The 8th Annual Camp
Minuteman Is History
And A Splendid Time Was Had By All!
By SPC Charles Ames - Posted Aug, 1999
The Washington State Guard hosted the 8th annual Camp Minuteman in August at Camp Murray, near Fort Lewis, Tacoma WA. Parents watched longingly as their children ambled off without a backward glance to make new friends on the first day of this great Summer camp experience. For many this was their second or third camp. Many others were new, having heard of this great mid-Summer event from siblings or friends.
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"This will actually be their first time away from family," said one Guardsman whos two daughters attended this years camp. His hope was that the two would team up to ease their homesickness woes, and that was exactly what happened.
"I just wanted to give them an opportunity to meet other kids, do other things and do something constructive with their summer."
Most of the volunteers that produce this camp are members of the Washington State Guard, a constitutionally recognized volunteer organization, made up primarily of retirees from the National Guard and other military services, who continue to support the Army and Air National Guard.
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Here are just a few highlights from this year's activities. There were tours of the Tacoma Art Museum, the Capitol in Olympia, the Unit Training & Equipment Site (UTES) on Fort Lewis (to get a look at Mom or Dad's other "car", and the Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF), also on Fort Lewis to check out the "choppers".
There were guest speakers with presentations from Mt. Rainier National Park, D.A.R.E., "Learn Not To Burn", and an anger management class.
But, hey!, it is Summer - and Camp Minuteman was in top form with all of the normal camp functions you'd expect: sports, swimming, crafts, storytelling, and, of course the part where the kids meet that "new best friend they'll love for life".
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Sidney Katz’s is a familiar face around Camp Murray - he's one of our Security Officers. His son, Alex, attended this year for the first time. "Last year, when I was doing patrols, I saw that the kids were having a lot of fun! I'm trying to make a better young man out of Alex, a better citizen." As A Security Officer, Sidney is pretty a pretty serious guy, and he's equally serious about raising his son. "During the Summer, everybody just sits home and watches television. This way, he's here a week with other kids and interacting." The camp focuses on teaching citizenship and uses some military style discipline as teaching tools.
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Kristy (17) and Tim (18) were the "old war-horses" of this years camp. Both have attended the camp since its beginning eight years ago! Now they help run the operation. Tim is a Counselor and Kristy is Head Counselor. "I like coming back and seeing people I saw from the year before, counselors and campers, and see all the State Guard people", says Tim. "I like working with the kids; it’s a lot of fun. I don’t get to do it that much, other than here. It’s a good experience."
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This was Kristy’s first year as Head Counselor. She really involves herself in the camp as much as she can. "It really tore me up to see the kids go home the first year. I really bonded with them and suddenly they’re leaving. After the next year, I realized the good ones are coming back." This year she was responsible for more than 50 campers and a dozen other counselors. She makes an effort to learn every campers name.
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This year, Kristy won the Washington Army National Guard Achievement Medal, a first for any Camp Counselor. "The responsibility is great. I like making the kids feel like they’re having a good time at camp; making sure that they have a lot of fun. I tried really hard to get them involved in things." Kristy’s administration would have to be called a success.
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Jennifer Clement, 12, is from Puyallup. Her siblings are advised not to get on Jennifer’s bad side now that she has gone to camp. She's shaping up to be a real trooper. "What I liked best about camp was making new friends and learning about the Army; going on tanks and stuff."
Getting some kids to comment to this camp experience can be trying. This year, kids seem anxious to brag about counselors and events… like Bryan Yale, 11. This is his third year. When asked how many friends he made, his response? "Too many to count. Camp was very fun; I was looking forward to it. We did a lot of really fun things… and I really liked the swimming." Bryan was voted "Best Camper" (Male).
Timothy Bartol, an 11-year old camper from Everett, intimates why it was easy for the campers to get up. "You think it's boring, because you wake up at 6:00. When you wake up at 6:00, you feel happy… and what really wakes you up is the cannon going off!"
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MAJ George Heart is the Public Information Officer for the State Guard. "This is my 5th camp and this was the most smooth-running camp I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with… probably because we had a lot of counselors return, and campers also. We had no 'Drop On Requests' (troublemakers). I gotta give a lot of credit to the Counselors."
General John York, the Commander of the State Guard, agrees with that assessment. "They knew what to do and what was expected of them. Of course, with the support we get from the Army Guard and the Air Guard, and with the staff that I had, it makes me proud to have this success."
If parents require any further assurance that their happy campers are receiving top-flight care and guidance, MAJ Heart mentions off-handedly that the Washington State Guard was recently awarded the Superior Unit Citation from the State Guard Association of the United States for their involvement with the Camp Minuteman program. This is the first time the award has ever been bestowed. The Camp Minuteman Staff was recognized for donating over 10,000 hours between 1992 and 1998 to organize and run this popular camp.
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This year the City of Tacoma's Department of Public Utilities presented the Washington State Guard Camp Minuteman program with a community grant for National Guard members who, for financial reasons, could not send their children to attend camp in August 1999.
If you missed this year's camp you can bet we'll be running one again next Summer!
See ya there!
About Camp Minuteman...
The camp is targeted for 10 and 11 year-olds, but exceptions are made. It's intented for the children of members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard, the Washington State Guard, the Washington Military Department and the Washington Emergency Management Division (but there's a little wiggle-room there too!)
Camp Minuteman is sponsored by the Washington State Guard and uses no state or federal funding. A registration fee is collected for each camper, but limited assistance is available in the form of 'camperships'.
They are looking for help - cooks, youth counselors, drivers, etc. If you would like to help out, or would like more information about Camp Minuteman or the Washington State Guard, call COL Emory Lehman (WSG) at (253) 512-8268, or COL Dave Olling (WSG) at (253) 512-8702, or e-mail Emory using this link.
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