Meadow Brook Interact Club celebrates 50th Interact anniversary

Pictured: Interact club members accept Rotary International “Certificate of Recognition.” Pictured: Miranda Miser, Kyle Dolan, Bethany Bergerson, Alex Eckleson. Macie Penrod, Rachel Jirles, Tessa Bickford, Annie Kackley.

Reading for November 27: November Rotarian,  "The Rotarian conversation with Steven Pinker," p. 56.

Volunteers are needed to staff bell ringing shifts. Monies collected are designated for our Christmas food basket program. Contact Dennis Harding to schedule a shift.

The Meadow Brook Interact club is celebrating the 50^th birthday of Interact clubs by planning an active year of service projects. The first Interact club, established in 1962 in Melbourne, Florida, began with 23 students. Interact members now total over 250,000.

Interact club membership provides young people with opportunities to develop leadership skills, exercise personal integrity, and become more appreciative of the value of individual responsibility and hard work. Interact clubs are self-governing and self-supporting.

Members of the Meadow Brook club presented a summary of the service projects they have planned for 2012-13. The club decided to support the purchase of Yuri, a new canine officer recently acquired by the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Department. Co-chairs for the fundraiser, Rachel Jirles, Macie Penrod, and Tessa Bickford, reported that the Halloween Dance they held to raise funds has enabled them to donate $400 to the Sheriff’s Department.

Interact club members are also very active in supporting the Byesville Rotary’s annual Christmas Food Basket program. Kyle Dolan, chair of the Interact food drive, stated that the club is asking each student in the Rolling Hills school system to donate canned goods. l. These items will be used to help fill the food baskets distributed by the Byesville Rotary. Since food baskets will be distributed on December 15, the club plans to finish their canned good drive by Thanksgiving. They are hoping to collect more cans than the students at John Glen.

Angel Tree co–chairs, Annie Kackley and Miranda Miser, reported on the status of their  Angel Tree. Club members are sponsoring an Angel Tree and encouraging students to participate by purchasing toys or by making a monetary contribution toward the project. They hope to ensure that about 40 kids from the Rolling Hills School District will be surprised on Christmas morning.

In December, the Interact Club and DECCA will co-sponsor a Talent Show. Co-chairs Alex Eckleson and Bethany Bergason stated that the Interact club will donate funds raised toward the purchase of a Shelterbox which will be used to help victims of disasters.

The club has planned at least one service project for spring. They will hold a “Purple Pinkie” fundraiser. Monies raised by this project will be donated to Rotary International’s effort to eliminate polio from the world.

Byesville Rotary is proud of the Meadow Brook Interact Club and the efforts of the young members who are active in giving back to their community.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Evelyn Spring, 740-439-4343.