OCTOBER 2002

Dear Christian Leader,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Pioneer Clubs eNewsletter, where we provide resources to help you build your Pioneer Clubs ministry with helpful ministry ideas, tips, and tools, and a deeper understanding of today’s kids.

We hope you found the September edition on “10 Tips for Managing Your Club” helpful. If you didn’t receive last month’s Pioneer Clubs eNewsletter, you can read it now by visiting the Leader Resource Center at www.pioneerclubs.org/lrc.htm. Use the password kids.

This month we want to share with you 10 tips that will help you use Pioneer Clubs’ Awards more effectively. Also be sure to read the Pioneer Clubs Announcements section to find out about free online resources for the Kids for Kids Hike and a Bring a Friend meeting.


10 Tips for Using Pioneer Clubs Awards

1. Use both Bible and activity awards. The Bible awards relate to Bible Exploration and increase club members’ knowledge of God, his Word, and his world. The activity awards allow the children to learn a wide variety of meaningful skills. Earning both Bible and activity awards helps emphasize that God is interested in all we do--Christ in every aspect of life.

2. Involve kids. Introduce three or four skill-building activity awards and have club members decide which one(s) to do or in which order to complete them. This will help them feel more ownership because they’re a part of the decision-making process.

3. Provide variety. Select awards that will help your club members learn new skills and grow in their knowledge of God. Be sure there is a lot of variety, especially in your activity award selection. Give all kids a chance to demonstrate their unique skills and abilities. This will help foster an atmosphere of teamwork, cooperation, and encouragement.

4. Be flexible. If a suggested award doesn’t fit your kids’ needs or interests or the season of the year, substitute another. Requirements for all awards can be easily divided up to be finished in a four-week unit.

5. Find help. If you don’t feel you have the skills or expertise to do a particular activity award, ask parents or church members who have the needed skills to share their talents with your club members. Provide them with the handbook so they’ll know the award requirements. This is a great way to involve other Christian adults in your club.

6. Encourage kids. There generally are more Bible and activity awards available for each age division than most club members can earn during regular meetings. Provide a list of Bible and activity awards that kids can work on outside of club. If they want to earn the Highest Honor Award, they’ll need to do that. Requirements for the Highest Honor Award are outlined in the club members’ handbook.

7. Keep track. Use the Award Record Sheet found in the leader plan book. Make one copy per club member. After each meeting, check off all the requirements completed by each member. This will help you keep track of where each club member stands on meeting his or her requirements.

8. Use “Catch-Up” meetings. After you complete one or two units, plan a catch-up meeting where those who missed a meeting or two can complete the Bible and activity award requirements. You can plan special games for those who didn’t miss and use this special meeting to review Bible memory verses. You can also send kids who miss a meeting a “Missed You at Club” postcard to let them know which award requirements they need to make up. Suggest they complete them at home prior to the next meeting.

9. Display awards. If you don’t plan a method for displaying the awards that club members earn, they will get lost and will not serve as a reminder of their accomplishment. Many Pioneer Clubs adult alumni still have their sash or banner with the awards they earned in club as children. These are kept because they represent an important part of their childhood and life journey. Awards may be displayed on a sash, vest, cap, book bag, banner, or anything else that works in your club. Skippers and Scooters wear their iron-on awards on their T-shirts. You may wish to designate a different award display method for each age division. Be sure to see the “Featured Products” section of the eNewsletter.

10. Present awards. Order awards at the beginning of each unit; then you’ll have them on hand to distribute when finished. Immediate recognition allows members to better link awards with their accomplishments, so give them out as soon as possible. On occasion you may wish to present awards in a more formal setting with parents, Pals, and congregational members present.

You can find all of Pioneer Clubs’ easy iron-on awards on pages 16-19 of the catalog. To order, or for further assistance, call a Customer Service Representative at 800-694-2582.


Changed Lives

"I remember a sense of excitement and anticipation the night of the Pioneer Clubs awards ceremony at my new church in May of 1983. I was eight years old. I remember wanting to finish the last [award] that I had the opportunity to get that night--after all, I got a cool badge for it. At the end of the [award] in my handbook, I remember reading something that led me to pray a simple prayer inviting Christ into my life. I would never be the same.” --Scott Linhart


Pioneer Clubs Announcements

IMPORTANT