March 10, 2022 - In 2022 the Rotary Club of Center has enjoyed several programs provided by Shelby County high school students.
Ethan McElroy and Hope Gorkhali in the RYLA group photo.
In January, two Center ISD juniors, Hope Gorkhali and Ethan McElroy, who are also children of Rotary club members, attended RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) which is an intensive leadership experience. The Center Rotary Club is a member of Rotary District 5910 which hosts yearly three days of RYLA at the Pineywoods Camp in Woodlake, Texas where participants take part in leadership training, group challenges, fun, and games.
Group photo of District 5910 RYLA participants taken by District 5910 representatives.
During the Rotary Club’s February 8 meeting, Gorkhali and McElroy shared with the club their experiences at camp and the new connections they made with other campers. They both spoke about learning to work together as a team with strangers from all over the District. Gorkhali said, “By the end of the activity, you realize that you can all rely on these people and you realize what leadership was and that for leadership we have to trust people but also take charge when something needs to be fixed.” McElroy said, “We both made friends really quickly and the people that we were with in our groups were easy to get along with very well.” They spoke about the connections made which have continued since the camp and will possibly carryover into college. To view pictures from District 5910 RYLA Camp, click here. https://rotary5910.org/Stories/ryla-2022
On March 1st the club enjoyed a program provided by two Timpson HS FFA students, Catherine Searcy and Ally Kimbro. Timpson FFA Advisor Robert Harrison introduced Searcy and Kimbro who will be competing in speaking events in preparation for district competition. Searcy spoke first and highlighted the “PAUSE” act which is being considered in Colorado. She outlined the main aspect of the act explaining it stands for Protect Animal from Unnecessary Suffering Exploitation and explained the impact it would have on farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians. Then Ally Kimbro presented her speech on soil conservation. She addressed the importance of soil referring to it as the backbone of all food production whether vegetable or livestock. She outlined land management practices and the importance of testing your soil.
From left: Ally Kimbro, Club President-Elect Cancee Lester, and Catherine Searcy
During the Tuesday meeting, the club had the pleasure of joining the Junior Chamber of Commerce members for lunch during their conference. Club President-Elect Cancee Lester opened the Rotary Club’s meeting with the JCCs and introduced them to the club’s 4-way test which is recited at each meeting: Is it the truth; Is it fair to all concerned; Will it build good will and better friendships; Will it be beneficial to all concerned.
To read about the Junior Chamber of Commerce conference, click here for article and photos from the event.
The Rotary Club of Center meets every Tuesday at noon at the John D. Windham Civic Center. The club president is Faythe Abraham.
