1. It's for everyone.

You will want to these three events to be exciting for everyone--this includes adults. Have boys and adults together as one team. Both boys and adults have equal input of how the team will compete against another

2. Dress it up to "High Heaven" .

When you go to the race track, what do you see around you? You see placards, banners, and billboards of sponsors, checkered flags, etc. These props are important to add excitement to the event and tell you where you are without coming out and saying in big letters, "THIS IS THE RACES".

You can go to an auto parts store, gas station, dealership, or warehouses and pick up automobile paraphernalia just by asking. It'll surprise you what you can get and how much you can get from these businesses. You might faint when you find out the owner or the manager will give this stuff to you for free when he finds out it's for a bunch of boys.

3. Knock, knock. Who's there?

This may seem far-fetched, but you might find a personality that fits the event to show up. That will make a difference in the event. It's important that the personality knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and mixes well with boys and adults.

4. Finish it off.

Do a fun event that is trivial and exciting that will end the event on a high note. Then close in prayer. Tell the boys they all are winners as Christ sees them as they are.

5. Have an exclusive

Have the adults race against each other in a separate event. When that happens, you'll never tell the difference between the men and the boys.

Do you have a bunch of boys (20 or more) and a hand full of leaders?

Formula for Application: (Basics: One activity= a ; 40 minutes= b )

1. a x 4 =4 activities. So, 4 activities = a

2. a x b = 160 minutes or 2 hours and 40 of planned activity time .

Instructions:

A. Take your leaders and put two leaders in charge of each activity. Since you have 4 activities planned, number your activities from I through 4 .

B. Since you have four activities planned, assign each boy a number from 1 to 4 .

C. The number the boy was given that is the activity he is assigned to go to first.

D. When boy's activity comes to the end of the 40 minutes, he's to go to the next activity in numerical order. (Example: Boy #1 goes to activity #1 . When activity #1 is finished, he goes to activity #2 . And so on. When the boy comes to the last activity, he goes to activity #1 and then activity #2 . And so on.)

Remember:

The amount of activities planned will determine how to plan your outdoor event.

Exception:

When you have activities planned that is planned around one activity, you will have to consider that activity is the main event. Then you will have to determine how long that major event is going to take place and divide that time by the amount of activities around that major event. ( Three activities and one major event= 4 activities.)

Take your determined time you have planned for your major activity and divide it by 4 . That will give you the amount of time for each activity to work around the major activity. 4 will be your constant to use.

Set up your chapter room by folding up the chairs and putting them away. Don't use the chairs for a month and see how it works. Don't tell the boys when the chairs will be use again. You may never want to go back to the chairs.

This is what will happen; You won't have fights of who is going to sit next to who; No noisy chairs being moved around during the chapter meeting; And the boys will find out it is different and get the idea sitting on the floor is in style. If the boys have no chairs to sit in, the first thing they are going to do is to sit on top or underneath a table. [Wrong!]

The tables are to be used to sit on top of or underneath when they are working on a project for advancement or something of that nature. When the boys here those rules of the table, you are guaranteed you've got their attention. They will think it is strange and different. You have their attention and allegiance to your leadership in less than a "New York Minute" because something is different from the 'norm'. Buy the end of the chapter meeting, they will get to like the new arrangements or the lack thereof because they are doing it on the floor.

When you have devotion time at the end of the R.A. chapter meeting, some of the boys will have their heads propped up on their hands and arms laying the floor listening to the devotion. This is normal. They do it at home in front of the t.v. They can do it as long they're listening to what is being said.

The Tables

The tables are to be used sitting on or sitting underneath working on something. And the tables are to be shared. Only two boys on top and three or four underneath works. They'll get a kick out of that idea.

Conclusion

This works in a learning environment because its different, harmless, and unique in nature. All you are doing when you are doing is trying something "Off-the-Wall". They will think it's cool because they don't do this at home or at school.

After you see they are ready to change the chapter room, ask them for ideas. Be quick to say, "Let's stay away from what is normal." You will get some suggestions that you never heard, but go ahead and do it as long as it is safe and what the Lord will have pleasure watching.