses was on his own after that and turned out to be a very strong and useful leader that God used in a big way. The thing that made Moses effective was his openness and reliance to God.

Most of the time when we are asked to hold a lead position in the church, there is some resources and no one in sight to help. And you aren't familiar with the resources they gave you. What ever you do, don't start reading all the resources they gave you or you will get what they call "Paralysis of Analysis" .

1. Start with the "Royal Ambassador Planbook".

image ldr_crnr_graphic/planbook.jpg (7915 bytes)

The Planbook has:

1.------------- Contact list of state convention and names in the Brotherhood (Baptist Men) to call and get your chapter(s) registered;

2.---------------------- An annual calendar of the Southern Baptist Convention events;

3.------------------ Instruction on how to devolpe your calendar for your R.A. Calendar;

4.--------------- Explaination on the different calendared Royal Ambassador events throughout the year and how to plan them;

5.----------------------- Medical forms and permission slips for outings, World Walk, and other events ;

6.--------------------- How-to's on the use the different periodicals that will be needed for your program;

7.---------------- What the Royal Ambassador is all about and how it works;

8.--------- Advancement Chart, Membership Chart , and Campcraft Chart, and Attendance Charts.

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2. Start planning your chapter meetings. It will take some time to get proficient planning and doing the chapter meeting by yourself. It is a challenge to do the whole program on your own. Ask God to be your strength. The worst thing that could happen is that you get out on time.

The Five-Part Chapter Meeting

Meeting Part	Recommended Time	Things to Do	Purpose
Part 1: Opening	5-10 Minutes	Games, songs, or puzzles, motto's, pledges, attendance, and any other business	To engage as they arrive and lead toward a meeting theme
Part 2: Virtue Exploration	10-15 Minutes	Mission story, testimony, or other activities	This area explores the virtue that focuse on the month's theme (or the R.A. Motto in September or March)
Part 3: Mission and Games Activities	10 minutes	Fun crafts, games	This will help the R.A.'s learn about virtues or learn mission skills
Part 4: Personal Plan Growth Plan Time	10 Minutes	Listening to what the others did on their virtue, Personal reflection on virtue This is the time when the leader can give any help that is needed	This is for the boys have a chance to learn and improve on their virtues
Part 5: Closing	10 Minutes	This is the time for the R.A. leader to help the boys remember the mission stories and how it applies to the virtues, Prayer time for prayer requests from the boys, Missionary Kids, and Missionaries Have a planned activity for the boys to do waiting to be picked up	This time is to close out the meeting on a high note in a Godly way and to keep the boys busy doing something while waiting for parents

After you have done the R.A. chapter meeting for at least a month, you can start in the advancement books and magazines. These periodicals are covered in the "Tools of the Trade" web page. (Don't forget to come back, we're not finished.) Become familiar with these periodicals and know the requirements of the awards.

The Pledge and the Program

How the pledge works with the program

When you look at the pledge, there are five parts. These parts are essential and help us recognise what is to be taught to the boys. Often, when a pledge is memorized and is recited, it sounds like someone is reading something off of a laundry ticket and forgotten.
The way the Royal Ambasssador program has be re-written makes the pledge more of an active part of the program. So, as you do the program step-by-step, you will see the pledge being practiced and studied as a lifestyle since it is the focal point of the program rather than something to read. The pledge reinforces and is a firm support the boys work from. Each part of the pledge will be studied over a period of time. The different parts of the pledge are called "Virtues" in the program. You will see the word "Virtue" repeated throughout the different materials.
For instance, in the different advancement books, there are five chapters. Within each chapter, the different parts of the pledge will be studied as a virtue. The meaning of virtue refers to morality or merit. In other words, it is a prized characteristic found in the way a person conducts himself in public. Keep this in mind, and you will quickly see the pledge meshed with what is planned in the prepared material for us.

You and Your Leaders

The difference between doing the R.A. program by yourself and having help is you have more of men like you doing the same for the same thing. Now the new challenge is: Keeping your leaders together as one unit. Sometimes, it will be hard to tell the difference between the Lads and Crusaders from the Adults.

What is hard for the director to do is to keep from doing to much of the program and let the program happen on its own. You are there as an overseer and a guiding force. Sometimes, you may have to step in and fill in the gap and patch things up, but don't impede on the your leaders are doing.

The planbook does cover what the role of the director and the counselors.

At the end of the Lad and Crusader advancement sections in the planbook is the "Standard of Achievement" area for both the boys and the leaders to work for to get a plack for exellence. This plack is for the leaders and the boys to earn. The "Standard of Achievement" award is one of the most neglected in the R.A. Program. Try it, you'll like it.

Also, there is the "Church Study Course" for you and your leaders to learn about the Southern Baptist educational system. At the same time you can earn credit while doing the R.A. program. There is something for us leaders, after-all.

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Beyond the Church

In order to have a well rounded R.A. program that isn't confined to the church just exhisting, it needs to participate in the association and state convention activities. To find out where your association, your church should have information how to contact your association office and/or state convention.There is a contact list found in your R.A. planbook. The North American Mission ( www.namb.net ) has a contact list and announcements,conferences, and events for R.A. programs.

Your state and association offices is there for your benefit. Being involved with the state and association will help your R.A. program in more ways than one.

Getting to know other R.A. leaders, boys, and programs in your association proves valuable. Getting to know each others in R.A.'s will only strenghten what you are doing with your boys, but there will be friendships made that will last a lifetime.

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