Royal Rangers?

[scoutldr 732]

I was in Sam's Club the other day, and my wife said "Hey, there's a Scout"! I looked and it was a gentleman about my age 50-something, with a khaki shirt and blue jeans. Looking closer, the patches on the sleeves were a different color, and when I got around to the front (he probably thought I was stalking him!), I noticed Captain's bars on his collars and military-like ribbons (about 4 rows). Then I saw the sleeve patch said "Royal Rangers". A little research on the internet tells me this is a Christian organization that many denominations have adopted. It also tells me that they also have a problem with proper uniforming! (blue jeans are not part of the uniform!)

 

What I do not understand is why a church would choose the RR program over the BSA program. Any thoughts?

[click23 66]

It could be that the aims of the Royal Rangers would be closer to the aims of the church that the aims of the BSA:

 

BSA:

Growth in moral strength and character

Participating citizenship

Development in physical, mental, and emotional fitness

 

Royal Rangers:

To instruct, challenge and inspire our boys in the areas of Bible doctrine, Christian service, moral conduct and basic beliefs of our church through interesting activities boys enjoy.

 

The purpose of the Royal Ranger:

To evangelize boys for Christ

To develop the total boy for Christ (spiritually, physically, mentally and socially)

To keep boys in our churches

 

 

 

 

[Gunny2862 11]

In my experience at churches that ran Royal Ranger (RR) programs(I moved a lot while I was on active duty):

 

VERY few promote camping - the occasional "lock-in" where they stayed overnight at the church and had games - but "by my experience" maybe 1 in 20 would have regular camping. It's cheaper - most of the time fundraising was seen to detract from the zero sum game the Church operated between it's operating budget and church members. And they didn't want the outdoors part to impact the overall budget.

 

The emphasis was on promoting (not necessarily my definition) "Christian values" by putting the focus on Bible memorization, skill in answering "Bible Bowl" quiz questions (a local, regional and national competition) and deferring to Adult Authority w/o question. In the view of most adults in and around these systems BSA didn't/wouldn't allow them (and might prevent them from being able)to teach the "Christian values" they wanted to impart to their youth. But the actual character development was not a perceptibly planned progression but was supposed to occur by exposure to the Biblical text and the RR Leadership, IMHO.

 

Little to no leadership opportunity other than that that would be in regular course recognized for those who were exemplar members who were key members of the Bible Bowl team or who could recite entire Books of the Bible from memory(Just like how natural leaders rise on Sports teams - no real leadership development).

 

NOW that I've been negative:

The very few Ranger Programs that did camp regularly tended to be a whole lot closer to BSA Troops and usually had a former Boy Scout in the Adult Leadership who was cognitively injecting BSA elements into the RR program. And in some cases could whip up on quite a few BSA Troops in T-2-1 skill competitions. IMHO due to the tighter discipline, nearly military, that the RR programs I've seen utilized as a matter of course.

 

All of the above is my observation based on my experience, Your mileage may vary.

[jtswestark 11]

Wiki:

Royal Rangers is a worldwide ministry of the Assemblies of God and is designed to provide young boys with challenging activities while providing them with religious instruction. A camping theme is at the heart of most activities, along with a merit award system whereby Royal Rangers must demonstrate specific knowledge and abilities. This ministry was developed by North Texas Youth Director Rev. John Henry "Johnnie" Barnes in 1962, and since then it has spread from the Assemblies of God to many other denominations (notably the International Pentecostal Holiness Church) and from the United States to over 73 countries. Royal Rangers ministry is an alternative to the more secular youth movement Scouting. Royal Rangers International is open to participation of both boys and girls, while the US only allows boy participation.

 

One of the founders of my Troop lost faith in the BSA and not only left our United Brethren Church when we merged with the Methodist Church, but also founded a RR unit at his new Church. We lost a couple boys to it. They had many similar activities as us, including their own Klondike. But I dont think it lasted but a few years and that church has gone onto sponsor Cub Packs and a BS Troop.

 

Jack

 

[Gunny2862 11]

That's weird to me about it being an AG program.

 

RR was always in Southern Baptist,Foursquare and other often non-denominational churches when I ran into them...

[fgoodwin 23]

Gunny, you're thinking of RAs: Royal Ambassadors. As far as I know, RRs has always been an AG youth program.

 

When I was a young boy, many of the guys in my Cub Scout den were also RAs at the local Baptist church I attended.

[Gunny2862 11]

fgoodwin,

I have run across some RA's too,(to which I hold generally similar views) but I'm talking about my experiences around RR's. Which is again, why I think it's weird that the RR's I have seen are at non-AG churches. Although the one Foursquare I mentioned is allied with but not necessarily a member of the AG church as a whole.

 

I DO appreciate the attempt at clearing up a possible misunderstanding however, Thank you.

(No sarcasm is to be read or conferred by this, or the preceding, statement.)

 

(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

[allangr1024 71]

In my town, one of the large nondenominational churches runs a royal rangers program. They will not let the BSA form a pack or troop, and settled on RR because they felt the Bible training was the most valuable part of the organization. I looked at it from the outside, and saw many similarities with the BSA program, with specific sunday school type activities added. This unit was run by the youth pastor, with church volunteers. I could not tell if there was a "boy led" ethic involved.

 

One guy told me that the church had a big problem with Morman units, Islamic units, and just plain secular units in the BSA. He said the church wanted a much more distinctly Christian program like what the RR represents. On a church level I can see that, but I also think the attitude was shortsighted, since volunteers from his church to the BSA would surely impact the world the way his church envisions. A BSA program could be an extension of a churchs ministry very well.

 

To me, the scout oath is a rewording of Jesus' greatest commandment "Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love you neighbor as you love yourself."

[fgoodwin 23]

Gunny, thanx -- and Happy Veterans Day to you and your fellow veterans.

[fleetfootedfox 10]

Well, it is interesting that I just posted in another topic about my RA's experience.

"When I was cub scout age, I was in what some might consider a scout-like organization. It was a Baptist program that emphasized missions called 'Royal Ambassadors'. As far as I can recall, our church wouldn't sponsor a BSA pack/troop, because the BSA included boys from other denominations. Main thing I remember, though, is the boys wanted to go camping, but the men who were running the program weren't interested. The program had an outdoor/camping element, but that was an optional part of the program."

 

I don't have any RR's experience, but the lack of camping emphasis sounds similar to RA's. RA's existed as program for promoting missions before they had any outdoor element, which explains why that is not a mandatory part of the program. RA's is a very old program that still exists in some churches. However, it was run out of a lot of churches when somebody noticed similarities between their advancement ceremonies and masonic ceremonies. Actually, the RA program pre-dates the controversial ceremonies which I think they have since eliminated. However, the damage was done and so you don't hear of RA's much anymore.

 

RA's did not have a uniform that looked that much like a scout uniform. There was no official uniform shirt. Instead we were supposed to put a patch on a white dress shirt. I don't think they do that anymore though.

[SR540Beaver 116]

Royal Rangers originated as an Assembly of God program. Royal Ambassadors originated as a Southern Baptist program. I was an RA some 40 years ago and my son was an RA about 5 years ago.

 

Not to argue with you Gunny, but I would be highly surprised if RA's are used in other denominations. I've been a Southern Baptist all my life with a degree in Religion from a Southern Baptist university, work towards a Masters in Religious Education from a Southern Baptist seminary, an ordained Deacon and spent some time in the youth ministry in my younger days. I've never known of RA's being used outside of SB churches. That isn't to say that it isn't. Anyone could probably order and use the RA materials. But the materials are developed by the SBC for the SBC churches.

[Gunny2862 11]

SR540Beaver,

I never said I'd seen RA's outside of Southern Baptist Churches.

Just RR's in some of them.

 

And in the same way that you are saying that RR's were developed for use in the SBC sphere I'm sure that someone is thinking that RA's were developed for AG churches.

 

The difficulty that arises is due to the amount of traveling I did while on active duty, and because I tried to stay involved in churches as I went, I've been to quite a few.

 

 

[SR540Beaver 116]

Gunny,

 

I just read your response above after our PM's to each other. My bad. I guess I messed up reading your RR and RA references. I recently had an eye doctor do a procedure that has affected my vision somewhat and reading can be a frustrating thing when my eyes get tired.

[Flyingfish 10]

Here's my RR story. My wife met another mother somewhere for the first time and in the course of the obligatory chit chat, she mentioned that we are a scouting family. The other lady said that her son was involved in RR's. My wife had never heard of them and asked what they were. "Oh, that's Boy Scouts for Christians."

 

My wife bit her tongue at the inference (intended or not) that her BSA son and husband somehow fell short of the faith.

[Novice_Cubmaster 10]

FlyingFish, I had to laugh at "Oh, that's Boy Scouts for Christians."

Because I've been told to my face by a trained leader in full uniform that "The BSA is a Christian organization".

 

No fiction is as funny as real life.

 

NC