Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
The latest offering of the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum summer series Monday will give north-central Montanans the opportunity to see and hear about the first exploration of Montana as the Montana National Guard Heritage Outreach Program presents “A Time To Discover 1803-1806: Lewis and Clark’s Great Adventure.” Staff Sgt. Christine Easton will give a presentation including a Power Point presentation and “learning trunks” filled with replicas of items from the expedition. “We talk about the military values that were instilled in most of these historical figures, those soldiers,” she said. The program began as an educational outreach program during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, celebrating the journey of the Corps of Discovery from 1803-1806 as it explored the lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Easton said the National Guard traveled with the people portraying the Corps of Discovery during the anniversary of its years in Montana, 2005-2006, providing help, support and security for the re-enactment team. The Guard would also put up a military museum display in a tent at the sites of the re-enactments, she said. The military display was so popular the commanders of the Montana National Guard decided to continue it past the bicentennial, with showings going year-round. Easton said she and Staff Sgt. James Kelly travel to schools throughout the year, enhancing school’s history curriculums with their presentations and hands-on learning. She added that her showings have ranged from talking to prekindergarten children to talking to groups of retired teachers. The program now offers a presentation on World War II, and will expand to include other hands-on item trunks focusing on issues up to the Vietnam conflict, Easton said. The presentation itself will focus on the items in the trunk, which will be passed around for people to look at and even try on in the case of uniforms and hats, she said. The focus of the presentation will be the military values the people in the Corps of Discovery had, and the impact of those values, she said. “That military expedition was very similar to the militia and the National Guard,” Easton said. “We function to protect the country, we function to serve the country.” The program typically lasts an hour, but it can easily fill a 90-minute slot or be shortened for younger children, Easton said. It typically includes a questionand- answer period on trivia about Lewis and Clark’s voyage to reinforce the educational aspect, she said. The presentation will start at 6 p. m. in the Holiday Village Shopping Center Community Room. Admission is free, donations to the Clack Memorial Museum Foundation will be accepted.
