Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE

Purpose:

• To illustrate how individuals demonstrate trusteeship.

Introduction:

1. Draw one heart in the middle of five pieces of newsprint. Scatter the five pieces of newsprint around the room so that small groups can gather around each piece.
   
2. In the middle of the first heart write “Random Acts of Kind¬ness.” In the middle of the second heart write “Individual.” In the middle of the third heart write “Team.” In the middle of the fourth heart write “Organization.” In the middle of the fifth heart write “Governance.”
   Note: You may want to combine two areas and only have four
   hearts. Examples of combinations include “Random Acts of
   Kindness and Individual” or “Team and Organization.”

Lecturette:

Refer to previous activities and discussions about trusteeship, as defined in “Who You Gonna Call,” “For the Good Of The Cause” and “Holding In Trust.” Lead the group to explore individual trusteeship and how this happens in your community.

Start discussion with why people choose to serve. This helps get participants in touch with motivation and the benefits of service. Chart their answers, then set the stage with statements like, “We are often asked the difference between leadership and trusteeship. A simple formula is Leadership + Caring = Trusteeship. A leader is a person who influences others and positive leadership is the process of helping people do the worthwhile things they want to do. Trusteeship follows when a sense of caring is added to the leadership role: caring for the people being led and caring for the common good.

“When you put your heart into leading then you are acting as a trustee. That’s trusteeship! There are many ways that community trusteeship can be demonstrated. Five categories help us think about how we are trustees in our community.”

Point to the five pieces of newsprint around the room, or if space is limited, on the floor. Give a brief explanation of each category.
Note: Review the five categories in order for participants to begin to see how the categories build on one another.

Categories of Community Trusteeships

I. Random Acts of Kindness

Definition: Acting in a caring way towards people who least expect it. It focuses on how you live your life and treat people in general.

Read the article, “Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty” found at http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideald=1277. Ask for examples from the group. Add these under the definition on the newsprint.
Examples:

• Smiling and saying hello to people.
• Opening doors for strangers.
• Picking up trash left by others.
• Contributing a few cents to the person at the grocery who is short of change.
• Helping a person with disabilities by carrying books or opening a door.

II. Individual

Definition: Direct service that individuals provide to others. This fills needs through actions or contributions. Ask for examples from the group. Add these under the definition on the newsprint.
Examples:

• Getting groceries for an ill neighbor for the month.
• Contributing money to a cause you support.
• Writing your Senator or Congressperson about a cause in which you believe.
• Asking a new student at your school to eat lunch with you.

III. Team

Definition: Direct service done by a group of individuals who organize informally to fill a community need. Ask for examples from the group. Add these under the definition on the newsprint.

Examples:

• Neighbors pitching in to clean up the neighborhood.
• Individuals working together to sandbag an over¬flowing river.
• Letter writing campaign against destroying a historic property by the neighborhood association.

IV. Organizational Trusteeship

Definition: Organizational Trusteeship is volunteering time, talent and dollars to an organization with which you are affiliated. Ask for examples from the group. Add these under the definition on the newsprint.
Examples:

• Being a member of a community or neighborhood organization whose mission is to improve the community.
• Being a Peer Mentor or Tutor at your school as part of the Peer Counseling Program.
• Being a member of a philanthropic organization such as SADD, Youth As Resources, 4-H or Scouts that raise money and volunteer to fill community needs.
• Being a member of a high school football team that decides to rake leaves for elderly people in the neighborhood.

These forms of trusteeship are usually done as a com¬munity organization. The organization comes together with a common purpose and works together to accom¬plish service to their community.

V. Governance

Definition: Governance involves Board members, or those in charge of an organization, who give their time, talent, dollars and energy to an organization so it is healthy, strong, and able to serve community needs. Board members are in decision-making roles for an entire organization. Ask for examples from the group. Add these under the definition on the newsprint.
Examples:

• Serving as a Board Member of an organization (like Boys & Girls Club, Girl or Boy Scouts).
• Serving on an Advisory Board of a high school.
• Being a Class Officer.
• Being an officer of an extra-curricular organization.
• Being a homeroom representative of Student Council.

Activity:

1. Divide the group into five small groups.
   
2. Explain that the five sheets of newsprint represent each cat¬egory of trusteeship. Ask each group to gather around one piece of newsprint. Facilitator may need to display definitions of each category so participants can refer to them as they move to each new category.
   
3. Ask groups to list all the ways that demonstrate how trusteeship appears in that category. After three minutes, blow a whistle to signal each group to rotate to the next newsprint. Ask them to read the previous group’s examples and add their own.
   
4. Repeat this process until each group adds to each heart. Keep the pace fast when rotating. Let the groups informally review each sheet.

Variations/Options:

1. Give each group have a different color marker to make a record of each group’s contribution.
2. As they read the previous group’s list, draw a little heart by those examples that they have done or seen other young people do.
3. Select one or two groups to give an example of the category of trusteeship. Try to get them to share personal stories behind the examples given.
4. Consider having credit-card size cards printed with “Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty” on one side and the organization’s logo on the other.

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