Welcome to the 2009 ALERT Cadet Captains’ Retreat

1. Welcome to the 2009ALERT Cadet Captains’ Retreat 22-26 January 2009 Skiatook, OK

2. Thanks! • For your energy – to stay in the battle; to accomplish the tasks • For your commitment – to me, to ALERT Cadet, and to the fathers and sons we serve • For your creativity – to share ideas and best practices • For your sacrifice – of time, family, and personal resources • For your support – of my family in this ministry

3. Purposes for our Meeting • Operational, not strategic – We know where we are going. • Nuts and bolts – What does it take to get the job done? • Suggest ways can we can improve… • See a realistic view of how we did in 2008 • Evaluate our resources • Set proper priorities • Enjoy one another • Learn from one another

4. Goals for our Meeting • To take energy and joy from the successes which God has given us to this point • To honestly assess our weak spots and to determine steps to correct them • To “sharpen” an already useful tool called ALERT Cadet • Clarify priorities • Set goals for 2009 and determine what we should do in 2010-2013 • Determine action plans and gather required resources

5. ALERT Cadet Vision and Mission • Vision - Tells Who, What, and Why • “Assisting fathers… • … to win and keep the hearts… • … of their 8 to 17-year-old sons.” • Mission - Tells How to Accomplish the Vision • Develop tools and activities (programs, activities, training, and materials) and provide a structure to accomplish the ALERT Cadet vision. • Encourage and train a network of like-minded fathers who can and will assist other fathers. • Give fathers worthy goals for their sons, including a heart for service to God, His people, and those in need.

6. Guiding Principles • Evaluate all decisions in light of Scriptural principles • Focus on changing people’s lives, not on administering/developing a program • Run at the pace of God-provided resources (people, talents, and dollars) • Maintain a 100% volunteer (either self-supporting or donor supported), distributed organization • Utilize best-in-class and best available technology to get the job done efficiently • Plan for the future and allow God to direct the individual steps and timing • Administer the program centrally but allow local implementation and adaptation

7. By 2013, God-willing, the ALERT Cadet ministry will be… • Externally • Thriving (growing, expanding) • Impacting (accomplishing the vision) • Recognized (outside of its traditional circles) • Internally • Organized (field and HQ staff, volunteers, replacements) • Mature (curriculum, supporting materials, activities, website, operations, SOPs) • With resources (funding, facilities, inventories) available to accomplish its goals. This is the way to accomplish our vision!

8. 2008 Summary in Numbers • Participants • ~7000 fathers and sons since inception (not including 3-day Challenges) • 3400 active as of 12/08; 4.5 years average in the program; average son age = 13 years; 1.5 sons per family • 70% with ATI backgrounds; ~50% of new members have no IBLP background • 86 active units in US, Mexico, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand • Growth – ~600 new fathers and sons each year; 878 new in 2008 • Camps – 9 regional and adventure in 2008; 15 planned for 2009 • Challenges – 4 regional with 780 participants • Curriculum – 4 years of handbooks completed • Deployments – since 2005 participation with ALERT in eight disasters; some units respond separately to local requests • Budget - ~$200,000 per year

9. ALERT Cadet – New Registrations WOW! Incredible 34% per year growth in new registrations!

10. Areas in Which We Fell Short • Book Fairs – coordination, staffing • Camps – attendance, marketing • Unit Care – leadership, early warning • Leadership Training/Succession – materials, concept • Technology – software, equipment

11. Issues Facing Us • ATI Membership Decline • IBLP Image • Finances • Leadership • Book Fairs and Promotional Efforts • Handling the Growth

12. Our Target Groups Christianity at Large Civic Groups Churches Homeschoolers ATI Military

13. Personnel • Needs in the field • Captains • Strong unit leaders • God continues to be faithful in HQ • Julianna, Aubrey, Ashton • Emma • James, Matthew • Yvonne, Andrew • Joanna, Rebekah • Ruth • Autumn ? • David ? • An adult couple?

14. ALERT Cadet Organization(Actual 1/2009) Headcount in Big Sandy – 2 to 5 Distributed headcount – 10 Total planned – 19 (excl. temps)

15. What is God Teaching Me? • Continue to grow/develop • Physical - Caleb at 85; strength and endurance • Skills – leadership, computer, flight, and people • Faith – seeing God at work in the Scriptures • Time – my most precious resource • People/Leadership – how to best influence and build godly principles into the lives of others – my family included • Placement – my time in history, my job to accomplish, my role to fill • I’m in the right place to accomplish the task of ALERT Cadet – (and Sue agrees with me!)

16. Are We on the Right Path? • YES! • No change in strategy or principles required • Course correct for reality • Target select for effectiveness • Prepare for success and further growth

17. Focus Topics for 2009 • This will be the outcome of our meeting • Answer the questions: • “Where should our energy be focused?” • What resources are needed to accomplish the tasks? • People • Money • Time • Equipment

18. ALERT Cadets“Strong to Overcome”