Folks,

One of the purposes for our existence at ALERT Cadet Headquarters is to provide training opportunities for your young people. We routinely have one to eight young people, aged 16-30, in our office, at their parent’s request for specific training. At the same time we accomplish useful work that furthers the ALERT Cadet ministry and our service to fathers and sons. The ministry moves forward and expands at the rate at which God provides resources in the form of time, people and money.
We are making plans for 2010 now and wanted to let you know of opportunities to serve with us. We know many families are also planning their academic year at this time, including training experiences outside their homes. We at ALERT Cadet are looking for:

• Young ladies and young men, between the ages of 16-30, and preferably from families familiar with the ALERT Cadet ministry,
• With basic computer skills,
• Able to serve for a minimum of four weeks,
• Able to begin work in the 2010 February to September timeframe, and
• With specific training objectives from parents.

We are able to provide training opportunities in the following areas:

• Telephone and office skills
• Customer service
• Advanced computer skills in Word, Excel, and Access
• Advanced media skills in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere Pro, and WordPress
• Event planning and execution, (e.g. ALERT Cadet camps and Challenges)
• Writing (e.g. materials, publications, and Challenge events)
• Strategic planning and thinking

One of the core principles of ALERT Cadet is that all ALERT Cadet staff members are volunteers, meaning they, and we, receive no remuneration for our service. We do provide room and board at the International ALERT Academy facility for all young people that serve with us.

If you are considering having your young person serve with us during a large part of 2010 then it may be helpful for them to attend our yearly ALERT Cadet leadership planning meeting in late January. At this meeting the senior leadership of ALERT Cadet gathers to discuss our successes and shortcomings from the previous year and make plans for the upcoming year. It is a great opportunity to see the inner workings of a ministry and to learn strategic planning and thinking skills.

I’ve asked three young people who served with us in 2009 to write a testimony on what they have learned and experienced while with us. You will find these at the end of this letter.

If you’d like to explore further the possibility of your young person being a part of our staff at ALERT Cadet Headquarters, please call 903-636-9228 or respond to sfarr@alertacademy.com.

Thanks for your consideration.

Roger D. Farr
ALERT Cadet Commanding Officer

Testimony from Jason Tenpenny

I served at ALERT Cadet Headquarters in order to give back to the organization that had enriched my relationship with my father in a myriad of ways.  I love the ALERT Cadet program and will always remember the opportunity I had to serve them.  Working in the office allowed me to gain experience operating in a work environment, encouraged me to work as a team, helped me learn to overcome personality differences, and provided an outlet for me to use some of the skills God has given me in order to serve Him.  Major and Mrs. Farr are great people to work under and with.  They are very good examples and constantly encouraged me in my spiritual walk as well as my activities and goals outside of the office.  They always made time for me if I needed to talk with them about anything, not just work-related issues. I really appreciate the time they invested in my life.

Testimony from Ruth Oehlschlaeger

I came to work with ALERT Cadet for a number of reasons. I wanted to see how a Christian ministry was run, grow in my relationship with God, and learn some new skills.

I have learned a lot of computer, people, time management, and leadership skills. I knew nothing about Adobe InDesign software before coming to ALERT Cadet, but I have spent the last eight months exploring InDesign CS4 and Photoshop. Working with many different people, each with their own unique personality and style, has expanded my people skills. Answering telephones, customer service, and website upkeep are other skills that I’ve gained.

The environment in the Cadet office is a good balance between investing in people and (building relationships with them) and working on projects. Volunteers are expected to complete their tasks efficiently and to the best of their ability. They are encouraged to continue to grow and stretch themselves in their day-to-day work and in their future goals and plans, while enjoying the people and place where God has them.

Watching God work in the lives of Cadet fathers and sons has been amazing. I’ve got to see leadership lived out in the lives of those around me, at times good and bad. I have loved spending time with the Farrs! They have invested time and energy into helping me become a godly, confident person.

If you want to learn office/people skills, get out of your comfort zone, grow in your relationship with God and others, and serve fathers and sons all over the world then I would heartily recommend you pray and consider spending a length of time with ALERT Cadet. God has used the last eight months to change and grow me in ways that I never thought possible. The Farrs are godly individuals that live transparent lives – striving to serve God and invest in the lives of those around them.

Testimony from Emily Mawhinney

I first went to serve in the ALERT Cadet office because my parents and I were looking for a place to which I could go to serve the Lord in my post-high school years. After serving for 8 months in 2008, we needed to make a decision about whether or not I would return for a time in 2009. Some of my goals included learning ministry administration and organization, so I returned to ALERT Cadet in early 2009 to begin a rigorous time of learning, stretching, and growing.

In the first months that I served in the ALERT Cadet office, I learned many valuable office skills which enhanced those I had gained at home. I became comfortable with handling the telephone in the office, receiving and processing retail orders, and communicating with ALERT Cadet fathers, sons, and family members. I also learned how to interact with coworkers in a professional office environment, and how to be flexible when working with other people from different backgrounds and contexts. I was able to observe the inter-workings of the ministry’s structure, and I learned how to maintain a balance between investing in people and completing daily tasks.

During my second time of service in the ALERT Cadet office, I was privileged to learn from the leadership within the organization. My interactions with unit and squad leaders, regional coordinators, and Major Farr taught me a model of ministry organization and administration, as well as how to communicate effectively with different personality and leadership types. I also learned about chain of command, and the responsibilities of a leader toward the people to whom he is ministering. Through the situations and challenges that the ALERT Cadet ministry encountered, I learned to discern needs, identify issues, and resolve conflicts quickly. I also learned the value of vision, and the necessity of staying focused on that which God sets before me.

From the first day of my arrival in the ALERT Cadet office, I was challenged to take on new activities, projects, and responsibilities. Major and Mrs. Farr consistently provided me with opportunities to grow and learn in everything from communicating with diverse groups of people (both within and outside of the organization) in a professional manner, to actively participating in strategic future planning for the ministry. The environment was well-structured and organized, and designed to work on people development at many levels (from the fathers and young men who work through handbooks, to the young people in the office).

I have many great memories from my time with ALERT Cadet! I will always remember the telephone conversations with fathers, sons, mothers, and sisters, in which we discussed the impact of God’s Word on families as they worked through the ALERT Cadet materials. I will remember hearing the testimonies of young men who attended LTC camp and reading through post-event evaluations from our father/son camps. I will remember the office staff gathering each morning to pray for people (often specifically, by name) within and connected to the ministry. But my favorite memories will always be of the relationships I built with my coworkers in the ALERT Cadet office, and the people with whom I was privileged to work alongside in the ministry.

As you consider coming, prepare to grow! Prepare for your perspective to expand, your understanding of people to deepen, and your love for God’s people to become more real and actionable. Prepare to make mistakes, but become stronger because of them. Prepare to learn new skills, and expand your “comfort zone!” Prepare to work consistently and diligently to invest your time in the lives of fathers and sons.