A4 - Thomasville Times - Saturday, April 17, 2010
FOCUS
COURTESY PHOTO
Members of this year's Youth Leadership Program include, front, from left, Burke Mc-
Dade, India Green, Kristen Livengood, Kaitlyn Wilson; back, from left, Lawson Hodges,
Bruce Belk, Aubiran Tuttle, Chistine Knight and Kerri Gwynne.
High school juniors complete
Youth Leadership Program
TIMES Staff Report
Nine 11th graders from throughout
the county recently completed the Youth
Leadership Davidson County (YLDC)
program. YLDC, a program of the
Thomasville and Lexington Chambers
of Commerce, strengthens the leader
ship capacity of high school students.
Highlights of the YLDC program
were a challenge course, personality
profiles and learning about global eco
nomics and global education. “I learned
so much,” says India Green, a student at
Sheets Memorial. “My eyes have been
opened to major topics affecting my life.
YLDC is an amazing program.”
Kristen Livengood is also a student at
Sheets. “YLDC opened my eyes. I loved
this experience.” Kerri Gwynne from
Get Real reflects about her new per
spective of living in Davidson County.
“1 have more faith in Davidson County
than 1 did before, and 1 know myself
better.”
Chamber leaders exude excitement
when talking about the program. Doug
Croft, President of the Thomasville
Area Chamber of Commerce shares,
“I get real excited when talking about
this program. I can literally see these
young people changing. It is a bonus
for me to make such a contribution in
their lives.” Croft compares his experi
ence to that of a teacher. “I understand
the pleasure that teachers must receive
from seeing student growth within their
classroom.”
Diversification is an important com
ponent to the YLDC program. The
youth participants come from a variety
of schools as well as socio-ethnic back
grounds. According to Croft, that mix-
Hall returns from deployment in Afghanistan
TIMES Staff Report
Army Pfc. William R.
Hall has returned to Fort
Richardson, Anchor
age, Alaska after being
deployed to Afghanistan
for one year. The soldier
is one of 3,500 members
of the 4th Airborne Bri
gade Combat Team (Air
borne), 25th Infantry Di
vision stationed at Fort
Richardson.
The airborne brigade
served in three eastern
provinces of Afghani
stan, which included
the Paktya, Paktika
and Khost. Soldiers im
proved roads, provided
vocational training in
construction and civics,
improved and re-opened
29 schools, remodeled
six medical clinics and
ture is another highlight for the partici
pants. “Every year, we receive feedback
about how much they like meeting and
learning with other kids from other
schools and throughout the county.”
Sports rivalries seem to be a non-issue
to these high school juniors. “I think
that they realize that they are all on the
same team with regard to their future
in Davidson County,” adds Croft.
The long-term impact of the program
is stronger leadership for the county as
these young adults transition into the
workforce and civic involvement.
Participants experience personal
leadership and skill development with
a focus on the themes of economic de
velopment, education, government and
human services.
Students who will be 11th graders
during the 2010-2011 school year are
eligible for next year’s YLDC program.
Contact either the Thomasville Area or
Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce
for more information. Through an ap
plication process, local business leaders
select participants for the program.
Old Dominion Freight Lines, David
son Works, Duke Energy and Laser Print
Plus help sponsor the YLDC program.
Completing the Youth leadership pro
gram this spring were: Bruce Belk - Ex
tended Day School; India Green - Sheets
Memorial Christian School; Kerri Gw
ynne - Get Real; Lawson Hodges - Thom
asville High School; Christine Knight -
Davidson County Early College; Kristen
Livengood - Sheets Memorial Christian
School; Burke McDade - West Davidson
High School; Aubrian Tuttle - Central
Davidson High School; Kaitlyn Wilson
- North Davidson High School.
improved three district
courthouses.
While deployed in Af
ghanistan, he was deco
rated with an Army Com
mendation Medal.
Hall has two years of
military service.
He is the son of Charles
R. Hall of HHG Road,
Lexington, N.C. and a
2008 graduate of South
Davidson High School.
Grandchildren offer lifetime of
laughs for grandparents
UNCLE BILL'S CORNER
BILL HILL
Guest Columnist
As we think back over
the years, grandparents
played a big role in our
lives. They were the
foundation and build
ing blocks that we as
adults learned many
wonderful and inter
esting things. Grand
parents are precious
gifts. May God Bless
all of you readers who
are grandparents. You
have, I am sure, shared
much tender loving care
to those little ones.
Here are just a few of
the hundreds of funny
little things I found on
grandparents.com. Just
sit back ,drink your
morning coffee or tea
and read your morning
Thomasville Times and
laugh out loud, as I did.
Classic Comedy
My 5-year-old grand
daughter and I were
having one of our art
sessions. She needed
a pair of scissors but
the only ones around
were a filigree-handled
heirloom. I passed her
the beautiful scissors
and told her to take good
care of them because
they meant a lot to me.”
Are they old?”
she asked.
Excited that she
seemed interested in
their history. I explained
that they belonged to my
mother and her mother.
Well, that explains
it,” she said.
“Explains
what?” I asked.
“Why they don’t work.”
Hair Situations
My 5-year-old grandson
didn’t love his mother’s
newly-bleached hair,
which had gone from
dark to almost white.
“Gomma,” he said, “I
liked my Mom’s hair
better when it matched
her eyebrows.”
I’m gray now, but I
use to dye my hair and
sometimes it would come
out bright red-orange.
When I was with my
4-year-old grandson one
day, a lady complimented
him on his beautiful
red hair. “It’s orange,”
he said. “And some
times my grandma’s
hair is orange, too.”
In the Eye of the
Beholder
One day I watched
my two grandsons,
ages 6 and 3, while my
daughter had her hair
done. When she arrived
home, the 6-year-old
told her how beautiful
she looked. Then he
looked back at me and
said. And Grammy, you
look almost beautiful.”
Birthday Surprises
When my granddaugh
ter was 4,1 told her she
was growing up too fast
and needed to slow down.
“But it isn’t my fault
Grammy.” she replied.”
It’s my mom’s fault. She
keeps giving me those
birthday parties.”
Just Asking
“Hey Grandma,
Why don’t you and
Grandpa have names
like the rest of us?”
Driving my 6-year-
old grandson home, I
spotted a lady crossing
the street with her cute
little dog Matthew.
I said, “Look at
the cute little French
poodle over there.”
“Gammy, how do you
know he’s French?”
You're Only as Old as
You Feel
All my grandkids were
swimming and 7-year-
old Madison asked if I
was going to wear my
swimsuit, too. I teas-
ingly told her told her
that I was going to put
on my bikini. Her eyes
sparkled with excite
ment and she said, “Cool!
People your age will
think you’re hot!”
My 3-year-old grand
daughter Eva came
into the kitchen and
said, “Old lady would
you please help me
wipe my hands?” I was
taken aback and my
daughter asked her why
she called me that. Eva
answered, “Well she
calls me young lady.”
How Old Are You
Now?
My 3-year old grand
daughter once asked
me, “Grandma, how
old are you?”
“How old do you
think I am?” I asked.
“Ten. You are 10.”
“Nope , I said, I’m soon
going to be 60 years old.”
“Sixty?” she replied.
“I didn’t know that
was a number!”
One day my son, his
wife and my 3-year-old
grandson were eating out
with us and a man that
knew us stopped by the
table. My grandson said,
“This is my grandma.”
The man said I didn’t
look old enough to be
a grandma. Then my
grandson replied, “Oh
she’s old enough!”
You Can't Take Them
Anywhere
My 3-year-old grand
daughter, Madelyn, was
out for breakfast with
us while our schnauzer.
Whisky, waited in the
car. Madelyn is a very
chatty little girl and
talked with our wait
ress the entire time we
were there. When we
finished our meal, the
waitress asked what we
were going to do next.,
and Madelyn — stand
ing up in the booth for
all to hear, of course
— said, “Well, we have
Whiskey in the car...”
I took my 6-year-old
grandson to his favorite
steak restaurant. Be
ing very grown up, he
ordered everything for
himself. When the waiter
asked him how he want
ed his steak, he replied
with a puzzled look,”
You know... on a plate.”
The Last Word
One day, I was play
ing with my 4-year-
old grandson and his
race-car set. Later on,
he was doing something
that wasn’t allowed.
After three warnings, I
yelled at him to stop. He
came over to me with
a long face, head down
and his lower lip quiv
ering and climbed on
my lap. He said, “I still
love you, Nanna, but
the next time you talk
to me that way you will
not play with me or my
race-car set anymore.”
I picked my 8-year-old
nephew Balmir up from
school every afternoon.
He calls me Grandfa
ther-Uncle-Bill. While
at school sometimes, he
talks and talks and talks
— for this he gets in
trouble. The other day
I picked him up and he
said to me,” Grandfa-
ther-Uncle-BiU, I was
good at school today!”
I thought to myself,
thank goodness. He con
tinued to talk and said to
me,” Grandfather-Uncle-
BiU, wUl you please
stop by the store and
buy me some Starburst
Candy — that candy just
makes my tongue tingle
and my tummy twirl.”
Well have a great week!
Uncle Bill over and out.
Contact Guest Columnist
Uncle Bill Hill at bil-
lyuunclebill@aol.com.
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