Clark County’s Young Marines are on the search for a new home.
The Lewis & Clark Young Marines, a unit of about 100 young people between 8 and 18, is on the move after negotiations stalled between leaders and its landlord, the Vancouver Elks Lodge in the Riveridge neighborhood of Vancouver.
The unit sprawled throughout the basement of the Elks Lodge at 11605 McGillivray Blvd., Vancouver. The Marines used permanent office and storage space, as well as parking for its two motor coach buses, utility trailers, a short bus and other equipment. The group would gather every other Saturday for drills and on Thursday nights for a study hall.
For a year, the Elks Lodge charged $6,000 a year for the space, but in its recent lease proposal, upped that to $8,000 a year without use of the parking lot for equipment and other limitations — no access to the kitchen space, for example.
Executive officer Sean Langley described the proposed changes to the contract as a blow to the program. Langley also sits on the Elks board of trustees, but recuses himself from votes regarding the unit.
Langley said Marines staff weren’t able to negotiate for more space, effectively forcing them out.
“This is a scramble for us to find a home,” Langley said.
For the Vancouver Elks Lodge, renting so much space out is a simple matter of dollars — and sense. Mike Dahl, the local representative from the Elks’ national headquarters, said the organization uses a massive footprint valued at close to $38,000.
“We’re doing it for a heck of a break, and I don’t think that they are realizing how significant of an impact it’s having on our lodge with wear and tear,” Dahl said.
Added Dahl: “I don’t doubt that the increase is going to be difficult for them to do, but I don’t think they’re going to find anywhere close.”
For now, the unit will meet at Hough Elementary School at a cost of $800 per drill day, Langley said. And while he said the school facilities are great for their drills, they can’t park their supplies at the Vancouver Public Schools campus all day.
That means for now, the unit is looking for a permanent home. Kristine Lewis, the unit’s adjutant, said the organization has a budget of between $30,000 to $40,000 every year. The nonprofit could afford about $12,000 a year in rent, so long as there is storage space for the equipment. Langley said in an ideal world, the organization would be able to buy a location, but that’s a fundraising project for another day.
The Lewis & Clark Young Marines unit is among the largest in the country, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest. The nonprofit is not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense or the United States Marine Corps, and a small minority of members go on to pursue military careers.
April 20, as staff were bustling around to clean and pack equipment, the unit was drilling and marching in the basement.
“We insulate them from the adult stuff,” Langley said. “What they know is they need a place every other Saturday.”
Langley said the unit attracts the families of children who are struggling in school, have disciplinary issues, may be low-income or are affected by drugs and alcohol. Students in the program learn leadership skills and, combined, do 10,000 hours or more of volunteer service each year. That can be life-changing for involved young people, Langley said.
“We are a last hope for parents,” Langley said. “The value long term of getting those kids into productive citizenry cannot be overstated.”
