Patriots Club Holds Their Fifth Annual Event

 On November 12, the Patriots Club, under the direction of Mr. JD Vick presented their fifth annual Veterans Day Program. The Nutley Patriots Club has been active at NHS and John H. Walker Middle School for five years, since the fall of 2013. “We wanted to have a club that would give us a platform to recognize our Veterans and to promote patriotism,” says Vick, a social studies teacher at JHWMS.

The Veterans Day Program included performances by the USO Show Troupe, the United States Military Academy West Point Band Duo, and  the NHS Choir. “Every veteran that attended was recognized and presented with a certificate and challenge coin,” said Vick. A moment was taken to remember the fallen with the playing of "Taps." The 100th anniversary of the end of World War l was also recognized. After the event, the veterans and their families were invited to a dinner at the Knights of Columbus in Nutley.

While this event is a highlight of their year, the Patriots Club has many field trips throughout the school year which are somehow connected to patriotism, American history or veterans. Some of the trips taken yearly are, Boston, Washington DC, the location of where George Washington crossed the Delaware River, the 9/11 Museum, USS intrepid and United States Military Academy at West Point.The students also wrote letters to the US military members who are deployed or in basic training. The club’s members often shovel snow from the Nutley war memorials after each snowfall and they prepare.

In addition to trips for students, local veterans have the opportunity to be a part of  Honor Flight which is an organization dedicated to taking veterans to see their memorials in Washington DC with no expense to the veterans. Mr. Vick hopes that the club will gain more members over the years. Last year, this club only had 12 members and this year the number of students grew to 50.