David Broyles | The News
Extension and Community club members Joyce Ingram and Agnes Carlyle receive certificates from Extension Agent Carmen Long, right, recognizing their 50 years of service. An achievement program celebrating ECA’s centennial was held at Piney Grove Baptist Church Thursday evening.
David Broyles | The News
ECA members Becky Hill, Juanita Gillespie and Goldie Sparger are named to Extension Volunteer Service Award honors by Agent Carmen Long, second from left, who also announced that Surry County has been awarded the silver award for educational and organizational achievement by the N.C. Extension and Community Association.
Sarah Holleman, left, was named 2013 Surry County Extension and Community Association Scholarship recipient at an ECA Centennial celebration Thursday. Colleen Hembree was named the 2013 West Central District Extension and Community Association Youth Scholarship winner.
The line between the celebration of 100 years of Extension and Community Associations was inseparable from local clubs’ service for family and community in an achievement program at Piney Grove Baptist Church Thursday evening. County Extension Director Bryan Cave greeted ECA groups from across Surry County at the beginning of the program.
“North Carolina owes many of its successes to those like you in this room,” said Cave. “Your efforts to improve the well-being of your families and communities is the very reason we are having this centennial celebration. You believe in yourselves and others and find a way to solve your own issues. You guys have your own network. You have donated more than 11,000 hours volunteering and we couldn’t buy that.”
Cave noted that the movement began with 19 tomato clubs, focused on training homemakers on how to grow and preserve food for their families, and quoted the ECA mission of making the nation and state better one community at a time. He said the ladies present knew this was not a new idea.
Joyce Ingram and Agnes Carlyle were recognized for 50 years of service in ECA. Good Neighbor Club Special Projects Coordinator and Secretary Susan Johnson named the Surry Cultural Arts winners and then recognized the Cultural Arts North Central District winners. First place or blue ribbon winners will advance to state competition in October. District winners named for first place were Gloria Bryant, Sewing; Ida Johnson, Embroidery; Becky Hill, Heritage skills; Gloria Bryant, Quilts other techniques; Marie Poole, Flower arrangement; Mary Sue Chapman, Fine arts (oil); Nancy Downs, Miscellaneous; Marilyn Geiger, Creative writing-poetry ;and Joy Hemmings for Creative writing-short story.
ECA members recognized for second-place finishes in district competition included Susan Johnson, Cross stitch; Ann Davis, Crocheting; and Gloria Bryant, Hand pieced quilt. Club Presidential awards went to Goldie Sparger of the Beulah Club, the Busy Bees’ Lucy Brown, Ursula Clark of the Dobson Early Birds, Glenda Hunter of the Good Neighbor Club, Nancy Downs and Marilyn Geiger of the Pilot Mountain Achievers, Salem Fork’s Jean Hardy, Siloam’s Joy Hemmings and Rebecca Hill of the White Sulphur Springs Club.
Clubs of the year were separated into small, medium and large divisions and selected for honors based on information recorded on the Standard of Excellence forms for ECA clubs. Salem Fork won the gold award in the small division with Good Neighbor awarded silver and bronze went to the Busy Bees. In the medium division, the gold award went to White Sulphur Springs and silver was awarded the Dobson Early Birds. In the large division, Pilot Mountain Achievers won gold, Beulah received the silver award and bronze went to Siloam.
The Mount Airy Public Library’s Pat Gwyn gave the literary recognition award to all clubs for their members who have tutored, mentored, read to children and adults donated and or shared books and magazines. She shared the titles of five books in a variety of topics which would be included in county libraries in honor of ECA service. Gwyn also received a $100 donation from ECA to support Surry County libraries.
ECA Liaison Agent Carmen Long announced that Surry County had been awarded the silver award for educational and organizational achievement by the N.C. Extension and Community Association for the clubs efforts in 2012. Extension Volunteer Service Awards for more than a thousand hours of service went to Goldie Sparger and Caroline Martin. Three were recognized for Community Volunteer Service Awards. They were Becky Hill, Sparger and Juanita Gillespie.
Past ECA President Jean Hardy was given special awards of a yoga mat and red rose bush to honor her two years of services as county convention president.
Colleen Hembree was named as the 2013 West Central district Extension and Community Association youth scholarship winner. Hembree, the daughter of Bev and Tim Hembree, is a senior at Surry Central High School. She plans to pursue a degree in veterinary sciences and hopes to specialize in large animals. She is recognized in the top 10 in her class.
Sarah Holleman was named the 2013 Surry County Extension and Community Association Scholarship recipient. The North Surry High School senior is the daughter of Millie Hiatt. She is planning to pursue majors in physical therapy and business in the hope to open her won physical therapy practice in the future. She has served as student body president and been active on the youth activation council.
Reach David Broyles at dbroyles@civitasmedia.com or 719-1952.
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