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 !!!

[John Richeson]

Awesome, Mike. I will email you privately. They need to come on here.

[Mike and Lisa Tracy]

John - Lisa has been writing to Scarlet and Kelly. They are well and I will mention that you would like to hear from them. They are in the Houston area.

Mike

[John Richeson]

Did you guys know Scarlett and Kelly Robinson, a mother and daughter? We were good friends back in the day in KY in 1976 or so. They went in the Family corps a few years later. I have lost contact with them. Kelly was in a serious accident during her in-residence time. I would love to hear from them again.

[Dan Haas]

even in '87 and 88 they were still investing heavily in improvements. It was indeed a special place. "God is Truly Present Here"

[Joe Purpura (aka Joe Hanson)]

Dan,

It was that little fire door…

That you would reach after passing through the 3rd floor attic (up by the ceiling).

I have to admit that the one thing that bothers me (even to this day) is the fact that the ministry sold the property (and they basically gave it away, at $750,000.00).

I remember all the work they had to do, just to get the buildings up to fire code (the last half of it took place during my first year there, 1978-79, I remember all the dust!). Even though the property was purchased for only $375,000.00, they had to have spent many times more than that, just during that period alone!

As a kid growing up there, I always looked at the Indiana Campus as a place that I could always come home to now and again (which I did during my first few years after my WOW year, 1985-86).

It really was a special place!

But what can you do about it?

[John Richeson]

OMG! I forgot about that one, Crae. (There were so many)

Animal house! That dates us doesn't it? What a great movie to inspire us while in residence in Emporia.

That golf cart story sounds like a keeper. I bet he was pissed. Or maybe not.

Someone should compile a book of stories and escapades while in The Way Corps. We all have em. The best story tellers I knew were Gary Matsuk (on this site) and Donnie Fugit.

Oh, gawd. I could listen to them for hours.

[crae akerson]

Come on Renee, tell the Amish story!

John, Do you remember the night you, Dana R. and I skipped the SNS and went in to Emporia to see Animal House. Then there was the night that Dana and I borrowed Dr. W.'s golf cart really late at night to bop around Emporia only to come back to him standing waiting for us at midnight.......

[John Richeson]

I want to hear more Junior Corps stories too, Joe. There must have been some positive influences out of the whole experience.

[John Richeson]

I want to hear more Junior Corps stories too. There must have been som epositive influences out of th ewhole experience.

[Renee Gunheim Cahoon]

Nope. I'll never tell!