Posted on 11/07/2016
Volunteers make a tremendous impact on the Francis Howell School District, serving in numerous capacities. These selfless community members enhance the overall educational experience for students, as well as supporting teachers and staff. They help volunteer in the classroom and help with the “Great by 8” program. But they also help on the field, as one volunteer, CJ Vogt, has done for the last 40 years.
FHHS Activities Director Sean Erwin said, “The motto of the Howell Activities Department is ‘Together We Can, Together We Will.’ CJ has spent 40 years working to make our football games possible. His dedication and passion for Francis Howell is truly impressive.”
Together…we can make a football game happen. Without the help of volunteers like Vogt, who is part of the chain gang that measures first downs, schools would be scrambling to hire game officials. There are so many who give their time to volunteer for the District, and FHSD’s community-building events just wouldn’t be the same without them.
When asked why he gives up his Friday nights to work under the lights, Vogt said, “Well, I like football, and it’s a good seat. I have certainly enjoyed it over the years, or I wouldn’t keep doing it.”
Vogt’s son has worked with him the last two years. “That has been really nice,” Vogt said. “Of course, they’ve been really good teams, and that makes it even nicer.”
In his forty years of service, Vogt has seen generations of players and coaches come through the program, as well as generations of fans on the sidelines, cheering for their Vikings. “The players have really improved over the years,” Vogt said. “They’re bigger, faster, and more talented than ever, every year. And it’s not just the players I got to see develop, but also the program.”
“CJ is a great asset to the Howell Activities Department,” Erwin said, “for which we are very thankful. His dedication to Francis Howell for the past 40 years has been an inspiration to many and has helped make the experiences of many in Howell programs even better. We are grateful to have someone with such passion volunteer to help make our events happen.”
FHHS Principal Dr. Dave Wedlock talked about how important he believes volunteers are for the District, “I have great respect for the selfless, enduring contributions so many volunteers make to support the success of the Viking community.”
“You should always pay it back,” Vogt said, “and if you find something you enjoy, like I have, keep at it.”
This might be Vogt’s last year volunteering for the Vikings. At a normal job, forty years could earn a person a nice pension. But for Vogt, what he will take with him from his fall “job” are the all the memories he’s gained along the way….and the respect and gratitude of the Francis Howell community.