Not sure whether this is even the right place to vent but here I go... With our AWANA ministry, at the end of each year awards are given to our clubbers for achieving things through out the year. One of those awards is for male and female clubber of the year. The award is given to clubbers who come prepared for the ministry, who show growth, actively participate in activities, etc. We're supposed to have input from all leaders to make sure that the award is reflective of what the leaders see each week. Last spring when we had our awards ceremony, the awards for both male and female clubber of the year were given without any input at all from leaders (a chosen few maybe - but the awards did not reflect the opinion of the majority of leaders). Anyway, that's in the past. Why I bring it up now has to do with one child who recieved the award last year and what it has to do with the present time. A couple weeks ago, after the clubbers left council time and were waiting to be paired up with their leaders, I over heard the award recipient from last year ask our senior pastor if he could get the award again this year I almost rolled over... our pastor told him it was given with input from all leaders and so this child asked to be recommended for it I thought I was going to die when I heard this conversation. Anyway, here's my beef... In my opinion, the award should be given to clubbers for their hard work, their honesty, good attitude, willingness to help others, compliant participation in activities and things a long those lines. This particular child has been asked NOT to bring his iPod thingy (with the foul language music he chooses to listen to), he does not participate in music time (when we were preparing for the Great Shake Up and were learning a new song, everyone else stood and sang and participated while he stood there thinking he was above the rest by not singing with the others), he does NOT listen when he's asked to sit on the floor with the others, he whines, he lies and (sorry) he is such a suck up. These are just the behaviours we see at AWANA on Wednesday nights much less what he's like at school (foul mouth, bullying included). These are all the qualities that would cause me NOT to award him with the award... If he can be the center of attention, he'll do anything you want him to do - otherwise forget it (and this is something learned from home - from the grandparents clear down to he and his brother). And yet he wants the award? Oh my! On the other hand, if I had to make a decision today about who should receive the award, we have a little guy who comes prepared each week and who is priceless... he was putting his weekly dues in the bucket a couple weeks back (he gave $5 and we gave him back $4 because it's only $1 each week). When he went to handbook time he told his leader "I gave the Lord $5 and He have me back $4", this past week we had store night where they earned shares for their hard work and got to go shopping at our version of the store... as he was shopping, he was feverishly looking for things to buy for some of his classmates at school. This little guy actively participates in everything we do and truly has the heart of a servant. A couple weeks back when they were challenged to bring friends with them (they were all told that if they brought two friends with them, they could throw a whip cream pie at me) he worried about someone throwing the pie too hard at me and what happened if I got a bloody nose from it - bless his heart. He was one of the two who were able to throw the pie at me (his sister was the other one), he couldn't have been more gentle about it - walking up to me very clamly and gently placing the pie in my face as opposed to what I had expected - standing back and whipping it at me for all they might have been worth... If I had to make a decision right now on who should receive that award it would be him - hands down. For female clubber of the year, I don't know that I would have a decision made yet, there are a couple I can think of who would fit the profile... I have no idea whether to go to our commander and tell her of this or whether to go to her and tell her who I would recommend as of right now. I don't want to come off as being a whiner (and I wouldn't even recommend Andrew right now because he doesn't always participate willingly - can't imagine that :roll: ) but at the same time, the award needs to be given based on qualities that truly reflect the intention of the award not based on someone thinking they should have it because they're "all that". Thank you for listening to me vent... sorry for being SO long about it.
Do you have any leader meetings? If so, you could bring it up there by asking exactly WHAT are we looking for when we chose a Clubber? It sounds as if the boy who got it last year is NOT what I would consider an ideal clubber! When is the decision made? Are there others that feel like you about the "good" kid? Could you go en mass to the Commander and present the case for him? Sort of "Have you observed Johnnie's behavior? We are so impressed with....... We think he would be perfect for Clubber of the Year...." In our club, they pick one boy and one girl in the fifth grade to win a scholarship for AWANAS camp. They asked us last year if we were interested in sending her, but of course they couldn't tell us she would win or not. If we had signed her up and she didn't win, we'd be stuck paying. She was already going to camp twice...one week that Grandma pays for, and with our church (only $10 because we're a mission church). Carl said we could find the money, but after discussing it with her, we decided to take that money and pay for a week's camping for our whole family. We hadn't planned a vacation, because of cost. She probably would have won it. The decided to share it with TWO girls that are very definately deserving, but both of them were the co-commanders' daughters. It would have been just like our commanders to intentionally look over their own kids if there was another just as deserving. In a way, it was nice, because I don't think it would be fair to intentionally pass over the girls that got it that way. (But at the same time, both these girls would have been very pleased if Rachael had got it...that's just the way they are!)
Well, when I was done my venting here, I sent an email to our commander about my suggestion and explained why I felt this little guy was a good candidate and in the same email I also added a comment (without naming names) why the other one shouldn't be a candidate (and yes, there are others who agree that he wasn't the best selection for last year). I know that there are others who agree that the Christmas shopper (said so that you can tell the two apart) would be an awesome candidate and so it would probably be wise to suggest to them that they speak up as well so that the award doesn't go to another undeserving child and to do so sooner than later. We have tried to have leader's meetings but no one shows up (the last one included the commander and I - I already had a good idea of what was on her agenda so there wasn't much to accomplish). Something for us to work on (maybe bribery with food will get them there
We held AWANA in our church for 4 years, before deciding to go to a different program. I was the Secretary for all clubs for 3 of those years, so I feel for you. I know what it's like to get leaders to show up to meetings and the like. The boy may have been chosen because your Commanded didn't get any imput (and probably didn't ask for it) and he just went on looks. If this not-so-deserving child is a "suck-up", then the Commander would not know of his other behavior. I think you are going about it the correct way. Be verbal. Let your Commander know, in love, who is deserving. And if he even mentions the other child, I would, in love, say why that child doesn't deserve it. As long as it's done in a tone of love, it's ok. Maybe if the child doesn't get the award and starts trying to find out why, he might, just might, get his eyes opened to what his behavior is seen as and might want to change (Remember, through God, all things are possible!). I pray things go well for you.
