Scarborough student honored for service

Morgan Chaput, 9, of Scarborough, with his newfound
friend, Bob Pratt, 77, at the Maine Veterans Home
following Memorial Day observances Monday. Chaput
was recently recognized with a special citizenship award
 by the school district for his volunteerism, which includes weekly visits to the veterans home.

SCARBOROUGH — Scarborough fourth-grader Morgan Chaput has a lot of friends, and not all of them in his age bracket. In fact, some the 9-year-old’s newest friends are of a decidedly different generation – residents of the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough, where Chaput has been making weekly visits since October.

In May, the Scarborough School Board honored Chaput with a special citizenship award for his visits to help cheer men and women long past their prime years as members of America’s armed forces.

“We want to make sure that we are paying attention and recognizing kids who are going above and beyond like that when it comes to their civic responsibilities,” said Superintendent Dr. George Entwistle III, who instituted the awards as part of an 18-month improvement plan for the district.

“One of our long-term foals is to really encourage students toward good citizenship, in the classroom, in the school, and in the community, in the hopes that as they get older, they’ll take that to an even broader reach to the country and across the globe.”

While visiting the Veterans’ Home on Memorial Day, Chaput admitted he was “kind of a little embarrassed” by the certificate presentation. After all, he had not set out to win any awards.

“I just like to interact with other people,” he said. “I just feel like giving back to other people who served us and need help.”

Of course, as Chaput’s parents tell it, there was slight nudge.

“He didn’t do a sport so we said, ‘Morgan, you’ve got to do something, you can’t just sit around the house,’” said his father, Peter Chaput, a salesman for Creative Office.

“He’s a good kid,” said his mother, Molly, a massage therapist at Lucinda’s Day Spa. “We’re just trying as parents to guide him as best we can.”

It’s possible some of that guidance came into play when Chaput announced that what he’d like to do after school is visit veterans.

“I was pretty pleased with that, actually” said his father. “As a family, we’re pretty serious about veterans. If you don’t serve yourself, the one thing we feel you can do is honor and respect these guys. So, if we can bring Morgan up that way, that’s one more generation that really respects people who did a lot for us.”

Molly Chaput also observes that her son has “a real fascination with military history.”

“I’m big into World War II and I like history a lot,” said Morgan, adding that he’s not really sure why. “It’s been so long, I can’t remember.”

Morgan was “a little nervous” on that first visit back in October, but, with all of the vintage World War II photographs lining the hallways, he was primed and ready by the time he got to the home’s rec room.

“It was just really cool to talk to them,” he recalled.

By the third visit, Morgan met Bob Pratt, 77, and the pair “formed a real attachment,” said his mother.

“He loves to talk,” she said. “He loves to tell stories, so, he made it really easy for us to come here.”

Pratt was born in Keene, N.H., and moved to Portland with his family at age 14, eventually entering military service as a M.P. during the Korean conflict, later logging three years as driver to a three-star general. Pratt then parlayed his time with the military police into several years with both the Portland Police Department and the Maine State Police, among “many, many other jobs.”

“It amazes me that a young man of that age would be interested in us when most boys his age only care about baseball and football and whatnot,” said Pratt. “He has a big heart and is very interested in learning about previous wars and the experiences of servicemen. I think that’s wonderful.”

Although they “get outside sometimes,” Morgan said he and Pratt primarily play Wii.

“It really doesn’t take much. Instead of sitting home and playing video games, get out there,” said Molly Chaput, noting what Morgan seemed to grasp without being told, “There’s plenty of residents who don’t have anybody. Just having a young person show an interest means a lot.”

“I think both of us have enjoyed the relationship,” said Pratt, noting that he enjoys talking about his military service as much as Morgan likes to listen, while he returns the favor by listening to stories about Chaput family trips and the military equipment spied along the way.

“He’s very sharp,” Pratt said. “He picks things up. He’s really got an interest in knowing what’s going on.”

Pratt, the father of four daughters, even gave Chaput a military and commemorative coin.

“He said, ‘If I’d ever has a son, I’d want him to have this,” said Molly Chaput, choking back emotion and appearing to tear up a little at the memory.

Still, of all his interest in 20^th century warfare, Chaput said he has no aspiration to join the military himself. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Chaput shrugs an “I have no idea” answer to the typical what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up question.

“It’s just about giving back,” he said of his senior visits, seemingly unconcerned that, at age 9, he probably has yet to take enough that he needs to worry about balancing the scales.

His visits with Pratt and other veterans are not Chaput’s only contributions to the community, his mother said proudly.

In January, he and his father, along with Dr. Scott Chase and his son, Erich, made and sold survival bracelets, raising a combined $850 for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. On Sunday, Chaput plans to run a stand during Maine Lemonade Sunday in hopes of raising enough money to buy an indoor/outdoor putting green for Pratt and other residents of the veterans’ home.

It’s enough to make Molly Chaput shake her head in wonder.

“We hope it will be an ongoing thing, doing charity and volunteer work,” she said, with a smile. “I don’t think enough kids do that, so we hope his interests in that continue.”

“I think that there are just so many opportunities for the schools to be connected to the community,” said Entwistle, noting that Chaput was recognized in the Wentworth Intermediate School newsletter prior to receiving the citizenship award. 

“We plan to both continue and expand those types of recognition, to increase those experiences for students,” said Entwistle. “We hope to really reinforce and encourage the type of citizenship that Morgan has displayed.”

What his spirit of volunteerism might take Chaput is anyone’s guess, but Pratt, for one, has no doubts.

“I think that young fella is going to be a candidate for president of the United States one day,” he said, with a wide grin.

A CLOSER LOOK

Morgan Chaput, 9, of Scarborough will be raising money at Maine Lemonade Day this Sunday to buy an indoor/outdoor putting green for use by residents of the Maine Veterans Home, located on Route 1. To donate to the cause, visit Chaput’s lemonade stand Sunday, in the parking lot of the Hannaford Supermarket in Scarborough.