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Randy Beach proposes 'Grandpa Bear Guardian' volunteer program to support school safety and student mentoring
Summary
At the Citizens Forum, resident Randy Beach asked the Lake of the Woods School Board for permission to begin forming a 501(c)(3) called 'Grandpa Bear Guardian' to place vetted older volunteers in school halls as mentors and extra eyes on safety and student support.
Randy Beach presented a proposal at the board's Citizens Forum on Sept. 22 to form a volunteer organization called the "Grandpa Bear Guardian" program that would station vetted volunteers — described as "grandpa bears" age 50 and older — in school hallways to mentor students and help monitor campus security.
Beach said the group would be organized as a separate 501(c)(3), with its own insurance and payroll if necessary, and would include background checks and training in first aid, CPR and emergency evacuation procedures. He cited recent student suicides and a hoax threat that prompted a lockdown as reasons he believed the district needs extra adult mentors and additional eyes on campus.
The proposal would have volunteers circulate hallways, talk with students and act as a point of contact for students needing someone to speak with. Beach said the back of volunteer shirts would read "ask me anything" to encourage students to approach them. He said the initial plan allows for a single paid coordinator only if funds were raised to support that role; otherwise the group would be entirely volunteer-run and independent from the district.
Board members and other attendees asked clarifying questions about scope and safeguards (who would supervise conversations with students, how parent involvement would be handled, and the relationship to school social workers). The meeting record shows Beach emphasized that parents would be part of any conversations with students and that the program was intended as a mentoring and security-adjacent presence rather than as a disciplinary authority.
The board did not take formal action on the proposal during the meeting. Beach asked for permission to begin organizing and pursuing 501(c)(3) accreditation; the board heard questions and offered to provide information about existing school security responses and internal procedures. A separate district staff debriefing process for lockdowns and teacher-led in-classroom debriefs following incidents were described by staff during the Q&A.
Next steps: Beach requested board approval to begin nonprofit paperwork and recruitment; the transcript records no formal vote on the proposal at this meeting.
