CLUB LEADERSHIP

Adventurer Basic Staff TrainingSection 3

“Guiding youthful lives toward eternal life is the most important work given to man and should be planned well.”

Adventurer Manual pg. 25

Purpose – To learn concepts and strategies to experience successful Adventurer leadership.

Objective – To understand different leadership styles and how they affect Adventurers at various age levels.

In any organization leadership is important. The Adventurer Club is no exception - and maybe even more important, as the Adventurer Leaders play an important part in the spiritual nourishment of the children involved.

“The Adventurer Club gives the adult members of the church an excellent opportunity to work with their children.”

Adventurer Manual pg. 8

Leadership Definition : John C Maxwell : In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell sums up his definition of leadership as "leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less." This moves beyond the position defining the leader, to looking at the ability of the leader to influence others - both those who would consider themselves followers, and those outside that circle. Indirectly, it also builds in leadership character, since without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness, the capability to influence will disappear.

LEADERSHIP STYLES WHICH ONE ARE

YOU?

Autocratic leadershipAutocratic leadership is an extreme form of transactional leadership, where leaders have absolute power over their workers or team. Staff and team members have little opportunity to make suggestions, even if these would be in the team's or the organization's best interest.Most people tend to resent being treated like this. Therefore, autocratic leadership often leads to high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover.

Bureaucratic leadershipBureaucratic leaders work "by the book." They follow rules rigorously, and ensure that their staff follows procedures precisely. This is a very appropriate style for work involving serious safety risks or where large sums of money are involved.

Democratic leadership or Participative leadership

Although democratic leaders make the final decisions, they invite other members of the team to contribute to the decision-making process. Team members feel in control of their own destiny, so they're motivated to work hard.Because participation takes time, this approach can take longer, but often the end result is better. The approach can be most suitable when working as a team is essential, and when quality is more important than speed to market, or productivity.

Laissez-faire leadershipThis French phrase means "leave it be," and it's used to describe leaders who leave their team members to work on their own. It can be effective if the leader monitors what's being achieved and communicates this back to the team regularly. Most often, laissez-faire leadership is effective when individual team members are very experienced and skilled self-starters. Unfortunately, this type of leadership can also occur when managers don't apply sufficient control.

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR:

1. Love God supremely.

2. Love children

3. Have enthusiasm

4. Be emotionally stableEveryone is human, though, and sometimes leaders react in anger. A Christian leader will learn to apologize and ask forgiveness when he/she fails to exhibit Christianstandards. A leader who can admit he/she is wrong is much more effectivethan one who pretends everything isperfect. Adventurer Manual, pg. 14

5. Like the outdoors

6. Understand the characteristics of the Adventurer age children

7. Learn to do just about anything

8. Be organized

9. Keep the other staff happy

10. Command respect

11. Have a sense of humor

12. Be creative and resourceful

“He who cooperates with divine purpose in imparting to the youth a knowledge of

God, and molding the character in harmony with His, does a high and noble work. He awakens a desire to reach God’s ideals, he presents an

education that is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe. “

Education, pg. 19

OK, I’ve been chosen – NOW WHAT??

Responsibilities of the Club Director

1. Leading out in the program2. Chairman of staff meetings3. Receives and gives information to and

from the Conference4. Serves as a member of the Church

Board5. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL – Is a

sincere Seventh-Day Adventist whose life demonstrates what God can so.

IT TAKES MANY HANDS TO MAKE A CLUB WORK

OTHER STAFF POSITIONS

1. Associate Director - Shares in the leadership responsibilities of the Club. Keeps the club records and sends regular reports to the Conference. They are sometimes the finance officer, secretary and chaplain. Within larger Clubs their duties might include planning activities, projects, supervising crafts and planning special events.

3. Family Network Coordinator - This responsibility sometimes falls under the Associate Director assignments. The coordinators is responsible for organizing the Family Network learning experiences.

4. Instructors - This includes instructors for both Awards and Curriculum. Many times church members can be used to teach a class, but don’t forget to look for specialists in different fields when they are available. Be sure that whoever instructs the class reflects the Seventh-Day Adventist beliefs. This does not mean you can not use non-church members. Just be sure that anything they are presenting reflects the values of the SDA Church.

STAFF RESPONSIBLITIES1. The staff is responsible for the planning of the Club programming. The Director sits as the chairman of these planning meetings.

2. Each staff member should attend the Adventurer Basic Staff Training Course or Leadership Convention.

3. Each staff member should continually improve their understanding of the elementary aged child by reading, attending local or union conference leadership conventions and seminars and staff meetings with conference officials.

4. Staff members wear the official Adventurer uniform

5. Fill out and return to the church board a Staff/Volunteer Service Information Form.

6. Each staff member must do everything possible to insure the Adventurers safety and protection.

GOAL SETTING QUESTIONS1.What is to be accomplished?2.How is it to be accomplished?3.When is it to be accomplished?4.Who will accomplish it?5.Control measures identified?6.Steps of communication?

“This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to – changes everything.” Scott Read

"God doesn't call the able, He enables those He calls". Dr. Richard Neill