Patriot Camp in Maine by Jessica Whitworth

Liberty for ME (libertyforme.net) along with the Knox County Republicans offered a one day
Patriot Camp for kids ages 5-11 at Damariscotta Lake State Park in August 2021. For our first camp
sixteen children attended from about five families, a great start!
We began our camp with the Pledge of Allegiance and an Invocation given by Tanja Barbour.
We offered three lessons on our nation’s founding documents: the Declaration of Independence and the
U.S. Constitution with its Bill of Rights. We were blessed to have Camp Constitution’s
(campconstitution.net) junior camp teacher Mrs. Edith Craft. Roberta Stewart, a Camp Constitution
staffer helped to get Edith to teach the children at Liberty for Maine’s Patriot Camp and provide much
appreciated support and input. The successful lessons focused on the Preamble of the Declaration of
Independence, the Bill of Rights with emphasis on the 1st and 2nd Amendments, and the three branches
of government.

Activities included demonstrations offered by Maynard Stanley on starting a flint fire which we
related to the spark that started the fight for freedom, rope making which twisted three strands together
to make a strong and sturdy rope, and writing with a quill pen which allowed the children to sign their
own “copy” of the Declaration of Independence. One of the children’s favorite activities was making
three of them into a three-headed eagle with brown fabric, yellow beaks, and a white bib to show how
our government’s three branches need to work together to protect our rights. The children also learned
how to fold and care for our nation’s flag! Spunky, the clown, attended and made a number of
delightful balloon creations for the children that included puppies, bunnies, guns, swords, flowers, and
hats.

The children and parents enjoyed the day learning about our nation’s founding history. Liberty for
ME plans to offer camps for children each year and prays that our program can spread across our
beautiful nation. We encourage other states to offer camps or after school programs to teach the truth of
our amazing nation, the United States of America.