Here are some of the more frequent items we are asked.  If you don't see what you need, just click here to contact us!

 

What does the name and logo mean?  

• The name POLESTAR means 'centrally focused'!. The North Star (Polaris) is the centrally located star in the northern hemisphere----and therefore is known as our pole star.  As  a Christian organization we want to point to our spiritual pole star, Christ.....and have selected the North Star as a representation of the cross, which is our "centrally focused mission".

 
Why did you think it should be a 501(c)(3) Low Income Corporation? 

• We have had many people ask the question "How can I get involved?"  There are 3 main ways,  one is to donate time in helping us develop our leased lands, or two, donate time in helping us mentor the kids, or three, to donate money, materials, or useful products.  Since our mission is to train kids in conservation practices, outdoor education, and Christian principles, any gift will qualify as a tax deductible donation.  POLESTAR-OUTDOORS also qualifies as a 501(c)(3) because it provides free public services to the participants.

You say your program teaches hunting skills, hunter ethics and Christian principles---what does this mean?  

• As our mission statement emphasizes we are about teaching youth life skills and getting them to focus on the true meaning of life.  We use outdoor sports to do this.....specifically hunting and fishing.  We believe to be a good, ethical sportsman one must learn techniques to maximize success and enjoyment....POLESTAR-OUTDOORS  believes that the Mentors and Youth need to focus on our role in nature and apply Judeo-Christian principles  to our conservation practices, ethical  use of resources, and overall appreciation of nature.

 
How can I get involved? 

• The obvious ways are donations of time, money and material supplies......but you might also want to get involved by serving on boards/committees or even starting a chapter of your own (see STARTING A NEW CHAPTER page of our Main HQ website by click here).

How are Mentors selected? 

• Mentors are selected by the directors of the program.  They must go through evaluations as far as hunting and fishing skills and knowledge of the laws, willingness and ability to contribute to the activity they are involved in (ex.-provide transportation, maybe use of some personal equipment such as fishing poles, shotgun, or rifle...etc.)  Further, they are required to sign an authorization for a complete background check (ex.-police records that might impact our decision)  The final step is to check with appropriate clergy to see it there are any known reasons why a potential mentor should not be authorized to work with youth.  (We do not ask for specifics- only if the clergy feels comfortable with the person in that role).

How long is the commitment on the part of the youth and/or mentor? 

• Each mentor knows that the commitment to the program is for 1 year, but if everything goes well they usually like to stay with the kid for 2-3 years.  The youth commitment is for one season (may be 3-6 months) but they know that if they want to stay in the program they can.  We want the program to be an easy in-easy out situation for the youth as we are trying to introduce youth to outdoor activities and the enjoyment of hunting and fishing. However,  if somebody discovers that they aren't  interested we want them to be able to exit easily without any stigma.

What support does POLESTAR-OUTDOORS provide the Mentors?  

• POLESTAR-OUTDOORS provides the mentors, approved hunting and fishing venues.  For instance, we lease (or landowners donate) large tracts of land for hunting.  These areas are managed by POLESTAR-OUTDOORS for specific wildlife by planting food plots, providing watering facilities, etc. (Upland birds, deer, etc.)  POLESTAR-OUTDOORS also makes available equipment such as Blinds, rifles, meat processing, etc.

• POLESTAR-OUTDOORS provides training to the mentors in areas of field skills, hunter ethics, and techniqes of sharing your Christian testimony with youth, in the selected venue. We have developed a series of questions for the mentors to open conversations concerning God's creation, Christian ethics, conservation and management vs. preservation, etc. etc.

 
Is there a financial outlay required on the part of Mentors? 

• Yes, but these are usually minimal.  For instance, most of our activities can be conducted within a short driving distance, but the mentor does provide his/her own transportation and in some instance, also provides field lunches, lures, use of camo's, etc.  This is a very individual matter and we will help in any way we can to make this a non-issue.

 

What (if any) equipment do you provide the youth and/or mentors? 

• We haven't been able to do much in the past, but we are trying to build up a better inventory so we can be more helpful.  By virture of our target audience, we are dealing with youth who have had no field experience so they come to us with minimal 'gear'.  We want to be able to provide some clothing, maybe 'user' firearms and fishing equipment, ammo, etc.  We prefer to keep this very basic, but help the youth have a good experience as we are all about teaching them how to become lifelong outdoors people.  Many of our youth come without warm jackets, good shoes, rain gear etc. and hopefully one day we will be able to help them and thus maximize the enjoyment of the field experience.

 

Who identifies the locations and field practices for the program?

•  This is done by the Founders and Board of Directors.  Mentors are required to follow our lead.

 
What do landowners get out of participation in the program?

• Why would a landowner want to get involved?  This is a very exciting aspect of the program.......landowners get a great sense of satisfaction from seeing the youth use their land.  They appreciate our strong teaching emphasis on landowner respect, respect for private property, hunter safety, hunter ethics, etc.  Landowners are an intregal part of the program and most want to help youth.  

  
What are the liability issues for landwoners, mentors and program directors?  

• This would depend on where you are operating.  The general rule is that the landowner liability is the same as if he/she were to allow any sportsman onto their land, so there is no increased liability.  As far as mentors and directors are concerned POLESTAR-OUTDOORS needs the industry standard "errors and omissions" insurance protection. Every mentor must have normal vehicular liability insurance to transport youth.  

 
Do you have a lot of other programs that dove-tail into the basic hunting and fishing programs?  

• Yes, while fishing, small game, game bird and big game hunting are our primary focus we do have several other youth oriented activities going on. We are planning to offer training in areas such as wilderness hiking, camping, proper fire starting/maintaining, etc.   All training is done with a Christian ethic and principle taught.

How can I get a copy of POLESTAR-OUTDOOR'S Articles of Organization, Operating Agreement, and/or Financial Statements?  

• We will be more than happy to provide a copy of these by email or "snail" mail.  Simply request by clicking here to contact us!