Indian Lake Middle Schools students started their week off on an inspiring and enthusiastic note Monday, Oct. 6, with a special presentation and some important life lessons from the Before the Badge program’s visit to their school.
The new initiative was developed by recently retired Pastor Gary Brown in partnership with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, as a way to reach pupils “before the badge” arrives. Before the Badge was rolled out at ILMS this week, and future presentations are planned for later this month at Riverside Schools, Benjamin Logan Middle School and Calvary Christian Schools.
“We want to reach students in their formative years in Logan County, to inspire, to inform and to enlighten them,” said Pastor Brown, whose 45 years in ministry has included serving as the lead pastor at the Bellefontaine First Church of God for 20 years until his May 2025 retirement.
“We want to share with the students the truth about people in authority, themselves and others. We want to be a positive influence for them.”
“The idea is to reach out to students ‘before the badge’ is there, before there is any sort of trouble,” Sheriff Randy Dodds explained. “We want to get out in front of any potential issues.
“It helps the kids to think of the consequences of their decisions, and lets them know that law enforcement is there to help them.”
Monday morning, the ILMS fourth- through sixth-graders learned about the importance of authority figures during the interactive session, which had students on their feet for some of their time in the gymnasium.
Volunteers came up front to play a game just like “Simon Says,” except it was called “Sheriff Says,” with students either obeying commands or not, based on whether the “sheriff says” to complete a particular task. An interactive Before the Badge T-shirt toss was part of the activities as well.
Pastor Brown, who’s currently the chaplain for the sheriff’s office, and also has volunteered as a chaplain at Mary Rutan Hospital and the Bellefontaine Fire Department, told the pupils that authority figures include anyone from their parents and guardians to their teachers, coaches, principals, and law enforcement and judges. While they are under the authority of these individuals, authorities like Sheriff Dodds and Logan County Family Court Judge Natasha Kennedy, both of whom assisted with the session, each have their own authorities they have to answer to.
The speaker told the students while the misconception is that people in authority, “are there to catch us if we misbehave,” he said that’s not their main emphasis.
“Those in authority don’t want to punish people; they don’t enjoy it. We should have a different perception of people in authority. They want to honor you and open doors for you…they want to offer you opportunities, and that comes when we listen to what our parents, coaches and teachers have to say.
“It’s going to honor and bless you when you listen and follow the rules as you go about your day.”
During a Before the Badge demonstration, the pastor and chaplain pulled on a striped T-shirt to put himself in another role in which he serves the community — as a referee. Then he selected a group of students to play a three-on-three basketball game.
At a certain point during the game, a foul was committed, but the referee didn’t observe it and the player likely felt slighted. However, he urged the students in this situation to “continue to do good, even when you don’t see the reward immediately,” he said. “The good consequences will come your way if you stick with it.”
Judge Kennedy further encouraged the students as they parted for the day to “remember that Lakers are leaders. Doing what’s right isn’t always easy.”
Pastor Brown recently developed the curriculum for Before the Badge by interviewing about a dozen local professionals, including deputies, dispatchers, next generation pastors, educators and administrators.
The format of the sessions includes about 30 minutes of engaging the students with interactive games and prizes, followed by a 15-20 minute talk about the topic of the day.
The sheriff’s office provides prizes for the youths and staff member support, including the involvement of School Resource Officers employed through the LCSO. K9 Tega and his handler Josh Core will be part of future sessions as well.
Back at ILMS, another Before the Badge session is planned for seventh- and eighth-graders in the upcoming months as well.
