How much time do Sponsors have to allocate?
Time is a finite item, and there is only so much of it that anyone has to allocate to their own needs and desires. The amount of time you have available should be considered when taking on this role. Sponsors who are currently serving DOLLS will confess that sponsoring is absolutely a time commitment, especially if you are facilitating a 5 Main group with big dreams and visions for their chapter. Certainly, a sponsor has the freedom to veto any plans of the chapter’s, but experience has taught us that the more available a sponsor is to allow the student leaders to execute their ideas, the more successful the chapter is as a whole. If time is a concern, consider finding a couple of other teachers who would be willing to take on the role alongside you. This will divide the responsibilities, thus making the task of sponsoring more manageable for all parties involved.
handling and organizing activities for a group of young women
Regardless of the size of the group, retention will be based on the perception by members that the activities of the chapter are fun and meaningful. For this reason, DOLLS encourages its student leaders to engage their members in regular fellowship opportunities, including events and weekly meetings. For our sponsors this means they may be facilitating multiple events throughout the year. This will require her to communicate with vendors or event sites, communicating details of the events with parents, and keeping the 5 Main team accountable to their responsibilities in preparation for the events.
Christian Denomination Knowledge
DOLLS is a interdenominational organization. Many of our student leaders have been raised in only one of those particular denominations and may not understand the distinction between issues that are considered “Absolutes” of Christianity versus issues of “Convictions” that commonly divide people of our faith into different denominational affiliations. For example, some denominations will believe in infant baptism while others will argue vehemently against it. When the 5 Main script their devotionals for the meetings, they are required to send those devotionals to the sponsor for a prior screening before the meeting. This will allow the sponsor the opportunity to point out any areas of the devotionals that, when spoken about, need to be taught as denominations “convictions” rather than the “absolutes” agreed upon by all denominations of Christianity. This is necessary to maintain a unity amongst the various denominations represented in our meetings