Leaders Trained in Outreach Through Bicycle-building Exercise

Leaders Trained in Outreach Through Bicycle-building Exercise A dozen children received 20-inch bicycles after Pathfinder leaders, during the annual Pathfinder Leadership Retreat at Sunset Lake Camp, participated in an outreach training session. The weekend retreat explored ways to build healthy and better Pathfinder clubs by connecting children with God and increasing outreach and ministry. “Many times,” said Greg Pick, Peninsula area coordinator and outreach session leader, “clubs do not understand the full potential of Pathfinders as an outreach ministry, and outreach is a great way to build a powerful club.” Greater Seattle area coordinator, Linda Renfroe, wanted to increase interest in improving outreach opportunities and actively worked to bring the bicycle-building session to a reality. “We wanted to draw interest for outreach by showing the leaders firsthand the benefits of service,” she said. The hardest aspect of the outreach planning process was finding recipients, as agencies could not release client names and some parents were not able to bring their children to the event. “It’s hard to do something nice,” Renfroe said, after receiving a series of “No” responses. The training exercise used team work to plan, assemble and test the bicycles for style and safety. At the end of the evening, nine happy 6- to 9-year-old children returned home with constructed-with-love bicycles, and three more bicycles were slated for special delivery. Enthusiastic bicycle recipient, Yvonne Lake, 6, has great plans for her bicycle. “I’m going to put stickers all over it,” she said, as she admired her pink, purple and blue bicycle, helmet and bicycle decorations. The training event offered more than 100 club leaders hands-on experience with implementing a service activity.

Leaders Trained in Outreach

Through Bicycle-building Exercise

A dozen children received 20-inch bicycles after Pathfinder leaders, during the annual Pathfinder Leadership Retreat at Sunset Lake Camp, participated in an outreach training session. The weekend retreat explored ways to build healthy and better Pathfinder clubs by connecting children with God and increasing outreach and ministry.

“Many times,” said Greg Pick, Peninsula area coordinator and outreach session leader, “clubs do not understand the full potential of Pathfinders as an outreach ministry, and outreach is a great way to build a powerful club.”

Greater Seattle area coordinator, Linda Renfroe, wanted to increase interest in improving outreach opportunities and actively worked to bring the bicycle-building session to a reality. “We wanted to draw interest for outreach by showing the leaders firsthand the benefits of service,” she said.

The hardest aspect of the outreach planning process was finding recipients, as agencies could not release client names and some parents were not able to bring their children to the event. “It’s hard to do something nice,” Renfroe said, after receiving a series of “No” responses.

The training exercise used team work to plan, assemble and test the bicycles for style and safety. At the end of the evening, nine happy 6- to 9-year-old children returned home with constructed-with-love bicycles, and three more bicycles were slated for special delivery.

Enthusiastic bicycle recipient, Yvonne Lake, 6, has great plans for her bicycle. “I’m going to put stickers all over it,” she said, as she admired her pink, purple and blue bicycle, helmet and bicycle decorations.

The training event offered more than 100 club leaders hands-on experience with implementing a service activity.

Featured in: January 2006