MCB Quantico -- Quantico’s Marine Corps Community Services offers a number of daytime programs geared toward female military spouses and their children, but relatively few aimed at fathers, said Sgt. Maj. Michael Moore, Headquarters and Service Battalion sergeant major. “Sometimes I think we neglect to think of dads and their important involvement in raising their kids,” he said.
A Family Advocacy Program event at Prince William National Forest on June 28, 2013, “Tune In with Dad,” was a step toward remedying that oversight.
Six fathers and their eight children spent the morning on activities designed both for fun and to build trust, teamwork and understanding. Roles were reversed as the children led their fathers on a blind trust walk, and games of “lava raft” and “walk the plank” were followed by a discussion of family conflict resolution, for example. They used the Real Colors Personality Instrument to discover and learn about each other’s personality types.
“It’s a day of learning, but also a day of fun,” said Rebecca Childress, prevention and education specialist for FAP.
This was the first event of its kind for Quantico, and Mary Skinner-Vance, program manager for FAP, said it originated in part from an earlier FAP event at the park. A number of those who attended the program’s “Cozy by the Fire” couples workshop in February expressed interest in a similar event for parents and children, and Father’s Day made June an appropriate month for a father-child activity, she said.
Moore, who participated in the event, said H&S Bn. will hold a men’s meeting July 18 to discuss possibilities for additional fatherhood initiatives at Quantico. The meeting, open to all active duty males, will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the H&S Bn. classroom of Building 2006. Anyone interested should register at 703-784-2784.
— Writer: mdicicco@quanticosentryonline.com