Leader

  • Finalize any holiday plans for your own club. Why not post them on the Pioneer Clubs Facebook page to give other leaders ideas?
  • Help your club members make or plan a thank-you for your co-leader (s) for Thanksgiving, such as singing a special song for them or taking a group photo and having everyone sign it.
  • Have your club members write thank-you notes to parents, thanking them for letting them come to Pioneer Clubs and telling them one thing they like about it.

Coordinator

  • Hold a quarterly committee meeting to review calendar events and evaluate the year to date.
  • Plan a Christmas thank-you for club leaders, such as a card, gift, or coffee time.
  • Help club leaders coordinate special events for their individual clubs so you don’t end up with conflicting dates for parents with children in more than one age group.
  • Plan an all-club award ceremony in a church service.
  • Make sure parents, club members, and club leaders are aware of any upcoming club schedule changes due to the holiday season.

November Real Time

We kicked off club this year with the sailboat regatta plan. Three hours before club, I called one of our leaders to ask if she needed anything for her group and she told me she decided not to come (blink). So I said, “Okay, I’ll just call another helper then.” It turned out that no one else was available.

Here’s what followed at club that night:

A friend of a six-year-old club member dropped by to observe. This friend is unchurched, severely learning disabled (age 12 and cannot read or write), and an absolute sweetheart. His mother said he has never liked any local programs, even with her by his side.

Five minutes later, his mom asked if he could join. Within ten minutes, she smiled in amazement when her son waved goodbye, and she left him at club until it ended. And within that hour God allowed me to speak encouraging choices for his music apps (Egads!), recommend a dyslexia tutor, and give him the honor (since he was the oldest) to make his first wood cut for the sailboat. He was so proud that he took the spare wood home as a treasure!

So here’s proof that a big sigh, shake of the head, and prayer for God to do His will trumps all the plans of men and makes things beautiful.

— Club Coordinator from Novato, CA