This outline incorporates the This Dock Rocks! DVD, which contains clips from the Crocodile Dock field test. Your Station Leaders will enjoy seeing Crocodile Dock in action. Be sure to include Crew Leaders in your training so they can better understand their role. The DVD is filled with helpful, practical tips to make Station Leaders and Crew Leaders the best staff around. Plan to meet for at least two hours.
Bayou Crew Leaders are like older brothers and sisters in the Bayou Crew family. They aren’t responsible for teaching, and they don’t have to prepare anything. Bayou Crew Leaders can be teenagers, college students, parents, or grandparents. They need only to love the Lord and love children. For more information on recruiting, see the Recruiting section of the Ultimate Director Go-To Guide.
Bayou Crew Leaders should plan to participate in Crocodile Dock for the entire adventure. If they need to be absent one or more days, encourage them to find their own substitutes.
Fill in your program’s dates and times on a Crocodile Dock Giant Outdoor Banner (available from Group Publishing or your local Group supplier). Display the banner in a prominent outdoor location. (Now you have a choice when you select your banner! You’ll find three different banner designs—choose the one that works best for your church!)
Hang Crocodile Dock publicity posters (available from Group Publishing or your local Group supplier) in your church and community.
Show the “Church Buzz Builder” segment of the This Dock Rocks! DVD during a worship service or other church gathering. This brief segment gives people a glimpse of how Crocodile Dock works and what kids will learn at this awesome VBS. You’ll find that the video helps build enthusiasm, recruit volunteers, and promote attendance for your program. Be sure to follow up the video by telling the congregation how excited you are about the program!
Refer to the “Crocodile Dock Daily Supplies” master supply list in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. (Note: Some stations may not require all the supplies listed, since Station Leaders can choose which activities they would like to do.) Consult with Station Leaders to inform them of how you’ll handle supply collection. Will you gather all supplies, or will each leader gather his or her own supplies? You may want to ask church members to donate food supplies (such as whipped topping and cookies) or easy-to-find items (such as decorations).
The average VBS program runs for up to three hours each day. Group’s Crocodile Dock materials have been developed with these parameters in mind. For a three-hour program, Sing & Play Swamp Stomp and Firefly Finale should last 25 minutes each, and every other station should last 20 minutes. See the daily schedules in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide to see how this works. If your program will meet for more or less time than three hours each day, you’ll need to adapt these times accordingly.
4 Weeks Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Recruit additional volunteers.
In addition to Station Leaders and Bayou Crew Leaders, you may want to recruit volunteers to help with registration, transportation, and child care for the staff. Refer to the Recruiting section for more ideas.
Get your congregation excited about Operation Kid-to-Kid™.
Check out the Operation Kid-to-Kid section of your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide to find easy ways to get everyone involved with this mission project.
Continue publicity.
Mail Crocodile Dock invitation postcards to children in your church and community. Distribute Crocodile Dock doorknob danglers in your neighborhood. Write your church’s name and when your Crocodile Dock will begin. (Invitation postcards and doorknob danglers are available from Group Publishing or your local Group supplier.) Be sure to direct people to your Crocodile Dock website for easy registration.
Continue preregistration.
Photocopy the Crocodile Dock registration form in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. Insert copies in your church bulletins, distribute copies in Sunday school classes, and keep a supply in your church office. Encourage parents from your church to preregister their children and their children’s friends. (Remember, when families register online, they’ll automatically be put into crews, making your job even easier.) This will make your first day more manageable.
Hold the scheduled leader training meeting.
Plan to meet in a large room where you’ll be able to try out some Crocodile Dock snacks and activities. Before the meeting, set up a TV and DVD player, and decorate the room using the suggestions provided in the staff training outline in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. Bring the Station Leader manuals, Crew Leader Pocket Guides, and photocopies of the “For Bayou Crew Leaders Only” handouts from your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. (Crew Leader Pocket Guides are available on the Clip Art and Resources CD.)
Meet with each Station Leader.
It’s a good idea to touch base with each Station Leader on a one-on-one basis. Take each person to lunch or out for ice cream or simply go for a walk together as you discuss what supplies the leader needs, what concerns he or she may have, or any aspects of the program that are not clear. This will not only prevent miscommunication but also help your volunteers know how much you appreciate them.
Provide Crocodile Dock information to your church office.
Fill in your church’s information on the community flier in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide, and photocopy a stack of completed fliers on bright-colored paper to put in your church office. Someone in the office can refer to the fliers if people call with questions about your program and can distribute fliers to people who stop by the office.
If your church has a phone answering machine, you may also want to include Crocodile Dock information in your recorded message. If your church has its own website, be sure to add Crocodile Dock information there, too.
2 Weeks Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Check your registration count.
Visit your Web Toy Box for an instant registration count. Make sure you have enough Gator Guidebooks for each child to have one. Order extras just in case; many churches experience last-minute additions, first-day surprises, and unexpected increases as kids bring their friends throughout the week. Also double-check that you have enough Bayou Crew Leaders, assigning one Crew Leader to five children.
Check your supply collection.
Make a final announcement, or put a final supply list in your church bulletin. Gather or purchase additional supplies as necessary.
Continue publicity.
- Send copies of a news release to your local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations. Use the snazzy clip art found on the Clip Art and Resources CD Set to create fliers, bulletins, posters, newspaper ads, and more. This CD works with both Macintosh and personal computers.
- Announce Crocodile Dock in worship services and other church gatherings. Put bulletin inserts in your church’s worship bulletins.
- Before your worship service, have a few volunteers perform the publicity skit in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. Show the “Church Buzz Builder” segment of the This Dock Rocks! DVD again.
- Mail additional Crocodile Dock invitation postcards as necessary.
Make backup and emergency plans.
What if it rains during your program? Plan in advance how you’ll handle bad weather. You may also want to line up backup Bayou Crew Leaders in case some drop out. Inform Station Leaders and Bayou Crew Leaders of procedures to follow if there’s a fire or other emergency.
1 Week Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Dedicate Crocodile Dock staff.
Introduce Station Leaders, Bayou Crew Leaders, and other volunteers during your church service. Then have your pastor or other church members pray that God will use these workers to touch kids’ lives with his love during Crocodile Dock.
Assign kids to Bayou Crews.
If you’re using your Web Toy Box, this step can be done with the click of a button! If not, photocopy the “Bayou Crew Roster” page from your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. You’ll need one roster for each crew. Using the preregistration forms you’ve received, assign children to elementary and preschool Bayou Crews. Each Bayou Crew should have no more than five children and one adult or teenage Bayou Crew Leader. Be sure that each preschool Bayou Crew has a mix of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old boys and girls. Here are some additional guidelines for assigning crews:
- Fill in Bayou Crew rosters in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide in pencil—you’ll probably make changes as you work.
- Whenever possible, place a child from each age level in each Bayou Crew. If the age distribution at your program is uneven, include as wide an age range as you can. Guarantee success for everyone involved by not forming single-age Bayou Crews.
- Include a good mix of boys and girls in each Bayou Crew.
- If a child is bringing a friend, assign the two children to the same Bayou Crew, if possible. If a child is bringing several friends, assign pairs of kids to different Bayou Crews.
- In general, it works best to assign siblings to different Bayou Crews. However, you know the children in your church. Use your judgment as to whether siblings should be together
- If you anticipate behavior problems with certain children or have children with special needs, assign them to Bayou Crews that have more experienced adult Bayou Crew Leaders.
- If you have children who are particularly helpful or cooperative, assign them to Bayou Crews that have teenage Bayou Crew Leaders.
- If you want your program to have a strong outreach emphasis, limit each Bayou Crew to three children. Then encourage kids to fill their crews by bringing their friends.
- Remember to leave open spaces in a few crews for kids who haven’t preregistered. Your goal is to make sure each crew contains only five children.
- After you’ve assigned elementary-age children to Bayou Crews, assign each crew to one of four larger groups. (Remember, one-fourth of the kids at VBS travel together at a time.) Label these four groups A, B, C, and D—or use your creativity to name them something that fits the Crocodile Dock theme, such as Muskrats, Turtles, or Mosquitoes. Bayou Crews travel with their larger groups as they visit the stations each day. For more information about assigning Bayou Crews to groups, see your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide.
- Once you’ve finished assigning crews, double-check that you haven’t forgotten anyone or double-booked anyone.
Meet with Station Leaders again.
Check with leaders to make sure they have all the required supplies, and answer any questions they may have. Work together to smooth out any last-minute details.
Decide when and where Station Leaders and Bayou Crew Leaders will meet each day.
It’s a good idea to have your staff arrive early on Day 1 to greet children and assist with registration. Be sure each Bayou Crew Leader has a large sign with his or her crew number or crew name written on it.
Help Station Leaders decorate their rooms.
Use the decorating ideas found in the colorful VBS catalog or leader manuals to turn your church into a swamp that’s hopping with fun critters. (Be sure to check out www.groupoutlet.com for the hottest decorations around…at bargain prices!)
During Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Meet with Bayou Crew Leaders during Sing & Play Swamp Stomp.
Each day the Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Leader will excuse Bayou Crew Leaders for a quick huddle and prayer with you outside the Sing & Play Swamp Stomp area. This is a great time to ask Crew Leaders if they have any needs or concerns, to make last-minute announcements or schedule changes, and to encourage your Crew Leaders. Lead a prayer, asking God to bless your day, protect everyone, and give all leaders wisdom as they work with each child.
Register new children.
Make sure you have plenty of workers on hand to register kids the first day. (This is an excellent way to use volunteers who aren’t available to help the entire week.) Set up separate registration sites for preregistration check-in and walk-in registration. Follow the Day 1 registration procedures outlined in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide. After Day 1, maintain a registration table to register kids who join your program midweek.
Meet with Station Leaders and Bayou Crew Leaders after each day’s program.
Check in with all Crocodile Dock staff to see what went smoothly and what could be improved for future days. Be prepared to change schedules, rooms, or procedures. You may even need to reassign some Bayou Crews. Work together to make any necessary changes to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Give announcements during Sing & Play Swamp Stomp or Firefly Finale.
During the course of the program, you may need to change schedules, stations, or Bayou Crew assignments. You also may have personal messages or lost-and-found items to deliver to participants. Each day check with the Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Leader and Firefly Finale Leader to schedule any announcements you would like everyone to hear.
Attend Sing & Play Swamp Stomp and Firefly Finale each day.
These opening and closing activities will give you a good indication of how your adventure is proceeding. They also provide opportunities for children to see you and to identify you as the Director. Each day, the Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Leader may call on you to pray before dismissing kids to their stations. Besides, you’ll have fun!
Peek into as many stations as you can.
We visit a variety of VBS programs every year, and we’re amazed at how many directors don’t really know what’s happening in the stations. While you don’t need to hover over the kids or make your Station Leaders nervous, it’s important to know that leaders are following your guidelines.
Help your staff be the best it can be.
Your helpful presence will let staff members know that they’re not alone. This is also a good time to make sure they’re following the program so it will be powerful. Remember, Station Leaders need to follow the leader guides, because each station plays an important role in children’s overall learning experience.
Make sure all Station Leaders and Bayou Crew Leaders are present each day.
Arrange for substitutes, if necessary. If you’re in a pinch for Bayou Crew Leaders, ask the Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Leader and Firefly Finale Leader to fill in—or appoint yourself Crew Leader for a day.
Make sure Station Leaders and Bayou Crew Leaders have the supplies they need each day.
Have a runner available to collect or purchase additional supplies, if necessary.
Help with discipline problems as necessary.
In Crocodile Dock field tests (and from real programs across North America), workers encountered virtually no discipline problems. Each day was so full of fun Bible-learning activities that kids didn’t have time to misbehave. Combined-age Bayou Crews encourage kids to work together instead of squabble, and minor problems can be handled by Station Leaders or Bayou Crew Leaders. So your job is easy!
Stock and maintain a first-aid site.
Keep a good supply of adhesive bandages and first-aid ointment on hand, along with phone numbers for local clinics and hospitals. You may also want to keep photocopies of kids’ registration forms near your first-aid site. You can use the forms to check for allergies or other health concerns. Be sure to tell your Bayou Crew Leaders of any allergies or special needs, too.
Keep an eye on Bayou Crews.
You may notice that some Crew Leaders just aren’t tuning in to their crew members and you need to reassign a few volunteers to more suitable jobs. Or if a Crew Leader is struggling with a group that suddenly grew, split the crew into two more manageable groups. A “heads up” attitude will make this VBS experience the best for each child involved.
Prepare Crocodile Dock completion certificates.
Photocopy and fill out a certificate for each child. A Crocodile Dock completion certificate is in the Starter Kit, and additional certificates are available from Group Publishing or your local Group supplier.
Send the memories home!
We’ve heard it again and again: “My kids can’t stop singing those songs!” Plan to provide (or sell) Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Music CDs for the kids at your program. Set up a table, complete with information on how to obtain Sing & Play Swamp Stomp media items, outside your Firefly Finale area. Check out the reduced prices in the VBS catalog. (One church we visited already had them available at the registration table on the first day.)
After Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Collect reusable leftover supplies.
Store the supplies in your church’s supply closet or resource room for use in future VBS programs or other children’s ministry events. If you borrowed supplies such as pool noodles, buckets, or CD players, return them to their owners.
Send your Operation Kid-to-Kid Comfort Critters and The Survivors books to International Bible Society.
For more information, see the Operation Kid-to-Kid section of your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide or visit www.ok2k.org. The Firefly Finale Leader may have these from the Day 5 program.
Leave rooms decorated for your next church service.
If outreach was an emphasis during Crocodile Dock, you’ll be pleased when visitors from your VBS program come for church. They’ll feel more comfortable returning to a familiar environment. Also, church members will enjoy getting a glimpse of Crocodile Dock.
Follow up with Crocodile Dock visitors.
Mail Crocodile Dock follow-up postcards or mailable Follow-Up Foto Frames® (available from Group Publishing or your local Group supplier). Encourage Bayou Crew Leaders to make personal contact with the members of their Bayou Crews within two weeks after VBS. Use the additional follow-up ideas in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide.
Report on your program.
During your next worship service, invite Station Leaders, Bayou Crew Leaders, and kids who attended Crocodile Dock to share their favorite VBS experiences. Encourage kids to display their Bible Point crafts. You may even want to invite the Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Leader to lead everyone in singing one or two favorite Crocodile Dock songs. When others see how much fun VBS can be, your recruiting will be a breeze next year! In fact, they may even sign up for next year’s VBS on the spot!
Present a slide show or video, or post photos from your program.
Just show all the Spotlight Drama presentations back-to-back. (The work is already done!) Kids (and their parents) love seeing themselves on the “big screen.” And colorful photos will bring back memories of a terrific time at Crocodile Dock. You may even want to burn a CD of all the Spotlight Dramas to give to families.
Meet with your entire Crocodile Dock staff to evaluate your program.
Celebrate the best VBS ever! Make written notes of good ideas that could be used for next year’s program. Note any problems that came up and how they were solved. Brainstorm ways to avoid similar problems in the future. Include notes of how you adapted the Crocodile Dock materials to fit your church. Record the names of Bayou Crew Leaders and Station Leaders who are interested in helping again next year. Post the “Join the Team!” handout (in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide), and allow interested volunteers to sign up for next year’s program. (You’ll be surprised at the number who will!) Bring the Crocodile Dock evaluation forms included in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide, and have staff members fill them out.
Thank your staff members for all their hard work.
Check out www.groupoutlet.com for fun, affordable staff surprises. You could even hand out balloons, flowers, or baked goodies to show your appreciation.
Fill out the Crocodile Dock Evaluation.
Fill out the online VBS Director’s evaluation at www.group.com/vbs. This helps us plan for the future.