Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Five Common Sense Rules for Advising

You've got so many concerns and issues with your DeMolay Chapter that you don't know how to proceed... it is too big a task to rebuild your Chapter (again!)... you can't find any solutions becasue you can't even identify all the problems! WHAT'S AN ADVISOR TO DO?

Try these 5 "common-sense" strategies or rules to get you started on the right road to success.

Rule #1- Let the young men make the decisions. Let the young men make the decisions. Let the young men make the decisions. Let the young men make the decisions. Let the young men make the decisions.

Rule #2- If it is on a published calendar of events that has been approved by the Chapter and the Advisory Council-- execute the event, with 1, 5 or 25 people-- don't approve last minute wholesale changes to the plans. Let the guys know that you will be consistent and reliable.

Rule #3- Get along, or move along-- do not stir the pot, and do not cause trouble. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. The kids will hear it and assume such behavior is acceptable and desirable. If you aren’t having fun, chances are the kids aren’t either. Don’t make DeMolay your personal power struggle—majority rules—it is as simple as that. If you can’t abide by the decisions of the kids and the Advisory Council, please just move on, for your own good as well as the Order’s.

Rule #4- New Member Recruitment heals a lot of ills. MAKE IT YOUR PRIORITY. New young members afford many opportunities to accomplish the character and leadership-building mission of DeMolay. And, with new members come potential new advisors. Ask parents to join in and help out!

Rule #5: Follow the rules, whenever possible. In general, most rules are good, necessary and beneficial. But when it isn't possible, ask how you can legally bend the rules.

These aren't the ONLY things you should be doing, but when you are lost, or unsure, or in need of a sense of direction, they'll get you moving down the right path, I am sure!

"Dad" Tom Labagh, Executive Officer in PA

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