Have you ever wanted to be in a club or support the military? The Military Club is for students who want to join or just to support the people that have joined the service and give thanks to them.
There are 20 kids involved in the club, with 12 who come to the meetings regularly. All the kids attend the functions they have. The sponsor is Jeremy Lee, who said junior Emily Pierce helped him get the club up and running.
Pierce, along with students Sydney Durbin, Noah Lee, Mackenzie Volez, approached Lee about starting the club when he came off orders last December. He said they came into his classroom during lunch and asked if there was something they could do to support the military.
“I got to thinking and we started it to help kids who are interested in going into the service,” he said. Lee has friends who are in two or three of the different branches, who know the benefits and the how-tos.
While Lee wanted to help those kids, he also didn’t want to shut the door on the kids who just wanted to support the military or just be a part of something. He said it's important to learn at a young age to respect and care about the past. “Without the military, we wouldn’t be who we are,” he said.
He added that the military, through history, has been in every part of the country's development. “I want kids to realize when they are looking at the guy walking through town with a Vietnam vet or Gulf War vet hat on his head, that he served and did things that need to be recognized and honored.”
The club participated in the Veterans Day Parade and got first place for their float. Other activities include a chicken barbeque and honoring the staff that are veterans with a small gift and handwritten letters from the club. Upcoming events include a trip to Wisconsin to stay in a World War II submarine and they are also going to visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the Veterans Museum in OshKosh, WI. When they get back from that trip, they will be doing their holiday cards for veterans and the residents in the nursing home.
Freshman Gracee Shocke said she wanted to join the Military Club because her grandpa was in the Air Force. He was with the security police which means he watched over the bases and planes. After he retired from the military he joined a canine unit and became a police officer. Shocke plans to go into the service to honor her grandpa and her dad. Military club is important to her because the club makes her feel like she has a purpose and she enjoys being in the club.
Freshman Kai Calvin said he joined the club because he wants to join the military and his sister is in the service. Calvin said he enjoys being in the club because “it’s fun and we do things related to the military.” He said being in the club is important because it helps him meet people who are planning on joining the service that can help him on his career path.
Junior Mackenzie Voelz said she joined the club because she wanted to meet new people. Voelz said her cousin is in the army. She enjoys being in the club and feels it is important because she gets to meet new people and learn things about the military. Her favorite thing they've done this year is the parade.