Military Officer - March 2008 - (Page 41) chaptersinaction Hopkins, a former F-100 fighter pilot who flew 303 combat missions in the Vietnam War, brought a flight helmet for students to try on. Other members used photos, airplane models, and other memorabilia to bring military history to life. “Now these sixth-graders know who’s a veteran and why we honor them,” says Hopkins. “Some veterans wear their uniforms to the schools, and some don’t,” says Runyon. “I usually bring in a flight helmet and a tailhook and talk and answer questions about being a Navy pilot.” students,” says chapter member Lt. Col. Bob Trimpl, USAF-Ret. Adopt-a-Kid/Adopt-a-Vet In April 2001, the Lancaster (Pa.) Chapter established Adopt-a-Kid/ Adopt-a-Vet. Since then, members have visited 30 schools in Lancaster County and have spoken to approximately 6,500 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students, says chapter member Lt. Cmdr. Biddle Whigham, USNR-Ret. During the first part of the program, students interview veterans. Several weeks later, the veterans return for a special program in which students present what they’ve learned in the form of skits, songs, poems, posters, and awards. “The kids will come up and tell us that they learned freedom is not free,” says Whigham. “It’s wonderful to know they learned that from us.” Bringing history to life The White River (Ind.) Chapter’s Veterans in the Classroom/Defending America’s Heritage program is in its eighth year. Members teach students in eighth grade through college about 20thcentury wars and military customs, culture, and history. But the best lessons are imparted by veterans who describe the sacrifices they made to protect the freedoms Americans enjoy. “The response from the [students] has been positive, and the thank-you notes from the teachers lead me to believe they enjoy the presentations as much as their Instilling patriotism Many chapters participate in programs that teach students about the military and what it means to be a veteran. These programs help chapters foster patriotism in their communities and provide children who often don’t encounter servicemembers with a positive impression of the military. “We have some Reserve units around the Green Bay [Wisc.] area,” says Col. Dal Wood, USMC-Ret., of the Military Officers Club of Northeastern Wisconsin Inc. “But for the most part, the kids here don’t have a clue about the military.” Last year, Wood and 10 other veterans from his chapter visited De Pere Middle School in De Pere, Wisc., where they taught students about the role of the armed forces and the contributions and sacrifices veterans have made for our country. Students participated in a lively question-andanswer session and then recognized veterans at an appreciation ceremony. Citrus County (Fla.) Chapter members also speak to area students as part of the county’s “Veterans Appreciation Week.” According to Chapter Secretary Lt. Cmdr. Gary Runyon, USN-Ret., the chapter has spearheaded the program for the past five years, and the number of classroom lectures has grown from 85 to 152 in that time. Speakers come from the chapter and other local veterans’ groups. “Give Me 10!” Quarterly Awards THE 2007 “GIVE ME 10!” CAMPAIGN was a rousing success, with more than 3,200 new members recruited for national MOAA. Although the final results for the 2007 campaign still were being calculated at press time, MOAA staff were able to determine the last set of quarterly award winners. To recognize their hard work, each quarterly award winner will receive an incentive check for $250. The winners are Northeast: Virginia Council of Chapters, 192 new members recruited; Southeast: Florida Council of Chapters, 36 new members recruited; Midwest: Texas Council of Chapters, 133 new members recruited; West: California Council of Chapters, 32 new members recruited; and Independent chapter (not served by a state council): Heartland of America (Neb.) Chapter, 27 new members recruited. The 2008 Give Me 10! campaign launched Jan. 1 and will end Dec. 31. Be sure to visit the Give Me 10! Web site (www.moaa.org/ givemeten) throughout the 2008 campaign and find out where your chapter and council stand in the competition. This year, we hope to recruit 3,000 new members for national MOAA and chapters. With your continued leadership, we can achieve that goal. MARCH 2008 MILITARY OFFICER 41 http://www.moaa.org/
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