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TABLEOF

CONTENTS

1Save a Life: A Sponsor Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club

INTRODUCTION

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS?

WHAT IS A RED CROSS SCHOOL CLUB?

WHY SPONSOR A RED CROSS CLUB?

ROLE OF A CLUB SPONSOR

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SPONSOR

STARTING A CLUB—FIVE EASY STEPS

ASSURING A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CLUB

SAMPLE ACTIVITY CALENDAR

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL CLUB YEAR

MAINTAINING THE CLUB

GOING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL SPONSOR ROLE

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

EVALUATING THE CLUB

BEYOND THE CLUB AND INTO THE CLASSROOM

FINAL WORDS—THANK YOU!

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INTRODUCTION

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AMERICAN RED CROSS YOUTH VISION STATEMENT

The American Red Cross will provide the premier

environment for youth and young adults to learn,

practice and exemplify humanitarian values.

The American Red Cross was founded by a teacher, Clara Barton, more than one

hundred years ago to ease human suffering. It grew into a large, national and

international organization—an organization devoted to saving lives, responding to emer-

gencies and developing youth leadership in peacetime as well as in wartime.

In 1917, during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson sanctioned a Red Cross initiative

to involve all American children in the activities of the Red Cross. That involvement has

continued uninterrupted in towns and cities across the nation ever since. As President

Wilson stated in a September 15, 1917, letter to the school children of the United States:

…the Red Cross will bring you opportunities of service to your communityand to other communities all over the world…. And best of all, more per-fectly than through any of your other school lessons, you will learn by doingthose kind things under your teacher’s direction to be future good citizens ofthis great country…. And I recommend to all school teachers in the countrythe simple plan that the American Red Cross has worked out to provide yourcooperation, knowing as I do that school children will give their best serviceunder the direct guidance and instruction of their teachers.

Woodrow Wilson’s words are still relevant today, even though they were written during

World War I. We still need the guidance of dedicated education professionals to inspire

our young people to volunteer to save lives and develop into leaders in their schools,

communities and the world. For the youth of our nation are our present and our future.

As educators, you know that. That’s why we are asking you to help build and sponsor a

Red Cross club in your school. You are the experts, the motivators and the suppliers of

information and knowledge. As dedicated educators, you are the role models for prospec-

tive young members. They will see the process of saving lives, and the satisfaction of

those who receive and those who give. And in the process of giving, you will be teaching

the skills and responsibilities of leadership and service to a new generation.

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How Much Do You Know about theAmerican Red Cross?Did you know?

In the past year alone, the American Red Cross—� Provided almost half the nation’s blood supply.

� Trained more than 11 million people in vital lifesaving skills.

� Provided direct health services to 2 million people.

� Assisted victims of natural and human-made disasters and victims of armedconflict around the world.

� Helped an estimated 615,000 military families worldwide.

� Supported Red Cross clubs with thousands of members in elementary, middleand high schools and on college campuses throughout the nation.

Our MissionThe American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers that providesrelief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergen-cies. It does this through services that are guided by its congressional charter and theFundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Our Fundamental PrinciplesHumanity The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire tobring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavors in itsinternational and national capacity to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever itmay be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the humanbeing. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongall peoples.

Impartiality It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class orpolitical opinions. It endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely bytheir needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

Neutrality In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not takesides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious orideological nature.

Independence The Movement is independent. The national societies, while auxiliaries inthe humanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their respectivecountries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to actin accordance with the principles of the Movement.

Voluntary Service It is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desirefor gain.


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Unity There can be only one Red Cross or one Red Crescent society in any one country. Itmust be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory.

Universality The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in which all soci-eties have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other, isworldwide.

Our ServicesToday, the American Red Cross is the largest humanitarian organization in the UnitedStates. Its more than 1.2 million volunteers and more than 32,000 paid staff provide anarray of domestic and international emergency related services.

The American Red Cross national headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., but theorganization is prepared to join with people throughout the nation at a local and nationallevel so that, “Together, we can save a life.” For more information about the American RedCross, please contact your local unit or visit www.redcross.org.

What Is aRed Cross School Club?

American Red Cross school clubs are school-based service groups that help the Red Cross ful-fill its humanitarian mission.Working closely with the local Red Cross unit, club members par-ticipate in Red Cross service projects that impact their community and the world. Studentmembers will discover many new opportunities for self-development and be encouraged tochoose activities that will most effectively fulfill their community’s greatest needs.

Red Cross school clubs are a team effort, where Red Cross units, schools and students allwork together to make their communities and the world a better place, and where youngpeople develop leadership skills.

WhySponsor aRed Cross Club?

A few possible reasons include—� Because the most important resource of our nation is its young peopleand their educators

� Because you are committed to saving and improving lives� Because you are committed to encouraging volunteerism in your students� Because you are dedicated to building leaders for your school, community and nation

Knowing how to read, write, solve a mathematical equation or understand a foreign lan-guage is important. But it is only a beginning. As educators, you help shape young mindsso they can become the best people they can be.

The Red Cross can open the door to a world of opportunities for the young people youteach and lead through the programs and activities that can be introduced within the struc-ture of a Red Cross school club. But they need your support and leadership to oversee theseprograms. Are you willing?

We believe nobody can do it better.

You—

� Understand teens.

� Understand peer relationships.

� Can motivate students to reach their full potential.

� Know best the capabilities of your students to carry out projects.

� Know how to introduce new skills.

� Know how to develop teamwork.

� Care about improving and saving the lives of your students, their families andthose in trouble or in need of aid.

Many schools have instituted a program of service learning to develop leadership and com-munity involvement. Is this kind of service required for high school graduation in yourschool?

If so, a Red Cross club would help your students fulfill these requirements. Your localAmerican Red Cross unit can tell you more about the benefits of a Red Cross school club.

Roleof a Club Sponsor

Your students are always observing you. They see you interacting with other students andnotice what you do and how you do it. If you are caring, generous and committed, they canlearn that from you. We hope that you will show them that—

� You value volunteerism.

� You want them to participate in activities that give them a sense of accomplishment.

� You provide hands-on leadership experiences.

� You respect and understand their peer relationships.

� You understand intergenerational relationships.

� You value their leadership potential.

� You understand that teens can have fun while serving their school and community.


Responsibilitiesof a Sponsor

The sponsor is the adult leader of the club. Whether you were appointed or volunteered forthis assignment, you are a significant link between the needs of others and the young peo-ple who can answer those needs through the American Red Cross. Club sponsors guideyoung people in making the activities a meaningful part of their lives. Your enthusiasm andinterest is essential to ensuring a successful experience for club members.

At all times, the ultimate goal of the American Red Cross is to save lives. Within that tenet,your chief responsibility as a Red Cross club sponsor is to keep activities focused on help-ing the local Red Cross unit fulfill its mission and meet the needs of the community. Yourlocal unit will be your partner and resource. Stay in touch with the people in the unit andadvise them of activities and successes or issues and problems.

As a Red Cross club sponsor, you will—1. Serve as a liaison between the local American Red Cross unit and your school.

2. Supervise student club leaders as they establish guidelines for club operation andelection process.

3. Work with the local Red Cross unit to ensure that all club members complete andhand in all required participation forms, such as the Volunteer Application andCode of Conduct forms.

4. Guide the members of your club in the planning and implementation ofcommunity service projects, giving all a chance to serve.

5. Keep your students safe and motivated in club activities on- and off-site.

6. Ensure that your principal, fellow faculty and members of the local board ofeducation (if applicable) are informed of your group’s volunteer efforts andoutcomes.

7. Recruit other faculty members and parents to help with community service activities.

8. Lead the ongoing evaluation of club management and performance, filling outactivity reports and keeping records, as appropriate.

9. Inform members of Red Cross courses that may be offered at other sites.These courses can include swimming, lifesaving, CPR, first aid, preparationfor disaster and others.

10. In school settings, help interested teachers tie Red Cross programs and activitiesto the school curriculum.

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Starting a Club—Five Easy Steps

Here are several easy steps to help get your Red Cross club up and running.

Step 1: Get PermissionWork with your local American Red Cross unit to initiate a meeting with the appropriatedesignated school official(s)—usually the principal, the superintendent or members of theschool board. Advise the official(s) that the meeting’s purpose is to discuss setting up a RedCross club in the school, and ask if there is anyone else who should attend, such as the assis-tant principal, dean or the service learning administrator. The unit may want to bring anycurrent youth volunteers from that school to advocate on the club’s behalf.

The presentation to school leadership should include…

� Services the local American Red Cross provides to the community.

� The value of student participation in Red Cross youth activities.

� How youth involvement with the Red Cross can benefit the students, the school andthe community at large.

Once you get permission, you’re ready to go!

Step 2: Recruit Student LeadersRecruit student leaders as charter members of the club. Student leaders are stronginfluencers and can help effectively persuade friends to join in the fun. Consider approach-ing service learning or community service departments in your school, if it has any. Someof the participants may be more than glad to join in order to meet service graduationrequirements. Suggested screening questions for club leaders include—

� Are the students enthusiastic about volunteering?

� Do they attend school regularly?

� Are they, at minimum, getting passing grades?

� Do they care about the larger community?

� Do they want to save and improve lives? How?

� Do they have any programming ideas?

Once student leaders have been tapped, be sure to provide them with the Student Guide toStarting a Red Cross School Club, one of the companion manuals to this guide.


Step 3: Meet With Your Local Red Cross Unitand Student Leader(s)

You, your local unit and the student leaders will be the driving force behind the success ofthe Red Cross school club. Before the first club meeting, make sure you agree on roles andresponsibilities, and have a similar vision about club goals. Discuss goals, educationalobjectives, service objectives, possible size limits, requirements for membership, frequencyof meetings, the best meeting times, space requirements, proposed activities, evaluationmethods and the benefits for everyone involved. While club members should be responsi-ble for determining program opportunities, you are responsible for making sure activitiesreflect the mission-based objectives of the American Red Cross.

Step 4: Promote the Fact That a Red Cross ClubIs Coming to Your School

The first meeting of your club is very important. Assign your student leaders theresponsibility of promoting the new club. Consider using posters, the school newspaper, orthe school or municipality Web site to inform people of the club’s first meeting. Leave fliersin the library, classroom, cafeteria or anywhere else in school teens hang out. The meetingcan be held as an assembly (if permitted) or as part of a club fair.

Step 5: Hold an OrientationAn orientation should be conducted before the club begins service to make sure all goalsand objectives are clear. Your student leaders should run this meeting, but you should helpthem and be there for support and to answer questions. The meeting should include whatit means to be a Red Cross club, how to set up service projects and how to report activities.Cover the year-end recognition system, help generate enthusiasm and answer questions.

See if a representative from your local American Red Cross unit can be present at the clubmeeting to provide:

� A brief history of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and theAmerican Red Cross, and the work that they do.

� The specific services provided by the local Red Cross unit to which your clubis affiliated.

� Specific volunteer requirements, including orientation to the Red CrossCode of Conduct.

It is good, but not essential, to get a recognizable, local person who is also involved with theAmerican Red Cross to attend the official orientation.

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Assuring a SuccessfulSchool Club

You know the needs of your students and your school well. You may also know about thevariety of service projects needed in your community. This expertise is essential to guaran-tee successful service projects for the club, the school and the community.

Set GoalsThe club members should write a club vision statement based on their own interest, needsand capabilities. See the example below.

The Red Cross club in___________________ High School is committed to:

� Improving the lives of our fellow students and others who live in the community.

� Providing educational programs for our classmates that will help them developlifesaving skills.

� Assisting the Red Cross in saving the lives of our neighbors during times of disaster.

� Respecting the elderly and helping them remain self-sufficient and independentwithin our community.

� Encouraging all interested students to become members, regardless of sex, race ornational origin.

�Upholding the principles that educate, encourage and empower us to be role modelsand set us on a path to be current and future leaders.

Develop Program IdeasIn a Red Cross club, there are many opportunities for teens to save lives, develop leadershipskills and come of age as caring, trustworthy, effective and popular young adults. Theseopportunities depend on school location, availability of personnel and the unique charac-teristics of the local community. You may want to work with the local unit to identify thoseprogram areas where students can be most helpful and ensure the students plenty of oppor-tunity for input.

The chart on the next page gives some ideas. But remember, all club activities are supposedto help your local unit meet its mission-based goals.


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SampleActivity Calendar

� Member recruitment � Orientation to the Red Cross club� Club leadership election � Plan goals for the school year and identify serviceprojects for the semester � Participate in Disaster Services training

� Make a Difference Day (Fourth Saturday of October)—collect school materials fromstudents, teachers, school staff and the community to fill School Chests for children incountries affected by disaster or war � Fire Prevention Month project—createcommunity disaster education doorknob hangers for community distribution

� Participate in First Aid/CPR and Babysitter’s Training courses � Hold abanquet to raise awareness of and funds to support the international hungerrelief work of the Red Cross � Create and fill holiday stockings for nursing homeresidents

� Sponsor a holiday blood drive� World AIDS Day (December 1st) project� Report on semester activities to your principal and local American Red Cross unit

� Participate in Red Cross Leadership Development training� Sign On, Live On campaign for increasing tissue donation awareness among10th graders

� Identify service projects for the semester

� Comfort Kit project� Teach First Aid for Children Today (F.A.C.T.) at a participating local elementary school

� March is Red Cross Month—participate in a Red Cross visibility campaign � StaffRed Cross booth at mall � Fundraising project to benefit Red Cross Disaster ReliefFund � Select club members to attend American Red Cross convention

� National Youth Service Day (kicks off National Volunteer Week) project� Club officer nominations and elections for next year

� World Red Cross Day (May 8th) event � Report on semester activities to yourprincipal and local American Red Cross unit � Hold an end-of-year recognition bash

JANUARY

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

Step-by-Step Guideto a Successful Club Year

1. Hold a kick off meeting.

2. Get application forms, official permission slips and record keeping forms fromyour local American Red Cross unit and make sure student members completeand return them.

3. Elect club officers.

4. Schedule meetings, at least two per month.

5. Set a club size that is manageable.

6. Plan and distribute a calendar of activities for the entire school year as soon aspossible after school begins. Be flexible concerning special projects andchanging interests.

7. Push for a fun activity early in the school year, like an ice cream social.

8. Recruit new members continuously.

9. Keep a scrapbook. Pictures of teens having a good time helping others can fuelmembers’ enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment.

10. If your club gets too large, divide it into committees according to special interests,making sure the committees come together for culminating activities.

11. Set up a telephone tree or a computer Web site to announce meeting changesor community emergencies. Creating a monthly newsletter is a good way to let theschool know what your club is doing, and a good learning opportunity for students.

12. Have a big bash at the end of the school year to recognize everyone’s contributions.


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Maintainingthe Club

Activity ReportsSaving lives and serving the community are noble ends in themselves. To encourage similaracts of self lessness among others, ask your club president to fill out activity reports andforward them on to the local Red Cross unit both before and after the club’s major events.Prior to the event, the Red Cross unit has the resources to publicize your activity. After theevent, they can help you evaluate the activity’s success and follow up.

SAMPLE

POST-ACTIVITYREPORT

SENIOR CITIZEN PARTNERSHIP REPORT

————————sponsored the Senior Citizen Partnership Program ————— .

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT]

How many individuals volunteered on this project? ————

How many people were served? ————Hours worked: ————Do you feel the project was well received at your school? �� Yes �� No

Do you feel the project was well received by your club? �� Yes �� No

The coordinators of this event are ———————————————————

Contact one of us if you have any questions.

SENIOR CITIZEN PARTNERSHIP REPORT

————————will sponsor the Senior Citizen Partnership Program ———— .

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT]

The coordinators of this event are ———————————————————

Contact one of us if you have any questions.SAMPLE

PRE-ACTIVITY

REPORT

(Name of high school) (day/month)

(Name of high school) (day/month)

(name, telephone number, and E-mail addresses of sponsor and chief youth members)

(name, telephone number, and E-mail addresses of sponsor and chief youth members)

PublicityYour students should be responsible for making sure their peers know about club activitiesthrough word-of-mouth and in-school promotions. But news of the benefits of the club’sservices also needs to reach parents, school administrators and community institutions.

Talk to your local Red Cross field unit about whether their public relations personnel canbring attention to your club. Good avenues of publicity include public service announce-ments or articles in community newspapers and radio and TV stations. Consider publish-ing a club newsletter. Talk up your achievements.

Let other staff members know that you would appreciate their participation. If the numbersof recruits exceed a manageable limit, let your Red Cross liaison know and seek supportfrom another colleague for additional sponsorship.

RetentionParticipant retention is important to the stability and viability of any organization, includ-ing your Red Cross school club. The more your club’s activities reflect member interests, the more likely it is that members will remain engaged. While your students should be primarily responsible for recruiting members, there are several things you can do to help foster a positive club environment that will enhance retention.

� Give all members the feeling that they have a stake in the club. Listen and give serious consideration to everyone’s ideas and opinions.

� Create a structure for your club that provides for multiple leadership positions. Create committee leadership positions for each of the service areas your club offers as well as possible task force positions.

� Create a healthy, fun-loving environment for your club. Socialize together to help form a bond.

� Recognize members for their good work.


Going Beyondthe Traditional Sponsor Role

Here are some ideas for additional things you can do to increase your students’ involvement,investment and satisfaction in club activities.

� Encourage creative service activities.

� Empower the members to carry out their school and community service programs by teaching them how to budget, schedule, record and publicize their achievements.

� Contact your local union representative to get support and editorial coverage in yourunion newspaper. Editors are always looking for stories.

� Using your local unit as a resource, familiarize yourself with Red Cross print, video and speaker resources.

� Enhance your club’s service delivery and outreach capabilities by engaging in community service projects with other youth groups, such as Key Club International,the National Honor Society or the Technology Student Association.

� Convince your colleagues to support club activities and point out elements of servicelearning that would fit into their curriculum.

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� Preparation for disaster

� Coping with disaster

� HIV/AIDS education

� Youth serving the elderly, the veryyoung, the needy

� First Aid� Swimming� Lifeguard Training� Water Emergency Safety

� Babysitting� “The Name of the Game Is Caring”

� Infant and Child CPR� Adult CPR

� Community CPR� Disaster Services Courses

LEARN MORE

BECOME AN

INSTRUCTOR

CONSIDER BECOMING CERTIFIED AS A RED CROSSINSTRUCTOR OF:

CONSIDER LEARNING MORE ABOUT:

Awards and Recognition

Your young volunteers are terrific and they work extremely hard. Why not reinforce suchwonderful effort with a thank you. You can do it with a simple handshake or an informalnote. But sometimes that’s not enough.

You may want to treat the group to a pizza party right after they’ve finished a project. InJune, perhaps you could give them a culminating “thanks for everything” party with bal-loons and music right at the school. You know what kind of celebration is appropriate for the effort. Everyone will notice, and that’s good for future recruitment. Let others know how these young people made a difference. Why was this effort exceptional?Who was helped? How did the volunteers change the lives of others?

Here are more ideas—� Create a bulletin board that features pictures of your members’ activities and accomplishments, and display this board in a prominent, well-trafficked area.

� Ask the school newspaper staff to consider writing and publishing articles on clubprojects.

� Every month, feature a club volunteer on the school’s Web site or that of the local Red Cross unit.

� Give the name of any member of your club who has provided outstanding service to your sponsoring Red Cross unit. This may enable the unit to nominate theperson for a national award.

� Send stories of your members’ activities to the Red Cross unit so that they can be forwarded to national headquarters and posted on the organization’s public Web site, www.redcross.org.

The local Red Cross unit may have access to more formal awards, such as certificates, RedCross service pins or custom-designed awards for exceptional youth volunteers. Considerasking your local unit to nominate your outstanding club leaders for scholarships, and look into opportunities for your club members to sit on the unit’s board of directors or attendthe convention.

THE LAST MEETING OF THE SCHOOL YEARWhen the school year is ending and activities are winding down, make sure that new offi-cers have been elected for the next year and activities have been planned.


Evaluatingthe Club

Don’t wait until the school year is over before evaluating your school’s Red Cross club. Evaluation permits you to change programming during the school year and guaranteeyour club’s success.

The following checklist is designed to help you in the evaluation process.

�� Have the members of the club lived up to their personal mission statement and the youth mission statement of the American Red Cross?

�� Are the members maturing into more responsible, caring young adults?

�� Have the members of the club learned any new skills? Which ones? What others do they want to learn?

�� Is the club’s input used in planning activities?

�� Are some of its members showing leadership qualities?

�� Have the members enjoyed working together as a team?

�� Should some of the same projects be repeated next year? Should changes be made?

�� Should any of the projects be dropped? Which ones?

�� Is the club gaining new members? If so, why are they joining? If not, what ideas do you and the students have for making the club more attractive?

�� How many members have dropped out of the club since its beginning? Why?

�� Have the club members asked you to stay on as their sponsor next semester?

Thinking about your answers and those of club members will give you ideas on how to raisethe levels of learning and service to new heights next semester.

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Beyond the Cluband Into the Classroom

An experienced educator like you knows that a traditional lesson always has an aim or objective, a motivational activity and a conclusion or follow-up. So does a Red Cross clubproject.

There are many opportunities for hands-on learning through the American Red Cross. Forexample, if a flood occurs in Bangladesh, students in social studies or geography classes canlearn what the Red Cross is doing to provide relief while they learn about the region.Interested students can raise funds to support relief efforts or send School Chests, contain-ing needed school supplies, to children overseas.

Information about the Red Cross can be woven into existing curriculum. Your local RedCross unit can provide more suggestions or expand upon the list of suggestions below.Please share these with your fellow faculty members. Consider inviting them to have theirclasses join your club in some aspect of a service project.

Subject: Community Service or Service LearningLesson: VolunteerismMessage: Review the benefits of volunteerism, the various main volunteerorganizations and the types of volunteer opportunities available. Discuss how serviceimproves the quality of life of the recipient(s) and giver(s) and provides importanttraining in decision making, leadership, etc.

Subject: Social Studies/Economics/CivicsLesson: History of WarMessage: Help students understand there is something they can do about sufferingand war. Perhaps introduce them to who Clara Barton and Henri Dunant were. Perhapscover why presidents (like Woodrow Wilson) have endorsed Red Cross activities.

Subject: MathematicsLesson: Budgeting and PlanningMessage: These skills are useful in implementing very important and even funactivities—like those of the American Red Cross school club. Show how the numbers add up when providing water and food for people surviving a disaster. Explore real world costs.


Subject: Biological SciencesLesson: Importance of BloodMessage: To understand the importance of blood, ask… Why do we bleed when weget cut or undergo surgery? Why is blood the most important fluid in our bodies? Whatis plasma? Is blood really red? What are white cells? What are red cells? What does bloodcontain that makes it necessary for life? How does it reach every part of our body? How isit replaced? Where can it be donated? Where does it go after it is donated?

Subject: Environmental SciencesLesson: Natural DisastersMessage: Discuss natural disasters. Ask… How do they occur and how often? How do helpers like those in the Red Cross respond? How has the spread of urbandevelopment in disaster-prone areas affected the community? What might be done tohelp relocate people away from these areas?

Subject: Language ArtsLesson: WritingMessage: Writing is a powerful tool and very important to master. Show how writing a press release to raise funds or increase local awareness about a disaster can make a big difference. Teach how to write press releases.

Subject: Health/Consumer Life Skills/Physical EducationLesson: New Skills to Save LivesMessage: Ask a certified instructor to discuss and teach a Red Cross skill-basedcourse. Discuss CPR, first aid, HIV/AIDS prevention, aquatic lifesaving, etc. What skills are important throughout life and everywhere? What skills are critical to yourcommunity? What lifesaving skills are offered in the school or nearby?

Subject: Career CounselingLesson: Nonprofit CareersMessage: Encourage students to consider a career in the non-profit sector by inviting a representative from the local Red Cross unit, among others, to talk abouthis/her career. Ask… Have you thought about what you want to do? How many kinds of careers can you list? What kind of training do they need? Do all careers offer a lot of money? Do you know what a non-profit career track is? What other kinds of careersprovide a lot of satisfaction?

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Final Words—Thank You!

Thanks for helping us save lives and develop young leadership. We at the American RedCross appreciate that you were willing to be the catalyst that brought us all together—your student club members, local Red Cross professionals and those in need in the community.

You encouraged your students to take classes that have prepared them to save lives in localemergencies and unforeseen disasters. You guided your club members and helped themmature into fine young men and women with the highest humanitarian principals.

Next year, new members will join your Red Cross school club. They will need you, yourenthusiasm and dedication. So does the American Red Cross. We hope you will continuein your role as a school club sponsor.

For, as President Woodrow Wilson said so many years ago, “school children will give theirbest service under the direct guidance and instruction of their teachers.”


For YourThoughts...

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SPONSORGUIDE

A Sponsor Guide to Startinga Red Cross School Club

A1307July 2001

m16540516 youth club sponsor guide

Documents

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