Hello, a quick introduction

I am Calvin Mortimer. I an the Senior Commander of Outpost 87, Mercy Church (formerly South Aiken Church of God) in Aiken SC. I have been in Rangers for about 6 or 7 years (I'll have to take the time to figure out exactly how long!?). I am a friend of Phillip Gross who sent me to this forum. I hope to make some new and lasting friendships through this forum. Rangers seem to make lifelong friendships quickly! Thanks and God bless.

Hey Calvin! Glad you made it in here. Our number is small right now, but it's good. Some forums are like standing in Times Square. This one is like sitting around a table drinking coffee with a few other guys.

For what it's worth to the rest of you, Calvin and I met at NRMC. We were in the same patrol that weekend.

CalvinM wrote: I am a friend of Phillip Gross...

That's okay. We'll let you in anyway.

Welcome, Calvin, and thanks for your time working with Rangers.

With 7 years in, after only 13 more years as a Commander, when you retire, the Rangers will pay you HALF of what you are getting now!

Welcome aboard Calvin

Claymore wrote:
With 7 years in, after only 13 more years as a Commander, when you retire, the Rangers will pay you HALF of what you are getting now!

Isn't Mark getting close to the 30 yr mark? He's got a heck of a retirement coming his way...

Phillip Gross wrote:

Claymore wrote:
With 7 years in, after only 13 more years as a Commander, when you retire, the Rangers will pay you HALF of what you are getting now!

Isn't Mark getting close to the 30 yr mark? He's got a heck of a retirement coming his way...

Yea Mark is an honorary Colonel like Sanders haha

Bruce, you beat me to it...

Include my 12 years as a boy and 12 as a leader I should be drawing a decent sum too. I am sure my checks are in the mail...

Thanks everybody. I see I am going to have to be on my toes with this group!

Yep! We keep it real. We laugh about things a lot. Encourage each other to stay focused on the goal of RTK. We even get ticked off every now and then at each other... but the core group always comes back. It's kind of like sitting around the Thanksgiving table with your crazy uncles and cousins! (Well for you, it might be like cousins and nephews.... )

I will fit right into this group. I'll get my certification papers ready for anyone who wants to see them!!

Don't know where to start. Guess with History! I started as a commander in the trailblazers! Looong ago. back in I think 1968, Possibly 1967.  in Alameda, Calif. at Calvary Christian Center. Worked with about 20 boys at the time. Doing things  like Pinewood Derby, Camping in the Sierras winter camping. Memory of first time, set up camp in abt. 6 ft of snow set down a double layer of 4" logs for a dinner Fire. Built The fire, Kept it going for an evening council fire. By the time for the council fire was to Start the base of logs was approx3' lower in the snow. Looked down and they were sitting on the top of the forest service Picnic Table. Some of the other things we did as an outpost were Made Folding Kayaks, at that time there were no lessons like now we did the basics for meetings stolen from, "No appropriated is what i meant".  Became a FCF member in a short Time, Was appointed FCF President NCal/Nev District served in that position for approximately 7 years. moved to Missouri to get our kids in better schools. The AG church at the time didn't want anything to do with rangers, and I was too busy running a business to push the issue.
Now to current days started about 15 years ago going to a Very small Southern Baptist church down the road from me. The pastor asked me what I thought about the Royal Ranger Program. Having two AG preachers as Brother inlaws I was Still Familiar  with what was going on. I simply said "its the best thing to make Men out of Boys. So at 75 Here i am a Senior Commander!!!  
Dave

Dave Stewart wrote: I started as a commander in the trailblazers! Looong ago. back in I think 1968, Possibly 1967.  in Alameda, Calif. at Calvary Christian Center...Became a FCF member in a short Time, Was appointed FCF President NCal/Nev District served in that position for approximately 7 years. moved to Missouri to get our kids in better schools... I simply said "its the best thing to make Men out of Boys. So at 75 Here i am  a Senior Commander!!!

Gee, Dave, we walked the same trails, although at different times. My Navy years took me to a lot of places, including Treasure Island...and I attended Calvary Christian Center between 80-81. Pastor Womack was leading it at the time and my wife helped with M'nettes. I was doing Naval Sea Cadets, so didn't jump into Rangers until '83 up in Bremerton. You were smart to get out of Calif, as it's really gone to the dogs. After my Navy career I ended up in Montana. I'll be in Missouri for a reunion in early Sept, you know, after the humidity goes away.

Welcome to Ranger Forums! Glad your plugging in to So. MO District. Always a good thing to get Rangers Fired up.

Dave,

It sounds like you have an impressive resume' with a lot of depth. As Mark Jones said, there have been changes (some to the benefit of the Program, and some for the benefit of the Headquarters Pogies), but the water is quite a bit smoother than it was 5 years ago.

I am a retired Narcotics Detective out of Milwaukee, and I did 2 tours in the Active Army & retired out of the Reserves as an E-8. My love in the military was Paratroops and Special Forces. We try to make our Ranger Outpost a tool to develop Small Unit Leadership Skills.

When working with boys, I remember going from the "Spit Shined" Paratroops into Special Forces. A Sergeant said, "You can't expect the people in your Unit to have spit-shined boots, when they only got their first pair of shoes yesterday.".

I find that having an outpost of 8 to 14 year-old boys is about as close as you can get to working with a bunch of little brown indigenous rice farmers.

I find that having an outpost of 8 to 14 year-old boys is about as close as you can get to working with a bunch of little brown indigenous rice farmers.
Yeah My 1.2 years in Korea Taught what that's like!

Welcome Dave!