Bill OKs new version of National Guard youth program

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Nevada Daily Mail

Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill May 27 authorizing the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard to form the Missouri Youth Challenge Academy, a program for at-risk youth.

From 1998-2003, Camp Clark was home to the ShowMe ChalleNGe, a similar program for troubled youth, but budget cuts forced its closing. Representative Barney Fisher (R-125th District), said that program had a price tag of about $3 million per year. The new program, as conceived, would likely have to survive on much less than that. The level of federal funding enjoyed by the ShowMe ChalleNGe, Fisher said, was forfeited when the state, then under the leadership of Gov. Bob Holden, chose to ax that program; and it's not likely that level of federal funding will ever be back, Fisher said, although State Sen. David Pearce said the new program will depend in part on federal funds.

The scope and timing of the new program's emergence depends largely on funding -- which would come from federal funds as well as monies being raised by the Missouri Youth Challenge Foundation Fund, which would be created in the treasury and be funded by gifts, donations, appropriations, transfers, and bequests.

But with the governor's signing of the bill, reinstating such a program in some form seems to finally be in the works. It's an effort that legislators have doggedly pursued, along many different avenues, since that fateful day -- Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 -- when workers were greeted by the Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard, Brigadier General George Shull, with the bad news that budget cutbacks ordered by Holden forced the closing of the program,

Resurrection efforts, round one

A campaign to save the program received state-wide support but was ultimately unsuccessful. Carol Branham, Friends of ShowMe ChalleNGe, Inc., was effusive in her praise of the help that poured in from communities around the area. "We had several donations from communities all across Missouri but Vernon County was the biggest thrust of funding. We had donations from the Schell City Community Betterment group, The Rich Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Rich Hill American Legion among others," Branham said at the time. "We had great support from individuals."

Even help from the are's two legislators in office at the time couldn't help the doomed program. State Representative Jerry King and State Senator Harold Caskey both attempted to help but even with their bi-partisan support the program didn't survive.

General Shull delayed closing the program past the originally scheduled date but even with the extra time the program supporters failed to meet the goal. Lieutenant Tamara Spicer announced the closing.

"The program has been closed. The Friends of ShowMe ChalleNGe worked very hard but were unable to raise the amount of money needed. The decision was put off as long as it was hoping for a miracle, it just didn't happen," Spicer said.

Gone, but not forgotten

The program was gone for good, or so it seemed.

Nevertheless, hope for the program, or a similar program, resurged in 2007, when Fisher told the Nevada City Council that he had recently talked to the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard about the program and he is interested in re-establishing the ShowMe ChalleNGe program within his budget and will talk to then governor Matt Blunt about it. The hope at the time was that some version of this type of program could be reinstated in 2009; but a slumping economy put it on the back burner once again.

Still hope springs eternal, and with the signing of the bill comes new hope.

Hurdles ahead

State senator David Pearce said there are still hurdles to overcome before the Missouri Youth Challenge could become a reality. He, too, sees funding as being the biggest hurdle of all.

"Quite honestly, this is more long-range -- it just allows the National Guard primarily to set up and get a mechanism to start collecting funds and set aside some funds to have this ChalleNGe once again," Pearce said.

Both Pearce and Fisher Fisher noted that several possible sites had been suggested, but no decisions as to where the new program would be located have been made.

Asked if Camp Clark would be considered as a location, Pearce said he thought it was an ideal location.

"I would hope so," Pearce said. "It's a perfect location for it and great community support. From what I'd heard they had looked at Lincoln campus in Jefferson City but felt it was too much a part of the campus life and right in the middle of the community, so that location has not been considered or finalized."

Other possible sites Fisher's heard mentioned include Whiteman Air Force Base, Camp Crowder and others.

Pearce said if Nevada is interested, community leaders should get in touch with the adjutant of the National Guard and let him know what Nevada has to offer.

"I think it would certainly behoove the community of Nevada, if Nevada was interested, to contact the adjutant general to say that 'Yes, we would be interested,'" Pearce said.

Fisher agreed, saying, "Then need to talk to the adjutant general; talk to the governor. I'd love to see it back in Nevada. We certainly have the know-how and the community support."

Branham said that she would be glad to help find funding for the program but sees the difficulties that lie ahead, agreeing that, "first and foremost is, I think, the funding because there is a level of required funding" that must be identified and generated, "before they could actually consider getting it back up, to make sure for sustainability," Branham said. "I have been in conversation with Representative Fisher and told him that I would be happy to participate with the group."

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