What does Fort Lewis do with CHARACTER COUNTS!? "What don't we do with CHARACTER COUNTS!?" replies CC! coordinator Cynthia Kaaiwela.

The Fort works with five elementary schools, and each month the schools and Fort highlight the same Pillar. The kids regularly perform skits tied in with the Pillar of the month. Posters are everywhere. There is a notebook in which kids describe what the Pillars mean to them. Fort Lewis has set up a "Peace Table" for conflict resolution with a mentor. On "CHARACTER COUNTS! Friday" the kids can't leave until they name all the Pillars and specify the one highlighted that month.

A CHARACTER COUNTS! awards ceremony takes place every month. Teachers submit the names of kids who have best demonstrated the Pillar of the month, and the top two children receive a certificate and a pin. Parents attend the ceremony where a high official on the post praises the winners.

"The kids talk the talk and walk the walk everywhere - in their discipline cycle and on the playground," said Ms. Kaaiwela.

The numerous activities at the Beachwood School Age Center over the last few years have included:

• October 2001 - During CHARACTER COUNTS! Week, children at the Center worked with staff and parents to gather food and clothing for families of the armed forces at a local Army post, and for the homeless.
• January 2002 - To raise money for youngsters in Afghanistan, the kids sold flag pins and rocks they painted, as well as key chains. Overall, they brought in $700 from the effort. In addition, they sold cookbooks for the Fort Lewis Childcare Givers Association, an organization to assist teachers and help them attend workshops and conferences.
• Spring, 2002 - Youngsters at the Center pursued summer studies from April through June, 2002, through the Center's enrollment in the Washington State University cooperative extension in 4-H. While planning summer camp, the Center organized its clubs. There were eight modules - in science, citizenship and photography, technology and computers, cooking and sewing, sports, fine arts, woodworking and drama. At the end of summer each child earned a 4-H pin.
• November 2002 - Students mounted the largest food drive on the post. Parents, staff, children and visitors all collected, and the preschoolers expressed amazement at the amount of food donated. One said, "Wow! That's a lot, just like at my grandma's house."
• Winter 2003 - Students formed a CHARACTER COUNTS! Round Table, to help children who have a parent deployed to the Middle East. The students had talked about what they could do, and their answer was to reach out to these children by hanging out with them, playing basketball, going on field trips. The children also wrote letters to the troops and the families of their loved ones.
• March 26, 2003 - Special visitors from sca.org gave the children an educational presentation on the Middle Ages. They showed a shield, costumes and a handmade tunic. The "baron" awarded CHARACTER COUNTS! pins and certificates, recognizing the youngsters for fairness and other Pillars.
• April 2003 - On April 16, to celebrate the "Month of the Military Child," two officers presented the Beachwood children with CHARACTER COUNTS! awards. The kids also received art awards from the Boys and Girls Club. On April 17, the youngsters held a "KidsFest" with the theme of "Rollin' on Washington."
• June 2003 - In June the choir added sign language to the songs, and performed in conjunction with the drama club.
• July 2003 - The children in summer camp promoted CHARACTER COUNTS! by mentoring the younger children with 4-H. Their two-hour sessions began June 30. Some of the newer clubs included hip hop, apparel, gardening, bugs, puppetry, stitchery with canvas, biking, sports, cooking and scrapbooking. The children also took part in 4-H training and helped as junior camp assistants. Trustworthiness was the Pillar for July, and kids focused on all the Pillars. They also mentored new students in summer camp. "What a great summer we're having!" said Ms. Shepard.
• August, 2003 - Summer activities included field trips, gymnastics and soccer. The students of Beachwood Summer Camp entered the Fort Lewis and Graham Fairs and won yellow ribbons. The children received the fairness award and a character pin on August 16. They also worked on a news kids' team. They gathered information on the Sports Academy, volleyball, wrestling, rock climbing and other activities, and planned September's "Character on Parade."
• October, 2003 - On October 9 the March on Heroes took place, in which each child dressed up as his or her favorite hero or friend and marched across the post to the housing areas. "Parents, staff, teachers, and children walked the March with us," said Ms. Shepard. The children also created murals and posters for their CHARACTER COUNTS! Hero on Parade. Later in the month, children created friendship cards for soldiers, working with Operation Bright Lights to add a moment of cheer to their days. The goal was to send a greeting card to all soldiers. Children also drew pictures for the upcoming Art Fair of the boys and girls clubs.
• January and February, 2005 — Tsunami relief was on the minds of students at the Beachwood Center. They raised $500 for victims of the disaster and donated it to the Red Cross. The children also made posters depicting the waves, water and people, and decorated cans and bottles. They reflected regularly about what it would be like if a tidal wave struck in Washington state, if their homes were lost, their families gone. "Through this they are learning about life skills, character in their lives, community efforts, how they make difference," said CC! coordinator Deborah Shepard.
• Summer, 2005 — The children at the Beachwood School Age Center spent time with the local 4-H branch and learned about sign language with guide dogs, showing visitors how a guide dog responds to its companion. July was safety month with outdoor and water play. The Center sought to use children's input to help keep playgrounds and equipment safe, and the children made posters about different aspects of safety. On August 7, the children represented their 4-H clubs at the annual Fort Lewis Country Fair, which also included National Kids Day.