MOOSEHEART, IL, May 1 -- One year ago, Krystal Ellsworth took command of Mooseheart's Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) and said, "I hope I can live up to that tradition."

"That tradition" is the long line of NJROTC Commanding Officers who have been effective student leaders and communicators. By all accounts, Ellsworth achieved her goal, and on Friday, May 1, it was her turn to hand that responsibility and tradition onto another student's shoulders.

With another tradition, pinning the new rank on the new commanding officer and handing her sword to the incoming C.O., Ellsworth on Friday formally transferred command of the corps to junior Kristen Thornburg in the 36th such ceremony at Mooseheart.

"It felt like it was just yesterday, except that now I'm the one up front passing over my command," Ellsworth said. "I felt really proud to see a lot of the cadets going up there to receive awards. And then I was able to pass on my command to another cadet. I know she's going to do great."

Ellsworth and Thornburg both hail from Texas, and both attended the recent Texas Moose Association's state convention.
"We talked about this and how it was probably going to be me getting it," Thornburg said.

That discussion did little to calm Thornburg's nerves prior to Friday's ceremony.

"I was very nervous at first to receive this," Thornburg said. "It's definitely a big honor to take on."

But she has some big plans as she prepares to lead the corps through the 2009-2010 school year: "Just to improve on everything I can with the whole company and to make sure that they succeed in everything that they do," Thornburg said.

And she's learned from watching Ellsworth. "Don't be afraid to take charge and to do the best that you can," Thornburg said. "If you mess up, you mess up. But you always learn from your mistakes."

Ellsworth said she will miss having command of the corps through a year of much transition. U.S. Navy Warrant Officer (Ret.) Rick Smith assumed the role as lead officer of the corps in the middle of the school year. All Mooseheart high school students participate in the program.

"It was a little hectic," Ellsworth said. "We still had to be able to go on all the parades and to get the cadets together, but it was a lot of fun. I think that messiness made it good fun."

Smith said there really wasn't any transition work that needed to be done with Ellsworth in command.  "I think she made this job really, really easy for me," Smith said.

And Smith said Thornburg is poised to follow in that tradition, just as Ellsworth did when she took over from Andy Greenaway in May, 2008.  "We talked about setting an example all the time, not just in the ROTC program, but all of the time," Smith said. "She's involved in everything. This year, everything we've asked her to do, she's stepped up and done."

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,800 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 230 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.mooseintl.org , www.mooseheart.org., www.moosehaven.org, or call 630-966-2229.