KOZ Monthly Outdoor Training June: Hiking/Trails/Backpacking 7:30 Leader Meeting and Prayer time. This time is imperative and gives the leadership time to prepare their hearts for the meeting and time with the kids. Do not take this time lightly. Be on time, meet with God first. 8:30 Kids begin to arrive. Meet parents or guardian BEGINNING YOUR MEETING WITH KOZ STRUCTURE 8:45 Begin Meeting. All together say the American (Your Country) Pledge of Allegiance. KOZ Prayer: Lord, Thank you for making us strong and fierce warriors for you. We hunt, we fish and we share our faith with others. God Bless America (Your Country) -Amen Work to get the boys to memorize the KOZ Prayer and use it as a tool for kids who have little experience in praying or are afraid to pray. (Before meals, before an adventure or other times as a reminder of who they are and what they represent). Leader s first questions/discussion. Outdoor Training LEADING INTO YOUR OUTDOORS SKILLS TRAINING Hiking, Trails and Backpacking. Travelling the trail across a mountain, across a country, in a park can be an outdoor adventure a boy can do his whole life. There is a lot of planning and being ready for storms, wildlife, weary body and hurting muscles that come with climbing a mountain or backpacking for days, weeks, months. Talk about : Who knows the name of a famous trail? (Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. Tour du Mont Blanc in France, Italy, and Switzerland. Pacific Crest Trail in California, Oregon, and Washington. Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia. Franconia Ridge Loop/Traverse, New Hampshire. Sierra High Route, California.) Has anyone ever backpacked for days, weeks? (Boy Scout will have) What is something you would need if you were going backpacking? (map, backpack, light gear) How are trails made? Who makes them? Who keeps them up? Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 1
LEADING INTO YOUR HEART TRAINING Scripture for this month: This Month's Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4, The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you. So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed Leader s first questions/discussion, Bible training: When Abraham was 75 years old God asked him to walk away from his home, his father s household and his friends and neighbors. God asked him to abandon the comforts of his home and travel without a map to the land God would show him. In other words, God asked Abraham to take a hike with Him to a place he did not know. Once we are convinced of the direction God is leading we face the real test will we follow His direction? To be dangerous for good you must follow wherever God leads. Have you ever played Follow the Leader? How good are you at following? The real question is how good are you at following Jesus? Would you be willing to take a hike with Jesus even if you did not know where it led?. NOTE: Let them talk leave time between when you say something and they can speak let it be silent for a while if you have to they grow close in times of quiet allow Him to come STOP & BEGIN OUTDOOR SKILLS TRAINING BEGIN OUTDOOR SKILLS TRAINING: IDEA TRAIL Things to do this month: Backpacking - How to pack for a backpacking trip and where to go, what to do. Teach trail maps, GPS and even more a compass. Draw a map, learn north, south, east, west. (Craft) Make a Hiking Stick. Bear proofing. Leave no trace. So much good stuff. Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 2
KOZ PINTREST IDEA PAGE: https://www.pinterest.com/kidsoutdoorzone/pins/ Stations include: Gear in long distance backpack Gear in day pack Map reading NSEW Hiking poles (craft sticks) Bear proofing Leave no trace (including poop) Trail Runner This is when you teach on what and how trails are made and maintained. Teach on the top trails in your country. How trail groups and the country built the trails and maintain them - The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Great Divide Trail are some of the most challenging and best information. This ties in well with their backpacking materials. Go clear a trail or work on a trail in your community. Leave no trace. Stations include: Teach about the builder of trails during the depression in state and national parks Teach Maps/Topography Build a trail Repair a trail *Note always add an EXTREME element to your KOZ day. Be creative. FIELD NOTES: Not every team will be successful but some will. Be encouraging and know that there are lessons in the things we can t do as well as others or do not complete. Other places for good information and literature. Here are some sites where we have found great content of this lesson plan. The internet always has resources but be careful there are some bad sites with poor information. We do not endorse nor are we associated with any of the sites listed below. The information there may change as well. https://www.backpacker.com (a KOZ favorite) http://www.backpacking.net (great articles) https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-beginners.html (REI has good bullet point info) Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 3
GOING OFF THE TRAIL THIS MONTH? IMPORTANT: Use the opening/use the close, prayer/ sit spots and prayer cards. All groups should use the foundational structure of KOZ each month. The starting, the prayer, sit spots etc. as a common element to every meeting. Everything from sledding to swimming, hiking to fly fishing. The key to going off the trail is to keep the structure in place. Get them outside move their bodies, adventure and exploration. Keep it exciting, keep it real, be intentional about bringing them into a relationship with Christ. OUTDOOR TRAINING CONCLUSIONS Ask pointed questions on the outdoor skills they learned today. Drive home a point What was your favorite part of KOZ today? Basic knowledge of fire skills is essential, what are some different things you must have for a safe backpacking trip? What trail would you like to try? What are some dangers when backpacking and how can you avoid them? SCRIPTURE TRAINING AND HEART TAKEAWAY EACH MONTH: Reminder to leader: Our theme for 2018 is Dangerous for Good. Remind the boys before each month s Bible story of our theme. Each month we will look a real Bible character that will live out this theme. Challenge our boys each month to also be like these great men of God and be Dangerous for Good. This Month's Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4, The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you. So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 4
Trail Map #1 There is something very natural about adventure for men and boys. God placed a real desire for adventure in a boy s heart. That s why hiking is so much fun (and hard). There are many elements that make hiking exciting, especially when we hike a trail and destination we ve never been before. Our hearts long for discovery, physical challenge, and adventure. The beauty of creation is powerful and draws us into God s creation. This need for adventure is God s idea and sometimes He even calls us into unknown places and situations to show us things and to grow and strengthen us. God told Abram to leave his country, his relatives, and his friends to go to an unknown land so that He could bless him into a great nation. How does that possibly make sense? Why couldn t God make Abram a great nation right where he was. Why did God need Abram leave his homeland? Maybe God needed Abram to break out of the rut of normal life to experience the beauty of His creation and His heart for adventure. Just like your hike today, there are things you and Abram would have never experienced had you stayed at home and had he stayed in his homeland. Not all of us are called to leave our homeland, but we are all called to the great adventure of walking with God. Hiking is an awesome way of experiencing God in His creation. Walking with God in our lives is how He wants us to experience life and have life in abundance. God wants to know that we ll follow Him when and where He calls. He loves us and is the ultimate guide. Ask God today what trail you are supposed to explore and enjoy. Enjoy the journey. Train Map #2 Hiking to the top of a 14,000 foot mountain sounds like a cool idea. Well, it is. But there is almost always that point along the trail where the energy, the strength and the mental drive can begin to get to you. You may ask yourself why you decided to hike up that peak, along that trail. Then there is when, after all the hard work you reach the top and there you celebrate what it took to get there. Few great things come without hard work. One of the things you encounter when you hike mountains, when you start getting near the top, are false peaks. That is when you think, okay there is the top, and when you get there way off in the distance is another peak, higher. There can be lots of false peaks but only one true peak. The top. As you choose the trails you are going to travel in your life there will be times you will be tempted to take a different trail, the wrong trail. You know it is the wrong way, you know in your heart, but it seems right or you are pressured by other hikers (friends). Know that life will throw curve balls at you, things will get hard and satan will tempt us. We will see false peaks and think okay, I am almost there, only to see the true summit out ahead of us. Don t stop. Don t quit. Keep it up. Walking with God, living life with Him is the one thing you will have when times are hard and your friends who know Him will be there to, ready to hike with you, help you, care for you. God really does care about you and so does your KOZ family. Drive home a point Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 5
When things are hard, what do you do today? If you have a friends and he is struggling or hurting, what do you say to him? Do you know Jesus in your heart? Leaders tell a story of something hard that happened to you and how Jesus came alongside of you. Make sure the boys know that you KOZ leaders, no matter what, love and care for these boys and you will never leave them, never forsake them. REMIND THEM: God has made you as an amazing person. Individual, special and unique. If you have not heard that for a while, I want to tell you that. I care about you, you matter to me. Talk to me if you need to talk. THE SIT SPOT AND GOD SIT SPOT Purpose: Pass out a blank index card and pen. Have them write 2 things. One thing they learned. Then tell them if they want you to pray for them or something going on to please write it on the card and you will pray for them this month. It is a private prayer between your leaders and them, they don't have to put their name on the card. If they don't have a prayer, tell them to just put their name on the card and what they learned.. TO PONDER: Give the boys something to ponder, use the questions above, and ask them to go to a sit spot - let them stay while you prepare lunch (quietly without distracting the quiet moment) - (15-30 min.) SEND LEADERS TO SIT SPOTS! If a leader is not assigned a task have them also find a sit spot. It is good for the boys to see the adult leaders doing the same as they are asked to do. QUIET TIME IS ESSENTIAL. CALL BACK FOR LUNCH - While they are eating lunch LUNCH & KOZ LEADERSHIP TAG GUIDANCE WORK ON DOG TAGS Ask boys if they are working toward KOZ Dog Tags. This is a good time to teach this material. Print their cards and have them ready. IMPORTANT: Ask if any of the boys are new give them their KOZ Nation dog tag (the first one) Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 6
GIVE A BOY HIS NAME IN KOZ We have found that giving boys a nickname is a huge tool for them. Giving a boy a New Name has been a game changer for many. A strong, fierce name is important. Jesus and His Father both gave new names. Ask prayerfully what name a boy should have. The leaders decide NOT the boys. It is an honor bestowed, even if funny. As you wait for the parents to arrive: Tell the boys you love them. That they are important. That if they have not prayed to ask Christ into their hearts to come talk to a KOZ HTL (ROMANS 10:9). If a kid wants to be baptized, have them talk to you about it - you can do it somewhere really cool! Perform a service project on site. Teach the boys to ALWAYS leave your area BETTER than it was when you got there. Parents arrive. Greet them and tell them how good their boy did. Tell the boys to invite a friend! Hand out literature or take home materials... A gallon plastic Zip lock bag with their name on it works great each month to collect their take home materials. Stay, Read the Sit Spot cards. Pray over the cards. Divide them among the HTL s for the month. Materials Copyright 2018 - kidsoudoorzone.org - 9508 Chisholm Trail Austin, Texas 78748-512-292-1113 7