ALiCE

Last week, along with 33 others representing 16 Illinois and Indiana churches, I attended an ALiCE training class put on by the ALiCE Training Institute.  Our church paid for and sent several of us to this two day class (plus some additional online training and testing) which educates about active shooter events in schools, churches, businesses, and other public places.  This is not something we even want to think about, but unfortunately it is reality.  There was a lot of classroom instruction by a lifelong police trainer and SWAT team leader followed by role playing/scenario training.  Our drills included donning safety glasses and helmets and the shooter coming at us unexpectedly with an air-soft gun.  It was eye opening to see our reactions even when we knew what was going to happen and that it was just role playing.  Your mind shifts to survival mode (every man for himself) and fight or flight!  Learning how to act quickly, calmly, and decisively is important. The big challenge will be how to present what we learned to the church, and how the church should prepare for this possibility.

ALiCE stands for:

A - Alert.  Be alert and aware of people and surroundings.  Alert others (and call 911) immediately if something happens.

L - Lockdown.  If evacuation is not a safe option, lockdown and fortify/barricade entry points. Prepare to evacuate or counter if needed.

I -  Inform.  Communicate real time information to authorities and people present using clear and direct language by any communication means available.

C - Counter.  As a last resort, distract/disrupt shooter by shouting, movement, throwing objects, and swarming/tackling.

E - Evacuate.  Run from danger when it is safe to do so using non-traditional exits if necessary. Rallying points (meeting places) should be predetermined.

These actions will not necessarily be sequential, and always try to have options.  The goal is to save life, including the shooter's life.

We pray that any planning and training we do will never be needed, just like we hope we never need our fire evacuation plan or our tornado response plan.

Trivia:  The first recorded United States school shooting was July 26, 1764 at a schoolhouse near Greencastle, Pennsylvania.  Four native Americans entered the schoolhouse and shot and killed the schoolmaster and nine or ten students.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch . . .

The last week of July was the big extended family vacation at Lake of the Ozarks.  It was about the hottest week of the year with temperatures hovering near 100 for the first half of the week.  A rain shower moved through Wednesday night and lowered the temps a bit for the rest of the week.  We stayed at Holiday Shores Resort.  It had a very nice conference center (with kitchen) that we rented for the whole week for our meals, games, and other activities.  The cabins all had three bedrooms and were architecturally unique.  The negative was the 100 foot rise in altitude from lake level to the top where the meeting room was.  Basically, the resort was built on the side of a very steep hill!  I read, colored, babysat, and did a little fishing.  We had a very relaxing week and most of the family was there for at least part of the week.

Our cabin from the back side.

We spent a lot of time trudging up and down stairs.  This photo is from the dock up to the first level of cabins (there were three levels).

A group photo with most of the crew rounded up.

A week after we were home, we had some really nice weather.  On Sunday evening we decided to head to Glen Oak Park with the kids and grand-kids and take in another band concert.  Here they all are with the exception of Jack, who was exploring, and Jake who was in Iowa.

Here on the farm, we have been hauling manure, walking soybeans, spraying weeds, and taking care of pigs.  I have been going to some summer farm meetings and some field days.  We moved a fresh batch of pigs out of the nurseries and into the hoop buildings last week.

I attended our church's annual Brotherhood Conference in Roanoke, and then Jon, Marshall, and I spent a day driving down to Centralia to visit Phil. We were thankful to find him in good spirits and doing as well as can be expected.
B-I-L Ed was here from California, so while Peggy was visiting her sister in Michigan, we took Ed to the State Fair in Springfield.  It was a very hot, humid day, so it was hard to stay interested in anything for very long.  We watched some livestock and horse judging, watched a harness race, and stopped at the beekeeping booth and had some honey ice cream.  We moved through and saw what we wanted, ate some fair food, and at about 2:00 we left and headed to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.  Their air conditioning was working very well!

The famous butter cow at the fair.  Sculpted fresh each year from butter, the cow has been the unofficial mascot of the State Fair since the 1920's.

We met the Lincoln family, and then observed some of the current politics.

CaseIH asked if they could use our wheat field to do some demonstrations for a customer group.  They showed up with four tractors and six pieces of machinery.  They usually offer us some free tillage work afterwards for the use of our field.  We had already spread some manure on the field, but it didn't seem to bother them!

And finally, our little old country road has been upgraded.  The township added stripes down the middle of it.  We have finally made the big time!

Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Isaiah 7:15