Th* Big Thr«a Well, we went up to Raleigh last week to preside over portions of the Leadership Update of theN. C. Agricultural Extension Service. It was attended by more than 600 leaders from throughout Tar Heelia, 500 of who are volunteers. The importance of the group which assembled at the McKimmon Center, at the West Raleigh Branch of the Greater University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was put in proper perspective Thursday night. The banquet was attended by Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr., Lt. Gov. Jimmy Green, Speaker of the House Liston Ramsey and key legislators. It was the first time this writer had seen the “lag three” at a public function. In the past three years the Leadership Advisory System of the Agricultural Extension Ser vice has captured the fancy of tens of thousands of men and women in this state. The system has also become one of the best in the entire United States. The system is unique in that it is made up entirely of volunteers. And a very, very influential bunch of volunteers! At the Raleigh meeting last week was assembled folks of every walk of life. Between 1 P.M. Thursday and 12:30 P.M. Friday they contributed some 6,500 person hours in meetings. For some about the same amount of time was spent in transit. And all at absolutely no cost to the tax payers. The State Advisory Council is composed of 10 members. During the past three years an average of only $157 per member per year has been spent for travel and sub sistence. Like others in the* Leadership Advisory System these members are not paid per diem. The more than 60,000 volunteers give more than 2-million hours of their personal time each year for the well being of North t Carolinians through four major program thrusts of extension. In addition, some 14,000 volunteers serve in positions on the statewide system of Advisory Councils. The volunteers support the program of the Agricultural Extension Service which reported 4,390,340 professional contacts with the people of the state in 1981. And as dollars shrink the responsibility and obligation of volunteers will become greater. Chowan County has a strong Leadership Advisory System. And the county was represented by three members • Jimmie M. Parrish, Shirley Swain, and Mary Julia Parrish • and the county extension chairman - Mike Williams. The volunteers of the Agricultural Extension Service are making a difference in North Carolina. We thought you would like to know. Sound Industry There is one “industry” along the Public Parade which defies inflation and recession. It is the N. C. National Guard. The National Guard is often times taken for granted. It was that way when the Armory was on heavily traveled North Broad Street. It will probably be worse now that the Armory is located on Base Road, adjacent to Edenton Municipal Airport. While the National Guard has important missions, it’s con tribution to the community’s economy is just as real. And the local financial responsibility is practically nil. Gen. Emmett Ingram, the adjutant general from the Isle of Pasquotank, has succeeded in creating greater awareness of the National Guard throughout Tar Heelia, the rank and file of the citixenry still doesn’t adequately appreciate the contribution the services makes to a community. The economic contribution of the National Guard to the North Carolina economy for 1968 will be dose to $56-million in payroll, purchases and rents. In Chowan c-i—* °» ■*»«» « Bloodmobile To Visit - March 16 From 12 Noon Til 6 P.M. At American Legion Bldg. •■ ■ . *. :. •. • . *TrHlM**» »'■ M li ii iii li‘ ' i '-* - ”*• ' . .*