Rush Creek Cadet Council has a volunteer team to Develop Counselor Education (DCE).  This team plans workshops at monthly counselor meetings in order to help counselors expand their knowledge of the Cadets ministry, and be more effective counselors.  Please look over the 2022/2023 workshop schedule, and select some workshops to attend.

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** Head Counselor Meeting **

Thursday, Aug 18, Cedar OPC, 7pm

This is a combined Head Counselor meeting with Grand Valley Council

• Head Counselor Certification: David Hoppe, Jim VanderWeide and Tom Dykema will lead all new or uncertified head counselors through the Corps certification booklet.

• Club Registration Packets: Ray DeWinkle and Joe DeLange will lead head counselors through filling out and submitting this year's club registration.

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Thursday, Sep 15, Byron Center 2nd CRC, 7pm

This is a combined counselor meeting with Grand Valley Council

• Alternative Bible Lessons: Greg Kooiker

• Getting the Most from the Cadet Profile: Paul De Windt will introduce all who attend to the most useful tool in a counselor's arsenal.  Record the past, study the present, and prepare for the future!  Cadets need accomplishment to grow in all areas of life, and the Cadet Profile will help you to track their accomplishments.  Unless your memory is perfect, you need to attend this workshop!  A free profile will be presented to all counselors who attend.

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Thursday, Oct 13, Bauer CRC, 7pm

• Axemanship / Fire Building Merit Badges: ** Cadets Invited ** International Camporee is in July 2023!  Cadets must be certified to attend, and these two merit badges are required for and during certification.  Come to this workshop, led by Dan Dennis and Scott Oudbier, to find out how to get your cadets started with hands on practice for both badges in time for ICC Certification in spring, 2023.

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Regional Training Conference

Saturday, October 15

Grand Rapids Council Campground (1/2 mile north of GVRC Campground)

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Thursday, Nov 10, Fairway CRC, 7pm

This is a combined counselor meeting with Grand Valley Council

• Hunter Safety Guidetrail: A Descriptive, Instructional Workshop, led by Greg Kooiker, Dave Buter and Doug DeWent, about being a responsible Hunter, Fisherman & Caretaker of all Living Creations awarded to us by our Father in Heaven.  Attend to find out how to best Answer the Questions and award a Cadet the Hunters Safety Guide Trail Merit Badge.  (Please Note: DNR, Hunters Safety Certification NOT INCLUDED)

• Counselor Certification: Rush Creek Council is pleased to hold "Counselor Certification" for new or newer counselors, led by Paul DeWindt, Don VanderKlok, Scott Oudbier and Joe Frederiks.  Our goal is to bring new counselors into a group led by experienced counselors for an open-ended conversation about what a counselor needs to know to be effective in this ministry.If you have questions about cadets, Rush Creek Council activities, or the Cadet Corps, this is an opportunity for you!  Before a counselor gets to Certification, an open book course must be taken whose purpose is to make a new counselor familiar with all aspects of cadeting in general, and the counselor manual in particular.The Developer of Counselor Education (DCE) team in Rush Creek requests that counselors take this course on their own, at their own pace.  The DCE team will take finished workbooks or the new interactive PowerPoint version.  The completed course will be sent to Corps headquarters, and a counselor stripe and name tag will be provided for the counselor, free of charge.

• Jr Counselor Certification: Do you have Cadets that are being called by God to become an effective leader? Only a few Christians are given that calling and this workshop is for those Cadets listening to that call. In this workshop the Cadets will learn what leadership is and what skills, qualities, and attitudes a Christian leader should have. They will acquire from Jim VanderWeide and Don Uitvlugt the certification needed to allow them to lead younger Cadets to become more Christ-like in all areas of life.

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Thursday, Dec 8, Baldwin St CRC, 7pm

• Camp Cooking / Knots and Lashing Merit Badges  International Camporee is in July 2023!  Cadets must be certified to attend, and these two merit badges are required for and during certification.  Come to this workshop, led by Dan Dennis and Paul De Windt, to find out how to get your cadets through both in time for ICC Certification in spring, 2023.

• How to Teach a Merit Badge You Know Nothing About  Have you ever been in a situation where your cadets want to do a badge but you have never taught it before OR know nothing about it? Well, you are in luck! At this Counselor meeting, Jim VanderWeide and your DCE team will provide a workshop that will settle your fears as well as give you the tools and resources you can use to teach any badge in the guidebook.

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Thursday, Jan 19, Baldwin St CRC, 7pm

• Forestry Merit Badge  DCE Steve Dykema from Heritage Council will lead a workshop focusing on tree leaves to aid in the identification of over 70 species of trees found in our area.  There will also be a couple of wooden "cookies" for counselors to try and age these trees.

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Thursday, Feb 9, Bethany URC, 7pm

This is a combined counselor meeting with Grand Valley Council

• Dealing with Sensitive Issues II: In a previous Counselor's meeting during last year's cadet season, we had a great workshop about different issues that we as Cadet Counselors may have to deal with in our clubs. Several people provided feedback that there was not enough time to discuss the issues in more detail. So, your DCE team invites you to come back for round 2 of this workshop where we will dive deeper into some of the previously covered topics and spend more time discussing them.

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Thursday, Mar 9, Cottonwood CRC, 7pm

• Guide Trails Overview: Do you have older boys in your cadet club?  Keeping them interested can be a challenge, which is why Corps publishes program materials for this age group.  Scott Oudbier will present these materials and introduce you to them at this workshop.

• How to Recruit and Retain Counselors: It is a problem at all clubs throughout the Cadet Corps ministry - getting men to volunteer to be a Cadet Counselor and then to stay a Counselor for more than one year. How can we get guys to commit to being a Counselor as well as continue on to minister to boys for longer periods? If you think this workshop is for Head Counselors only, you might want to attend and find out what you can do to help recruit and retain Cadet Counselors.

• ICC Certification Counselor Orientation Paul De Windt and David Hoppe will take counselors and junior counselors through a workshop on how to lead a cadre at International Cadet Camporee, with a focus on the ministry aspect of camping.

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Thursday, Apr 13, Hanley CRC

This is a combined counselor meeting with Grand Valley Council

• Annual DCE Roundtable: Jim VanderWeide and Don Uitvlugt will lead a discussion regarding this year’s workshops and look for ideas for future workshops.

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