Editor’s Note: A lot of this was covered at last Wednesday’s Peace Club Meeting, but for those that couldn’t make it or those who want more information, the following announcement contains comprehensive details.

During the week of December 4th-9th, 2006, Peace Club will be working together with the Aragon Leadership Class to encourage Aragon students to take the time to send a message of holiday cheer and moral support to the soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The idea of this event is not to make any kind of statement about the war, it is simply to recognize that fighting in a war is a difficult job both physically and mentally, and to do something to help out the soldiers who are risking their lives for our country.

Peace Club and Leadership will be manning a table Monday-Friday at lunch in front of the Counseling Office and Saturday the 9th during Leadership’s Adopt an Angel event outside the gymnasiums to provide a place for students to take some time to make a card or write a letter to a soldier to offer holiday greetings and support. Participation is entirely voluntary, but highly encouraged.

We will be compiling a list of randomly selected members of the armed forces from AnySoldier.com, which maintains a list of soldiers who have opted in to receive and pass on cards and other supplies to fellow soldiers. We are only sending letters and cards; students interested in sending packages can feel free to do so by themselves, however Peace Club and Leadership will be focusing on letters and cards for this event. In addition, we encourage any students who know someone overseas to contribute an APO or FPO mailing address to our list so that we can direct cards and letters to them as well.

Peace Club Volunteers Needed
One Peace Club member and one Leadership member will be asked to volunteer their time at the table for a lunch period during the Monday-Friday school week. There will also be a staff member at the table for supervision purposes as well. In addition, volunteers are needed to man the table during the three shifts on Saturday (11 AM-noon, Noon-1 PM, 1-2 PM). If you are in Leadership, you can volunteer during fifth period. If you are a staff member who could volunteer a lunch period, contact Ms. Johnson or Mr. Colglazier. If you are a Peace Club member who could volunteer on Saturday, please contact Douglas Bell (a number of Peace Club members have already volunteered for the Monday-Friday lunchtime spots).

In addition to the tabling, a lot of assistance will be needed to get the cards into envelopes, address the envelopes, and stamp them. In order to be received by the soldiers in time, we need to have all of the cards and letters at the post office on Monday the 11th, so although I don’t know when/where envelope stuffing could take place yet, it would need to be Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, or sometime on Monday so that they could be mailed by postmarking time on Monday. If you think you would be available sometime that weekend to help out, please contact Douglas Bell at school.

Lastly, please tell everyone you know about it! Use word of mouth! The event will be publicized via posters, flyers, and in the 5th Period announcements, but word of mouth is always the best of all!

Thanks to everyone in Peace Club and Leadership who will be helping to make this idea become a reality!
–Douglas Bell, Aragon Peace Club President