Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54By YM/Sgt. Jake Flynn Upstate (SC) I have always worn my uniform proudly. I feel that it exemplifies our mission and the importance of community service.Every Friday night before drill,I shine my boots, iron my uniform, and ensure I am ready for a great in- spection. I’ve never asked my parents for help with this task, because I realize it is my responsibility to represent Upstate Young Marines (and myself). What I did not realize is that others are watching me, and the uniform says a lot about who I am, and what I do. After participating in a Veterans Day Event at the Upcountry Mu- seum as part of the Color Guard for Upstate Young Marines, I came home, changed clothes, and started helping my mom clean the attic at home. Our doorbell rang. I did not know the lady at the door, but my Dad quickly called me down- stairs. A neighbor we had never met before commented on seeing me in my uniform on a routine basis and informed me she needed help moving a television and some other furniture. I smiled and told her I would be happy to help. I gladly helped her and came back home. I couldn’t help but wonder why she came to our door ask- ing for help when there are more than one hundred other houses in our neighborhood. After talking to my parents, I realized that the uniform, our Young Marines uniform, let our neighbor know that I was trustworthy, hardworking, and someone she could feel confident asking for help. I hope others are watching me, too. I am proud to help others, serve their needs, and be a part of our community. I am proud to wear our uniform and represent our unit. Never underesti- mate the power of the uniform and always know that others are watching. Represent the Young Marines well! A Few Thoughts About the Power of the Uniform By YM/MGySgt Gaige Guyer-Scott North Knoxville (TN) I recently interviewed a local community service provider, David Sweany. Mr. Sweany volunteers with a youth organi- zation called Royal Rangers. Royal Rangers is a program for young males from Kindergarten age to the completion of high school. The main goal of this program is to mentor young boys into men for Christ. Mr. Sweany informed me that the program was started in 1962 by God’s church because there was a need a for boys to be mentored because many groups did not teach about God. There are also different levels of advancement throughout the program based on age. Mr. Sweany is very dedicated to the Royal Rangers, having volunteered with them since October of 1995. I asked him what interested him to help with Royal Rangers, and he re- sponded that he has always loved working with kids and teenagers. He said his passion of working with youth in foster care began while he lived in Colorado. Sweany said his per- sonal goal in this program is to give the kids an understand- ing of their basic relationship with Christ. He said that while he sometimes questions whether or not he is an influence on the boys, it’s rewarding to see the boys when they are older and they remember things that he taught them.Over the past 21 years of volunteering with Royal Rang- ers, Mr. Sweany said he spends at least 200 hours with the boys every year. He said that his favorite thing to do with the boys is to get them out of the church and bond. Some of the activities they do include camping, fire craft, rope craft, first aid, and archery. Mr. Sweany loves the time he spends mentoring and says he plans to continue doing so. An Interview with a Community Service Provider The Cross Roads (TX)Young Marines were in full swing in celebrating this year’s 241st Marine Corps Birth- day Celebration. The Cross Roads Young Marines were the official color guard at the American Legion post #430 in Odessa, TX, 30 miles away. The Young Marines were presented with a plaque from Major Ramon Armanderiz, USMC (Ret.) for providing our color guard for his programs. Major Armanderiz and Odessa’s VFW and American Legion posts of the Midland/Odessa area are supporters of the Young Marines program. Major Arman- deriz also was the guest of honor at Cross Roads’ first Marine Corps Birthday Ball in their own com- munity. They put on their first Marine Corps Ball for the Marines of Howard County and the surrounding areas. Every year, the Marines in the area meet up at a local restaurant for dinner to celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday. This year the Young Marines wanted them to have a special night of food, fellowship, cake and dancing instead of just a meet and greet dinner night. Those who attended (active duty Ma- rines and retired Marines) were very grateful and enjoyed the evening tremendously. -- Submitted by Carrie Rodman, Adjutant, Cross Roads (TX) Young Marines Cross Roads: A Texas County’s First Birthday Ball YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE 41