With your confrères in order, it's now time to start recruiting the Templars. Begin by downloading the template below entitled Templar Prospect List. This document will allow you to keep track of all of the young men you've invited and their contact information.
And don't forget to ask your fellow confrères and pastor to contribute their suggestions as well. You will likely have many of the same names, but we can't be too thorough.
Once your list of names is close to complete, ask your parish secretary to complete the remaining data fields (e.g., Parent Name, Parent Email, Address, etc.). You will need this information later on.
Since we are working with minors, we always try to overcommunicate with their parents. That's why we created two resources to ensure every parent receives the necessary information:
- Chaplain to Parent Email Template: this template lays out the details of the Win Event/Small Dinner (which we'll touch on later in this stage).
- The Parent Info Sheet: Meant to be included as an attachment to the template above, this document serves as a great primer for parents who have likely never heard of Templars. Moreover, it lays out the time commitment that the Templars will make on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
The process of inviting your parish's male teenagers to join the Templars chapter is twofold:
- In-Person Invitations
- The Invitation Letter
Oftentimes, confrères will divide the list amongst themselves, each choosing the young men that they know best. Your pastor is more than welcome to extend each invite himeslf after Mass. Again, every parish is different. The goal is that each young man receives an intentional invitation to join the Templars Chapter.
That said, we tend to discourage bulletin announcements or broad invites from the ambo. Templars is - by its very nature - selective; and we want your team of confrères to take time to select the right candidates to join the chapter.
We recommend pairing the in-person invitation with a personalized letter to each prospective Templar. Beyond serving as an additional touchpoint, this letter provides essential details about the Win Event/Small Dinner (discussed next) and creates the impression amongst the prospective Templars that "Father rarely sends mail, so this must be important."
You will find a template and an example of the Inviation Letter below.
At last, we've arrived. This is where all of your recruitment efforts will come to fruition (and finally make sense). 😉
The approach to recruiting Templars will differ from parish to parish. We've recommend two approaches that work best:
Consisting of a series of small dinners hosted by the confrères and/or your pastor, this approach is gradual momentum-builder that requires less preparation than the Win Event.
Ideally, the prospective Templars you perceive to be natural leaders and capable of forming the "core group" for the Chapter would be invited to the first dinner. They would then invite other prospective Templars to the next dinner with the end goal of recruiting up to 8 young men to officially form the chapter.
Best for hosting a large number of people, the Win Event is designed to propel your chapter forward with one big push. This approach works best when you expect 10 or more Templars to join your chapter.
Like the Small Dinners approach, it's important to communicate the event details to the parents and Templars. You may also need to reserve a meeting room at the parish.
Once you've picked the best approach for your chapter, go ahead and check the corresponding checkbox.
Regardless of the approach you select, it's important to cast the vision of Templars and emphasize the service that these young men can offer to their individual parish and the universal Church.
As you detemine a date for your Win Event/Small Dinner, bear in mind that you'll want to schedule your Inaugural Chapter Meeting within 1-2 weeks. This ensures that no momentum is lost amongst the Templars and that you won't have to restart your outreach.
Can parents attend the Win Event/Small Dinners?
Yes. Parents can certainly attended Win Events. We strongly encourage you to invite fathers and sons as it creates a powerful, fraternal environment. But if mom really wants to come, she's more than welcome. 😉
How do Templars officially join our chapter?
In the Launch Kit that you received, you will find a pack of QR code cards. When scanned, this code will take you to https://www.templarsorder.org/signup. Make sure that each prospective Templar receives one of these cards before the event concludes.
Once a Templar has signed up using the QR Code, their parents and your pastor will be notified via email. Their sign up will also trigger an order for a Welcome Kit to be sent to their home address. You can see who has signed up to join your chapter by referring to the table below.
| Name | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading Brother Templars... | |||
| Name | Address | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading Parents... | |||
