CENTER STAGE
PERSISTENCE & COOPERATION
By: Emily Kicker | Junior Civitan Membership Specialist November 29th was a fun filled day for the Jones Valley Middle School Junior Civitan Club. The back tables were filled with refreshments, the parents and guests were seated, and the students were buzzing in the back of the school library. This wasn’t just an ordinary club meeting in advisor Faith Jackson’s room; this was a special day that marked the start of a successful club year. Member Initiation and Officer Installation Ceremony was underway and the students couldn’t wait to stand before their peers and guests to accept the challenge of becoming a Junior Civitan. To some, this event seems like an ordinary ceremony but for Jones Valley, this came after a long year of persistence and cooperation. After chartering this club 4 years ago, the Greater Titusville Civitan Club and Sponsoring Club Liaison John Lanier were notified in 2017 that Jones Valley Middle School would no longer carry the club. As an 11 year Civitan and one of the original club builders for this club, Lanier did not want to take that for an answer. Greater Titusville held onto the club by paying its dues with a plan to work with school administrators to bring the club back. With the help of Principal Milton Hopkins, they were able to not only bring the club back, but make it one of the most sought after club’s on the school’s campus. We sat down with Ms. Jackson and John Lanier to learn about what kind of impact this revived club is making in their school:
Faith Jackson, Advisor
1) Why did you choose to become the advisor of the Jones Valley Middle School Junior Civitan Club? Being a native of Birmingham, I have known about Civitan my entire life. My life is all about service. My Alma Mater’s motto is “Think. Work. Serve” and I uphold it to the fullest. I absolutely love serving others so the opportunity to work with a great group of kids in a club that loves to serve as much as I do was a no-brainer. I was more than willing to accept the position. 2) What kind of impact have you seen/wish to see these students make on their school? My students come from different backgrounds but all have the same thing in common-- they know how to stand out as leaders. They are strong, respectful, and eager to learn. Students on all grade levels have expressed interest in becoming involved in Junior Civitan because of my students’ excitement and their willingness to be apart of the change. I’m hoping my students’ example of forward progression continues to leave a positive impact on the culture of Jones Valley Middle School and the communities we service. 3) What are some of the things you all have planned for this upcoming year? We have already started collecting pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities and look forward to engaging in a day of service there. My students are currently designing school t-shirts as a school wide fundraiser and spirit challenge. The students plan to work with other school organizations to start a school/community garden. We have several fundraisers, service projects, and teacher appreciation activities in the making. And of course, they have already
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agreed to attend our District Convention next year. Honestly, my students are bringing so many great ideas actually worth doing to the table that it’s all a matter of getting them done! 4) What do you hope your students gain from their time in this club? Empowerment and Wisdom. I want my students to know that it is ok to do what is right and feels good. I need them to understand that being a leader isn’t a bad thing. I want them to know that they are not alone in this world. I hope they will learn how to comfortably communicate and work with different types of people, sharing and executing their ideas in the attempt to make the world better without fear.
Club officers with Ms. Jackson (far right)
