Cohort 3 Selected!!!

On November 15, the 22 new members of cohort 3 met at the U.S. Custom House for their initial processing. The Regional Director and Deputy Directors visited with them to share their vision of the ProRanger program and their enthusiasm for the exciting season ahead.

The Regional Chief Ranger discussed the responsibilities and challenges that they will face as they progress through the program, and the great support available to see them through.

Dr. Tony Luango of Temple University discussed the SLETP and offered advice on preparing for the physical and mental demands of this rigorous program.

With the addition of the Southeast and Midwest regions to the program, students have many more destinations available for their summer internships.

Join me in welcoming them during our December 3rd event at the Valley Green Inn.

After Action Meeting 2011

The ProRangers met with officials from Temple university and NPS leadership from the Northeast & National Capitol regions to not only review the accomplishments of the past year, but to also hear where the program is heading in the future.
The Chief Ranger of the Northeast region, Stephen Clark, reviewed the successes of the program and shared his personal connection with several of the students that grew up in the area, revealing a personal photo from his early camping experiences in urban Philadelphia.
Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach, champion of the Director's Call-to-Action item "Home-Grown", shared how the ProRanger programs will lead to similar programs across the park service, servicing numerous types of positions, expanding from law enforcement.
Associate Director for the National Capitol region, Phillip Sellek, a strong advocate for the program, reflected on the successes enjoyed by the NCR and renewed his commitment to developing the ProRangers into sought after Rangers.
Dr. Peter Jones, one of the programs architects from Temple university, described how ProRanger has evolved in a positive way, and looks forward to maintaining Temple's forward-looking approach while striving for excellence.
Dr. McGarvey, Vice-Provost for University College, home of the ProRanger Certificate program that she has passionately brought to reality, shared her passion for making the program even more successful as we drive forward.

After a short video, all that gathered enjoyed a "meet and greet" where the attendees asked questions and were afforded an opportunity to meet with Temple and NPS leadership.

Thanks to all the caring leaders that made the time to attend this event. the impact that your presence made will be felt by these young people for years to come.

ProRanger Leadership Camp - Dismissal

The ProRangers departed Leadership camp at 0715 on July 10th. One long line of vehicles headed for the Flight 93 Memorial. Upon arrival we all proceeded to the overlook area, adorned in flags of all sizes, perhaps left by relatives or those paying their respects to the passengers and crew of the doomed flight.

As we all gazed over the area where the plane crashed, I said a few words about the tragic event.

40 everyday people said goodbye to their family, or not...

had their last look at their children, or not...

heard what the other terrorists were doing along the East coast, fought back, and paid the supreme price for the lives of others.

Who can fathom such courage? To trade all your tomorrows in a desperate fight with armed terrorists, so that other Americans might live.

We formed for a meaningful observation of the raising of the Flag. Although there was no music, no band, or any fireworks, my pride swelled as I felt the familiar shiver run up my spine as the colors waved over this special place. Life is so fragile, with no certainty. How appropriate that the ProRangers began their journey back to their parks with a fresh reminder of their mortality.

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I would like to thank former NER Regional Chief Ranger (now Superintendent of MORR) Jill Hawk, and NER Regional Chief Ranger Steve Clark, for placing their trust and confidence in this leadership camp. The ProRangers salute you.

I would also like to thank NCR Regional Chief Ranger Will Reynolds for his help, participation, and inspirational leadership at the Leadership Camp. The ProRangers salute you.

Ranger Dave Ballum for his total commitment to the members of this program. The ProRangers appreciate you.

Ranger Dylan Mroszczyk-McDonald from Boston for his caring and upbeat attitude. The ProRangers enjoyed hosting you.

Chief Ranger Cindy Sirk-Fear, who traveled so far to support the ProRangers in awful weather with a smile. The ProRangers want to be like you.

Deputy Superintendent Brion Fitzgerald from Gettysburg, The ProRangers strive to emulate you.

All the Partner Parks for their creative scheduling and support.

The ProRangers! I knew we could do it! You are all fine men and women that would make anyone proud to call you a fellow Ranger. (P.S. Pain is weakness leaving the body!).

Stephen Sweet, my brother, who has volunteered so very much of his time and expense to support the ProRangers. The ProRangers love you. (Me too).

And most of all, my wife Victoria. Who let me chase my dream so far from home. Without me there for all those things she counted on me for. A couple more months...

ProRanger Leadership Camp - Day 5

Saturday, July 9th, 2011 - Day Five
Saturday was a day that we all have been anticipating because many of us have never been caving before. After tackling the activities involving heights and the white-water rafting, we felt confident as a team in our ability to triumph our last quest at Leadership Camp.
The day started early at 5:30am to ensure enough time for our day’s activity. Another challenge we had been anticipating, the timed 1.5 mile run, kicked off in the six-o'clock hour with everyone giving it their all on their last morning of group PT time. As always with our ProRanger runs, those who finished earlier jogged back to root on their teammates. At the end, we all finished the race with many of us improving on our times from the PEB practiced in May. After changing into old clothes that we didn't mind dirtying, we ate breakfast and loaded onto buses on route to the cave. When we arrived at the site, we were met by a steep trail winding up a mountain. We geared up and began our trek, stopping for some motivational push-ups from Program Manager Don Sweet and selected ProRangers along the way.
Prior to entering, the staff members shared with us their knowledge of the cave. The rock formation that forms the cave system shifted many thousands of years ago, meaning the cave's foundation is well established and is safe for the public. We were told that in the cave, average temperatures lingered around 55 degrees and that no natural sunlight reaches the depths that we will be climbing. Because of these harsh conditions, no animals or plants thrive in the cave, other than seasonal hibernating bats. The only life that can live is bacteria, so it is important that we leave no traces of ourselves in the cave.
We formed a single file line and committed ourselves to supporting the person directly in front and behind each of us. With these extra hands and a constant four points of contact, we will be able to safely maneuver ourselves through the bends, climbs and drops in the cave. We dirtied our clothes instantly by sliding down a moist rock entering the cave. In the beginning, the inside of the cave was relatively spacious, so there was time to look around with our flash lights and admire the interior. All the rocks had smooth groves carved by passing water and many corridors wandered off into the seemingly abyss. The cave slowly but surely narrowed on us, however the changes were subtle because of the many stops we made in the different caverns of the cave to discuss philosophical themes of Outdoor Odyssey and how it applies to our time in the cave. The cave system, one of the largest on the East coast, started with one stream working its way little by little through the cracks in the rocks. Slowly, changes in shape of the rocks redirected the water, carving the many passages wind through the enormous system. The metaphor in this is much like experiences in our own lives where changes, big or small, ultimately impact our future in ways we could have never perceived.
After appreciating the awe of the cave a bit more, we were ready for our most challenge obstacle in the cave. The easiest way out to lunch involved a tunnel that required us to crawl on our bellies arms first and in the dark, the only reference point being the shoes of the person in front of us. The reason for doing this task in the dark was strategic as well as challenging. Many of us found ourselves more scared of the tight space when the light was turned on, yet with no light it was nerve-wracking when contact with the person in front was lost. The tunnel winded many yards, so the crawl was long and strenuous. On top of that, the first half of the cave narrowed on us as we crawled. Portions of the tunnel required us to rotate our body on our right side or change position from head first to feet first in order to pass. For the team members that challenged their fear of tight spaces, the rest of the ProRanger team and all involved are very proud and understand the difficulty in confronting such a fear. Once we left the long, dark tunnel, it was a quick exit to a much needed lunch in the woods.
We enjoyed our surroundings by appreciating the natural beauty of our surroundings and the rich ecosystem of the Pennsylvania forest. We found native Pennsylvania crayfish under rocks in a small, trickling steam, intriguing many of the ProRangers. After eating, we hiked back down the mountain and found our way to the road back. On the way, the Outdoor Odyssey staff treated us to ice cream, which was much appreciated on our last day.
Later in the night, the ProRanger team reunited at the lake for a ceremonious speech from those who have been tirelessly working with us all week, as well as Outdoor Odyssey founder, General Jones.



The General reinforced the core philosophies of Outdoor Odyssey; setting the right goals, formulating the best plan of action and finally motivating yourself to follow through while keeping in mind morality and humility. He reminded us that only 15% of people actually set and follow through with goals, putting us at a major advantage in life if we follow his philosophies. Mr. Sweet recognized us for our excellence in working together as a team and completing the week, followed by all of our team leaders. We were presented with a USB thumb drive containing photos from the entire week, as well as a Challenge Coin honoring our dedication to safety. After hearing heart felt speeches by Mr. Sweet, his brother Stephen, our counselors for the week and finally our peers, we cheered loudly in satisfaction of our dedication.
The rest of the night was at a leisurely pace and the ProRangers took this opportunity to bond as a group one last time. We gathered on the balcony of our quarters while or Chief, John, started a camp fire. Around the fire, we told jokes and laughed well into the night, until eventually everyone filtered into their cabins for bed. A sense of relief from enduring a challenging week kept everyone in cheerful spirits and the fact that we will disassemble in the morning was absent from our minds. Written by Angela Forney.

ProRanger Leadership Camp - Day 4

Day 4, July 8th 2011
This morning we began with an individual mountain run. It was the same run as the day before, but this time we were being timed. The times reflected how far many individuals have come since the initial PEB run. Although it was extremely mountainous, there were some individuals that beat their PEB time. First was taken by John, second by Ben and third by Jeff. After they completed their timed portion, instead of stopping and sitting on the ground relaxing they hurried back to the mountain to help cheer on those individuals that were further behind. This same thing occurred with all of the other runners. By the time the last runners were coming in, there were quite a few running behind, making sure to encourage the whole way. It was quite a sight to see. Each day we have continued to get closer together, making sure that we reach our goals and push each other.

We then went off to white water rafting at Wilderness Voyagers. The day had started off without a drop of rain in the sky, but as soon as the unloaded from the bus, the skies began to open and let loose quite the rainstorm. That didn’t stop us, though. We were there to white-water raft and that was what we were going to do. We got on our gear, sat in our rafts for a brief safety information session then headed down the rapids. Due to the rain that we had gotten, these rapids were classified 1-3. The key to this whole experience was having good communication within the raft. We lost some individuals along the way but they were quickly recovered and put back in their boats.
While on the rapids, the rain didn’t seem to bother us. It wasn’t until we stopped for lunch and were trying to make sandwiches that it started to become an issue. We found that we were getting cold because we had stopped but it was important that we ate our lunch before we continued. By the time we got to the end, we found that we were tired. White water rafting was a true test of physical endurance, team work and communication. Without those three, we all would have been floating down the river without our boats. The whole trip lasted about four hours. Just as this whole week has been, it is going to be one of those experiences that we will never forget.
After arriving back and putting on warm clothes. We got to have a BBQ dinner out near the pond with another group of younger kids who were also spending time at the camp. We played a game on the sand court with them then continued on with eating.
Dinner went quickly and we found that we were able to do an orienteering course that brought us all around the camp. Not all of is knew how to use a compass so we immediately had to rely on those who had worked with them before. We set off throughout the camp to find seven pre-marked areas within our teams.

For some of the teams, it was difficult to get the hang of it. The skills that were learned are important because we will not always have a GPS sitting with us. Basic compass and map skills are extremely important to have knowledge of. Although it was a little frustrating for some of the teams, these are skills that we all now know.

ProRanger Leadership Camp - Day 3

Day 3, Thursday July 7th, 2011
Program Manager Don Sweet constantly used the term " Pain is weakness leaving the body". We were all shedding alot of weakness. The morning PT of day three was by far the most difficult of the PT. We began with a series of Calisthetics and stretches to warm our bodies up. We then began a formation mountain run which included the use of cadence to regulate our breathing and to keep us motivated. The team leaders created their own cadence and used some from the Marines in order to personalize the cadence and keep everyone in good spirits throughout the run. It was extremely difficult to run the mountainous terrain but as we stuck together and continued to support one another we found that we would be able to finish as a unit. The mountain formation run was an accomplishment for all of us.
After our morning PT, we quickly got ready to head up to Beams Rock to do some real rappelling.

We were able to use what we learned yesterday in a real setting. We started with a nice hike through the rocks. At one point we came to this section of rock where there were two rocks extremely close together. We all took a deep breath and exhaled trying to make sure we could all make it through. After shimmying through the rock we realized that this would be good preparation for caving on Saturday. Although there were a few moments where it seemed like you might get stuck we were all able to get out just as easily as we went in. Throughout the whole hike we were constantly looking out for one another. If someone needed a hand up a few rocks there was always a hand there waiting to help them up. We really were developing as a unit – constantly looking out for one another.
After our brief hike, we ended at the base of the cliff we would be rappelling down and the section of rock that we would be climbing up. We split up into two groups; one that would be rappelling and the other that would be climbing. The climbing group immediately got geared up and began climbing. It was quite the challenge because as you got past the first little section would good grips, you found yourself in this little cave that was extremely difficult to maneuver out of and continue your climb. The people on the ground were constantly trying to help the individual climbing by giving them advice on handholds and footholds. It was extremely difficult but the rock climbing demonstrated how an individual event can quickly turn into a team event. We were all there for each other, wanting to see one another succeed up that rock. Every time that someone reached the top there was a sense of accomplishment for the entire group.

At the same time, individuals began to rappel down the 90ft rock cliff. For those that had been dealing with their fear of heights for the entire week, this was the ultimate test.
It was inspiring to watch these people slowly lean back over the edge of the cliff, then one foot at a time climb down. Once they got the okay, they were able to release and jump down the rock face. Many of us did it without hesitation after walking down those first few steps. The amount of support for those individuals who are afraid of heights was overwhelming.

Half way through, we broke for lunch. The night before we had all received MRE’s to eat for lunch while at the rock. Other than the three Marines that are part of the program, nobody had ever tried these tasteful delights before. We all sat around and learned how to heat up our entrees and then began to enjoy our food.

It was an interesting experience. It made us all value the food that we get each day instead of this type of food. Just like the PT runs and the fire watches, it was important for us to know what the MRE’s are because if we are ever responding to a disaster or another event there is a good chance that we would be eating these. While they may not be the most enjoyable, when you are hungry, you will eat whatever is placed in front of you. After lunch we continued on rappelling and climbing, making sure that everyone had the opportunity to try both. During times when we weren’t doing either, we got the opportunity to speak with one another, getting to learn about what was going on at other parks and overall further getting to know each other. Some people realized that climbing is something that they may want to add into their list of things they want to find in a park. We are realizing how many opportunities there are for each and every one of us. If we don’t want to climb then we can always find a park that has another opportunity that we further enjoy.
After returning to camp, we began a new set of obstacles – the low ropes course. This was another opportunity to shake our initial groups up a little and give new people the chance to be leaders.

Each group did about three obstacles. The low ropes were extremely similar to the Leadership Reaction Course that we did the previous day. We saw that we are continuing to grow as leaders and as individuals within a group. As your group failed their mission, the intensity that you wanted to complete the task continued to grow. We all worked together to pull through and complete our missions. The final part of our day was a sort of letting loose, canoe race. We were put back into our original teams. Team leaders were not allowed to be in the boats because they would have their own race a little later – a kayak race. Two people were allowed per canoe and they had to paddle all the way down the small pond, get out and switch with their other two team members. There were a few individuals that did not know how to swim. Many individuals would opt out of participating, but not the ProRangers. All of them participated in the canoe race.
Two people even tipped their canoe. It was a lot of fun to see how teams interacted with one another – especially the teams who had never canoed before. They figured out how to get going and finish the race.
Once the canoe race was done, it was the Team Leaders turns to kayak down and back. The support from the teams was so amazing to see.

We had all come so far together this week and the canoe race was a fun way of expressing our ability to work with one another. After the racing was done we got the chance to goof off in the pond, both walking the line that spans the pond or using the zip line.
It was a great way to let loose after an intense few days. We were even able to get Don Sweet and the NCR Regional Chief into the pond with us. Although we have been pushed extremely hard so far, it has been a fun couple of days. We are learning so much about each other and about ourselves. Written by Team Leader Cailin Bean. Photos by Victoria Sweet.