How do you become a Ranger?

[robrob]

Btw, congrats to C.F.M. who passed her training and became a Ranger this year!

Training was fairly fun and informative and the Mentoring process is well run. All told, I would consider it a very positive experience and reccomend anyone curious check it out. Looking forward to getting to work in earnest next year.

[C.f.M.]

Gosh, thanks. After seeing what a big deal it is, I actually do feel pretty proud about being invited to join the khaki ranks. It's a lot more than just signing up for a shift.

I gained an entire new level of respect and admiration for what Rangers do and deal with in BRC. Holy moses. "Thank you Ranger!" (though I'm prone to holler "Rangers are sexy!") takes on a whole new meaning.

And I don't even think two years of Rangering and off-site learnin' could prepare me for Green Dot! That is definitely a special, amazing breed of people.

Now to the important stuff: I have a lot of khaki to cover up, people, send me patches and shit!

[ranger magnum]

Sign up online. Select a ranger training near you (if you are anywhere in CA, opt for training at the Integratron; its amazing). Or you can train on playa or on fourth of juplaya.

The training is about 7 hours long. During the training, you go over rules and proceedures. After that you go through an excercise where experienced rangers act out various scenarios, based on what you may (or may not) actually encounter on playa. You then "Ranger" the situation, based on what you have learned during the training earlier in the day.

Anyone who has been ranger for two years can skip the morning training altogether, or go for green dot training.

Once you complete the days training, you sign up for your mentor shift on playa. During the mentor shift, you walk a 3 hour shift with 2-3 other Alphas and your mentor. Then you return to HQ, and head out with different Alphas and mentor for another 3 hours.

Then its nail biting time. While the Alphas wait, the mentors discuss amongst themselves the experiences they had with the Alphas. When they return, those who didnt make it are quietly told they didnt make the cut. The rest are told they made it, and are given their khaki shirts and hat.

Without a doubt, its the best experience I have had on playa, and has enriched me beyond all expectations. I have made some incredible friends while rangering, and it gave me a totally different perspective on life on the playa.

[robrob]

I was hoping that someone on the eplaya who has gone through the training or knows about the training could answer my question as everything else I have read is more about what Green Dots do.

These are publicly available on the ranger website:

Green Dot Training Manual:
http://rangers.burningman.com/wordpress ... l_2010.pdf

Green Dot Training Scenarios:
http://rangers.burningman.com/wordpress ... s_2010.pdf

[Sail Man]

Join the Army?

[Mojojita]

ibdave, maybe you belong with us at Black Rock Spatial Delivery. Delivering mail/packages on the playa is a lot like Rangering, but without the sobriety.

Fuck Cap... I'm Sober.. is there no group that will have me???

I bribed them to turn you down so I could have you all to myself at Greeters! (Sinister chuckle)

[JaronK]

Does anyone know what is involved in Green Dot Ranger Training?

I have read the Ranger website and know that Green Dots have to do the General Ranger Training as well as the Green Dot Training. Is the Green Dot Training the equivalent to the Mentor "dirt" training that the Regular Rangers do? Or is it something in addition to "dirt" training?

Thanks,

Green Dots are Rangers who are specifically there for longer term mental issues... things like people dealing with breakups, bad drug trips, and more serious counseling, the sorts of things that make take hours to work through and work with (in addition to their normal duties telling people where the porta potties are). It's not a step above Dirt Rangers so much as it's a step sideways... you can be a Dirt Ranger and a Green Dot Ranger at the same time (or you can specialize even more). Think of it kind of like a special team, chosen from Rangers who already have the aptitude for it, and a designation that the other Rangers can use so they know who to send in for that sort of thing.

You have to have been a Ranger for two years before starting with the Green Dots, and you have to do a special training.