They rappel down out of the rafters and utilize physical feats of
strength, like ripping huge telephone books in half, bending steel bars, and
rolling up a frying pan "like a burrito!" to get the attention of their
student audience. "Before the students ever hear a single word of our
message, we grab their full attention with the feats of strength and various
stunts," states Commandos! USA president Billy Lowery. He is quick to point
out however, that the real strength of the presentation is their message.
Lowery, a former police officer, established Commandos! USA in 1989 after
dealing with juveniles and adults who had made poor choices. "I know that,
at one time, even the most disadvantaged child had a dream to be a success
in life. However, at the core of "poor decision making" is a lack of
critical character traits. Respect for authority, respect for others, good
work ethic, a desire to obtain a good education, and hope for their future
seem to be lacking among today's youth.
"Rather than wait until people make poor choices in life, why not get
hold of them during their formative years? We need to educate and encourage
children and teens with the core elements of what I refer to as championship
character. We want to be part of the solution to create champions. We work
in partnership with schools to reinforce the character, anti-drug or
bullying curriculum they have in place," stated Lowery. Motivating students
to dream big, create goals, and formulate a vision for their life is the
cornerstone of their message.
Commandos! USA seems to have perfected the ability to provide age
appropriate messages. While academic success, school attendance, and
developing excellence in their work ethic are addressed in both elementary
and secondary assemblies, the message includes topics specific to the age of
the audience. An elementary school audience will hear more about literacy,
manners, and respect for authority; while the middle and high school
audience will hear additional information on anti-drug/alcohol issues,
sexual abstinence, accepting responsibility for their actions, study skills
and habits, as well as college and career planning.
Although some fringe groups have expressed concern with Commandos! USA
being allowed to speak in public schools due to the organization being
linked to Christianity, thousands of administrators across the nation have
not found that to be an issue. "We provide a service to the administrators
and students that in no way violates the separation of church and state
issue," states Lowery.
With a focused demeanor, Lowery goes on to state, "I
think it is sad that there are those that distort our effort to keep
children and teens off drugs and alcohol, away from tobacco and premarital
sex, and encourage them to stay in school, make good grades, and have a
healthy respect for authority, as well as high respect for others. It seems
as though our critics are misinformed about the content of our message and
in all probability have never been in attendance at one of our assembly
programs. I would invite them to attend a performance and see and hear the
positive impact our presentation has on children and teens."
http://www.commandosusa.com/
Contact:
Billy Lowery
Commandos! USAź
PO Box C Katy, Texas 77492
Phone: (281) 347-3500 Fax: (281) 347-3505 Email: info@commandosusa.com
