Phoebe Schneider (FHI 22-08) started working at Fort Henry in the summer of 2022. She remembers being part of the “post-COVID cohort of terrified Rookies who, with the help of a handful of excellent returning Seniors and Lance Corporals, rebuilt the Guard and – against all odds – brought tours, training, demonstrations, and even Sunset Ceremonies back to the Fort.”
It was a summer that has since gone down in the history books, telling the underdog story of an entire Guard beating the odds to present Sunset Ceremonies and historical interpretation to make even the fiercest former Guard very proud indeed.
It also marked the Fort Henry Guard Foundation’s first presentation of the Commitment to Excellence Award, recognizing the critical role returning staff play in keeping the very best of FHG traditions alive.
Each August since then, the donor-funded Commitment to Excellence Award has been presented to returning staff, and it’s been key to retaining leaders like Phoebe from summer to summer.
As Guiding Serjeant for the past two seasons, Phoebe says that the award is definitely an incentive to return. Last season she used it to pay for an entire month’s rent. And beyond helping with the tangible costs of living, she says, “the award also serves as a reminder that working at Fort Henry has changed my life. The Fort is a special place to spend a summer, but returning for subsequent seasons is what makes it an incomparable experience.”
Phoebe says, “The award is a live symbol and loud message that former Guard care about us. People who have marched the same sequences, fired the same rifles, and worn the same uniforms understand how much work we put in throughout the season, and they want to thank us for it.”
Phoebe touches on that important sense of belonging to describe the special meaning behind the award. “A ‘Huzzah, Guard!’ during a Sunset Ceremony means so much more than general applause, and the Commitment to Excellence Award further develops this lifelong community and the sense that former Guard are looking out for us.”
Over the past three years, the FHG Foundation has awarded more than $60,000 to returning Guard, thanks to the generous support of so many former members like you. On this Giving Tuesday, I hope you’ll join me and many of the friends you once marched beside in making a donation to keep the award going in 2025.
We can’t wait to see some familiar faces back on the square next summer!
With thanks,
Michael Murphy, FHG 2231
President, Fort Henry Guard Foundation, Inc.