Saffel speaks at Rotary meeting

I’m sure that everyone is aware that it’s HOT out there! We even got at it this last week and picked up trash at 7 a.m. Guess what? It was HOT at 8 when we finished at Atlanta High School. Our club is responsible for one mile of trash pickup at AHS and then the next month we are at Queen City High School’s mile. You know what was curious this trash time? I picked up several bags of trash where the “trasher” actually put the trash in a plastic bag before tossing it out…why they didn’t take it home is beyond me.

Personally, I don’t like to travel in a “trashed” vehicle, but my daughter and grandsons do and I “get on to them” for that….but I guess I need to apologize to them because at least it’s IN their vehicle and not on the roads, I think! So, go ahead and toss your trash on the floor board and what you do after that, without tossing it, is up to you!

While thinking about that, we heard from Doug Saffel last meeting about people who are not free to toss their trash out the window…prisoners. Doug has recently become the administrator at Texarkana Community College for their Prison Education

Program and shared their plans to change lives once these people leave the state or federal prison: Barry B. Telford Unit (state) in New Boston and Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana. He pointed out that we could spend our tax dollars to educate these people to be productive members of society when they leave prison in 2-4 years or continue to incarcerate them as they repeat the life of crime. It’s interesting to note that they are being trained in fields that have a DEMAND locally for their skills: welding, culinary arts, electrical technology, and HVAC. There will also be an academic program for those who want to pursue a degree in the state of Texas. The students are more committed to completing the courses because they are well aware of the alternatives. Thanks, Doug for insight into this program.

Doug and Loree’s son, Aidan, was also at the podium telling us about his RYLA experience. RYLA is Rotary Youth Leadership Award and is a weekend life-changing event for high school juniors where they learn lots of different leadership skills and styles. Our Atlanta Area Rotary Club has been sending juniors from our local high schools for years. Soon those students will be selected at each school and begin getting their paperwork in order to attend in February. Our RYLA uses a Boy Scout camp south of Athens for this activity.

Atlanta Area Rotary Club has been instrumental in making youth programs available locally between scholarships, RYLA, picking up trash (!) and other efforts. Come join us and add your wisdom, energy and ideas to the mix. We meet at Luigi’s on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at 6:00 pm. We are eager to welcome you. If you have any questions, call me (903) 691-9717.