Even in cases where a DRE is serving, a senior RP can provide that vital link between civilian and military   to   coordinate   the   program.   In   this function,  the  RP  is  not  acting  as  the  DRE, chaplain, or curriculum instructor, but rather as one  who  enables,  one  who  provides,  one  who monitors, one who assists, one who informs, and one  who  evaluates. SPECIFIC  TASKS  INVOLVED  IN COORDINATING   RELIGIOUS EDUCATION   PROGRAMS There   are   four   specific   tasks   related   to coordinating religious education programs. These four  tasks  are  addressed  in  the  following  sections. Assisting the Chaplain in the Recruitment of Volunteers In   order   to   have   a   continuous   religious education  program  to  benefit  military  members and their families, volunteers are needed in every facet  of  the  program.  Volunteers  who  assist  in  the operation of the religious education program not only are helping the students but also, in a very true  sense,  are  benefiting  the  Navy. It  is  established,  then,  that  volunteers  are needed.  But,  will  they  show  up  in  droves  to  set the   religious   education   program   in   motion? Hardly.  If  even  one  lay  person  would  volunteer through  a  sense  of  service  or  loyalty,  then  that would  certainly  be  a  banner  day  for  the  Command Religious   Program. Volunteers  should  be  made  fully  aware  of what  they  are  being  asked  to  volunteer  for.  For example:  “A  volunteer  is  needed  to  teach  the Protestant  Sunday  School  curriculum  during  1986 to the 4- and 5-year-olds. Curriculum analysis may be   involved.   Logistical   support   and   teacher training  will  be  provided.” Sometimes  lay  persons  who  are  fully  qualified and   available   to   volunteer   for   any   facet   of the  religious  education  program  are  reluctant to  offer  their  services  because  of  previous unpleasant  experiences.  For  example:  “I  volun- teered to serve as Sunday School secretary at our last duty station because I had done that in our church  back  home.  Little  did  I  know  that  there was  much  more  to  it  than  keeping  attendance records.  After  a  couple  of  weeks  I  was  tasked  with teaching the high school class. If they wanted a teacher,   why   didn’t   they   say   so   instead   of misleading   me?” Since there are frequent transfers of personnel, the recruiting effort must be a continual process. If possible, substitute teachers should be identified as  well.  Illnesses  of  teachers  or  leave  periods  must be  taken  into  account,  and  alternate  teachers  may be  needed  or  some  classes  may  have  to  be combined  for  a  session  or  two. The actual recruiting, interviewing, and assign- ing  of  volunteers  are  functions  of  the  chaplain. However, the RP can greatly assist the chaplain in  the  identification  of  prospective  volunteers. This can be accomplished in the following ways: The  chaplain  may  choose  to  conduct  an actual  survey  of  command  personnel  and  their families, at which time the need for volunteers can be   emphasized   and   talent   searches   can   be conducted. The chaplain may choose to distribute a command  religious  program  questionnaire,  such as  the  one  shown  in  figure  6-4. The  chaplain  may  seek  volunteers  from responses made on pew cards available at religious services. The chaplain may emphasize the need for volunteers  at  welcome  aboard  briefings. If a survey is ordered by the chaplain, the RP should check the results of any previous surveys. In   order   to   have   a   worthwhile   program   of religious education, assigned personnel and their families  must  be  aware  that  a  program  exists  and that a chaplain and RP staff are present to make the program function. Target areas for a survey should  include  all  work  spaces  and  all  family housing areas. On a survey, the leading RP should accompany  the  chaplain  to  record  survey  infor- mation.  Many  questions  concerning  any  facet  of the  Command  Religious  Program  could  be answered  by  these  two  individuals  working  in tandem. It should be remembered that the chaplain’s key  function  in  the  recruitment  of  volunteers  is to elicit a religious commitment from individuals. This  function  should  not  be  conducted  by  RPs, because it relates to the chaplain’s responsibility as  a  member  of  the  clergy. Individuals   who   may   be   thinking   about volunteering to assist in the religious education program  should  be  permitted  to  state  their preference for the areas in which they would like to  serve  rather  than  being  “pushed”  into  a 6-12