The same thing applies to support group leadership. Policies are made and guidelines are set for the good of the group.

Read the rest of this article and the entire May 2013 Leader Letter.
 
 

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“She has devoted years to helping every home school family she knows. Everyone in our group talks about her generosity, how she goes over and above regular service to make our group a friendly and helpful place to meet and support one another.”

“The unusual thing is that they finished home schooling approximately seven years ago yet they continue to tirelessly lead the support group. They both have full-time jobs and lead very busy lives but they manage to make time to run a very active group. She holds monthly meetings, organizes fun and educational field trips, and offers an annual science fair and culture fair, plus many more activities. She writes the newsletter for the group, puts the roster together, and keeps the group running smoothly with little or no ‘drama.’ She does so much and yet always gives the praise to the people who help her. Her husband Trine has played a big part in offering support to her and helping her run the group. They are both remarkable people with a real ‘heart’ for home schooling! I was one of the first members of the group and have witnessed their great leadership skills and positive attitude over many years. They have been instrumental in equipping many home school moms and dads over the years to become leaders of their own support groups.”

Our 2013 THSC Support Group Leader of the Year, from the Home and Values Educators’ Network (HAVEN), is Trine and Jamie Miranda.

The post Meet the 2013 Leaders of the Year – Trine and Jamie Miranda appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

“I have a M4 A1 RIS Double Eagle M83.”

“Mine’s a JG M4 S-System Special Ops.”

“Cool, I would love to have a ICS C-15 M16 Sniper Fixed stock.”

These terms meant nothing in my mama world—or did they? Although I didn’t know what the boys were talking about at the time, the lingo was important. It represented a block between me and good communication with my boys. I’d have to learn the lingo.

“Lingo” simply means the special vocabulary of a particular field of interest. Simply put, if you want to communicate with a particular set of folks, you’d better know the lingo. Today’s world provides all sorts of areas of special interest, and the home school community is no different. Learning the lingo as a support group leader is vital to good communication with your group. Young mothers speak a language of toddlers, blogs, and kindergarten. Seasoned veterans talk of graduation, crazy technology, and how to stay on top of the online activity calendar. You have to know the lingo.

So where do you begin? Easy. Take time to learn. This month’s featured article from Nancy E. Schwartz, “Five Tech Tips to Punch Up Your Nonprofit Communications,” will give us some ideas on how to make our online communication more effective.

Another area where we may lack proper lingo is in the political arena. THSC Capitol Days are sure to fill that void. From the informative sessions to the practical application, this event is sure to update your legislative lingo.

The world of lingo is ever changing. Be prepared, take time to learn, and you’ll rarely be caught in a sea of unknown chatter.

Read the entire March 2013 Leader Letter.

The post Know the Lingo appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

To show appreciation and to honor support group leaders in the Texas home school community who sacrificially give of their time and energy to serve home schoolers, and to promote home education, the Texas Home School Coalition has sponsored Home School Leader Appreciation Week in Texas (April 8-14, 2013) for many years.

In conjunction with Home School Leader Appreciation Week in Texas, THSC has honored outstanding leaders with the coveted Home School Leader of the Year Award. This award is based on testimonies of appreciative members of the leaders’ groups. The process requires at least three members of the group to complete the online submission form in which they document why their leader, either an individual or a couple, should be selected as the 2013 THSC Home School Leader of the Year.

THSC is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Home School Leader of the Year. The support group leader/couple selected will be invited to and will be honored at the THSC Annual Awards Gala and Fundraiser on April 12, 2013, in San Antonio. To nominate a leader, please follow the link below to complete your information. Leaders must have a minimum of three nominations from members of their support group to be considered for this prestigious award. Only one leader/couple may be nominated per group.

Nominations for THSC’s Leader of the Year must be received no later than March 29, 2013.
 

Nominate Your Leader

The post Does Your Support Group Leader Shine Brighter Than the Rest? appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

A Note from Kay
Sites of Interest
Regional Activities
Video Link: Legacy of Freedom
Helping Hand
Social Waters
Featured Article: Making Meaningful Christmas Memories
Holiday Recipe
Wise Words
Stay Connected

View December 2012 Leader Letter.

The post December 2012 Leader Letter appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

My homeschooling journey began several years before God blessed me with children. I had always loved children and thoroughly enjoyed working with them. In fact, when my husband Keith and I married, we worked together in children’s ministry, and we still do.

After working many years with children, I began to think about having kids of my own. One night a devastating feeling struck me: dread−dread that one day I would have to send my children to public school. I knew in my heart that I would not want to do that, but everyone I had ever known sent their children to public or private school. Why would it be any different for me? Nevertheless, I sensed in the depths of my soul it had to be different, somehow, in our case. I now know that God was preparing me for what He was going to call me to do: educate my children at home.

When our first child was born in 1996, we were filled with great joy. While we were enjoying every moment we had with her, I remember occasionally having that strong feeling of dread again. I dreaded the day when I would have to send my precious daughter to a public school that I knew could be cruel and ungodly. I knew that I did not want to place my God-sent “baby” down the Nile River in a little basket and watch from afar to see what would become of her. So I rested in God, knowing that He would work all things out for our good.

When my daughter was about three years old, my sister-in-law began to tell me about home education. She, too, had been praying for an alternative for her family, since her daughter, who was enrolled in public school as a preschooler, was not getting the education she wanted her to receive. In fact, my sister-in-law told me her daughter was already learning behaviors and habits that were bound to get worse.

I was excited to hear that there was another option. I went to my first home school conference that year, with my second daughter in tow. It was a Southeast Texas Home School Association conference in Houston, and I loved it! This was what God had been preparing me to do. His call on my life was to educate my children at home. The conference speakers ministered to me, the vendors were very helpful, and I was greatly encouraged. Like most home school newbies, I felt a little overwhelmed, but after teaching my daughter to read, I knew that I would be teaching all of my children to read. I was hooked!

God blessed us with four more children over the next several years, each one becoming a new member in our home school. Although we have homeschooled for the past twelve years, we are all still growing and learning together. At times homeschooling has been a breeze, and we have had our share of struggles, but God has been faithful to see us through.

Thankfully, through our home schooling endeavors, God has brought so many wonderful people and groups into our life to bless and encourage us.  Our local support group, Gulf Coast Christian Home Scholars (GCCHS), was one of the first organizations we joined to connect with other home schoolers and to participate in field trips, museum classes, park days, etc. The members of GCCHS have been a great blessing to our family. The volunteers and members of Gulf Coast are the most giving and kindhearted people I have ever met. They have always been willing to lend a hand to those in need within our community as well as those not a part of our group. Our volunteers give of their time so unselfishly. I am amazed at how they all reach out to help and encourage each other in their home schooling journeys.

Several years after joining GCCHS, I was asked if I would be interested in becoming the chairperson of the steering committee. I felt that the Lord wanted me to give back to this wonderful group, so I said, “Yes.” The five years I served as chair taught me a great deal about myself and others. One of the most important lessons I learned was the importance of taking care of those wonderful and caring volunteers. In a business setting, workers are expected to get the work done, because they are being paid. However, in a volunteer organization, those who serve do so out of the kindness of their hearts and a desire to work for the good of the group. All of the work is done by the volunteers, so it is essential to make the volunteers want to volunteer again. The organization’s policies and procedures should be focused on making the volunteers feel appreciated and on making their work easier.

Another organization for which I am very grateful is THSC. They have been remarkable in their efforts to help and encourage home schooling parents as well as to preserve our home schooling rights. All the work that they have done and continue to do amazes me. After watching “Taking a Stand in Texas: The Battle for Home School Freedom,” I was impressed by the David-and-Goliath struggle that the brave men and women, who were pioneers in this home schooling endeavor, undertook for us. I will forever be indebted to those who took a stand and made it possible for me to educate my wonderful children at home. I appreciate those who continue in the fight to maintain our parental rights. May God continue to bless us with the freedom He has granted, and may we be ever mindful that freedom is not free! May He make us strong in our stand for our children, for our rights as parents, and for our God-given freedoms to educate our children at home.

I believe my home schooling journey is similar to many home educating parents’ who look back at their shaky starts and smile at what God has done. So, whether your home education process is just beginning or you are a veteran of several years, whether you are a support group leader or a faithful volunteer, be encouraged, and remember Philippians 2:13: “For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Sheila and Keith Kleinhenz have been happily married for twenty-six years. They are the proud parents of six extraordinary children; Kate (16), Emily (13), Kelli (12), Caleb (11), Joshua (10), and Nathan (6).

The post Meet the 2012 Leader of the Year – Sheila Kleinhenz appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

A Note from Kay
SLC Schedule
Sites of Interest
Regional Activities
Stay Connected
State Leadership Conference
Featured Article: Leadership Humility

View the November 2012 Leader Letter.

The post November 2012 Leader Letter appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

A Note from Kay
Sites of Interest
Regional Activities
Stay Connected
State Leadership
Featured Article: The Benefits of Training
SLC Schedule

View the September 2012 Leader Letter.

The post September 2012 Leader Letter appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

A Note from Kay
Sites of Interest
Regional Activities
State Leadership Conference
Social Waters
Featured Article: Leadership: If You Want a Team of Leaders You Must Become One First
Wise Words
Stay Connected

View the August 2012 Leader Letter.

The post August 2012 Leader Letter appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

We all begin leadership for various reasons. Some leaders start groups because they need fellowship, and some come into an existing group and see a need or a leader who is struggling with the load and offer their assistance. Other leaders may take a leadership position because they feel a sense of obligation to the group. A few are asked to lead. There are many reasons that people find themselves in leadership positions, and there are many reasons people stay in leadership positions. Often those reasons change through the years. Some may feel there is no one to replace them, or no one wants to replace them. Others stay in leadership because they feel needed and enjoy serving; these all seem to be noble and legitimate reasons to lead and continue leading, but are they only surface answers to the question why?

Norm’s questions were far more specific than just “why?” (I challenge you to order the audio if you missed the LTC), but I realized just asking that question required a heart search. I think many of us will find the answer is a little more complex than it first appears. Do we lead with a selfless desire to serve, or would a deep heart search reveal a need to be recognized or a desire for power or position? There is rarely one solid answer to the question why, and more often I think the real answer is a complex mix of self and service. But I think we should ask ourselves the question and truly search our hearts for the answer. Few things rarely require a deep heart search, but those deep searches pull from us vision and purpose. Are the answers important? Of course, but I think it is the asking that really changes us.

May God reveal answers as you ask the question, “Why do I lead?”

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