They’re Not Devils or Pups, But What’s In a Name?

By: Chuck N. Baker

(Henderson) — There are many youth organizations that perform great services for the boys and girls of Nevada. The Boy Scouts, the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs come to mind. All are unique in their own ways. But one of the most unique is the Devil Pups, a quasi-military group of youngsters that learns leadership skills and methods of making positive life choices. It began as a stand-alone organization in 2003, but in 2016 the director, Marie Tomao, founded the much larger non-profit Youth Leadership Authority that tucked the Devil Pups under its wing. Recently the organization moved into new offices in Henderson.

Names aside, the Devil Pups are more angelic than satanic. They are connected to the U.S. Marine Corps in that they receive modified military-style training in Nevada as if they were a part of the Corps itself. Then once each year the group travels to Camp Pendleton in California and actually works out with Marine Corps personnel. Tomao detailed some of the training the boys and girls go through. “They sleep in Marine barracks, and eat in their mess hall,” she said. A large part of the program includes teaching leadership skills. “We instill that it’s important to practice kindness towards one another,” she continued. They listen to motivational speeches and are given instruction in how to reject involvement with drugs, gangs and other negative aspects. “We teach them how to make positive decisions, and how to show respect for the United States of America.” Towards that end, Tomao said the Youth Authority will host a class on the U.S. Constitution on Jan. 29 in its Henderson offices. “It will be taught by several of our board members and constitutional lawyers,” she pointed out. Traditionally she sends the group to Pendleton on its own each year, but this year for the first time she went along and took part in the training. She opted out of the push-ups and other physical aspects to run the administration portion of the educational exercise.

But Devil Pups are only one part of the Youth Authority. In other volunteer work this year authority members helped set up the annual Marine Ball in Las Vegas and worked to ensure it ran smoothly. They also provided assistance to participants in a 48-mile relay race run by injured firemen and law enforcement personnel that routed through Henderson and Boulder City.

There are strict rules that male and female candidates must adhere to if they want to become Devil Pups. The list is too long and too detailed to be fully published here, but some of the conditions mandate that the individuals be between 14 and 17 years of age, must want to participate as opposed to being forced to, pass a rigorous physical test, not have any arrest convictions and no gang and/or visible tattoos or piercings.

For more information about the Youth Leadership Authority and the Devil Pups, contact Tomao at (702) 285-4142.

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