I will leave this article here for a few days and then move it over to the sidebar as a reference item. Click on the link below to read about young school shooters and their
interest in the military. This is a good website - NNOMY.ORG and it reminds me that I am not the only one. Peace is possible.
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The Marine recruiter came to "help" with the 3 PE classes for the high school. Remember, this is a small rural school with 30-40 kids per grade. This was his 3rd visit in 8 school days to this small rural school with only 30-40 kids per grade. The next school down the road has 400 per grade. Why is he not fishing in a bigger pond?
I went to the school with two friends of mine and here is what we saw: I did not take this video, someone with me did. It is not your typical PE class calisthetics. This "exercise" has on person on the ground, face up, and other public school students on each side and they are to drag the inert student in the middle. Yes. Just like in a war movie. Yes. Just like in boot camp. Except that this is in public school. They also had students carrying other students across their back and walking for 25 feet or so. Kinda like you would carry a wounded comrade in a move. Or in Afghanistan, or in this public school when the Marine recruiter is the teacher. The physical education class was led by the Marine Corps RECRUITER and his assistant was a graduate from this small rural school who had joined the Marine Corps. I do not think either of those two have a degree in physical education.  Here is the recruiter's first visit ever to the small rural school on May 13th. He is demonstrating the proper "ammo" can lift.I do not have a photo of the recruiter when he was back 3 days later to help with the school clean-up day. He said he would be there to help in the morning and then do the Marine Corps Fitness exercises for students in the afternoon. He got confused and only helped with the clean-up and did not follow through with the afternoon activities. So, the video above is from when he was back once again to this small rural school on May 22nd to run the PE classes. Bonus! Turns out that this recruiter has a lot of time on his hands to woo this small rural school district and the students as he showed up at the high school graduation to hand out awards on June7th. To recap: 1st visit ever by this recruiter to this school - May 13 2nd visit - May 16 3rd visit - May 22nd 4th visit - for graduation - June 7th  His job description is not Ambassador for the Marines. His job description is RECRUITER.  The recruiter's handbooks tell them to ingratiate themselves with the faculty and staff at schools. This guy is by the book.|
But, I am not buying it. Just to be clear. Today was a scheduled Marine Corps recruiting session at the small rural school where my kid goes . I got there 15 minutes early and darned if they had not arrived and checked in 1/2 hour before that. The head recruiter got briefed by the principal about me and given the "list" of what they can and cannot do. This list of administrative rules regarding recruiters only exists because I worked hard to make it so. There were no rules before me.  The head recruiter asked me how I was, and I replied, "Great," and asked in return how he was. He said he was tired because he was up late talking to people and telling them truthful things about joining the Marines. Yes, HE SAID that. They had an "ammo" ( I am not certain that an "ammo" box has any place in a public school...) box that was filled with sand and got young boys to sign a waiver to see how many times they could lift it over their head in two minutes. Why? So if the kid does a certain amount of lifts, - he - or she will get a "prize." I am not kidding! A prize. A Marine lanyard. A Marine keychain. A Marine poster. You, dear reader, and I, have paid for these prizes with our taxes. Kids fell for this big time. The waiver they sign incidentally gives their contact info. The head recruiter told them that if they check the "no-contact" box he will not call them. Right. I bet some other recruiter will. Get this: THIS FRIDAY is the school community clean up day. The same head honcho recruiter is going to VOLUNTEER to help. That is now 2 recruitment efforts in less than 2 weeks. But WAIT. There is MORE! Next week the same head recruiter will be back to teach all the high school PE classes via the "Marine Corps Youth Physical Fitness" program. That is a recruiting program spelled out clearly in the Marine Corps description of the program. So now that is 3 Marine recruitment efforts at this small rural school where there are only 40 kids per GRADE. ****************************************** Oh, yeah.... The head recruiter also stopped the band teacher in the hall to ask if he could come talk to the band about the Marines - cause the Marines have the oldest band and .....yadda yadda yadda. I looked at the online school calendar yesterday and there, on the 22nd of May is something called, "The Marine Corp Fitness Challenge" listed for ALL students in the 9-12th grades.
Huh? I see it as a back-door recruiting session that ALL the kids HAVE to go to. I composed the following letter and emailed it this morning to the Superintendent and the Principal and the (only) school Councilor: I would like to know more about what this Fitness Challenge is and what does the "challenge" part of it entail. Are there rewards for students who "pass" such a challenge? Are the parents of all the 9-12th grade children aware that the PE class on that day will not be solely conducted by an Oregon State licensed PE instructor? I would expect that, like a field trip, that there would be a signed parental form for all the students who want to participate, as this is not a regular part of the curriculum. Do you think the school district is more liable to have non-staff adults mingling with the students? I wonder if the Fitness Challenge Adults have been vetted by the Gaston School District to be in close contact with students. Are the Fitness instructors Marine recruiters or do they hold a different type of job in the Marines? Do they have specific physical education degrees that are directed towards children aged 12-18? I will take my son, Arlo out of school early that day as I do not believe he needs to participate in any type of military "challenge." I am looking forward to your reply. This is rather interesting.
The military was PAYING for recruits. The official military recruiter, who by law, could not be paid cash for kids to be recruited, could sign up "assistants" who got paid cash for recruits. I read an article about the investigations going on that even mentioned that public school principals and councilors were turning in names of potential recruits for cash. . Here is a link to the story in the New York Times I keep a sharp eye on the school calendar as the school has implemented a policy that ALL recruitment visits, be they college or military, are to be listed online at least 2 weeks prior to the visit.
A couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I double checked the calendar and there was a Naval Academy presentation that got added to the calendar a mere 5 minutes before it was to begin! I make it a point to be on campus for any military presence and I could not be there on 5 minutes notice. I contacted the school right away and the councilor and the the principal got back to me to explain that it was an oversight and not an intentional action that would have prevented me from being there for the presentation. Do I believe them? ********************************************* Here is a great video that I just watched. I like the idea that children can be solicited to go to a college and if they change their minds during the course of that commitment - they can move on. Not so with the military. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kcz7NFrPUg0 Pertinent Cartoon! I no longer protest in front of the school each morning. I no longer pester the principal and councilor and school board about policy changes. I accept that I got the most egregious actions changed at this school district.
However, I still go and sit and "monitor" the military recruiters when they come soliciting. That is my part time job. I like it. I have to go less and less as time goes on. This is my 4th year of being a "monitor" and each year fewer and fewer military recruiters opt to travel to this small rural school district. Go figure. I still have strong feelings that children should not be solicited for any future endeavors that they cannot get out of, if they change their mind. I mean, you and I likely have the option of looking for another job, or car or spouse. The military does not give children that option. I plan on being the "monitor" for years to come. It does not take too much of my time, and as a friend told me, "You may be saving many lives here and around the world." I had to think about that and I admit she may be right. I would totally suggest that anyone who wishes to save lives, go be a "monitor" at your local public school. Thank you. Two local friends went with me to see what a Marine Youth Physical Fitness Challenge looks like at a small rural school. The Marine recruiter, who may or may not be qualified as a physical education teacher, had with him, a student who graduated last year from this small rural school, who has joined the Marines, as a designated "helper." The recruiter also had a senior student from this school who appears to be a Marine recruit, as this is the second time he has worn his Marines t-shirt and "helped." The PE teacher from the school told kids that if they did not want to participate, that they could sit out. Several girls went to sit on the grass. The Marine recruiter handed out a "waiver" for the children to sign, in case they were to get injured.  How can a child possibly be legally liable to sign a medical release form? This is really
It is a written procedure at the small rural school that my kid goes to, that when an armed forces recruiter makes an appointment to come to the school to recruit, that the district puts the recruitment visit on the online calendar. That took me about a year and a half to get that policy in place. I have often found it odd, "how" the recruitment visit is listed on the calendar. Sometimes it says something like, "Navy Visit" or just "Marines." For the first time, there is a recruitment visit listed for next week, and instead of "visit" - it is listed as "Marines Recruitment." Hoorah! Truth in advertising this time. What is odd about this Recruitment listing on the calendar, is that the Marine recruiters were at the school on March 18th. So this next Recruitment visit is less than 35 school days from the last visit. What could this mean? This is a very small district with maybe 40 kids per GRADE in the High School. That is slim pickings by anyone's standards. Are they that desperate to solicit children or is there another motive? My motive is always clear. I go to the school each time an Armed Forces recruiter is there and I sit in the classroom in my official capacity as the "military monitor." Hoorah! Once a Military Monitor, always a Military Monitor. | AuthorI am a mom. ArchivesOctober 2014 CategoriesAll |
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