Whenever you see a group of people sharing the same vision and serving the same purpose, united in a common goal, they make a team. A clique excludes....a team embraces.  A team embraces those individuals who share that same belief in order to further the goals of the team.  A clique serves the individuals.  A team serves a higher calling.  Ask your team, "What is your vision and what do you see as your purpose?" A clique says you can't be a member unless........ a team says this is our vision and if you share it, tell us what your strengths and experiences are and we will find a place for you. We will train you. We will give you the opportunity to serve.

The experiences that bind a group of people also have a tendency to create closed environments, surrounded by walls of distrust. If this is a problem effecting your recruiting abilities, then I would suggest assigning a guest to one member who is a "people" person and who allows that guest to shadow them during the training.  That person can advise the guest about the team's
vision, mission, purpose AND all the hard work that goes with helping the team is accomplish its goals. The member can explain training requirements, time commitments, financial commitment and the realities of dog training. Most importantly, the member can get a good feel for the guest by practicing active listening techniques.  Just opening up the avenue for communication will eliminate the negative appearance of a clique and replace it with the team concept.  If you look at each visit as a public relations event then you will do what is necessary to project a professional image.  This will go a long way toward furthering the mission of the team.

Now, I am not saying openly embrace all people and offer them a home. I am a firm believer in a mandated background check on each individual including requiring them to fill out a detailed application that includes their arrest history which is confirmed through criminal record's checks in the applicants state of residence. You don't want something to surface that could embarrass the team and bring credibility into question for the L.E. agencies that utilize your services. What I am saying is the importance of the first appearance cannot be overstated. Even to the citizen who really has no clue as to what your team does and once informed decides that this was a little bit more than they were able to handle. That same citizen might support the team in other ways, including spreading the word of the financial burdens resulting in corporate or philanthropic sponsorship.

Jonni Joyce