Organizational Programs – Master Inspire Plan Part 6

by Mary Ann on July 22, 2010

My grandson Kane and his Grand Champion steer, Spock

My oldest grandson loves raising animals, shooting black powder rifles, hunting and being outdoors. For many years now he has been involved with 4-H clubs. It has been a perfect fit for him. As he has gotten older he has developed a love of sports, particularly football, so his time in 4-H is less. That is as it should be because he still needs time to go to learn new things, read, which he loves to do, rest, work, be with his family and think.

As we create our Master Inspire Plan for our family the next item that we should consider is ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMS. This is a list of the programs connected with specific organizations you would like your children to engage in. You may wish to include programs that address the following: leadership, service and community, skills development, the arts, sports, camping, and outdoor recreation. Where applicable, consider any programs for youth offered by your church and programs offered by a local organization or academy serving the leadership education community. (Leadership Education Family Builder, from HOME FIRES)

So there you have it in a nutshell. You need to think about what groups you want your children to become involved with. The possibilities are huge and many families become overwhelmed with all the choices. So many mothers spend hours ferrying their children from one class or group to another. Children have less time to play and learn and interact with family. The fact is that we have the idea that our children will grow and learn the best outside of the home, being taught by someone else. We also, in America, at least, have the idea that more is better. I think that children get tired!

When I was a girl I spent countless hours reading and inventing games on warm summer evenings with neighborhood children. We played hula hoop, cops and robbers, hop scotch, tag, and a myriad of lawn games. We had time! That is a luxury that few children have now. They have so many planned sports, lessons of all kinds, clubs and groups. I am not suggesting that children will play the same way I did but I am suggesting that we need to make sure children have plenty of free time to unwind, think, ponder, read, create and play.

One of the reasons that I think this particular item is so important to include in your plan is because it gets parents to think about what is important to them and hence to their children. If you are a musical couple then music is probably something you really want your children to engage in.  That was the situation for Diann and Adam Jeppson. They wanted their girls to love music and learn to serve. So they became involved, as a family, with Heart and Soul, a group which brings music and the arts to isolated people, without cost.

The Wildflowers

Maybe for your family it is sports, or running various businesses, possibly public speaking and politics, maybe agriculture or rising animals. It will be different for each family and it is all good. However, remember that schedules that are overloaded even if all the activities are good are not particularly healthy for family relationships or for giving children time to learn.

So take some time to consider what is out there and choose wisely what you want to expose your children to. You also have to watch your children for clues as to what they may want. Do you have a dancer, a budding musician, an equestrian, possibly an artist? Do you have a child who loves to speak or write or organize? Find groups and organizations to help your child build on their strengths and likes.

As you implement your plan things will change. Children, particularly in core and love of learning tend to jump from one love to another. Today they want to dance and tomorrow they want to play tennis. Keep in mind Rule of Engagement # 4, when you put something in take something out. Also keep in mind the 6 month purge and the 6 month NO. Simplify and choose the best over the rest!

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Adult Skills – Master Inspire Plan Part 5

by Mary Ann on July 21, 2010

I remember that there were two things my dad said that we needed to learn before we left home. We had to know how to cut up a chicken. We also needed to know how to gut and pluck a chicken! YUCK.  I learned to cut up a chicken really well but I didn’t learn to gut and pluck until I left home and had my own family. After I had my first child we moved to the  farm that my parents had purchased for a short while. We happened to be there at slaughter time and I just felt obligated to help my mom. I think that I was the only one of my parent’s nine children who really did learn to gut and pluck. Lucky me!

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Choose the Best Over the Rest

by Mary Ann on July 20, 2010

It is good to be back and I hope you have all done your homework and put some time into your Master Inspire Plan. My reunion was wonderful, as always. However, it sure is a lot of work. I really thought about not going this year. I felt too tired to gather all the camping and cooking equipment together. But I went anyway.

As I drove into the Gooseberry Administration site, by Salina, UT, where we hold our annual get together, I was overcome by the sensation of being in the right place at the right time. Each day throughout the event I had that same feeling of having made the best and right choice. I was reminded as I worked with the children in the activities area how fragile a family can be and how resilient at the same time.

I was reminded how important our families are and how we have to make time to nourish them and our relationships. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about reunions, our spiritual activities, family reading, or family learning time. All these small parts fit together to create a family culture that can nurture esteem, teach core values and create joy. All of these parts that go into a good family culture take time and rarely are accomplished with any real success unless we are willing to commit time to them on a regular, consistent basis. That is why one of the Five Rules of Engagement for using the Closet is to structure time and be consistent. It is just a principle for success in everything. [click to continue…]

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Master Inspire Plan Summary Parts 1-4

by Mary Ann on July 14, 2010

I am heading out for our huge, yearly family reunion. We hold it the same month, in the same place every year. It is loaded with traditions such as the kid’s auction, family auction, genealogy meeting and a day at Yubba Lake . We have a wonderful time being together.

I have given you three assignments and this is great timing for me to give you time to do them. So I won’t be blogging again until Tuesday July 20th. You will have six whole days to think about and work on your Master Inspire Plan.

I want to do a quick review of what I have talked about and the assignments I have given you.

What is a Master Inspire Plan:  The Master Inspire Plan is really one part of a whole system designed to help 1) parents identify the specific knowledge, skills, and experiences they would hope their children get before they leave their home, and 2) integrate these things into the general learning environment of their family in a way that honors the concept of Inspire not Require (Key #3 of Great Teaching found in A Thomas Jefferson Education, DeMille, p. 42).

From the Leadership Education Family Builder, “As a planning tool, your Master Inspire Plan is not designed to ensure that all your children must or will do and learn everything contained in it. Its purpose is to assist you in considering the areas you wish to focus on as you engage in the work of inspiring and responding to your children. Your Master Inspire Plan is a road map to travel with through the grand adventure of educating your family . . . .”

Remember that I asked you to just begin dreaming about what your hopes would be for your children before they leave your home.

The first element of the plan that we considered was CLASSICS.

So your first assignment is to think about the years of your child’s life. Over those years what classics would you like to have in your home, in your Closet, to give as gifts? What do you want to inspire your children and yourself with? Write them down.

Now carefully think about your children at the ages they are right now. What do you want to read to them? If they can read what would you like to make available to them.

Do you need to create a fund in order to buy them? Do you have them and are they out where they can be used? Do you have a scheduled reading time for your family? Do you need one? Think through what you need to do to be able to get these classics in front of your children this year. Add these details to your plan.

The second item we discussed was CULTURAL LITERACY. You will need to review this article. The assignment was to begin making your long term list and then break it down into a list for the next twelve months. Take some time to write out your own “best family culture”.

The third item was RESOURCES. The assignment was to take a look at your list of classics. Are there any that you need to purchase? Read over your “best family culture” and see if you need resources there. Consider the whole concept of cultural literacy and see what you need to add to your resource list to facilitate that in your family. As we cover each of the nine areas you will be able to add to this list.

Begin some type of saving plan for your resources whether it is a savings account or a change jar that the whole family contributes to.

So there you have it, your mental and heart work for the next six days. Have fun, enjoy and remember you can do this!!

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