Dear Commanders,

I am sending you the following e-mail to update you on the ministry of the Royal Rangers in the North Texas District. All of the major events that are on the calendar are all still going to being occurring. Over the past fews weeks I have met with key personnel who run the various events and they are making the necessary steps to make these events happen. The Children's Ministries office is getting things in order to help facilitate these events. Jeff Kersey is passing on all the information for our Great Texas Pow-Wow and all this inforamtion will be sent to all the districts by the end of next week. Please begin to make plans to attend these events and register early.  May North Texas lead the way in registrations.Sammy Kellum is working on finalizing all the plans for ART and so this is well along in it's process. Also we will be having a major planning meeting coming up for the RR District Staff and Randy Woods will be making you aware of these details. Also occurring with the help of various Ranger leaders is the upcoming All Church Ministries Conference at SAGU on March 3rd. Commanders will be teaching various courses to people who will be attending the conference.

When it comes to the process of selecting a new DC here is what has taken place as well as what is going to happen. First we sent out a RR questionaire to all of the Divisional RR commanders as well as the FCF staff. We waited for their responses. Then we sent out the same questionaire to all of the commanders who are attached to the RR website. We have received some responses but we would like to have a greater participation in the process. Over the next two weeks we will be contacting some of those whose names who have been mentioned to see what God is saying to them. Out of those names we will be setting up some interviews with the District Executives and myself and then someone will be chosen out of those who have been interviewed.  Hopefully this process, the Lord willing ,will be completed no later than the end of February.

I would like to say it was great seeing many of you at the conference this past weekend. The word that was shared on Friday evening by Commander Marsh summed what Rangers is all about. The prayer time at the end of the service was a wonderful time as well.  I am sorry I was unable to be there for Saturday but I had to attend a conference in Branson beginning that weekend.

Finally, I wanted to share something with you that I encountered in my devotional life this week. In Matthew 14:16 "Jesus said, they do not need to go away, you give them something to eat." May it be said of the children that God gives to us that we never send any of them away but that we fed every last one God sends into our fold. I know this year God is going to send us boys and men who need something to eat and may God help us feed everyone of them. The harvest is plenteous and God wants us to reach, teach and keep everyone of them.

I appreciate each and everyone of you and I am here to serve you. If you have any questions at all don't hesitate to e-mail me or call the district office. You all are greatly appreciated and I am praying for all of you everyday.

In His Service,

Duane Swanson