Written by Neal Eckerlin, WyldLife Representative of the
Southwestern Division
Sometimes we continue do things at club because we’ve always
done them but we often forget the purpose and how to make certain club
components effective. One example – the raffle! The raffle is fun and kids seem
to like it, so we keep doing it. But it’s important to regularly ask ourselves
why we do what we do. Is this a good club component for middle school kids?
Yes! The raffle has the potential to be one of the more meaningful and key
components to your WyldLife club.
The Raffle’s Purpose
- Highlight kids just for showing up! The raffle gives us an
opportunity to notice kids who are not the most outgoing or great at games or
activities. - Middle school kids LOVE it! When a middle school kid wins a
raffle prize there often is genuine joy and excitement. Many kids have never
won anything before. - You can use it to motivate kids to listen. Middle school
kids are excitable and “squirrely” when they get over-stimulated at club. The
raffle can help with crowd control. - If kids are listening when you need their attention, you can
give those kids extra tickets - Use the raffle to give kids boundaries. If they can’t listen
when they’re asked, the raffle can be cancelled or they aren’t eligible to win.
The Raffle’s Effectiveness
- Simple prizes work great!
- Candy
- 99-cent store toys
- It can help you do contact work.
- Raffle off Jamba Juice with a leader
- Raffle off lunch with a leader for a kid and two of their
friends - Raffle off an item to be used with a leader
- Frisbee – set up a time to play
- Homework help
- Nail polish to paint nails with kids
- Have a lot of items so more kids can win.
- Hand out tickets during club not before because kids tend to
lose them.
The raffle can end up being the highlight of club for some
kids. Utilize it to impact your relationships with kids and their club experience.
