Hi!
On this page, I will provide a step-by-step suggestion of how to actually set-up your own Vanguard group. Adapt as necessary, and hope it helps! Make your own deadlines, but we have found the following to be good ideals to shoot for in order to get the new year started in an orderly fashion.
I cannot stress enough the value of getting parents and fellow mentors on board with the purpose and mission of Vanguard. It is not a group that seeks to set-up another conveyor belt :). It is designed to be adapted and applied to your group as you feel the needs of your group grow and change. However, I feel that it is essential to regularly re-visit the founding principles found on this blog if it is to be a true Vanguard group. Review the monthly themes, the mentoring, the training, the "foundation" articles on a regular basis, and seek to bring your parents and youth on board. Because the nature and approach of this group is quite counter-intuitive to minds bred in the public school system, it is important to continually re-align your activities and classes with your original purpose.
For access to all the files I have compiled over the years for Vanguard, please follow the link below:
Public Vanguard Skydrive
III.Summer responsibilities:
WEEKLY:
On this page, I will provide a step-by-step suggestion of how to actually set-up your own Vanguard group. Adapt as necessary, and hope it helps! Make your own deadlines, but we have found the following to be good ideals to shoot for in order to get the new year started in an orderly fashion.
I cannot stress enough the value of getting parents and fellow mentors on board with the purpose and mission of Vanguard. It is not a group that seeks to set-up another conveyor belt :). It is designed to be adapted and applied to your group as you feel the needs of your group grow and change. However, I feel that it is essential to regularly re-visit the founding principles found on this blog if it is to be a true Vanguard group. Review the monthly themes, the mentoring, the training, the "foundation" articles on a regular basis, and seek to bring your parents and youth on board. Because the nature and approach of this group is quite counter-intuitive to minds bred in the public school system, it is important to continually re-align your activities and classes with your original purpose.
For access to all the files I have compiled over the years for Vanguard, please follow the link below:
Public Vanguard Skydrive
FOR NEW CHAPTERS:
The spring before:
·
Contact Mary Biesinger to let her know you are interested in
starting a group…woohoo!
·
Send out an interest "head's up" with a brief outline of
Vanguard to find out who is interested
·
Find other willing parents to help mentor and run it
·
Get "trained" by a serious study of site info, attending a
training class offered by another Vanguard group, or visiting other Vanguard
groups to see how they run their groups
·
Hold “training meeting” for new parents to cover basics in May
--Sample “General Year description for new parents”…tweak it to fit
your group—it’s an older version
--Sample “Karen’s New Parent info outline”
(Sometimes, I hold these one on one with new families that weren’t able to attend the
meeting if I am still looking for interested participants.)
YEARLY:
I.Enrollment:
A.Email to determine interested participants for following year
sent by May 1
B.Mail registration
forms (sample) with bylaws (sample) to be gathered by June 1 (ideal)
C. Put together “membership
scroll” for chapter (name, address, phone number, emails, parent’s names)
complete with email addresses for youth by Aug 1 for “Tome packet refill.” (see
below)
D. Send out Summer packet info (sent by July 1):
-Welcome letter to youth (sample)
Welcome letter for youth
-Welcome letter to youth (sample)
Welcome letter for youth
-Letter
to parents briefing them on pre-year events and information (sample)
Sample pre-year letter for parents of participants
Sample pre-year letter for parents of participants
·
-Art contest for
Tome sections invitation (sample)
A.Youth presidency
training retreat: inspire them to service-oriented leadership, help them understand
their roles, remind them of learning style and personality differences-Advisors
B.Vision Hike:
coordinated by Outdoor Youth and Adult Specialist and Main Advisors (sample)
Vision hike sample outline
Vision hike sample outline
C.Parent Retreat:
review concepts and mentoring strategies (sample)
parent mentor retreat info (We scheduled all the material in this doc for one day. Upon reflection, it would have been better if we had started it the night before and then continued the next day, separating it over two days. The information was very valuable to the parents, but it was hard to discuss it all very well in the limited time we had.)
--One group chose to hold a series of summer meetings at the park to cover information.
D.Mentor Training meeting: may be held with multiple chapters (recommended)
parent mentor retreat info (We scheduled all the material in this doc for one day. Upon reflection, it would have been better if we had started it the night before and then continued the next day, separating it over two days. The information was very valuable to the parents, but it was hard to discuss it all very well in the limited time we had.)
--One group chose to hold a series of summer meetings at the park to cover information.
D.Mentor Training meeting: may be held with multiple chapters (recommended)
III.Summer responsibilities:
A.Determine
location, date and time of next year’s classes
B.Figure out time
period of year (if applicable)
C.Coordinate and
gather topics of individual lenses and activities from mentors for an overview
of the year (sample)
Overview of years
Overview of years
--Biographies
--History subjects
--Poems and
scriptures
--Books
--Scientists
--Monthly Service
projects (who and what months-can be included with family activities and other
outside activities—like tying a quilt while watching a movie)
--Fundraisers
--Science Projects
--Game Nights
--Movie Nights
--Temple visits
--Art Projects
--Parent and
student devotionals
--Outdoor
Activities
--Guest speakers
D.Create a Schedule
of the Year including outside (master and journeyman) classes and activities as
much as possible (sample)
Sample schedule for year
Sample schedule for year
E.Organize new Tome
pages for returning students:
--new Membership
Scroll: list of members and their personal contact info
--Schedule of the
Year
--Overview of the
Year
--New pages for
sections in Tome from Art Contest
F. Purchase and put
together new Tomes for new students (2 1/2-3" white binders):
--Cover art (preferred
use of original image if possible :)...contact me for this if you're interested)
--All “new Tome
pages for returning students”
--Timeline (sample)—suggestion:
have parents coordinate with Tome compiler to find a timeline that is best for
the youth
Timeline from American Heritage
Timeline from American Heritage
--Extra note paper
included in each section, including blank pages for art
--Bylaws (if not
updated and included in “returning student Tome packet”)
G. Hold Mentor
Training Retreat if applicable (highly suggested to have yearly to refresh and
for new mentors!)…if possible, it would be beneficial to coordinate this with
other chapters
IV,Other "Deadlines" within year:
A. Start planning end
of year “Outdoor Adventure” in January or sooner
B. Hold "Vision Night" for older youth (14+) with a nice dinner and presentation about scholarship and youth mentoring (sample not yet available)
B. Hold "Vision Night" for older youth (14+) with a nice dinner and presentation about scholarship and youth mentoring (sample not yet available)
MONTHLY:
I.Parent Mentor
Meetings:
A. Agenda (sample)
A. Agenda (sample)
B.Vision Moment
(reminder of “Whys” of Vanguard) (see blog for some ideas…but don’t limit
yourself to those!)
C.Teaching Tips (see
blog), like:
-- How to write inspirements
--Activities to help in class
--Ways to bring in the spirit
-- Personality considerations
--Tools for teaching: scriptures, resources,
networking, etc.
D. Specific Mentor Training: this
is to address certain qualities of effective mentoring (see blog) --Marni Hall and Julie Johnson are great
resources for this!
E.Discuss changes
to class or bylaws (voting on changes as necessary)
F.Bring up concerns
by parents and mentors
G.Make sure
upcoming “outside activities” are scheduled and coordinated
--Newsletter
II.Gather info from
different mentors so that it can be printed up/sent out two weeks before the
new month: ideal deadline for mentors, the mentor meeting the month before (sample)
sample newsletter
sample newsletter
III. Youth Presidency
meeting
IV. Devotional,
Science Project, and Service coordinator remind the next month’s people about their
upcoming responsibilities
V. Guest Speakers
reminded (previous one given a “thank you”)
VI. Dues paid to
building, where applicable.
WEEKLY:
I.Set-up at
location (good responsibility for youth presidency, mentored by Advisors):
A.Erasers and
markers for white board
B.Chair and tables
C. Flag, hymn books,
posters, scriptures, 1828 dictionaries :)
(dream, dream….)
D.CD player with
peaceful music
E.Video camera or
camera for taking pictures and recording activities
II. Babysitting/Joy school for mentor's children
A. reminder to
parent’s involved
B.
bin with supplies
C.snacks
D.set-up in room
III.Youth secretaries
coordinate and remind about “opening ceremonies”
IV.Devotional and
science project coordinator remind people the week before about their project
V.Clean-up
location:
A.Zones based upon
location (recommended: divvy up responsibilities with youth)
VI. Get changes in schedule
out to yahoo!group (or other communication medium) at least a week in
advance. Any changes made more suddenly
than that should have individual families notified
VII. Reminder to post
inspirements on the blog for that group
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