guardian angels: leadership

8/7/2019 Guardian Angels: Leadership

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THE OFFICIALGUARDIAN ANGELS

TRAINING BOOK:6. LEADERSHIP MANUAL

International Alliance ofGuardian Angels

Version 1.12004


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Copyright 2003 Guardian Angels Page 1 Guardian Angels: 6. Leadership Manual

6. LEADERSHIP MANUAL

Table of Contents

Leadership .........................................................................................................2

Building Relationships...........................................................................................6Building Teamwork................................................................................................9Disciplinary Guidelines ........................................................................................11Moving Forward and Continual Improvement......................................................14Motivating .......................................................................................................15Cultivating Ideas..................................................................................................19Meetings .......................................................................................................21Membership Development ..................................................................................23Dealing with Politics, Infighting, and Bullshit .......................................................25Opening a Chapter ..............................................................................................30Leadership Enrichment .......................................................................................36


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Curtis Sliwa, Founder/President, 1999

Guardian Angels Leadership

Every Guardian Angel should strive to bea leader in his or her community and in theGuardian Angels. He or she may choose tobecome a patrol leader or director of patrols,training, administration, fundraising, youthprograms, self-defense, road teams, mediarelations, community relations, etc. Being aleader is an integral part of the Guardian Angelsexperience.

The Guardian Angels philosophy is that aleader and a trainer are the same thing. AsPatrol Leader it is also your responsibility to train

members how to patrol properly. As ChapterLeader it is your responsibility to train otherleaders how to do their jobs. Simply put, if you are a leader and you are not traininganyone, you are not a Guardian Angels leader.

Biases Against Leadership

People have many unfortunate misconceptions about leaders. They may think ofleaders as aloof, distant, domineering, deceptive, power hungry, elitist, corrupt, self-serving, or incompetent. When people think of leaders, they may think of their ownbosses, parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, politicians, or religious leaders. Ourexperience with authority figures creates the expectations and biases we have for allauthority figures. Often times, many people fear leadership, because they have anegative idea of what leaders are and do.

What we should realize is that not all people in positions of authority andresponsibility are either leaders or responsible. A leader is someone who is trained welland works hard to lead. We are all human, and when someone gives us authority orresponsibility without training, we tend to take advantage of our new found power and

rank. A leader is someone who understands how to use that power and rank to benefiteveryone equally. A true leader is someone who puts his own selfish interests andneeds aside for the interests and needs of the group. Learning this skill is vital as partof the process of becoming a Guardian Angel.


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Leadership Styles

Leadership is a vital and central part of accomplishing any goal or overcomingany problem. Someone must lead, and we must also learn to be good followers. Aleader is the selected person who directs everyone else. You can accomplish this task

in two ways. You can try to command and control everyone so that they will feelpressured to go where you want them to go. Or you can try to involve and devolve:influence everyone so that they will choose to go where you want them to go.

Except for a dangerous and life-threatening situation, the Guardian Angelsleadership method focuses on influencing behavior. This is partly the result of being avolunteer group. Few people will tolerate any kind of control tactic unless they aregetting paid. That is actually fortunate for us, because it forces us to think of lesscontrolling ways to motivate and direct people. Fortunate for us, when we use theseinfluential tactics, our members become more empowered with choice and theydiscover responsibility.

Leaders Controllers

Leads, motivates Controls, threatensInspiring DemandingInvolves DictatesPlans ahead, foresees problems Reacts, puts out firesInnovative ideas Uses same tactics over and overResourceful RepetitiveFosters innovation Discourages new ideasAlways curious, asks questions Assumes, pretends to know everythingShares responsibility Points fingers, blamesShares information Know only as neededConstant training and improving Do only as needed, apathyChallenges, teaches Criticizes, judgesEquality, respect Hierarchy, privilege, favoritismCool yet enthusiastic Frustrated and temperamentalIntegrity, character Selfish, egocentricPatient, reflective Impulsive, thoughtlessOpen minded, inclusive Intolerance, exclusive

How to Pick a Leader

The leader is not the strongest guy in the bunch. He is not the most popularmember. He is not the most charismatic. He is not the smartest or the mostexperienced or the hardest working or the one who can talk the most shit. The leader isthe one member who has proven that he can get the job done by motivating andinvolving other members. The member who gets things done all by himself, evenextraordinary things, is no leader. Everyone else will simply sit back and wait for him toget things done. Eventually, they will get bored and leave. There have been many


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Western Region Leadership Conference 1994

exceptional Guardian Angels who have been placed in leadership positions. Often theirchapters have closed. They did not lead, and nobody followed.

What It Does and Does Not Take To Be a Good Leader

In order to become a good leader, we have to ask ourselves: Would I follow me?Think of the leaders and role models in your life. What common traits did they allpossess? Chances are you will come up with traits like: compassion, enthusiasm,personal attention, understanding, responsibility, dependability, honesty,communication, openness, friendliness, patience, creativity, and positive energy. Nowthink of all the villains in your life.Their traits are almost the exactopposite: selfishness, dull,neglectful, close-minded,irresponsible, undependable,dishonest, poor listener, closed,

unfriendly, impatient, frustrated,and negative energy.

The Leadership Circle

So how do you becomecompassionate andunderstanding? Some peopleseem born with those charactertraits. The answer is simple: theyhave been around strong and great leaders all their lives. What about the rest of us?That answer is simple too. We have to turn everyone around us into leaders. In otherwords, we should try to share responsibilities, ideas, tasks, and authority. Often times,a leader becomes impatient, frustrated, and negative, because he feels overwhelmedand isolated. The answer is to share and open up with your members. At the sametime, do not just give away the tedious tasks and difficult responsibilities. A leadersmain tasks are to groom, train, and guide his followers. A leader does not divide jobs;he multiplies enthusiasm and results.

Why Lead?

Leadership means responsibility and hard work. So why would anyone want tolead? As a Guardian Angel, you have no choice. Everyone becomes a leader.Leadership is a natural part of human growth. Throughout your life you gain specialexperience, knowledge, and skills. You can either choose to share them with others ornot. When you do not share your experience and skills, your value to others diminishes.Their value also diminishes. In a world where no one shares their experiences,knowledge, and skills, no one learns. In the end, no one has any responsibility, andeveryone ends up working harder for less.


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When you share your experience, knowledge, and skills, your value to othersincreases, and their value also increases. Becoming a leader is becoming empowered.The only way to become empowered is through empowering others. The goal of theGuardian Angels is to empower people and communities. In other words, it is the goalof the Guardian Angels to become leaders.

Integrity

One of the greatest attributes of a leader is integrity. This makes a lot of sense,because integrity means upholding and living by a standard or code of conduct. Thatconduct is defined as helping others, thinking of others, not being selfish, and workingtoward common goals. The definition of a leader is someone who is sharing, helping,and empowering others. It is therefore illogical for a leader to lack integrity.

Integrity also makes leading easier. A leader not only holds more responsibility,she also likely holds more power and resources. It would be easy for a leader to useher power and resources to fulfill her own personal needs. In order for us to follow her

and trust that she will not simply use us for her own interests, that leader must be theembodiment of integrity. If we witness her sacrificing her own selfish interests andneeds for a standard or code of conduct, we can be assured that she will also sacrificeher own selfish interests and needs for the common good: all our interests and needs.

Abuse of Privilege and Rank

For this reason, a leader must avoid the abuse of privilege and rank. In otherwords, a leader should not tell new recruits to fetch her a soda down the street. Sheshould not have I Supports patrol in the rain while she eats with other leaders in arestaurant. She should not use the Guardian Angels cell phone to make personal callswhile prohibiting others from doing the same. If this leader cannot sacrifice the smallestthings for the common good, what are the chances she will sacrifice greater things forthe common good? What is the point of following her, if your interests and needs willalways be subordinate to hers?


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Guardian Angels Building Relationships

The main goal of a leader is to build relationships both internal and external.Before you can train anyone, you must first create a trusting relationship. Why wouldanyone be your student if she cannot trust you to teach her something that will helpher? Often times, trainers make the mistake of offering lessons before buildingrelationships. We probably have all experienced this with some teachers. They do notshare anything about themselves. They do not express any type of interest in who weare or what we are interested in. They stand up there in front of a chalkboard andexpect us to enthusiastically soak in everything that comes out of their mouths. It is nosurprise that many kids do not enjoy school.

In order to be a good trainer, you need to get to know your students, and theyneed to get to know you. Why are you a trainer? Why are you a Guardian Angel?

What do you get out of it? What will they get out of it? Whats the point? Wheres thevalue? What is the meaning of it all? How will learning the Guardian Angels methodhelp my unique and special interests and needs? Why should I waste my time learninga curriculum that may not even apply to me? Why should I sacrifice my free time andpotentially my safety for nothing?

When you meet a recruit for the first time, many people assume, Oh, he wantsto fight crime and improve the community. Never assume anything about recruits. It isyour job to find out exactly why he wants to be a Guardian Angel. At first, he may giveyou generalizations like wanting to fight crime and improve the community, but after helearns to trust you, he will tell you a real and personal story. It is then your job toconvince him that the Guardian Angels will address his true interests and goals in life.

Defining a Common Goal and Creating a Common Interest

The first step to building the trainer and student relationship is to define thegoals, philosophy, and mission of the Guardian Angels. This is the cause, point, value,and meaning. Fortunately, the Guardian Angels possess strong and selfless goals.Many corporations gloat about selfish ambitions like To Become the Number 1Distributor of Widgets or The Worlds Greatest Widgeting Company. Governmentagencies beam about Becoming the Most Efficient and Effective Provider of Licensesor The Worlds Best Code Inspectors. What are employees going to get out ofworking at these places? Theyre just going to get squashed by the machine as it

exploits them to achieve its own lofty ambitions. Wouldnt it be nice for a companysgoal to be Make Driving Safer and More Enjoyable or for a government agencys goalto be Making the Licensing Process Simpler and Easier.


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Sliwa and NYC Mayor Bloomberg, 2002

Building External Relationships

Building external relationships work thesame way. You may not be able to putcommunity members into classes or take

authority over business owners, but none-the-less you are leading and training them. Youare leading them toward a common goal, andyou are training them along the way byexample and cooperation. The sameprerequisite applies. No one in the communityis going to accept, follow, work with, or listen toyou if you have not built the relationship first.You must get to know them and their uniqueneeds and concerns. They must get to knowand understand why you are a Guardian Angel

and what you get out of it. They must alsounderstand the Guardian Angels goals andphilosophy.

Avoid Unprofessional Relationships

It is unavoidable that relationships may progress beyond the professional level.There are countless pitfalls. The reason you are building relationships is to worktogether toward a common goal. When two people develop a personal and/or intimaterelationship, others view them as simply working toward fulfilling their own selfish sexualor personal needs. All your relationships should be relatively equal. You should not be

working more closely with the police department while neglecting the residents. Youshould not be working more closely with one Council member while purposefullyavoiding other Council members. You should avoid working more closely with onemember over another. When your relationships are equal, it appears that you vieweveryones contributions equally, and that you are fulfilling the common goal asopposed to your personal goals. By neglecting other people, you are basically sayingthat their value to you is less and therefore, you are less likely to help them fulfill theirneeds and address their interests. This is the starting point to a divided community fullof political alliances and grudges.

For these reasons, you should not turn new members into your buddies. It isappropriate to invite them out for a dinner or to a street fair, but it is not appropriate to

invite them out for drinks or to your house. It is never appropriate to date I Supports. Itis not appropriate to date people you meet at community meetings. However, since theprogression of human relationships is unavoidable, it is not inappropriate for two Angelswho have patrolled together for over a year to become best friends. It is notinappropriate for two Angels to date each other after graduation. It is not inappropriateto even end up marrying a community leader after working closely with her for a coupleyears. After all, there is no better friend or partner than one who shares a mutualcompassion for others and the community. Who better else to trust than someone who


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has already committed herself to serving the needs and interests of others?Keep in mind many people will judge your professional relationships by the same

standard as you keep your personal relationships. If you end up marrying anothercommunity leader, you may be viewed as serious and committed. If you end up inseveral superficial relationships with other Guardian Angels, everyone will view you as a

selfish, undependable opportunist.


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Overcoming obstacles in Reno, Nevada

Guardian Angels Building Teamwork

Creating good leaders and followers is the same process as creating good co-workers and partners. Each team player asks the question: Why should I work togetherwith the next guy? What do I get out of helping him? Why should I sacrifice my owninterests for his interests? Whats the point? Whats the meaning of it all?

Not only do people have to decide why they should work for a leader, they mustalso decide, why they should work for another team player. A leader must not only buildrelationships between herself and others; she must also help build relationshipsbetween members. And not only should she build relationships between herself and thecommunity; she should be building relationships between community members. Manytimes, the Guardian Angels may find themselves in the middle of a political mess

involving the City, the police department, non-profits,residents, and business owners.

The relationship building process for creatingteamwork is the same as the one for becoming aleader. Your job is to create an environment andopportunities where all the team players can get toknow one another, and they should also be able toforge, form, define, and uphold a common goal, eachparticipant holding an equal voice.

Inside your chapter, you should get involved inspecial events and hold informal, out-of-color

functions as well as patrols, trainings, and officialmeetings. You should invite family members to getthem involved. Have your members interact in a lessstressful and leisurely environment. Do not meet inbars or clubs. Some members may not drink and will

feel left out. Also, drinking may lead to moreinterpersonal problems. Meet for lunch or dinner.

Do not pay for the meals. This may be viewed as a ploy to buy your allegiance orloyalty. Go out to a festival together.

At each meeting, also reinforce and revisit the Guardian Angels goals and

philosophy. After a long night patrolling, take the opportunity to explain that their hardwork and sacrifice is both meaningful and rewarding not only to themselves but also tothe community. Always answer the question whether it is asked or not, Why am I doingthis? The more you reinforce this, the more everyone will feel like they are workingtogether pursuing a common goal.


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Equality

Equality is one of the most important team building concepts. If people do notfeel that they are being treated equally or viewed as equals, they will inevitably feel thattheir interests and needs may be overlooked or altogether ignored. Whether it is a town

meeting or a member meeting, every single person should feel equal. No one shouldbe ostracized, humiliated, ignored, mistreated, singled out, or neglected. When teammembers enter a room, they should all be greeted equally. Often times, you will seecommunity leaders only talking with other leaders, or elected officials only talking withgovernment employees. People feel left out. As a leader, the meeting is not youropportunity to catch up with other leaders. You should have your own privateleadership meetings. General meetings should be used for you to greet and get toknow all your new members and I Supports.

When you attend public meetings, do not just wait in line to greet the Mayor orCouncil member. Talk with the others in line or those who are sitting in the corner of theroom. Your job is to bring everyone together as equals not pander to only those with

power and resources. Our credibility and legitimacy is not based on recognition byauthority but by the support and trust of the entire community.


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Guardian Angels Disciplinary Guidelines

Discipline occurs for two major reasons: 1. Poor training and leadership: Theviolator did not know the rules, training was insufficient, or there were already bad rolemodels within the organization. 2. The violator disagrees with or devalues the rules.More often than not, discipline occurs because of poor training and leadership and notthe violator. If a member truly understands the value and importance of being aGuardian Angel and following the rules, he will instinctively try to obey the rules and bean exemplary member. When a member is unsure of why he is an Angel and issurrounded by others who have also lost their way, he is much more likely to stray.

The job of the leader is to avoid discipline by keeping members from breaking therules in the first place. Members should learn by example and training not correction

and punishment. Often times a lazy and insecure leader will try to control his membersby using discipline. On the other hand, some people are simply blockheaded and willnot change their attitudes and behavior without discipline, but they are less than 1%.99% of people want to succeed if they are involved in an activity they find valuable andmeaningful.

If you find yourself disciplining 99% of your members or even 10%, something iswrong with your training and leadership. Even if you have taken over as leader of astruggling and decaying chapter, you should intensify your training and leadership notyour discipline.

3 Levels of Violations

Level 1: Action Violation indicating a momentary disregard for the rules andregulations of the Guardian Angels

Examples: Insulting another memberNot posting up when told to do soArguing on patrolNot completing an assigned taskDisrespecting another member behind his back or to his faceLittering on patrolSmoking with a beret on


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Level 2: Conduct Violation indicating a serious disregard for the goals and mission ofthe Guardian Angels

Examples: Any discriminatory offense including the use of racial or homophobic slursAccidentally bringing a penknife or pepper spray on patrol

AssaultNegative attitudeFalsifying an incident reportFinancial malfeasance (less than $20)Endangering the safety of the patrol

Level 3: Principle Serious violation indicating a fundamental disregard for theprinciples of the Guardian Angels and the law

Examples: Any serious violation of the law including petty theft, battery, andpossession of narcotics

Having an intimate relationship with a traineeSexual or discriminatory harassmentFinancial malfeasance ($20 or more)Abandoning your patrol partnerEndangering life on patrol

3 Step Discipline

1. Verbal warning 1st Level 12. Written warning 2nd Same Level 1 1st Level 23. Punishment 3rd Same Level 1 2nd Same Level 2 1st Level 3

3 Punishment Levels

1. Demotion 3rd Same Level 1 2nd Same Level 22. Suspension 4th Same Level 1 3rd Same Level 23. Termination 5th Same Level 1 4th Same Level 2 1st Level 3

Appeal Process

Any member who feels that he has been wrongly accused and disciplined mayappeal any written warning or punishment to the regional or national office.

Prohibited Punishment

Humiliation or embarrassment Demotion to I Support Infliction of pain/torture Sexual/nudity


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Physical depravation (lack of sleep, food, water) Yelling, screaming Being a training dummy Running personal errands/chores Financial

Ostracizing/isolation (no one is allowed to talk to you for a week) Wearing or carrying of badge/symbol of dishonor Insulting codename (Sir Fartsalot)

Carrots and Sticks

Most people think that extra physical exercise or chores is good punishment.Unfortunately, this teaches people to associate these activities with doing somethingwrong. Doing extra physical exercise or chores is an indication of character and self-discipline. They should be rewarded and never used as punishment. Punishmentshould be the opposite of what is desired and valued. Holding responsibility and being

involved with the Guardian Angels is what is desired and valued. Therefore,punishment should involve the removal of responsibility and exclusion from GuardianAngels functions. When other members see someone losing responsibility aspunishment, they learn to value responsibility. When someone does pushups aspunishment, they learn to devalue pushups.


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Guardian Angels Moving Forward and ContinualImprovement

If a problem persists, and you are doing the same thing over and over, you willnot feel like you are solving or even addressing the problem. You must either address anew or larger problem, or you must change your tactics. A chapter must never stagnateand get stale. Chances are if you hit a problem neighborhood consistently, you willsolve the problem. However, once you solve the problem, you should move on.Chapters stagnate when they either are not consistently patrolling the same area, orthey fix a problem and stay.

Chapters also fail when they no longer recruit and circulate fresh ideas andperspectives from new members. A chapter should not consist of six good buddies yearafter year. Your goal should be to always accept and develop new members. Having

great members should not be the goal of your chapter. Creating great members shouldbe the goal.

Chapters also fail when their leaders fail to try new things and accept new ideas.They may say things like, Were just going to patrol, and thats all were doing, and ifyou dont like it, then leave. Our goal is to empower individuals and communities. Oneday, we may not patrol at all. We always must be open minded to new tactics andstrategies. The Guardian Angels itself was a strange, uncharted, and new concept thatmany people rejected and opposed. If it were not for people willing to try new thingsand improve their lives, the Guardian Angels would not be around.

Networking/Resourcing

Part of growing and improving is seeking and taking risks. As a Guardian Angel,you should always be alert for new opportunities, partnerships, and resources. Neverassume that you have covered all the possible opportunities and partnerships in acommunity. There are always new players and new ideas. The act of empowering acommunity includes the act of developing new contacts and acquiring new resources.By reaching out to all sectors of the community, you are helping them reach out toothers through your already established network. At the same time, you are introducingyour established network to the new contact.


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Guardian Angels Motivating

Pooling Energy

A leader must be the first to energize others. Motivation is the circulation ofenergy. We all possess energy to fulfill our own needs and protect ourselves from ourfears; however, our body is always trying to conserve that energy. Left to our owndevices, our body would seek the path of least resistance and rest. In the long run, wemay never fulfill our needs or deal with our fears. We may just end up deceivingourselves into believing that just getting by is good enough.

We need to go outside ourselves to find the energy to effectively fulfill our needsand deal with our fears. We need to exchange or circulate our energy with others.

When we pool our energies toward a common goal or against a common fear, we aremore likely to succeed.

The question of how to motivate people is the same thing as the question of howto convince people to pool their energy. The answer lies in building relationships andsharing a common goal. When you build relationships, you will witness people gettingexcited and exchanging their energy. However, without a common goal, people willinvariably turn that energy into nervous energy and it will end up being used to playpolitics and infighting. It is easy to see how a chapter that becomes insulated andunwilling to change ends up turning its energy upon itself. In order to keep an entirechapter motivated, you need to continually build relationships with other people in thecommunity and share your common vision and goals. You also need to continually train

and develop your own members.

Consistency

All the leadership, teamwork, and motivation in the world will not help you if youare inconsistent. People may agree with your vision and enjoy your company, but if youdisappear for weeks, flake on a meeting, avoid returning phone calls, or hit the streetshard only to take long vacations later, people will feel like you are not serious andcommitted to the common goal. Inconsistency also undermines the building ofrelationships. For relationships to work, you need to be available when called upon.They need to be able to depend on you when they need to.

Without consistency, people hesitate. They do not invest all their energies intothe project. They begin to wander and seek other resources, ideas, and groups. If youare not consistent, how can they depend on you when the going gets tough? In alllikelihood, if you cannot even stick it out when its easy, there is very little chance youwill stick it out when its gets hard. There is no greater proof of trust than someone whowill work with you in the face of hardship, adversity, and overwhelming obstacles. It isno wonder that combat soldiers are known for building intense camaraderie and trustbonds.


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Motivational Methods

Build Relationships

Get to know your members. Make all members feel like they belong. Greet all

members enthusiastically. Call members regularly. Thank members for coming out.Hold regular meetings. Socialize with members in an informal, casual setting howeverkeep the relationships professional. Creating unprofessional relationships or favoritismcan demotivate. Treat every member equally and fairly. Deal with conflicts immediatelyand discreetly, however do not overreact or under-react to petty squabbles.

Share A Common Goal

Define the purpose of your events and patrols. Discuss the accomplishments ofthe patrol. Do not just say, Everything was quiet and boring. Explain how you aremaking a difference and positively affecting people on the streets. Provide training in

what the Guardian Angels are and all our programs. Always answer the questions,Why are we here? and Why are we doing this? Make everything you do meaningfuland important.

Be Fair

If someone complains about a member, always ask him, What did you do to fixthe problem? Did you talk to the other person before you came to me? 99% of thetime the complainer will say no. Be fair to all members. Even if they all do not like onemember, do not take sides. If you have to choose between nine people who dont getalong with others or one person who does, you should pick the one person. Do not takeyour friends side just because he is your friend. Be a leader. Listen to both sidesbefore taking action.

Be Consistent

Members will flake. Leaders should NEVER flake on members. Do not makepromises you cannot keep. If a member suggests doing something, tell him you willthink about it or try to do it.

Develop Members

Train members on something every week. They must feel like they are alwayslearning something new and growing and improving. As a leader, you may not feel theneed for training because you take everything you know for granted. Try to understandthat training helps build confidence in members. You will do the same training thingsover and over and over again, but you should always be learning something new too. Ifyou get burned out on training, assign a training coordinator.

You should also be helping members reach their own personal and professionalgoals. Chapters often find employment for members while patrolling. Employers are


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more likely to hire someone who is already working for free for the community andwilling to sacrifice as much as they do for the Angels.

Recognize Outstanding Performance

Provide graduation ceremonies and tests not only for becoming a Safety but alsoother leadership levels. Also provide certificates and awards at an annual Chapterdinner or ceremony. Awards include:

Purple Heart injured while performing Guardian Angels dutiesBrick Award exhibition of dedication and toughnessGolden Brick Award exhibition of intense dedication and extreme toughnessWarrior Award exhibition of courage in the face of great adversity or dangerRecruitment Award recruits and keeps the most membersHook Up Award acquires the most hookupsCommunity Service Award always volunteers to help out with community events

Dare to Share Award always helps others and makes personal sacrificesAngel Eyes Award always looks out for othersAngel Shield Award always protects and guards othersAngel Wings Award most improved member of the ChapterAngel of the Year most outstanding member of the ChapterHonorary Angel Award nonmember who assists the Chapter

Sample Certificate Text:

[Guardian Angels logo]

Reno/Sparks, Nevada ChapterCertificate of Graduation

is hereby awarded on this day of Thursday, October 3, 2003, to

Jane Valkyrie Gonzalez

who has successfully completed the Guardian Angels Basic TrainingCourse and has reached the standard required for graduation

________________________ ________________________Linda Lion Heart Washington David Jarhead JonesReno/Sparks Chapter Leader Reno/Sparks Assistant Chapter Leader


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Deal With and Punish Inappropriate Behavior

There is nothing more demoralizing than being around members who are notfollowing the rules and getting away with it. It makes you wonder whether the entireorganization really cares. You may need the bodies, but keep in mind, a bad apple will

infect other apples in the barrel. He will also keep people away from the barrel ofapples. Do not be afraid of coming down hard on an old friend or veteran. They willunderstand, and they should be grateful in hindsight.


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Guardian Angels Cultivating Ideas

Solving community problems means generating and discussing many ideas frommany different perspectives.

1. Problem Solving

It all begins with identifying a problem, concern, or need. Everyone should bebrought together to share his problems, concerns, and needs. Do not criticize them orattempt to solve them on the spot. Simply list and categorize all the issues and try tofind common themes or roots. Finally, determine which problems should be addressedfirst.

2. Brainstorming

Once again, everyone should be involved in trying to come up with ways ofaddressing the issue or solving the problem. Do not criticize or reject any ideas.People should feel free to be as imaginative and creative as possible. List andcategorize all the ideas.

3. Filtering

Now, everyone should review all the ideas together for feasibility. Can these

ideas be acted upon given the current resources? Are we asking too much? Are weasking too little? The ideas should be eliminated one by one until you have a dozen left.

4. Funneling

Next is the benefits and costs analysis for each remaining idea. Everyone shoulddetermine which ideas will produce the most results for the most number of peoplewhile minimizing costs. Everyone should then vote on the final idea.

5. Assignment

Each person should then pick a particular assignment. Teams should be formedfor more complex tasks.

6. Training

Training should be provided for those who need it to fulfill their assignments.Trainers should be assigned.


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7. Execution

Each person executes her part of the assignment working together. Anothermeeting should be scheduled to review progress for lengthy activities. You may alsoneed to make reassignments or even go back to the drawing board and pick another

filtered idea.

8. Review

Everyone should then meet again to review the entire process. What worked?What didnt work? What unanticipated obstacles arose? What did we do to overcomethem? What could we do better next time? Most importantly, did we solve the problemor address the issue? A lot of people do not like this wrap up review. All they want todo now is unwind and forget about it. However, this part helps people feel confidentthat the next time around, their particular obstacles or achievements will be recognized.

9. Follow Up

Every activity provides invaluable learning experiences and new opportunities.Always follow up activities or programs. Follow up on peoples new ideas. Follow up onthose people who expressed interest in getting more involved. Send out thank youletters to those who helped. Even if you solved the problem, go back every now andthen to make sure the problem does not return.


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Guardian Angels Meetings

Meeting Format

In order to encourage team building and the sense of equality, all membersshould be facing each other in a circle. Everyone should have an equal view ofeach other.

Create a set agenda and keep feedback from rambling on. It should not be yourgoal to talk the most. Your goal is to get everyone else to talk evenly.

If there is someone trying to steal the stage, cut him off politely. Tell him, he hasa lot of ideas, and he should talk to you after the meeting.

Do not be condescending. Do not say things like, Well, John, I appreciate yourcomments, but we have better things to go over right now. Jane, thats awonderful idea, however it just sounds unrealistic.

If a new issue arises, avoid making final decisions during the meeting. Meetingsare used to share ideas and concerns. They are also designed to initiate futurepersonal meetings. In other words, avoid shooting down peoples ideas in public.

Avoid criticizing any ideas or people. Meetings are designed for sharing, buildingtrust, and common goals.

Introduction

Everyone should feel comfortable at a meeting in order be open-minded and notdefensive. Ask what everyone did over the weekend, or talk about something unrelatedyet interesting like the news or sports. This is like warming up for the game so peopledo not feel cold coming into a discussion.

Goals

Every meeting should have a goal. Even if it is to get everyone together andbond, that is a goal. You should not be meeting just for the sake of meeting.

Agenda

Every meeting should have an agenda, a list of items to discuss or cover.However, each agenda should be open to discussing new ideas or projects.


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Protocol

You do not need to follow the Roberts Rules of Parliament, however, you do

need to keep meetings orderly and allow everyone an equal voice.

Listening and Involvement

The goal of a meeting should not be for the Leader to just update members onupcoming events and new programs from New York. It is also the Leaders opportunityto hear from her members. It is also an opportunity for other members to inform eachother about their news, ideas, and projects.

Action

A meeting should not be just about what you would like to happen or what peopledont like happening. A meeting should always result in action. You should share yourconcerns, needs, and interests at a meeting, but you should also create a plan toaddress or solve those concerns, needs, and interests. Members then need to picktheir particular assignments and commit to those assignments.

Clear Expectations

The Leader should then make it perfectly clear what she expects to happen bythe next meeting or by a certain date. The Leader should make specific deadlines andhold members accountable for both their assignments and deadlines. Too often, peopleare more than willing to make promises at meetings they are unwilling to keep. Overtime, everyone else loses confidence that meetings will accomplish anything for them,and they lose interest in meeting.

Recognition

Most meetings are all about problems and assigning tasks. It is no surprise thatmany people dont like meetings and fall asleep. At the end of the meeting, recognizethose who contribute and succeed. Also recognize those who try hard.


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Developing new recruits, Reno, Nevada 1997

Guardian Angels Membership Development

Interviewing Members

Many of us have forgottenthat when we were young infants,we had to learn how to use ourfingers, hands, arms, and legs.Today, we take them for grantedunless they are broken or sprained.But as children, we learned how to

use our limbs through constantattention and practice. What wouldyou think of a child who sits athome all day, never lifts a finger, runs, jumps, reaches out, plays with toys, and toucheshis environment? Chances are the child would grow up to be a clumsy, inactive oaf.The leader is the much like the brain of a body. It initiates movement from the rest ofthe body. What would you think of a leader who never gets to know all his members?Who never talks to each one of them, never listens, never socializes, never involves?That leader, much like the child, would create a clumsy, inactive oaf of an organization.

The first job of the leader is to get to know her limbs: her members. The analogyof the brain and body, however, end here. Unlike our own limbs, Guardian Angels

members have brains and can and should act relatively independently. The brainmanipulates the body in order to serve its needs. If direct orders are not obeyed, it findsother more indirect and underhanded ways of getting the body to respond. A leadershould not manipulate her members. She should influence her members so that theychoose to make the right decisions; decisions that will both serve their interests as wellas the leader and the organization.

The Interview Questions:

Why are you a Guardian Angel? What do you get out of it?

What do you want to do in life? How can the Guardian Angels help you? What are your interests and hobbies? How can we use your skills and experiences? What positions and tasks would

you like to fill? Are you getting enough training? What do you like so far? What pisses you off? And please include me as applicable.


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If you were in charge of this chapter, what would you do? What would you dodifferently?

What would you like to see this chapter do that it isnt doing already? What would you like to see this chapter stop doing?

Of course, nobody is going to give you straight answers if they do not trust orrespect you. In order to build that trust and respect, you need to interview yourself firstin front of everyone. Why did you become a Guardian Angel? What do you get out ofit? Where would you like to see the Chapter go?

There should be parameters and guidelines for this interview. Intervieweesshould stay on subject. If an interviewee goes on for half an hour about how awful hisfamily is and the Guardian Angels is like a family to him, allow him to indulge himself. Ifan interviewee goes on about how the chapter can raise a million dollars by creating itsown television sit-com, you need to channel the delusional fish back into the river ofreality.

This is not a griping session. Write down the complaints and address them, but if

they keep coming up, move on. For instance, I dont like the way we have to post upfor half an hour in the same spot. This is a legitimate complaint, and you shouldaddress it.

On the other hand: John is a pain in the ass. He keeps interrupting me when Italk, and hes always bullshitting about how great he is. He really thinks hes all that.He says he used to be an Army Ranger, but thats a load of shit. He says his uncle wasan NYPD detective, and thats probably a load of shit too. On this occasion, youshould cut him off. This is a matter for conflict resolution.

Handling Criticism

It may be hard to openly receive criticism about the chapter. Members may statethat they think your leadership is poor and the chapter is going nowhere. Instead ofresponding with excuses or counter-accusations, you should involve them in thesolution. The interview is not about pointing fingers and blaming. It is about getting toknow each other and building trust. Some leaders may resist interviewing theirmembers, because they already know that they are despised and the chapter is goingnowhere. Thats not the point. The point is, the Chapter Leader is at leastacknowledging the problem, and the interview then turns into part of the solution.

The solution most likely lies in the Leader getting the members more involved inthe chapter. It may not be pleasant for a leader to hear from his members that he is anasshole and his chapter is a piece of shit, but if he can get past the members anger andresentment, he can then really get to the bottom of the problem. The more the Leaderlearns about each member, the more each member learns to trust the Leader. TheLeader can then trust his members to take on more responsibilities and become moreactively involved in the success of the organization.


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Guardian Angels Dealing With Politics,Infighting, And Bullshit

Identifying and Dealing With Problem Recruits and Members

Know It All

This person claims to know everything about anything and has an opinion abouteverything and everyone. Inspired by his insecurity and lack of self worth and usefulknowledge, he pretends to be an expert cloaking his opinions as facts. The remedy isto educate and inform him. If he wants to be an expert, he can be an expert on theGuardian Angels. At the same time, keep him from dominating every single discussion.Do not be afraid to cut him off and tell him youll talk to him later in private.

Faker

Another person inspired by his insecurities, the faker will claim to possess awealth of credentials, contacts, experiences, skills, training, and expertise. He isobviously hiding his complete and total lack of everything. The remedy is to simplyprovide him with some real training and skills he can be proud of. He may start out bytelling you that he used to be a paramedic, but ignore him and teach him CPR.Afterwards, he can brag about knowing CPR and not inventing it.

Dr. Delusional

One of the most dangerous people to patrol with, this person simply sees thingsthat do not exist. He will see two people in the distance talking and claim that they areengaged in mortal combat. He will pass a group of youth and claim that theychallenged your patrol to a fight. He will see a passing car and claim one passengerwas holding a sawed off shotgun. Whether he is purposefully playing games with youor unconsciously playing mind games with himself, he is dangerous. Once you catchhim making things up, call him on it and question everything he says. If he continues,do not allow him to patrol. Work with him on memory and perception exercises. Forinstance, have a member out of colors quickly walk in and out of a room. Ask thestudents to try to recall what he was wearing and what he had in his hands.

Emotional Luggage

Another danger on patrol, this person has some serious issues. He doesnt getalong with anyone. He is always arguing with someone or claiming that everyone isdisrespecting him. When encountering a situation, he will either shrink in horror oroverreact. During training, he may even break out in tears. Be firm with him. Do notallow him to emotionally manipulate you with crocodile tears. Enforce the respect


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guidelines. Once he learns to respect himself, others will learn to respect him. Build uphis self-confidence with training and encouragement, but dont go easy on him.

Naysayer

Nothing will work for this person. Everything is doomed. Before you even getstarted on a project, he will point out a thousand and one problems. He will demandthat everything should be set up just right or else it is not even worth trying. In the end,nothing gets done. He is argumentative and complains incessantly. If you could keepall the money you could count; would you come up with a thousand excuses not tocount the money? This person is simply not motivated, and instead of quittingsomething good, he wants to make it look like he is quitting something that doesnt workand isnt worth trying. Cut this person off. Try to find out the root of the problem,challenge him to try something new, and if it doesnt work, just let him go. Usually, hecreates excuses because he is insecure with his abilities. Train him so that he will haveconfidence in himself and his ability to get things done.

The Victim

Nobody helps him. Nobody cares about what he is doing. Nobody listens to him.He works the hardest, but nobody gives him any awards or recognition. He spends allhis money and time on the Guardian Angels, but he gets nothing in return. Nobody isdoing their job. Everyone else is responsible for his well-being. He cant get along withauthority because his parents used to beat him. It is everyone elses job to make thisentitled f--- happy. Much like the crackheads and criminals on the street, this personfeels that the whole world owes him everything. Try to teach him the pitfalls of thevictim mentality. He will spend the rest of his life a victim if he does not change hisattitude. Teach him that he is not a victim, that he is the only one responsible for hisfate. Teach him how the Guardian Angels is all about taking responsibility for and fixingyour own problems. Give him the training and tools to fix all his own problems.

Identifying and Dealing With Problem Leaders

Loosey Goosey Leader

This leader wants everyone to be his friend. He cannot deal with conflict, so hejust lets everyone do whatever they want. He just cant say no. Members start outbreaking minor rules, but it inevitably escalates. Soon, they could end up breaking thelaw, all because Loosey Goosey wanted to keep everyone happy. He shouldunderstand that he can make more people happy and friendly if he maintains order andis tough but fair. Without rules and order, people are not happy; they become insecure.


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Iron Fisted Leader

He yells and barks orders. He is not friendly. Its his way or the highway. Thereis no discussion or debate. He runs the chapter single handedly. He always likes newrecruits, because they dont know how bad he is yet. Sooner or later, however, he will

burn out all by himself. Without anyone to trust or share responsibilities, the chapter willclose. He uses the hardass routine as a disguise for his own fears and insecurities. Heshould understand that people follow humans not robots. Exposing some of hisweaknesses and limitations will encourage people to believe in him as real and honest.Allowing members to take on responsibilities and make mistakes will help them learnand grow just as he learned and grew from making his own mistakes.

Fidel Castro Leader

You cannot get a word in edgewise. They will not shut up. They so much enjoythe sound of their own voice, they tape record themselves and listen to themselves in

their car. They also talk themselves into their own corners. They pick apart everyoneelses ideas and suggestions. They view everyone else as inferiors with ignorantopinions. They are arrogant, condescending elitists who believe that they are Gods giftto the masses. He is also a control freak and perfectionist. He should remind himselfthat he was not perfect when he was first started out. People make mistakes, and thatis how they learn. He should focus on his members and listen to them. He may notagree with anything they say, but at least he should make the effort to understand howthey think and what they value. He will soon realize that they will become a more loyaland receptive audience. You can either talk 99% of the time to deaf ears or you cantalk 10% of the time to attentive ears. What is your choice?

Corrupt Leader

This leader thinks that leadership privileges include spending Guardian Angelsmoney on his personal needs, flirting with recruits, using the Angels van to pick up hisgirlfriends in the boroughs, and forcing new recruits to run his personal errands. Thereis a different set of rules for his friends and the rest as well as for those he likes anddislikes. There is hardly any training or meetings. The chapter ends up being a socialclub. Recruits are constantly quitting out of disgust. While he may think that he isgetting everything out of the group as he can, he knows that he can get a lot more out ofit by giving more and taking less. He is insecure that he will always be poor, no onelikes him, no one respects him, and he will never accomplish anything meaningful. Bygiving to the organization, he will enrich himself, become valued, be respected, andaccomplish something meaningful by helping others accomplish something meaningful.


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Chapter Problems

Everyone is complaining. Everyone is negative. Everyone has a problem witheach other. Everyone is ragging on someone, making him look stupid, unethical, orlazy. Gossip takes up about 90% of every discussion and conversation. Members are

frequently no-showing or dropping out like flies. Senior members are taking advantageof their seniority and dating the new recruits. No one wants to be the leader, becausethey seem to come and go like the seasons. If the chapter could raise $10 for everyexcuse, it would have more cash than Microsoft and the Treasury combined. Patrolslast one hour. Every now and then, the patrol stalks then harasses a homeless guy tomake things exciting. New recruits sit around doing nothing. I-Support shirts gounwashed. This is a picture of a dead or dying chapter. This chapter has lost its way,and it has either no leadership or crapulous leadership.

Yet even in this type of sick and screwed up environment, recruits are stilltrickling in. Why? It has absolutely nothing to do with the f***-ups already wearingberets. It has everything to do with the promise the Guardian Angels offer to everyone,

everywhere. The Guardian Angels promises to be a sanctuary for decency, morality,and compassion. It promises to dare to care. It promises to teach people constructive,positive solutions. It promises to bring the community together. It promises to provideadequate training, guidance, and leadership.

In order to turn a chapter around, someone needs to step up to the plate andmake some tough decisions. They need to salvage what can be salvaged and throwout the rest with the garbage. They may be throwing out their friends, brothers whohave always had their back on patrol. But if they are true friends, they know that theyare only improving them by taking away their crutches. They need to reestablish strictrules and reaffirm their mission and goals. They need to start looking way back intotheir past and rediscover the reasons they joined and stayed. They need to abide by astrict training regiment. They need to wrap up all their stinking excuses in a big bundlelike soiled diapers and set it on fire. Many leaders have done this, because they knowthey cant live the rest of their lives allowing such a great idea to degenerate into adecomposing pile of shit, stinking up their lives and the lives of others.

Preventing Chapter Decay

A strong chapter begins with strong roots. It then involves constant care,exercise, growth, and cleaning. The best way to start off is to train properly covering allthe rules, regulations, guidelines, and training exercises. Hold regular meetings butalso talk often with members individually. Have regular unofficial and casual meetingslike barbeques or street fairs. Always try to recruit new members and develop newrelationships within the community. Visit other chapters to keep members challengedand excited. Share responsibility and authority. Address conflicts immediately anddirectly. Members should first try to resolve conflicts with each other and only usemediation when that fails. If members start to complain or express negative attitudes,address the situation with conflict resolution and revisit the goals, mission, andphilosophy of the Guardian Angels. Be tough and fair, consistent and flexible.


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Dealing With Chapter Decay

Do not be afraid to extract members who refuse to improve and help others. Youmay need members, but these members are probably the reason you cannot keepmembers. Learn to let them go. You will be doing them as much a favor as you are

doing yourself and the chapter. Negativity spreads like wildfire.Also be honest and reassess your own abilities, tactics, and skills. If you findyourself frustrated, short tempered, and easily annoyed at members, you may need abreak yourself. Do not be afraid of taking a few months off; youll be of much greatervalue to the chapter when you return. You also set an example for others, and they willtake time off when they need to. Members usually get burned out for the same reasonleaders get burned out. Members are not being involved and feel detached whileleaders are not getting others involved and feel overwhelmed.

When chapters fall apart, the first thing to go is training. When members aretrained, they become motivated to put their training to good use. Another program thatends is patrolling. Members will usually come up with a thousand excuses not to patrol.

One often-used excuse is that they think the chapter needs to be pulled together andset straight before it can patrol. The opposite is true. Training and patrol usually helpsmembers pull together and set themselves straight. Of course, if you feel that thenegative attitudes are interfering with patrol safety, you should not patrol. Otherwise,you should at least attempt to set up one training and patrol every month. Those whocannot make the training and patrol should simply be terminated. Even if you end upwith you and one other, you are left with two of the most dedicated members, which isthe best way to rebuild a chapter.


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Guardian Angels Opening a Chapter

Interactivism

The Guardian Angels do not invade cities. They do not set up shop in a vacuumand expect everyone to take them or leave them. The key to successfully solvingcommunity problems is to get as many members of that community involved andcooperating. In some instances, the Guardian Angels can act as a hub through which acommunitys divergent groups interact. In some cases, these groups may haveproblems working with each other. The Guardian Angels can act as a go-between orneutral party.

People are familiar with the term activist. It means a person who is involved in

some action for some cause. Usually, most activists simply conform to their ownagenda and mission. In many cases this approach works. These days, however, youneed to network and cooperate to gain greater returns. In fact, the very act ofnetworking and cooperating usually solves the problem by itself. The Guardian Angelsuse a term called Interactivism. We are all activists, but we believe that our goal is notonly to help solve problems for the community; it is also getting the community moreinvolved in solving its own problems. We strive to diligently work with all the communityelements to orchestrate a united front of good will and problem solving.

Organizing the Elements of a Community:

Police, Highway, and Sheriffs Department Police Commissioners

City and District Attorneys Offices

Elected Mayor, Council members, County Supervisors

Public Transit Agencies

Government Services and Agencies

Neighborhood Councils or Advisory Groups

Neighborhood Watches

Churches

Community Organizations (Coalitions, Associations, Clubs)

Non-profit Organizations (Local and National)

Businesses and Business Associations (Chamber of Commerce)

Retail

Corporations

Residents

Schools and Colleges


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Libraries

Youth and Teenage Services

Newspaper, Television, and Radio News Media

Step 1: Contact the Guardian Angels

A chapter is usually started when someone calls the Guardian Angels about aproblem in their community. If the community is located near another Guardian Angelschapter, the nearby chapter will act as a liaison in helping to open the chapter, recruit,and train members. If the community is not located near another chapter, that individualmay have to visit the nearest chapter for training. If possible, the Guardian Angels maybe able to send someone out to open the chapter and train all the locals. The GuardianAngels always try to turn residents into leaders of their own chapter. The residentsknow their community the best. Oftentimes locals are put off by outsiders coming intotheir communities and applying methods or tactics that may not work in theircommunities.

The process of opening a chapter is not instantaneous and easy. The last thinganyone wants is a chapter quickly opening and then quickly closing. Communities willsimply be turned off by the Guardian Angels and may become even more close-mindedto new solutions. We want to build solid chapters with solid foundations. We want tomake sure that the leader of the chapter is trainable, honest, dependable, level headed,and persistent. Usually, if a resident is impatient about getting a chapter started, he islikely to be impatient when he does not see immediate results. Helping to buildcommunities takes patience and persistence. There are countless obstacles andadversities. Above all, a Chapter Leader must have the ability to handle pressure andovercome adversities.

First Contacts

If you are training someone to start a new chapter, the most important quality tolook for is dependability. Do they show up on time? Do they call you as promised? Didthey clip crime-related articles in the newspaper? Did they set up a meeting with thelocal police department? Sometimes, you will get a recruit who wants to do everythingall at once. Sometimes, they are just looking for another thrill ride or flavor of themonth. Of course, some thrill seekers may well end up settling down and realizing theother benefits of the Guardian Angels.

The other two main character traits are persistence and responsibility. How welldoes this person take setbacks and adversity? Is he patient? Does he easily become

frustrated by the lack of recruits? Does he complain about no one helping him?While we like to teach recruits about the value of dependability, persistence, and

responsibility, a Chapter Leader in training must already exhibit these qualities. TheChapter Leader will be the main contact for all other recruits, and he must set theexample for them. When people join, when they think of the Guardian Angels, they willthink of him.


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Step 2: Reconnaissance & Research

The Guardian Angels will attempt to personally meet the resident and membersof the community. A Road Team will both drive and walk around with the resident toassess the type, scope, and intensity of the problem. They will also be able to assess

how the local residents feel about the Guardian Angels.Every community is unique, and the Road Team must realize this. Their job istwofold. They must educate everyone about what the Guardian Angels are all about,but they must also try to get an education about what the community is all about. Donot rely only on the one contact. Try to talk with as many people as possible. Theymay inform you about special laws and regulations, relevant political issues, histories,recent issues, etc. Also, use the Internet. To start with, visit the City and PoliceDepartment web sites.

For instance, a reconnaissance of Los Angeles led to the following information:There was a recent scandal with the LAPD Rampart Division in addition to a long historyof problems between the LAPD and minorities. In 1992 the city erupted in a riot after

white LAPD officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King, a black motorist. Also,recently, the new Mayor replaced a black Police Chief with a white one. The white onecame from New York City where he was already familiar with the Guardian Angels.There has also been a consent decree that mandates that the LAPD develop moreresponsive community relations. Each division is divided into patrol areas each with aSenior Lead Officer (SLO). The SLO is the community liaison and handles anycomplaint or issue related to that area. The LAPD also holds monthly communitymeetings for each division.

The City of Los Angeles has also developed neighborhood councils within eachCouncil district. These councils are comprised of both city employees and volunteerswho provide advice and direction for their City Councils. The City of Los Angeles is alsofacing a budget crisis that may mean less government services and a smaller policebudget resulting in fewer resources to handle crime and cleaning neighborhoods.

Contact with former Los Angeles members also provide valuable informationabout past chapters, tactics, and performance or problems.

Step 3: Proposal

All good plans start with a good, well-defined proposal. A proposal in its mostbasic form first defines a problem or need. It then proposes a plan of how to solve thatproblem or need. Then it explains how to measure the fulfillment of that need orsolution of that problem.

For example: 1. There has been a surge in gang and drug activity inNeighborhood A. This activity has become increasingly violent, and several innocentpeople have been attacked or robbed. 2. A Guardian Angels chapter will be establishedto start patrolling the neighborhood. The Chapter will also try to educate youth inschools and residents about the dangers of gangs and drug use. 3. The Chapter willattempt to decrease the number of criminal activities in the neighborhood. After it hassucceeded, it will continue to work with the community to prevent a recurrence of theproblem by setting up youth programs and regular patrols.


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New Chapter in Hollywood, CA, 2003

Step 4: Introduction to the Community

Write introductory letters in the following orderto the:

Police department

Sheriffs department

Mayors office

City Councilpersons office

County Supervisors office

Chamber of Commerce

Neighborhood business associations

Community groups

Any large complex you patrol (e.g.,

malls) Public transit agency

County school district

Youth and teen services

Universities and colleges

Try to attend neighborhood or community meetings. One of the most importantrelationships to develop is with the police department. The relationship should neitherbe too distant nor too close. The police department may want you to participate in an

auxiliary volunteer program that would make you subject to their rules and regulations.The Guardian Angels is an independent volunteer organization of citizens with nospecial authority or powers. Our purpose is to make it easy for citizens to becomeinvolved in fighting crime. If we are part of a police run program, many people may notwant to join.

It is, however, appropriate to have a police contact and provide her with reportson your patrols, activities, and objectives. It is not appropriate to provide her with a listof members and their application information. Applicant information is strictlyconfidential and only the Chapter Leader should have access to that information. Thepolice contact may suggest that you patrol or avoid patrolling a certain area. It is fine toconsent on a specific instance. For instance, they may be doing a drug bust at a certain

location, and they do not want you to spook the criminals there. Or there may be aspike in crime in on a certain block in which case, you would definitely want toconcentrate patrols there. However, you cannot be told that you are forbidden fromever patrolling or that you should only patrol a certain area.

Community members and leaders may also want to use you politically. Do notbe surprised if one elected official supports you as his idea and then a month later, hecondemns you in the newspaper as being unnecessary and dangerous. Always try tostay positive and try to be as neutral as possible. Try to avoid becoming part of an


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London, Canada Graduation2002

election campaign or part of a divisive and controversial issue. Of course, we willalways support the right cause no matter how divisive or controversial it is. Forinstance, we will patrol areas where there has been gay-bashing. On the other hand,we try to keep away from issues like abortion.

Step 5: Recruitment and Training

Start walking around areas with high pedestriantraffic. As soon as you have one recruit, start traininghim. The first recruits will most likely end up the leadersof the chapter. They also are naturally the kind of peopleto lead and take initiative. Only when you start patrollingwith four or more members will you then attract thefollowers, people who will only get involved if they seeenough people getting involved.

Try to spend most of your time either recruiting or

training. Provide new recruits with as much training aspossible, as they will likely end up training others.

Step 6: Graduation

All new chapters are on probation. There is noguaranteed time frame for opening a chapter; howeverconsistency, professionalism, and outstanding performance always help. A GuardianAngel from another chapter will visit to ensure that the new Chapter is following rulesand regulations and conducting itself appropriately. A Regional Director or higher is theonly person to authorize the graduation of a Chapter. For some chapters, it may takeover a year to graduate, however, since these chapters have persisted for so long, it isno surprise that many of them are the ones still around today.


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Step 7: Media Campaign

Write press releases to television stations, radio stations, and daily and weeklynewspapers.


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Guardian Angels Leadership Enrichment

Reading

You may have heard the phrase: Dont reinvent the wheel. It means thatpeople are doing things from scratch, because they havent tried to find out how or evenif it has done before. Manuals and books are some of the best ways to find out how or ifthings have been done before. If you are entering a new leadership position, youshould try to read a book on leadership. If you are doing crime research, you should tryreading a Criminology textbook. Throughout history, people have been putting downtheir best ideas and learning experiences into books. It is an incredible understatement

to say that a library holds a wealth of information.The main obstacles to reading are simply a disinterest in reading and not

knowing where to start. Unfortunately, for many of us, we have been forced to readthings we do not particularly find interesting or relevant. How many times do we have toread things by dead people from different cultures using very strange, odd, andoutdated writing styles? One of the most important reasons for reading is to understandour own situations and ourselves.

To re-ignite or simply ignite your passion for reading, you should start out byreading the newspaper as well as books or magazines that interest you. The more youread, you more you widen and enrich your understanding and perspective of everything.The more you know, the more you also realize that you dont know, and you learn to

open your mind up. Many people complain that they cannot read, because they simplycannot concentrate. That is like saying you cannot learn basketball, because yousimply cannot get the ball in the basket. Everything takes practice.

Reading is one of the most powerful tools we have as a civilization to progressand solve our problems more humanely and effectively. Books will teach us about whatsucceeds and what fails. Reading also makes us more compassionate, because whenwe read, we briefly enter the mind and lives of another human being. Naturally, whenwe interact with people, we also tend to enter their minds and lives.

Writing

The other side of the equation is writing. You are continually learning andexperiencing new things. Unless you can bring meaning to each experience, all ourexperiences are meaningless. Many people view mistakes and disappointments asobstacles and set backs in our path of growth and understanding. Nothing could befurther from the truth. All our experiences, whether successful or not, are meaningfuland add value to our lives. We only choose not to make them valuable and important.As you should respect all people regardless of their successes and failures in life, youshould also respect all experiences. Each one holds an important piece of the puzzle


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that adds up the entire meaningful course of our lives. While we should not forget ourfailures, we should also not dwell on them. Learn, grow, move on.

This Training Manual is the compilation of many hard lessons and learningexperiences. It will never be finished. After reading this entire manual, you should be ina position to add more value and meaning to your experiences as a Guardian Angel.

Meaning, Purpose, and Value

Some people believe that their existence on this planet is an accident or somerandom, meaningless occurrence that we have become aware of. They claim that wesimply decide to pretend that it holds some greater meaning to make ourselves feelbetter. They believe that we are basically animals that want to fulfill our own needs andinterests, and everything we do is just an elaborate disguise for our fundamental, selfishinstincts. As a result of this, these people want to liberate themselves from themasquerade and simply go directly after their own needs and interests. According tothese Marquis de Sade wannabes, laws and moral codes are only abstractions used to

control the little people.Unfortunately, what these people end up doing is extracting anything meaningfuland valuable from their own existence. By selfishly pursuing their own interests, theydevalue themselves and turn others off. One of our fundamental instincts is to helpothers and create meaningful relationships. To accomplish this, we must all pretend tobelieve in some social order and greater purpose and meaning that transcend eachindividual. When we live our lives by a moral code and serve the needs and interests ofothers, we are not deceiving or deluding ourselves. We are empowering ourselveswhen others learn to trust us and value us. At the same time we empower them.

As a Leader and Guardian Angel, your true goal is to teach others to findmeaning, purpose, and value in themselves, their lives, their communities, everythingaround them, and everything they do. You will then teach them to become meaningful,purposeful, and valuable.

guardian angels: leadership

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