Hotshots: Loyalty

more by Jason Gardner | Youth

 

Title: Loyalty

Preparation:

Three different types of sweet: 5 penny chew, finger of fudge, Large Chocolate bar. Three unpleasant things to eat in ascending order of nastiness: Piece of raw cabbage, Brussel Sprout, chunk of raw onion.

You will need one volunteer who has a friend with him/ her in the audience. Maybe secure your volunteer before beginning talk.

Talk:

Ask the question, ‘Are you someone who is loyal to your friends? Are you someone who inspires loyalty in your friends? – we’re going to find out just how loyal some of you are!’

Invite volunteer to the stage, ask them if they can bring a friend up on stage or to the front. Say to the friend:

‘Is x someone for whom your prepared to suffer a little bit of pain so that they can get a reward?’ they may not say yes immediately, so present them with the first challenge:

‘If you eat this piece of carrot on X’s behalf I will give your friend this sweet.’

Repeat this until they get the bar of chocolate. If the second volunteer backs out at any point get someone who is willing to do the dare! After they get the first volunteer gets the bar of chocolate send them back to their seat with a round of applause.

Point:

Are you someone who’s only loyal to a friend when they have something to offer you? Do you stick by their side through thick and thin? When the going get’s tough do you get up and go, and have you got what it takes to inspire loyalty in other people, so they will stick by your side whatever happens, do people believe in you?

We’re loyal to all sorts of things, family – sometimes, football teams, film stars even boy bands!

Back in the late 80’s there was a boy band you’ve probably never heard of formed by twin brothers they were called ‘BROS’
Now there were thousands of fans of BROS they were called imaginatively BROSETTES. They wore the big buckle belts white T-shirts and faded jeans that their hero’s wore.

But you’ve never heard of BROS why not? Because they could only inspire loyalty in people for a short time, a few years, then TAKE THAT came on the scene or someone better, and the big buckle belts went to the back of the cupboard.

What do you think it takes to inspire loyalty in someone that won’t last simply a few weeks, or a few years, or even a few hundred years but will in fact last a few millennia?

Napoleon Bonaparte, born in the 1700’s, was one of the greatest leaders of all time, often referred to as the greatest soldier the world has ever seen, he was the emperor of France and at one time conquered every country around France apart from Britain.

Yet great military leader as he was, he realised the loyalty that men showed him was nothing compared to the loyalty shown to one other figure from history:

Quote:

‘Alexander, Caesar and myself have founded great empires, but on what did those creations of our genius rest? Upon force. But Jesus founded his on love. This very day millions would die for him. I have inspired multitudes with enthusiastic devotion: they would die for me. But to do it I had to be present with the electric influence of my looks, my words my voice.

When I saw men and spoke to them I lit up the flame of devotion in their hearts. But Jesus Christ by some mysterious influence, even through the lapse of eighteen centuries, so draws the hearts of men towards him that thousands at a word would rush through fire and flood for him, not counting their lives dear to themselves.’

It takes a lot to inspire people to be loyal to you, bravery, perhaps intelligence, wisdom, skill – but most of all selflessness and love.

It’s over 2000 years since Jesus walked the earth but still in the 21 st century, 65,000 people everyday pledge their loyalty to him and decide to follow him.

Jesus had what it takes to inspire loyalty and love in those who followed him.

Do you lead the kind of life that inspires people to have faith in you? END

N.B  - on a cultural sensitivity point although this talk mentions Jesus the emphasis is on loyalty so most schools probably won’t mind you mentioning Christ but it maybe worth just checking with a teacher before hand.

For Further Illustration:

Film Clip: Day After Tomorrow and Vertical Limit have clips where someone sacrifices their life to save someone else. Lord of the Rings, Return of the King, has great speeches by Theoden and Aragorn – inspirin men to follow them into battle.

Powerpoint hints: Key points from talk accompanied by pictures of Bros, Napoleon & Napoleon quote.