Spotlight: Scott Richards

Scott Richards, Director of Camp War Eagle 365, has been a leader in Arkansas camps for almost 30 years. Before working at Camp War Eagle, Scott spent two decades at Camp War Eagle’s sister camp, Camp Ozark.

What is your job title?
Well let’s see. Old Guy, Old Fart, Long-in-Tooth, or Director of CWE 365.

How long have you worked for Camp War Eagle?
6 years

What are some of the responsibilities that come with your job?
Ensure that Alden (Associate Director of CWE 365) is always putting black ink on white paper, scheduling Hannah’s (Assistant Director of Mentoring) Bible studies, officiating CWE weddings, helping Erin (Springdale Ozone Director)  with her “Yankee” attitude... Pretty much making sure that the CWE staff are meeting the goals of Ozone and Mentoring and being good stewards of the funds entrusted to us.

What does a normal day look like?
During the summer, I am pretty much on duty from 7 am to 11 pm supervising/consulting other Permanent Staff, Top Staff and Counselor staff. During the school year, my job consists of meeting with our Mentoring staff and Ozone staff on a regular basis and making sure these programs are striving for excellence at all times. My hours during this time usually run from 8 am until 4-5 pm, although oftentimes I will work some nights and weekends depending on our scheduled events.

What did you do before Camp War Eagle and what brought you to this position?
I was an eight grade math and Algebra 1/Algebra 2 teacher and a coach of football, basketball, track and tennis. I then worked for Camp Ozark in Mt. Ida, Arkansas for 21 years.

What is your favorite part of the job?
I really have a passion for kids and love watching them mature before my eyes. I love their honesty and willingness to share successes and challenges with me. I love that being outside, playing games, taking hikes, fishing and hanging out with kids is a big part of my job. Why wouldn’t anybody love this? When you love what you do, it doesn’t seem like work!

What’s the most difficult part of the job?
Not having enough kid time during the non-summer months. And camper scheduling can be difficult at times.

Is there a favorite moment or story you have dealing with your position?
One of my favorite moments at camp happened many years ago. We were in the midst of Red, White and Blue Day when a rain shower developed. There was a boy named Charlie who was standing in the middle of the ball field and as his hair got more and more soaked, it started to get real foamy. He had washed his hair recently but had not done a very good job of rinsing it!

What is something that God has taught you through your position with Camp War Eagle?
That children’s lives are changed at camp, but that many times it is not because of something they have been told during Lifeline or during a devotional, but oftentimes it occurs because of a relationship that has been established during the session or through somebody modeling Christ-like behavior. And that all of this is in God’s control; I am just the messenger.

What do you do when you’re not working?
I enjoy physical exercise – running, biking, playing tennis, climbing Mt. Everest, rafting down the Colorado River, base jumping off skyscrapers, going off waterfalls in barrels, etc.

Hundredth Match Sends Batson Out with a Bang!

Paul Batson, Director of Mentoring for Camp War Eagle, is celebrating his retirement after seeing the mentoring program reach its one hundredth match.  The match was met on October 26, 2010 between Springdale Ozone intern, James Mix, and Har-Ber High School sophomore, Christopher Magness.

The success of the mentoring program, Batson believes, comes from the families participating the program. “It is not just working with children, it is more working with children in the context of the family,” Batson said. “I have been working with children and families for over 40 years now and it has been such a rewarding life through all those years.”

Batson has been working in mentoring program administration for around ten years. He started working with Judge Finch in Benton County through a mentoring program for children in the organization called FINNS (Families In Need of Services). Then in 2003, he worked with a project of the US Department of Health and Human Services called HIP (Hope, Inspiration, Protection). HIP was a mentoring program for children with parents who were incarcerated. Batson said, “It was a wonderful program and some of our existing mentors and mentees were part of that program.”

Although this is a great accomplishment for the program, Batson hopes to see this program rise above in the future. Batson said, “In ten years I believe the CWE Mentoring Program will be bigger than Big Brothers Big Sisters. Why? Because the CWE Mentoring Program has the substance that comes with being a Christian mentoring program. If we work hard and continue to improve and promote mentoring it can't help but be successful. The program has too much to offer a child not to be successful.”

            Even though he is retiring from the program, he will continue his work in the area of mentoring. Batson said, “I am hoping to work with churches outside this four county area who would like to start a mentoring program. I think churches are missing a tremendous mission field if they don't have a mentoring program in their church.  I hope to help them get a positive start through consulting with them in structuring a strong and successful mentoring program.”

            The mentoring program will now be lead by Brent Jensen, and newcomer Hannah Cypert.  Jensen said, “It has been very rewarding and I have learned quite a bit.  [Batson] has a great passion for not only CWE and the Mentoring Program, but especially for the kids and families in the community.  It has been a lot of fun learning from him and seeing the positive things that he has done for these families.”

            Since the hundredth match, the program has made seven more matches, and they are currently working on the eighth.  To learn more about becoming a mentor with the Camp War Eagle Mentoring Program, contact Brent Jensen at (479) 530-1943 or Hannah Cypert at (214) 793-8893.

Here Paul receives a plaque commemorating the Camp War Eagle Mentoring Program's 100th match.

Thank you, Paul!

Senior Spotlights

We are proud to spotlight two of our awesome seniors from Rogers!

Mariano Mendez of Heritage High School lives in Rogers with his mother, stepfather, and younger brother. In fall 2009, Raul Rodriguez, Ozone Director of Hispanic Relations, met and formed a relationship with Mariano. Since then, Christ has changed Mariano’s life. He began participating in Ozone activities in 2009, and attended Camp War Eagle for the first time in 2010.

Over the past year, Mariano has become a positive influence to all with whom he interacts. He actively reaches out to his peers, often crossing social, economic, and racial boundaries, and has sought leadership positions in his school. He is actively involved in his church's youth group, his high school's cross country team, FCA, and Ozone. He has set high standards for himself in both academics and athleticism, and was recently awarded a full tuition scholarship at the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. He will be the first Hispanic student from Heritage to run for the UAFS Cross Country team!

Ministry is an important part of Mariano’s life because he is passionate about helping others know Jesus the way he does. He spent Christmas break in Mexico playing with and teaching kids and helping translate for a local church’s mission team. He plans to spend spring break on another mission trip to Honduras. He has expressed an interest in becoming a youth minister in the future. We are blessed to witness God’s amazing work in this young man’s life.

Juliette “Juju” Brashears is also a student at Heritage, and she lives in Rogers with her mom and younger sister. She has been a CWE camper for five summers, has been involved in Ozone since fall 2009, and has been a part of the CWE Mentoring Program since fall 2010. Juju has demonstrated significant growth since attending CWE in 2009 and committing to make Christ a priority in her life. She has made a concerted effort to lessen the time she spends on popular activities like online social networking, and instead has set her focus on activities that will make an enduring impact on her character and community.

Juju is committed to seeking growth in her relationship with God. In addition to her personal study of the Bible, she spends time weekly with her mentor discussing and memorizing Scripture and attending church with her family. In addition to her own personal growth, Juju spends her time serving the community. She volunteers weekly at the Rogers Public Library, and has also participated in various service projects with Ozone. Finally, Juju is pursuing academic excellence. She was recently awarded a $500 college scholarship for an essay concerning the effects of digital media on teenagers. She will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall. In addition to her more serious life pursuits, Juju can often be found enjoying time with friends participating in various leisure activities. Some of her favorites include cooking and baking, knitting, and playing Quidditch!

Both Mariano’s and Juju’s choices continue to demonstrate their commitment to Jesus and to set them apart as a leaders among their peers. Their influence has impacted the students of Rogers Ozone in a positive way. We are thankful for them and can’t wait to see where God will lead them next in their journeys!