No oldies, i would think that anyone who had sense would ask for sponsership before sleeping with someone. -->
Johnny, I don't know who farmer Bob would be. --> And I love cabbage soup. Couldn't handle the borsht, though. Although my okie sis-in-law loved it. So I'd pass my bowl on to her. :)-->
Which reminds me, I was always popular at meal times. Not being a big eater, some of the guys took note, and loved to sit with me at meals since I was always willing to "share of my plurality." :D-->
I always thought JAL was pretty cool, and had a terrific sense of humor. I remember once, towards the end of our last yr at Euphoria, I lost my one and only corps nametag. I put my request into Engraving for a new one, but they were all backed up, as they were making all the Living Victoriously nametags. You know what a potential catastrophe this was. :D-->
What to do? what to do? I couldn't get into meals, or do anything without my nametag. Remember that rule? Anyway, there was a girl in the 12th, Cathy P, who happened to look alot like moi. I mean it was ridiculous how people couldn't tell us apart sometimes. We used to switch nametags sometimes, just as a gag.
So anyways, Cathy being the friend she was, let me borrow her extra nametag til mine got done.
Lo and behold, one day after lunch, JAL announces for me to come to head table after lunch and pick up my lost nametag. So when lunch is over, I walk over to him and say, "Geeeze, I'm really glad someone found my nametag. Now I can give Cathy hers back."
He about died laughing when he realized I'd been wearing hers for like, days. And then he says, "Well I guess I never said you had to wear your own nametag!" He was a good sport.
No Johnny Lingo, I won't flame you. You're entitled to your opinion and afterall, I did ask for opinions.
In hindsight, I don't think corps training was supposed to be about learning new things as much as conditioning people to be obedient. Too many components of the "training" were classic brainwashing tools. The actual content of the training was marginal at best in terms of anything scholarly or academic.
All in all, it was a total waste of time...and as far as Richard Th*m*s goes, what a jerk.
Aw, uncle hairy, come on. I bet you tried jet-style packing at least once. :D-->
Maybe if Richard and Linda hadn't spent the whole year arguing, he woulda been in a better mood. I've always prayed that God got Richard back, somehow. ;)-->
Yeah ex10, now that you mention it, I do remember Richard usually being in a "bad mood". He reminded me of a sulking kid that needed to be slapped. Unfortunately, the rest of us were not so indulged when we were having a bad day.
As far as Linda goes, she seemed like a sweet enough lady, but then how many of us knew at the time that she was veepee's mistress?
Richard Thomas is still in STL (been here since '85). He heads up the local CG faction. Haven't had any personal dealings with him, but he always seemed pretty cool. I hear he has a military background. I do recall, however, being around a 9th corps couple and an 11th corps guy when we found out RT was coming here. The 11th corps guy's head sinks down momentarily and then he breaks into song; started singing that Breakthrough song "military maaaa-AAAAN!" Guess you had to be there.
I liked it way more then I ever hated it. I took what I could from it.
I Have had many occasion to use the training from the corps.
More along the lines of leadership skills, public speaking,
working a room.
From a business and social perspective.
Though I would have to say that the corps training could have been much better.
Before going into the corps, I was involved in a fellow laborer program at Emporia, this was 73 or 74 (still early days) the year they purchased that campus. I learned more in that one year then all the years in the corps training. That experience was priceless.
Having been a fellow laborer almost spoiled the corps for me as I could not help but compare those two experiences.
But this I attribute more to the size of the corps by the time I went in. It was huge!
I did not go in or come out a drone, I think I managed to maintain a fair
amount of " boundaries " .
I realize some here had horrible experiences , my worst times pale by comparison.
My worst experience in the corps was the block I spent at Rome City, I was literally
For me there where a bunch of good times and horrible times. The good times were with people that loved me and whom I loved.
I remember sharing a 1/2 pint of Brandy with my TC for her birthday, she was totally cool. I hid my stash in a wood pile at Emporia. Palma Driscol was my favorite "bag lady" cause she always dressed in antique vintage clothing. She made corps life laughable.
Another memorable moment was taking Dean Don's motorcycle for a spin with a good friend on the back. We stoped at an old abandend farm house and took a peek inside. In the basement was a copla stems of pot hanging to dry out. When I touched it was dust.
My final year was spent at Gunnison. I spent 4 months in a library reading the gospels like a novel. I fell in love with Jesus Christ. I was suppose to be organizing the book shelves.
It seems the times most precious were not around a program but around people...and quiet connection with God.
I wish my 3 years in residence was all healthy but it wasn't. Along with my fond memories is alot of emotional pain. What I know about the Way Corps now,if I had known of the residual effects on my life... I woudn't have gone in.
Hey. Speaking of Richard T, I just have to share this experience-again.. This time though, I will copy and paste it to an MS Word document.
Remember when we had the huge mud fight our first year in residence? It was perhaps an even greater mud fight than the one filmed in John Wayne's "McClintock".
It was a nice day, and it was decided that on that day, that the entire Way Corps was going to clean out the pond where Aquila and Priscilla lived. The staffers had been using a trash pump and had sucked out most of the water, and there was nothing left in the bottom but swan .... and mud and crawdads and stunted catfish and bluegills and bass. (pardon the polysyndeton there). And on this fine morning, Richard and Linda told us that we were really going to see the Mystery in Motion. We all were going to work together scooping out the mud and crawdads and swan .... by forming a line of five gallon drywall mud buckets, while some scooped, and others others handed the full buckets to the next person as the buckets made their way to some garden we had on the back forty. Then the empty buckets would return by way of a chain of people who were fortunate enough to be in that enviable position.
And so it came to pass. We worked all morning, and as the hot Kansas sun came on, people began to put mud on each others backs to keep the sun from burning themselves, and I remember that Bob Kriebel had mud on his back and that someone had written with their finger on the mud "I Love God".
And, this is what we did all that morning and well into the afternoon. And then, at about three o’clock p.m. when I was on the “scooping lineâ€, Britt Lynn and Phil Bonadies decided to get rowdy! First, then second in succession, Britt and Phil went off the rope swing, and instead of landing in the water which had usually been there, they did belly flops in the mud and crawfish, and swan .... and stunted catfish! And when this happened, Linda MacDuffy went down into the mud pit and said; “Just what do you guys think you are doing?! And Britt, to his credit, responded by getting as much mud in his hands as he could gather, and dumped it down Linda’s haltertop! Yeah baby, yeah!
And then, it was on! As soon as this happened, a few more people witnessing the event from the sidelines, decided to join in and ran to the bottom of the pond and started throwing mud and water (and swan .... and stunted catfish) all over everyone involved. And this thing then therefore escalated into the biggest mudfight I have ever witnessed to this very day! Yeah! It was awe-some!
I remember seeing Bob Kriebel on the sidelines cheering as certain people were getting thrown in by Richard Thomas, and it was at that point that I decided to make my move. I snuck around behind Kriebel and then rushed him and threw him into the muck! I felt a little guilty, but then I figured, well, he’s a guy, he can handle it…
Even though I myself had not really joined the fray, it was at about this time that I noticed that Richard Thomas had been enjoying himself by throwing innocent bystanders into the mud (the crawdads, the catfish and the swan....), and all the while, had never even gotten himself even the least bit muddy in that he stayed up in the “dry mud†at the rim of the pond. Upon seeing this, I figured that; “if he could dish it out, he’d better be able to take it too!â€. So, I went up to Jay Wilson, our resident “very funny guy†and tough guy as well, and said; “Hey Jay, you see Richard over there? You see what he is doin?†and as we watched, it was evident to Jay too, that we had to do something.
And so, we formed a plan. Since Richard was there in the “dry mud†at the upper edge of the pond on the Wierwille Library side throwing people in and cheering as he did so, Jay and I decided that we would simply “blind side him†and hit him from behind. And that’s exactly what we did. We gave each other a last fearful look and one of us said to the other (for I can’t remember who); “Well, if he can do it to “usâ€, why can’t we do it to him?†And so we commenced. We ran at him full bore from behind and Jay hit him low, grappling his legs together, and I hit him high in a classic tackle that rendered him totally helpless. We hit him with such concentrated force that we drove him straight to the bottom of the pond with me riding his head and shoulders and face into the mud, and the crawdads, and the catfish, and the swan....! (polysyndeton once again)…
Oh man! It was glorious! We had nailed that sucker! After all of that time from the previous year of him kicking our butts and challenging us, we were finally on an even keel, “mano y mano!†And surely he knew that we were on the same wave length and that we had bested him but good and that there would be no repercussions whatsoever! Cuz after all, we were all “guys†anyway…
But noo!! We forgot that Richard T had been in the Marine Corps, and that he was a guy who didn’t like to get his a$$ kicked. As soon as he got up out of the mud and wiped the mud from his eyes and saw us grinning at him, he got a serious and malicious glint in his eyes. In fact, he was enraged! Jay and I didn’t know what to do at first, but as soon as Jay saw that he was the first target of Richard’s ire, he began to sprint through the mud as fast as he could. But, he was not fast enough for the fury of Richard-I’m gonna pay ‘em back-Thomas! Richard tackled Jay with a fury and slammed his face in the mud time time and again! And when he was done with Jay, he looked at me who was staring stupidly wondering if I had “tackled God Himself†(because Richard had been ordained), and made a feeble attempt to run away. But Richard was on me like a Texan on a porkchop and was soon ramming my face into the mud, the crawdads, the catfish, and the swan ....!
And so, that was the “Great Tenth and Eighth Corps Mudfight†from my perspective, AND…. it was grande…
Unfortunately, I was mot there for the infamous mudfight. I was spending a blissful, "boring" (ha, I wish) summer in Rome City stalking tomato worms, pitting cherries 24 hours a day, and murdering the in-rez chickens.
Hubby wasn't there either, as he was incarcerated at Gunnison with psychogeer.
Ah, but I've heard the stories. I always wondered who it was that had the nerve to tackle Richard, and live to tell about it. I shoulda figured. :D-->
My first year was intense - a good kind of intense. I met the most wonderful people, and still keep in touch with a few of them! ;)-->
Oh, there were some bad times - like when Sunny left - that sucked. But for the most part - I had a really good experience that year.
My last year was hell on earth with Gerald W. (except for 4 months I spent in Rome City - which wasn't exactly what would pass for Corps Training - Del Duncan was our Corps Coordinator - need I say more?).
I think because the Sickth Corps had no "elder" corps, we got away with more stuff than some of the latter Corps' did. During Pat S**nders pseudo English class, I used to sit in the back row with Chris Cunn*****m reading New York Magazine from cover to cover (I kept my subscription running and never was asked about it).
I didn't run. I put my sweats on - made like I was heading for the track, and went up the back stairs of the back stage area of Kenyon and made a pot of coffee before heading back to the dorm. I filled out my CO3 form (no, my nose didn't grow), and that was that. I will say that I just about died when we did those group "fun runs"!
I think Way Prod might have had a slight advantage (once we were "allowed" to play). I never had to go on that stupid kill-the-chicken-camping-trip. We were sent out in pairs to visit the WOW's in Kansas and Oklahoma and teach and perform that week instead. Poor me!
The Sickth Corps didn't have the privilege of going on LEAD. Our years were stuck between the end of TFI and the beginning of the LEAD program. I think it started up during the last year of the 7th Corps.
I have great stories to tell - went places I never would have gone - and met people I never would have the pleasure (for the most part) to know.
Sure, there were morons and hard-@sses, too. But I didn't bother with them - stayed out of their way and kept myself off their radar.
Things changed later on - it got more strict and rigorous. I think the 10th might have been the year that really got heavy. When did the midnight curfew start? And the no smoking thingy?
Anyway - my hindsight usually has rose-colored glasses attached. I think I choose to forget the really awful stuff that happened - maybe because the good stuff happened more often.
Alfakat - Evan - Catcup - and you Sickth Corpse lurkers (you know who you are!) - I LOVE YOU!
I think that the curfew thing may have started with us, the Tenth. And other things that were rigorous may have strted then too. But, we were allowed to smoke cigs in rez when I was there. We did get our butts kicked for not getting our aerobics points though, whereas you Hope, seemed to get away with it...
I remember once that a bunch of us were WAY behind on points and a friend of mine, Todd Ofslager said; "c'mon "Jonny", we gotta get those points, I'd rather die than fail", and since it was a Saturday, and that was our last night of the week to do it, we ran ten whole miles which was way more than I'd done before that. "Bout killed me, though I was glad I did it for my own personal sake...
Our curfew was 11:00 our first yr. Which was a good thing, because Richard was fond of early morning, and I do mean EARLY fun runs. Somebody forget to tell him he wasn't in the marines anymore. -->
And Hope, there was no way to get out of running in our corps. Trust me, I tried. :)-->
I think that this thread is similar to a number of others where an exaggerated claim is made and then someone stands up and says the truth, namely in this case Johnny Lingo.
I back up the statement made previously, that the corps was what you made of it. Certainly, what could be taken advantage of was ultimately taken advantage of, but I question, was it taken advantage of by the pure in heart? I don't know and am not going to pass judgement. In some cases, I believe that it wasn't. But in other cases when those in charge had crossed the line, I think it may have been. But I am not in a position to pass judgement - Who am I to say? I am not God. I do not know all that was going on at the time I was involved. In the final analysis all I can honestly say is based on what I experienced.
I must say say that my perspective was from an idealist viewpoint. I came in like many others I expect, thinking that the corps was the best that there could be. But in the final analysis, it actually was what I, we, believed it to be.
I honestly do not think that I could be the person that I now am without the corps. I was a nobody with no interpersonal skills and the corps, plus my wife is what made me the person I now am.
But I was involved early, when the corps was still in the single digits. I can understand that things later morphed into damaging influences, and I do not discount the negative experiences of those who followed me.
Maybe the origial intent was right and it lasted that way for a few years. But when the overly ambititious were given charge of it, that's when the corps veered off course. That's what my impression is, but of course, that my impresion...
"Sleep deprivation"? Hardly. While working as a U.S. Merchant Marine aboard ship, I worked six hours on and six hours of around the clock for two weeks straight. That's 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and eighty four hours a week"
Well no ....! :)--> If I had joined the military or even the police acadamey I may have expected to have little or no sleep. This was a christain college. I thought we may rise early and be out of class by 8:00 pm and have SOME personal time.
And yes met some great people, but someone asked us not to talk about I met a nice person here or there but to tell them what the "program" was like.
The "program" and all of its pretend "learning" sucked IMO.
I can recall wonderful days with fun believers where we snuck out of Sunday night service and other times but the program... Did you really LEARN anything of value?
Not the life's lessons of trust and mistrust. Or the fact that you made some good friends, what did you learn of value from the program?
"Or how about having to watch a woman in a movie trying to have sex with a dog that didn't want anything to do with her? Did that have anything to do with being a leader for twi? I guess for a sick place like twi it would!!!!"
Yes, there was another good reason to sell my home and go in rez. What wonderful and useful training that was....
Geek I am glad you found some redemptive things about the program.
you said
"I must say say that my perspective was from an idealist viewpoint. I came in like many others I expect, thinking that the corps was the best that there could be. But in the final analysis, it actually was what I, we, believed it to be"
I do not agree.I came in because I thought I would be the best for God. I would be able to love his people and learn the love of God. What I found my first year was a fat old man with no clothes on inviting me into the coach.
It wasn't what I made of it that affected me it was what it really was. IMO...
It was a perverse playground where VPW could select some to "romp with" and the other people there were like window dressing for him to hide behind. But that is Just my opinion and MY experience.
Yes I believe it was a scam...so was the Way College, Rome City family Corps...and Fellowlaborers of the many different states, and So wqas the college WOW prgram, International Wow, regular WOW and even the highschool minuteman..all of which I was heavily involved with...with the exception of Fellowlaborers...I visited them..and my friend Watered Garden will take that area on.
My reason is this...I believe they did not provide what they were billed as...and furthermore exploited the participants 110%
I've been through a lot since I left June 27, 2000. Same day I got in -- June 27, 1986 (not intentional) I still have a piece of the film class I took. Glad to have it.
I'm very glad for the Word I learned. I don't doubt one word of it -- I never did believe that Jesus was God and then I learned that he never said he was! Gee, what a relief that was to me. Didn't even know I needed a relief. But it was kind of like -- "I knew it!" "I knew he wasn't God!"
I am not bitter about my experience and thank God for that. I believe I was right where I needed to be to learn exactly what it was I needed to learn.
I was hurt by stuff -- deeply -- but God guarantees in His Word that people will always disappoint. I have chosen to heal; take with me the good, and move on!
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J0nny Ling0
Hahaha! Oldies, I am lmao! I had not heard of this one, but I could certainly see it happening...
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ex10
No oldies, i would think that anyone who had sense would ask for sponsership before sleeping with someone.
-->
Johnny, I don't know who farmer Bob would be.
--> And I love cabbage soup. Couldn't handle the borsht, though. Although my okie sis-in-law loved it. So I'd pass my bowl on to her. 
:)-->
Which reminds me, I was always popular at meal times. Not being a big eater, some of the guys took note, and loved to sit with me at meals since I was always willing to "share of my plurality."
:D-->
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WhiteDove
Went by Emporia a while back got so tired had to take a nap by the pond.
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A la prochaine
Way Corpse Training?
Don't go there ...
-->
Tortured, tormented and defeated.
That's what the Way Corps did for me.
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ex10
Johnny
I always thought JAL was pretty cool, and had a terrific sense of humor. I remember once, towards the end of our last yr at Euphoria, I lost my one and only corps nametag. I put my request into Engraving for a new one, but they were all backed up, as they were making all the Living Victoriously nametags. You know what a potential catastrophe this was.
:D-->
What to do? what to do? I couldn't get into meals, or do anything without my nametag. Remember that rule? Anyway, there was a girl in the 12th, Cathy P, who happened to look alot like moi. I mean it was ridiculous how people couldn't tell us apart sometimes. We used to switch nametags sometimes, just as a gag.
So anyways, Cathy being the friend she was, let me borrow her extra nametag til mine got done.
Lo and behold, one day after lunch, JAL announces for me to come to head table after lunch and pick up my lost nametag. So when lunch is over, I walk over to him and say, "Geeeze, I'm really glad someone found my nametag. Now I can give Cathy hers back."
He about died laughing when he realized I'd been wearing hers for like, days. And then he says, "Well I guess I never said you had to wear your own nametag!" He was a good sport.
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GrouchoMarxJr
No Johnny Lingo, I won't flame you. You're entitled to your opinion and afterall, I did ask for opinions.
In hindsight, I don't think corps training was supposed to be about learning new things as much as conditioning people to be obedient. Too many components of the "training" were classic brainwashing tools. The actual content of the training was marginal at best in terms of anything scholarly or academic.
All in all, it was a total waste of time...and as far as Richard Th*m*s goes, what a jerk.
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ex10
Aw, uncle hairy, come on. I bet you tried jet-style packing at least once.
:D-->
Maybe if Richard and Linda hadn't spent the whole year arguing, he woulda been in a better mood. I've always prayed that God got Richard back, somehow.
;)-->
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templelady
NO flames Johnny--It is what you make of it--good people who maintain their goodness get good--
The fact that the abuser of my children was 10th corps does not tar all of you with the same brush.
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GrouchoMarxJr
Yeah ex10, now that you mention it, I do remember Richard usually being in a "bad mood". He reminded me of a sulking kid that needed to be slapped. Unfortunately, the rest of us were not so indulged when we were having a bad day.
As far as Linda goes, she seemed like a sweet enough lady, but then how many of us knew at the time that she was veepee's mistress?
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GrouchoMarxJr
...And as far as jet style packing, it came in handy when I got the hell out of that place.
;)-->
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johniam
Richard Thomas is still in STL (been here since '85). He heads up the local CG faction. Haven't had any personal dealings with him, but he always seemed pretty cool. I hear he has a military background. I do recall, however, being around a 9th corps couple and an 11th corps guy when we found out RT was coming here. The 11th corps guy's head sinks down momentarily and then he breaks into song; started singing that Breakthrough song "military maaaa-AAAAN!" Guess you had to be there.
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simpatico
I have to agree with Jonny Lingo on this one.
I liked it way more then I ever hated it. I took what I could from it.
I Have had many occasion to use the training from the corps.
More along the lines of leadership skills, public speaking,
working a room.
From a business and social perspective.
Though I would have to say that the corps training could have been much better.
Before going into the corps, I was involved in a fellow laborer program at Emporia, this was 73 or 74 (still early days) the year they purchased that campus. I learned more in that one year then all the years in the corps training. That experience was priceless.
Having been a fellow laborer almost spoiled the corps for me as I could not help but compare those two experiences.
But this I attribute more to the size of the corps by the time I went in. It was huge!
I did not go in or come out a drone, I think I managed to maintain a fair
amount of " boundaries " .
I realize some here had horrible experiences , my worst times pale by comparison.
My worst experience in the corps was the block I spent at Rome City, I was literally
bored to tears.
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imbus
For me there where a bunch of good times and horrible times. The good times were with people that loved me and whom I loved.
I remember sharing a 1/2 pint of Brandy with my TC for her birthday, she was totally cool. I hid my stash in a wood pile at Emporia. Palma Driscol was my favorite "bag lady" cause she always dressed in antique vintage clothing. She made corps life laughable.
Another memorable moment was taking Dean Don's motorcycle for a spin with a good friend on the back. We stoped at an old abandend farm house and took a peek inside. In the basement was a copla stems of pot hanging to dry out. When I touched it was dust.
My final year was spent at Gunnison. I spent 4 months in a library reading the gospels like a novel. I fell in love with Jesus Christ. I was suppose to be organizing the book shelves.
It seems the times most precious were not around a program but around people...and quiet connection with God.
I wish my 3 years in residence was all healthy but it wasn't. Along with my fond memories is alot of emotional pain. What I know about the Way Corps now,if I had known of the residual effects on my life... I woudn't have gone in.
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J0nny Ling0
The Mud Fight...
Hey. Speaking of Richard T, I just have to share this experience-again.. This time though, I will copy and paste it to an MS Word document.
Remember when we had the huge mud fight our first year in residence? It was perhaps an even greater mud fight than the one filmed in John Wayne's "McClintock".
It was a nice day, and it was decided that on that day, that the entire Way Corps was going to clean out the pond where Aquila and Priscilla lived. The staffers had been using a trash pump and had sucked out most of the water, and there was nothing left in the bottom but swan .... and mud and crawdads and stunted catfish and bluegills and bass. (pardon the polysyndeton there). And on this fine morning, Richard and Linda told us that we were really going to see the Mystery in Motion. We all were going to work together scooping out the mud and crawdads and swan .... by forming a line of five gallon drywall mud buckets, while some scooped, and others others handed the full buckets to the next person as the buckets made their way to some garden we had on the back forty. Then the empty buckets would return by way of a chain of people who were fortunate enough to be in that enviable position.
And so it came to pass. We worked all morning, and as the hot Kansas sun came on, people began to put mud on each others backs to keep the sun from burning themselves, and I remember that Bob Kriebel had mud on his back and that someone had written with their finger on the mud "I Love God".
And, this is what we did all that morning and well into the afternoon. And then, at about three o’clock p.m. when I was on the “scooping lineâ€, Britt Lynn and Phil Bonadies decided to get rowdy! First, then second in succession, Britt and Phil went off the rope swing, and instead of landing in the water which had usually been there, they did belly flops in the mud and crawfish, and swan .... and stunted catfish! And when this happened, Linda MacDuffy went down into the mud pit and said; “Just what do you guys think you are doing?! And Britt, to his credit, responded by getting as much mud in his hands as he could gather, and dumped it down Linda’s haltertop! Yeah baby, yeah!
And then, it was on! As soon as this happened, a few more people witnessing the event from the sidelines, decided to join in and ran to the bottom of the pond and started throwing mud and water (and swan .... and stunted catfish) all over everyone involved. And this thing then therefore escalated into the biggest mudfight I have ever witnessed to this very day! Yeah! It was awe-some!
I remember seeing Bob Kriebel on the sidelines cheering as certain people were getting thrown in by Richard Thomas, and it was at that point that I decided to make my move. I snuck around behind Kriebel and then rushed him and threw him into the muck! I felt a little guilty, but then I figured, well, he’s a guy, he can handle it…
Even though I myself had not really joined the fray, it was at about this time that I noticed that Richard Thomas had been enjoying himself by throwing innocent bystanders into the mud (the crawdads, the catfish and the swan....), and all the while, had never even gotten himself even the least bit muddy in that he stayed up in the “dry mud†at the rim of the pond. Upon seeing this, I figured that; “if he could dish it out, he’d better be able to take it too!â€. So, I went up to Jay Wilson, our resident “very funny guy†and tough guy as well, and said; “Hey Jay, you see Richard over there? You see what he is doin?†and as we watched, it was evident to Jay too, that we had to do something.
And so, we formed a plan. Since Richard was there in the “dry mud†at the upper edge of the pond on the Wierwille Library side throwing people in and cheering as he did so, Jay and I decided that we would simply “blind side him†and hit him from behind. And that’s exactly what we did. We gave each other a last fearful look and one of us said to the other (for I can’t remember who); “Well, if he can do it to “usâ€, why can’t we do it to him?†And so we commenced. We ran at him full bore from behind and Jay hit him low, grappling his legs together, and I hit him high in a classic tackle that rendered him totally helpless. We hit him with such concentrated force that we drove him straight to the bottom of the pond with me riding his head and shoulders and face into the mud, and the crawdads, and the catfish, and the swan....! (polysyndeton once again)…
Oh man! It was glorious! We had nailed that sucker! After all of that time from the previous year of him kicking our butts and challenging us, we were finally on an even keel, “mano y mano!†And surely he knew that we were on the same wave length and that we had bested him but good and that there would be no repercussions whatsoever! Cuz after all, we were all “guys†anyway…
But noo!! We forgot that Richard T had been in the Marine Corps, and that he was a guy who didn’t like to get his a$$ kicked. As soon as he got up out of the mud and wiped the mud from his eyes and saw us grinning at him, he got a serious and malicious glint in his eyes. In fact, he was enraged! Jay and I didn’t know what to do at first, but as soon as Jay saw that he was the first target of Richard’s ire, he began to sprint through the mud as fast as he could. But, he was not fast enough for the fury of Richard-I’m gonna pay ‘em back-Thomas! Richard tackled Jay with a fury and slammed his face in the mud time time and again! And when he was done with Jay, he looked at me who was staring stupidly wondering if I had “tackled God Himself†(because Richard had been ordained), and made a feeble attempt to run away. But Richard was on me like a Texan on a porkchop and was soon ramming my face into the mud, the crawdads, the catfish, and the swan ....!
And so, that was the “Great Tenth and Eighth Corps Mudfight†from my perspective, AND…. it was grande…
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ex10
haha, johnny
Unfortunately, I was mot there for the infamous mudfight. I was spending a blissful, "boring" (ha, I wish) summer in Rome City stalking tomato worms, pitting cherries 24 hours a day, and murdering the in-rez chickens.
Hubby wasn't there either, as he was incarcerated at Gunnison with psychogeer.
Ah, but I've heard the stories. I always wondered who it was that had the nerve to tackle Richard, and live to tell about it. I shoulda figured.
:D-->
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Hope R.
My first year was intense - a good kind of intense. I met the most wonderful people, and still keep in touch with a few of them!
;)-->
Oh, there were some bad times - like when Sunny left - that sucked. But for the most part - I had a really good experience that year.
My last year was hell on earth with Gerald W. (except for 4 months I spent in Rome City - which wasn't exactly what would pass for Corps Training - Del Duncan was our Corps Coordinator - need I say more?).
I think because the Sickth Corps had no "elder" corps, we got away with more stuff than some of the latter Corps' did. During Pat S**nders pseudo English class, I used to sit in the back row with Chris Cunn*****m reading New York Magazine from cover to cover (I kept my subscription running and never was asked about it).
I didn't run. I put my sweats on - made like I was heading for the track, and went up the back stairs of the back stage area of Kenyon and made a pot of coffee before heading back to the dorm. I filled out my CO3 form (no, my nose didn't grow), and that was that. I will say that I just about died when we did those group "fun runs"!
I think Way Prod might have had a slight advantage (once we were "allowed" to play). I never had to go on that stupid kill-the-chicken-camping-trip. We were sent out in pairs to visit the WOW's in Kansas and Oklahoma and teach and perform that week instead. Poor me!
The Sickth Corps didn't have the privilege of going on LEAD. Our years were stuck between the end of TFI and the beginning of the LEAD program. I think it started up during the last year of the 7th Corps.
I have great stories to tell - went places I never would have gone - and met people I never would have the pleasure (for the most part) to know.
Sure, there were morons and hard-@sses, too. But I didn't bother with them - stayed out of their way and kept myself off their radar.
Things changed later on - it got more strict and rigorous. I think the 10th might have been the year that really got heavy. When did the midnight curfew start? And the no smoking thingy?
Anyway - my hindsight usually has rose-colored glasses attached. I think I choose to forget the really awful stuff that happened - maybe because the good stuff happened more often.
Alfakat - Evan - Catcup - and you Sickth Corpse lurkers (you know who you are!) - I LOVE YOU!
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J0nny Ling0
I think that the curfew thing may have started with us, the Tenth. And other things that were rigorous may have strted then too. But, we were allowed to smoke cigs in rez when I was there. We did get our butts kicked for not getting our aerobics points though, whereas you Hope, seemed to get away with it...
I remember once that a bunch of us were WAY behind on points and a friend of mine, Todd Ofslager said; "c'mon "Jonny", we gotta get those points, I'd rather die than fail", and since it was a Saturday, and that was our last night of the week to do it, we ran ten whole miles which was way more than I'd done before that. "Bout killed me, though I was glad I did it for my own personal sake...
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ex10
Our curfew was 11:00 our first yr. Which was a good thing, because Richard was fond of early morning, and I do mean EARLY fun runs. Somebody forget to tell him he wasn't in the marines anymore.
-->
And Hope, there was no way to get out of running in our corps. Trust me, I tried.
:)-->
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Research Geek
Dear all.
I think that this thread is similar to a number of others where an exaggerated claim is made and then someone stands up and says the truth, namely in this case Johnny Lingo.
I back up the statement made previously, that the corps was what you made of it. Certainly, what could be taken advantage of was ultimately taken advantage of, but I question, was it taken advantage of by the pure in heart? I don't know and am not going to pass judgement. In some cases, I believe that it wasn't. But in other cases when those in charge had crossed the line, I think it may have been. But I am not in a position to pass judgement - Who am I to say? I am not God. I do not know all that was going on at the time I was involved. In the final analysis all I can honestly say is based on what I experienced.
I must say say that my perspective was from an idealist viewpoint. I came in like many others I expect, thinking that the corps was the best that there could be. But in the final analysis, it actually was what I, we, believed it to be.
I honestly do not think that I could be the person that I now am without the corps. I was a nobody with no interpersonal skills and the corps, plus my wife is what made me the person I now am.
But I was involved early, when the corps was still in the single digits. I can understand that things later morphed into damaging influences, and I do not discount the negative experiences of those who followed me.
Maybe the origial intent was right and it lasted that way for a few years. But when the overly ambititious were given charge of it, that's when the corps veered off course. That's what my impression is, but of course, that my impresion...
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Dot Matrix
Johnny
"Sleep deprivation"? Hardly. While working as a U.S. Merchant Marine aboard ship, I worked six hours on and six hours of around the clock for two weeks straight. That's 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and eighty four hours a week"
Well no ....!
:)--> If I had joined the military or even the police acadamey I may have expected to have little or no sleep. This was a christain college. I thought we may rise early and be out of class by 8:00 pm and have SOME personal time.
And yes met some great people, but someone asked us not to talk about I met a nice person here or there but to tell them what the "program" was like.
The "program" and all of its pretend "learning" sucked IMO.
I can recall wonderful days with fun believers where we snuck out of Sunday night service and other times but the program... Did you really LEARN anything of value?
Not the life's lessons of trust and mistrust. Or the fact that you made some good friends, what did you learn of value from the program?
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Dot Matrix
Vickles
"Or how about having to watch a woman in a movie trying to have sex with a dog that didn't want anything to do with her? Did that have anything to do with being a leader for twi? I guess for a sick place like twi it would!!!!"
Yes, there was another good reason to sell my home and go in rez. What wonderful and useful training that was....
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Dot Matrix
Geek I am glad you found some redemptive things about the program.
you said
"I must say say that my perspective was from an idealist viewpoint. I came in like many others I expect, thinking that the corps was the best that there could be. But in the final analysis, it actually was what I, we, believed it to be"
I do not agree.I came in because I thought I would be the best for God. I would be able to love his people and learn the love of God. What I found my first year was a fat old man with no clothes on inviting me into the coach.
It wasn't what I made of it that affected me it was what it really was. IMO...
It was a perverse playground where VPW could select some to "romp with" and the other people there were like window dressing for him to hide behind. But that is Just my opinion and MY experience.
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washingtonweather
Yes I believe it was a scam...so was the Way College, Rome City family Corps...and Fellowlaborers of the many different states, and So wqas the college WOW prgram, International Wow, regular WOW and even the highschool minuteman..all of which I was heavily involved with...with the exception of Fellowlaborers...I visited them..and my friend Watered Garden will take that area on.
My reason is this...I believe they did not provide what they were billed as...and furthermore exploited the participants 110%
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Sunny1
Gee. . .
I've been through a lot since I left June 27, 2000. Same day I got in -- June 27, 1986 (not intentional) I still have a piece of the film class I took. Glad to have it.
I'm very glad for the Word I learned. I don't doubt one word of it -- I never did believe that Jesus was God and then I learned that he never said he was! Gee, what a relief that was to me. Didn't even know I needed a relief. But it was kind of like -- "I knew it!" "I knew he wasn't God!"
I am not bitter about my experience and thank God for that. I believe I was right where I needed to be to learn exactly what it was I needed to learn.
I was hurt by stuff -- deeply -- but God guarantees in His Word that people will always disappoint. I have chosen to heal; take with me the good, and move on!
Everybody sing. . .
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