September 29, 2020
Reminder that we will meet back at the Plaza THIS THURSDAY, October 1st. The meeting will also be available via Zoom. If you plan to attend in person, please notify Angela (angelawilliams@gmail.com) by Tuesday so she can give the Plaza a head count for lunch.
We will be celebrating the Georgia Rotary Student Program....75 years and 3,791 Student Later!
The Rotary Club of Thomasville and our youth need you! Please consider becoming an integral part of a very meaningful program to instill critical character elements in the young people of our community.
Thomasville Rotarians have long resolved to improve the educational outcomes of students in local schools. Faced with dismal local graduation rates, the club used a multi-pronged approach to tackle the problem. From mentoring to reading programs to underscoring character growth, Rotarians have fanned out across the community volunteering their time, talents, and resources to make a difference.
Educators will tell you that producing a workforce that has the requisite technical skills is not so much the problem as producing a workforce that is dependable, honest, and responsible. Employers beg for employees that will SHOW UP! And today more than ever we need a citizenry that has the character to become involved in the building of community at all levels.
In 2013 -14 Past President Jeff Zoller was searching for a worthy district grant project directed toward bolstering those educational outcomes. He made the acquaintance of a remarkable woman, Arlisha Wildgoose, who is program director at The Vashti Center, a facility for emotionally troubled youth. It was Wildgoose who brought Character Counts to Zoller’s attention. According to Wildgoose, “Character Counts is a national program that aims to empower youth through character building. It nurtures six traits: kindness, fairness, caring, citizenship, trustworthiness, and respectfulness. The goal is to mold responsible, productive citizens.” The grant was written and awarded, the materials purchased, and Rotarians became engaged. An enduring partnership between Thomasville’s club and Vashti was forged. And most importantly according to Wildgoose, “the program improved the youths’ self-concept and their behavior.”
Other Thomasville youth programs added to the Character Counts rolls since its Thomasville inception are the Marguerite Neel Williams Boys and Girls Club, The Thomasville Resource Center, and Scott Elementary School. To become involved in this critical Rotary Club program please reach out to the Character Counts committee chairman, Elijah Miranda at Elijah.miranda01@gmail.com or call 706.315.7969.
For Rotarians suffering from a severe case of “Zoom Fever,” next week you can do something about it. You will be able to attend the meeting in person at the Plaza. For those who are not ready to make that leap, the meeting will still be carried on Zoom.
Program speaker Jay Knight gave an overview of the Ranges At Oakfield. This state-of-the-art facility offers a safe and secure place for gun enthusiast throughout South Georgia to enjoy. Oakfield is one of only five shooting ranges in the U. S. using the state-of-the-art computerized Kongsberg Target Systems. Whether you are five or seventy-five years old, there is a place for you at Oakfield. If you use a shotgun, handgun or rifle, Oakfield can accommodate you. The archery enthusiast has not been forgotten. There are plans for an archery range in the near future. Thomasville, Thomas County and the surrounding area are fortunate to have such an outstanding facility.
In his classification talk, Will Brown gave us a bird’s eye view of his life. Thanks, Will for allowing us to know you better. Cameron Jahnke reminded us that tickets for the shotgun raffle should be available in the coming week. President John Brown updated the club on the health of Ed Titus and John Glenn. Both are doing well.
Each week we recite the Four Way Test. These cannot be just words spoken as a formality. Rotary Opens Opportunities every day for us to make the Four Way Test come alive. Are we making it come alive in our lives?