2004 Runners and Supervisors

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, weary New Mexico convention organizers realized that they were abundantly blessed with strong and willing young people with overflowing energy and servants’ hearts. 

While their elders were making the tough decisions and handling the delicate problems associated with every convention, these young dynamos could be moving chairs, unloading curricula, greeting attendees, and BEING blessings.  They only needed a little organization, a lot of food, and wise overseers.  Thus the Runner Program was birthed! 

With carefully chosen Runner Supervisors in charge, parents were released to serve and minister without wondering where their kids were!  And the sons and daughters of these committed volunteers were meaningfully occupied and practicing servanthood.  The original runners were the mature older children of the Convention Committee and everyone was happy.

Years passed and the program grew.  Many young people wanted to be convention runners, and there too many under-occupied young people hanging around during the quieter times between set-up and tear-down.  One idea for reducing the number of interested students was to narrow the age group.  So one year the minimum age for runners was raised to 13, absolutely crushing the hopes of some wonderful 12-year-olds.

In order to try to separate the socialites from the servants, an application process was designed, and already scarce time and energy were redirected to the selection process.  Hopes that the burden of defining servanthood and gathering recommendations would thin out the number of applicants were dashed.  A number-cruncher crunched the numbers, and announced that between food and t-shirts, the runners were very expensive volunteers, too! So those set in authority conferred and prayed and set a maximum number of runners we could afford and use efficiently.  There are never enough for set-up and tear-down, and there are usually too many at times in-between, but a reasonable limit was set.  The results of THAT brilliant idea have been broken hearts, frustrated families, discouraged daughters, sad sons, and peeved parents!  No matter how Romans 8:28 was emphasized, the disappointment cast a pall over the convention committee.

Attempts to bring correction to the occasional unruly runner during the convention revealed that some parents who signed an agreement to be present at all times were dropping their kids off.  The stories we could tell!  The responsibility and the potential liability were overwhelming!  How did this wonderful plan to serve busy parents and apprentice youth into home school ministry turn into such a headache?  Should graduating seniors be given preference?  How many years in a row can we break a heart?  (Not a new country song!)  Should we keep families together for the sake of their parents?  In 2004 we turned down nearly 60 applicants and accepted 30.  If we can only supervise and provide for 30, we will still turn at least 30 down for the second time in a row, and we won’t have any experienced runners.  Plus there will be a new batch of kids turning 13.  Headache?  More like a migraine!  Don’t forget we love our Runner Program, and sincerely appreciate every young volunteer. Other states have developed similar programs, especially after speaker Sharon Grimes wrote rave reviews for The Teaching Home Magazine.  Tanking the program was not an option!  Back to the drawing board! 

In addition to praying over speakers and budgets and legislation, etc., a big chunk of board retreat time was invested in praying over this dilemma.  We resurrected Plan A….supporting volunteering parents by meaningfully occupying and supervising their young adults.  We will continue to have an application process.  It confirms the value we place on character and testimony and service.  The very act of applying focuses attention on being purposeful and intentional.  If all the paperwork is in under the deadline, we have encouraged punctuality and planning ahead.  If the applications and recommendations are all appropriate, the sons and daughters of full-time, otherwise-occupied, on-site volunteers will be given first consideration.  Additional openings will be filled by experienced and/or graduating runners.  Then, if there are still places available, we will prayerfully review the rest.  We hope that willing young people will continue to apply, and trust God with the results. 

Not every applicant will be a runner, but remember that ANY YOUNG PERSON OLD ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE CONVENTION IS WELCOME TO VOLUNTEER  ALONGSIDE HIS OR HER PARENTS.    Parents, if you truly want to give your son or daughter the opportunity to serve, volunteer as a family. You can serve part-time, attend part-time, model sacrificial service, bless the home school community, and remember the reason we are in this in the first place...to glorify God by strengthening families according to biblical precepts.   So, let us press on!    


To contact the runner supervisor, click here