G.R.E.A.T. Camp Is Just That
By Mary Butler, Anderson Weed and Seed Coordinator
Capt. Thomas McDaniel and his group participate in the Steele Creek Park cleanup and hike.
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Officer Jimmy Shores teaches a G.R.E.A.T. lesson.
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For kids from around the Anderson, TN, Weed and Seed area, the acronym for the anti-gang camp could not be more apt.
The weeklong Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) summer day camps in July were the perfect way to help reach community policing and prevention, intervention, and treatment goals. More than 70 children—including attendees of the Safe Haven's after-school program and Anderson Elementary School's after-school mentoring groups—took part in the camps. G.R.E.A.T. camps are run with a mixture of education and fun, a combination that really works well.
The kids joined members of the Bristol Police Department's community policing unit, including Weed and Seed Community Policing Officer Grant Hale and Weed and Seed Steering Committee member Lt. Terry Napier, at the city's Steele Creek Park facilities. The mentoring coordinator and community outreach specialist also joined these children, whose ages ranged from 8 to 14. Each group consisted of two adult leaders and up to nine children.
The children ate both breakfast and lunch at camp. These meals, provided by the local U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrition program, gave each child a healthy start to the day. And every morning, one of the officers gave students a G.R.E.A.T. lesson in life skills to help them solve problems and avoid delinquent behavior and violence.
Several special guests also made appearances throughout the week. A K-9 unit dog named Nitro demonstrated with his partner, who gave both silent and verbal commands. The kids were astounded when the dog was sent to bring down a fleeing "suspect"—one of the officers with a thick pad around his arm. Nitro was quick to hunt down the suspect, and he held on until his partner gave the command to release.
In another demonstration, Sgt. Scott Mason of the National Guard's counter-drug unit presented the many dangers of using tobacco by displaying the damage smoking can do to the lungs and teeth.
"I wouldn't smoke it for sure," said 10-year-old Trey Smith after the demonstration.
The kids also tried on goggles that simulate what it feels like to be under the influence of alcohol. They then attempted simple tasks such as picking up a dropped pen and walking in a straight line to experience the difficulties of performing these tasks while intoxicated. Of course, many were unable to maintain their balance.
The weeklong camp reinforced respect for others, and the kids gave back to the community by picking up trash around trails and shorelines at the park. Different activities were also available each day, including nature center tours, preparation for a group play, fishing, and paddleboat rides.
The nature center tour was one of the week's highlights, where participants saw native snakes, turtles, and all kinds of "creepy crawlies" up close. The bravest children even wore the snakes around their necks!
Another important activity was preparation for a group character play. Based on the theme "Staying Off Drugs," the actors developed short plays that demonstrated ways to stay off drugs and presented them to the rest of the campers on the last day of camp.
"Such common summer activities aren't obvious tools for fighting gangs, but they're effective nonetheless," said Napier. "For a lot of these kids, this is their summer vacation, so we try to have a fun environment."
Activities children participated in during their free time were quite significant for some. They fished off a pier on the lake—something many of them had never done before—and they got very excited when they caught their first fish. The kids also used the paddleboats on the lake and staged races with other campers. There were also two field trips—one to the Belmont Lanes Bowling Alley, the other to Wetlands Water Park—and everyone enjoyed them.
The G.R.E.A.T. camp is a terrific way to build relationships between the community and the police department. Children learn so much while having fun, and they will remember these days for a long time, including the officers who were an integral part of each day. And, hopefully, camp participants will think twice before they ever consider doing something wrong.
For more information, contact:
Mary Butler
Anderson Weed and Seed Coordinator
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