Rotary Program May 19, 2004

The meeting began with many bragging bucks. Two of special note were the Appalachian News Express for winning 41 awards recently, and Gerri Kinder for leading an outstanding Relay For Life which raised over $146,000 for cancer research. Jeff Vanderbeck gave the Rotary moment doing a credible impersonation of Rakish Sachdeva.

This was the day for the annual recognition of valedictorians from the local high schools - Belfry, East Ridge, Phelps, Pike Central, Pikeville, and Shelby Valley. The students introduced themselves and told of their college choices. Eleven students were going to Pikeville College, 10 to University of Kentucky, 3 to Eastern Kentucky, 3 to Alice-Lloyd, 3 to Morehead, 3 to Transylvania, 1 to Asbury, 1 to Berea, 1 to Georgetown, 1 to National College of Business, 1 to Prestonsburg Community College, and 1 undecided.

On behalf of the Rotary Club, Leslie Combs and Pam Howard gave brief remarks to the students. Leslie advised the students to make sure they learned everything about everybody at college. She then told how she had a physics teacher, William Owens, at Centre College for whom she later worked while he was the President of Pikeville College. She also met Hal Smith at Centre College when he was Dean of Students, and now he is President of Pikeville College. She told the students not to worry if they changed colleges or changed majors, but recommended that they give their college a full year before transferring. She advised the students to study hard early so that they would not have so much pressure to make the grades at the end of the semester.

Pam Howard used the letters from "Rotary" in her advice.

Recognize your abilities and respect yourself.

Observe Your surroundings

Take it all in.

Ask questions.

Reason to determine why you are there.

You are there for you.

She ended with ten points of advice which she rattled off so quickly no scribe could adequately take them all down, but they were wonderful points of advice. You'll just have to trust me on that.

- Mickey Anders