JUNIOR CORPS STORIES (What Really Happend) !!!

[Joe Purpura (aka Joe Hanson)]

Being the first one here, I thought I should keep it fairly tame!Well, Here it is...When I look back on those days at Rome City and those ever wild Corps Week and R.O.A. extravaganzas, I can certainly say that we had some great times!(But let's face it, we went through a fair amount of crap too, which ultimately lead to most of us rebelling, ANY WHICH WAY WE COULD!)We all came into the ministry as young, naive and very impressionable children and as we grew up, I believe we all began to see the bull that was creeping in around us…This I believe is what ultimately lead us all to rebel!(that and the fact that through it all, we were just kids being kids!)THERE WERE SO MANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS!Here are a few that come to mind…I remember the time I climbed Rome City’s Bell Tower - how I made it all the way to the top and actually had the gall (or perhaps the stupidity) of actually ringing the bell (twice).Of course I wasn’t aware then of the fact that the Bell Tower was architecturally unstable!(What on earth was I actually thinking? Actually, come to think of it, I was only 13 years old!)I remember how Bob, Greg and Cindy were all ready to ship my ass back to Kansas (where my family was finishing out their interim year).(Summer of Family 4 and Family 6 - 1980)Remember how we (us Junior Corps) nearly drove Greg Bernardini into utter madness!(But I must admit, I really felt bad how we all treated him (even to this day), to which I apologized to both him and Cindy some years later)…I remember how Greg was trying to teach us the Advanced Class (the entire class and how it seemed like he was trying to get it all done in one sitting, keeping us in those Fireplace Room seats for 3 STRAIT HOURS EACH AND EVERY NIGHT!)(Now let’s remember, we were just kids at that time and it was starting to drive us all crazy!)I remember how he gave us all a set of Advanced Class Retemory Cards and told us…“That if we were to loose them, to forget about showing up!”(Of course, Ron, Ben and I just had to toss our retemories in the trash, thus preventing us from being able to attend!)I will never forget the night that the 3 of us waited for all our parents to get in the Chapel for Corps Night (so that we could get out of dodge for a little while)…(This was of course the absolute worst night of the week to do what we were about to do!)We then headed for the lake on the southern edge of the property…And yes, we were spotted by Bless Patrol, who contacted Bob, who actually cut the Corps Night telephone connection, got up on stage and actually instructed our fathers to meet us outside the front entrance of the building. He also sent the Bless Patrol vehicle into town to retrieve us (but we never intended to go that far)…BOY WAS BOB PISSED THAT NIGHT!(and we each got an earful from him!)(Family 5 and 7’s year at Rome City, 1980-81)And let’s not forget those 2 weeks in Ohio every August…I wonder if Doctor knew that by way of those “pizza and beer” nights during the Corps Weeks, that he was introducing alcohol to a whole lot of Way Corps kids that were ready and waiting for the chance to let loose and rebel...Basically driving the Bless Patrol and those “Rent a Cops” INTO A STATE OF PANIC!…Remember “The Party Pavilion” ??? (I know Johnny and his 3 companions do!)How we put the tent up in the middle of the open field (so not to keep other campers awake at night) and how those “Rent a Cop's” van kept driving around us all night?How about “Fantasies International” ???(Founded at R.O.A. 1986)Including..President Steve HuffmanVice President Linus MathisSecretary/Treasurer Joe HansonI still can’t believe how Craig actually had the nerve to contact each of our parents, asking them if we had actually lost our minds (that is after everyone got a copy of Steve's letter)!(He couldn’t seem to get the joke!)And let’s not forget those insane parties (30+ people strong) at the Best Western in Botkins!(And the legend of John Smith and the bathtub soap dish – I still have the photo's!)(Boy, John must have gotten into a world of touble!)Who ever thought you could actually get that many people in a small motel room at one time...(and how we tried to get everyone in the bathroom for a picture – a photo that I also still have.)YES, THOSE WERE SOME TIMES !!!*** THIS AND ALL FUTURE JUNIOR CORPS STORIES WILL BE WORKED INTO MY BOOK..."Vision - Life through the Eye of the Second, First Generation" ***AND NOW, A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE...Although I (and perhaps you) chose to "disconnect" from The Way Ministry, I do still remember all the good we got out of it.I truly do believe that Doctor meant well (especially in the early years – and he did actually help a lot of people), but somewhere in there, things just went wrong.But it’s all water under the bridge at this point!The basic principles taught in PFAL still ring true today as is done back then. Despite all the subsequent crap, I still believe I am much better off today having been part of it all!I know that many are still hurting from everything that happened with the ministry…Well, all I can say that all of my life’s experiences and lessons gives me an inner strength and peace that I doubt I would have attained if I wasn’t raised in the ministry...(Especially if I remained that short, chubby kid growing up in Brooklyn!)(not to mention my WOW year – can you still believe that my WOW brother’s and sister’s, all 5 of us, still pretty much keeps in touch today – this after almost 25 years!)Needless to say…I WOULD NOT TRADE ANY OF MY LIFE’S EXPERIENCES FOR ANYTHING !!!It is my hope and prayer that perhaps someday, all those who feel that the ministry had done them wrong…(And still are having a hard time with it)Can ultimately come to terms with it and that we all can move forward…Together…As the family that we were all truly meant to be!(Call me the eternal pragmatist)This is what I believe Doctor was really after all along!(And I do believe that this Way Corps website is definitely a step in the right direction!)MORE STORIES TO COME !!!

[Dan Haas]

Does anyone else want to hear Renee's Amish story?

[Dan Haas]

Come on, Renee, tell the Amish story!

Joe, I was once up in that bell tower. As I was precariously scooting along an edge, a pigeon literally flew into my face. Somehow, his head wound up in my hand, and his flopping, headless body freaked out some folks below.

I'll bet you made it up to the dove on the roof, too. Wasn't that a cool place? I forget how we'd get up there... there was a hatch somewhere....

Yeah, sometimes God taught me as much when I was killing a bat with a backjack as when I was sitting in Corps Night!

Love you, man!

[Mike and Lisa Tracy]

Holy smokes - NOW we find out!!!! Piercings and tattoos? Did you have those in-residence?

[Renee Gunheim Cahoon]

Rome City is where I got all my piercings and tatoos! By a very qualified nurse! (Lets see if she's reading this. . . ) Conservative? I had you both fooled! I won't even tell you about the time I went into the Amish community and did a little investigating on my own . . .

[Mike and Lisa Tracy]

Renee -but you DID seem like such a nice conservative girl! John I do not remember that club but I do remember the bar on 6th Street directly south of Uncle Harry Hall because I would go there several times a week after class to shoot pool and have a pitcher or two. I never even thought twice about it.

Mike

[John Richeson]

Yeah. We should have crossed paths more. Do you know I had a club membership to "Diamond Lil's" in Emporia? It was a fancy disco club just like Stayin Alive. It was the peak of the disco era. We had lots of good times there, many times on weekdays too. I wish I had a digital camera back then. OMG!

[Renee Gunheim Cahoon]

You're kidding, right?

[John Richeson]

And Renee, you always seemed like such a nice conservative girl. Ha, ha.


I think some of us were quite different than what people perceived.

[Renee Gunheim Cahoon]

Very cool stuff Joe (and John) . . . please keep the stories coming. I was in the 7th Corps and remember you Joe, in Rome City in Fall/Winter of 1978. You were a very cool kid. I got into the Way (without my parents) when I was 15. Very different scene. I'd love to hear more of your stories. My Rome City stories would probably shock the crap out of you. I can't even go there! Hahahaha!

[John Richeson]

Joe, your post reminds me of "Rumspringa". Ever heard of that? Google it. (Hint, the Amish youth REALLY know how to party.) Sounds like you guys had all the fun. I wish I could have been there with ya'll when I was 13 instead of where I was when I was growing up. The Way would have been far better than my experience. Both had good and bad.

Don't worry. I could tell you just as many adult versions of the same kind of antics. Some of us had need for rebellion too in order to keep our sanity about us when we just didn't fit in. 30 people at a hotel room? Been there done that many times. We only did Botkins one year but much preferred the S & W in St. Mary's because it had the nice pool.You should have seen us when they turned us loose on Bourbon Street at Word in Business one year! (They never had another WIB in New Orleans after that, ha, ha.)

Some of us adults (including top leaders too) were not good examples to you guys. You knew we drank and occasionally got wasted and smoked cigarettes constantly. You guys were not stupid. On the other hand, I believe you learned some great priciples from some of the greatest men and women I have ever known.

I totally get your rebellion. TWI did not seem to have much to offer its teenage youth really. The ministry grew too far too fast. When youth that age are forced to do things against their will,,, watch out! Kick ass rebellious things will be the result by some very creative youth.

I agree with your assessment, though, about taking the good out of the situation and leaving behind the bad. You can't play "What if" or "If only". To this day my wife and I are amazed at all the good people we have met and continue to meet via this venue called They Way International and The Way Corps. Yeah, some of the experience sucked, no doubt. (We stayed in until 2000.) But the majority of our experiences were fun and memorable in my opinion.And we learned some good principles along the way.

TWI has changed and today is not the same ministry that functioned back in those days. In fact there are quite a few members on this site who are actively involved in TWI now. I also know a few who have gone back and rejoined TWI. That's ok as far as I am concerned and as long as they are doing good for people and not causing sorrow which appears to be the case today.

I only pray that special attention is given to the teens in any group and that they are allowed to find their own way and not necessarily that of their parents. If they are forced to comply with the belief systems of their parents I can gaurantee you there will be some serious partying going on behind closed doors.