This week’s outrage comes to us from Winchendon, Massachusetts where, in yet another case of “zero-tolerance” enforcement defying common sense, fourth-grader Bradley Geslak was suspended from Toy Town Elementary School for bringing a Memorial Day souvenir to school.

According to a May 29, Telegram.com article, a uniformed veteran gave the 10-year-old two empty rifle shell casings from blanks used during the town’s Memorial Day celebration Monday morning. Bradley gave one of the empty casings to his grandfather and kept the other as a souvenir. The trouble began when he took his souvenir to school the next day.

“He was just playing with it at lunch,” explained Crystal Geslak, Bradley’s mother. “He wasn’t showing it to anyone; he had it in his hand and was playing with it.”

A teacher saw him with the harmless piece of brass and confiscated it. Ms. Geslak was then called at work and told to come and pick up her son, who had been suspended for five days!

Ms. Geslak arrived at the school to find her son in tears. “I was totally shocked. I couldn’t believe this was happening,” she said. “It was just an empty shell, not even from a real bullet. A sharpened pencil would be more dangerous than this piece of metal.”

“He was so proud to have been given them. His dad’s a veteran, his uncle’s a veteran, both his grandfathers are veterans. Memorial Day is a big thing to us. It’s a very important holiday and we have a big celebration every year,” Ms. Geslak said.

Ms. Geslak, who will be forced to miss work in order to stay home with her son, says she is worried about what having a “weapon-related suspension” on his school record will mean to his future.

To add insult to injury, the family says a school official told them that the shell would not be returned, and that the next step might involve assigning a probation officer to Bradley! Yes, you read that right, a probation officer.

A young boy punished over a harmless souvenir. By any standard, that’s outrageous.

If you’d like to express your concern over this incident, please visit http://www.winchendon.mec.edu/. To leave a voice message for Brooke Clenchy, Superintendent of Schools, please call 978-297-0031.

Six-day camp teaches youngsters outdoor skills

and just plain fun

PRATT — The Kansas Wildlife Federation (KWF) and the K-State Cooperative Extension Service are sponsoring the annual Outdoor Adventure Camp (OAC) June 8-13 at the Camp WaShunGa area of Rock Springs 4-H Center, near Junction City. Youngsters who enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more about it are encouraged to attend.

Kansas youth ages 10 through 12 will spend mornings exploring the grounds at Rock Springs with instructors, experiencing Kansas animals and plants close-up. Session subjects include insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fish management, wildlife management, wetlands, birds, and stream ecology.

Afternoons will be spent learning about birds of prey, skins and skulls, bats, streams, and more general topics, including ecology, wetlands, riparian areas, and watersheds. Instructors from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas State University, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, county conservation districts, the Riley County Fish and Game, 4-H clubs, and other organizations will be on hand.

Depending on the evening, participants may prowl for owls, star-gaze, or watch bats hunt bugs. Evening swims will be followed by campfire stories and snacks. One evening will feature a friendly fishing competition.

Other activities include scavenger hunts; swimming and canoeing; fishing; rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, archery, and pellet gun shooting; arts and crafts; and horseback riding. A day-trip to the Milford Nature Center and Fish Hatchery will occupy one day.

Participants should bring a swimsuit, sleeping gear, and clothes for a week. Sunscreen, insect repellent, a cap, a fishing pole, and a water bottle are also recommended. Food, instruction, and lodging are all included in the $225 price of the six-day camp. Sportsman’s clubs offer Outdoor Adventure Camp scholarships. KWF and the Outdoor Writers of Kansas offer scholarships in cooperation with Kansas Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Space is limited, and the registration deadline is June 4.

For applications, camp, or scholarship information, write Outdoor Adventure Camp, Theresa Berger, 406 S. New York Ave, Sylvan Grove, KS 67481; phone 785-526-7466; or e-mail bergkwf@wtciweb.com.

Hooked For Life is a group of Reno County Christian sportsmen who love to hunt and fish.  Our passion is to introduce kids to the world of the outdoors.  We are offering guided hunting and fishing day trips to kids ages 11 - 15.  We are searching for youth that have an interest in the outdoors whose parents may not know much about hunting or fishing.  We encourage a parent to accompany, but the focus of the trip will be for the child.  Our goal is for your child to have a rewarding experience on their first trip to the outdoors.  These trips are offered all year long and are completely free with the exception of license fees.  For added safety, our guides have all passed complete background checks.  If your child would like to experience the outdoors, contact us for an application.  We are happy to answer any questions you may have.  We can only offer a specific number of trips each year so please don’t make promises to your child until you are notified.
 
Hooked For Life
Contact Mike @ 620-728-9938
yeoman39@hotmail.com