Page 17 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

Column January 7, 2007

LAKE CITY ROTARY’S BEST STUDENT CITIZENS

One of the most prestigious awards given Columbia High School seniors is
the Lake City Rotary Club’s “ Good Citizenship Award.”

Interestingly, Rotary’s good student-citizens also turned out to be
successful adult citizens. For example, Theo Mitchelson (regional vice
president with State Farm), Wendell Colson (President and CEO, Sun Bank
of Florida), Julian Collins (Circuit Judge), Robert Dekle (Chief Assistant
State Attorney), Bill Luebke (Navy Captain, Ph.D., MIT), Michael Lord
(Orthopedic Surgeon), Keith Ozaki (Thoracic Surgeon), Jim Pitman (The
Number One all-time CHS fan), Michael Flanagan (School Supt.), and Fritz
Fountain (Gospel Preacher) are just a few.

Sometimes Rotary’s good student citizens run in families. Highly
successful brothers Ed Montgomery (Presbyterian Minister) and James
Montgomery (County Teacher of the Year’ and long term County
Commissioner) also won the award.

Most of Rotary’s winners have been boys but the very first one was a girl,
Agnes Douglas (CHS 1941). The only Mother-Daughter winners were
Marie Rozelle Kennon (CHS 1946) and her daughter “ Reecie” (CHS 1969).
The first black student winner was Gloria Newsom (CHS 1972). A few of
the other girls who have won the award are Mary Johnson, Patricia Corbin,
Susan Joyner, and Vivian Bradley. All were successful in their lives after
high school.

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Lake City for honoring the good
citizens of CHS for some 70 years and to those honorees who repaid
Rotary’s confidence in them by leading successful lives.

DON’T BLINK!

Willis Butler recently taught me a novelty word, “poke-nelly” . He said he
grew up in a town so small people nicknamed it poke-nelly. Why? Because
by the time people driving through the town ‘poke’ their head out the car
window to see it, they are ‘nelly’ out of town.

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