Children spend a day in the army

At Fort Concho, children were learning the basics of being a soldier in the late 1800s. Its part of "Fun at the Fort" this summer to give students hands-on lessons about the way things used to be. The life of a soldier at Fort Concho back in the late 1800s was structured and regimented. It took training and discipline to endure the hardships which came with guarding Texas against Indian invasions. And on this day at Fort Concho,a group of about 30 children came in for a sampling of that way of life. "They learn a little history," says Cory Robinson, director of visitor and volunteer services at Fort Concho. "They can appreciate a little more why Fort Concho is here and get to understand what the soldiers would go through on a daily basis." Trained reenactors fire the cannon. Later, though, these soldiers-for-a-day get a crash course on how its done. They learned the difference between "left face," and "about face." "They get to experience a little bit of Fort Concho," Robinson says, "[They] get to have that hands-on learning experience with artillery and the rifles and such that many visitors really dont get to do." This is the first session of a four-part educational summer series called "Fun at the Fort." Beyond the fun, organizers hope children will come away with a better understanding of what went on here at Fort Concho more than a century ago. Fun at the Fort continues throughout the month of July. On Wednesday, July 18th, the topic is "Indians of Texas." Children will learn the art of chuck wagon cooking on Friday, July 27. And on Monday, July 30, the final session will focus on quilting. The fee is $10 for the July 18th and July 30th sessions, and $15 for the chuck wagon cooking lesson. For information, call Carol Cummings, special events coordinator at Fort Concho, at 657-4441.