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Change is not always easy. It
was with great sadness that we bid farewell to Debbie Sawyer, longtime Executive
Director of Worthington Partners for Citizenship and Character. Her dedication,
insight and hard work were driving forces that contributed to the success of the
organization. She and her husband, Tom, have moved to Chicago to be closer to
their family. While we miss them dearly, we wish them well.
I
am privileged to have been named Executive Director to fill the void left by
Debbie’s absence. I feel I have big shoes to fill. Debbie has been a mentor to
me for many years and I have always appreciated her support and encouragement. PCC is an organization dear to my heart. If you look at all the programs we
offer the community it is an impressive list: Active Parenting classes, Circle
of Grandparents, Character in Action (CIA), Student Action board- all have been
an important assets to Worthington families. We have also worked with the
Worthington Chamber of Commerce to recognize those businesses in Worthington who
exemplify the character traits we celebrate. All of these things make a
difference in our community.  In Program News:
The Circle of Grandparents
The Circle of Grandparents had a
wonderful end of the year celebration. Their ringmaster, um leader, Debra
Stephen, organized an evening that celebrated the Grandparents who offered their
time, the teachers who supported them and the students who most exemplified
positive character traits (as recommended by their principals). You might have
seen the article in the Worthington News that covered this event.
 Character In Action
The students who participate in
Character in Action have also made an impact. These high school students create
and perform skits in elementary schools that illustrate problems and positive
solutions to these problems. One example would be” How to deal with a bully”. The high school students take time out of their school day to act out the skits
and then lead small group discussions about the topic that was presented.
 Active Parenting
While the Active Parenting classes
will resume in the fall, this is a good time to recognize their value. We will
have next year’s dates available soon. Active Parenting is a video-based
interactive class that helps guide parents to teach positive values and skills
to their children. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn valuable skills. I
can state from my own personal experience, it is very well worth the time spent.
 Student Action Board
The
Student Action Board completed their “High School Survival Guide” for eighth
graders who will be entering High School. It was decided that the best way to
get the information to these students was to include it in the Freshman packets
that are sent to parents over the summer and to make copies available at
Freshman orientation. Hats off to John Jordan who took all the information we
gathered and condensed it into a pamphlet that was accessible and made sense to
incoming Freshmen. We also need to acknowledge the high school students on our
Student Action Board who contributed to it. It will make a difference.
 A Note from Holly Richard
I
would like to use this newsletter, not only to update our supporters about our
programs, but to highlight the Word of the Month. In this light I would like to
talk about Moral Courage- the word of the month for June. According to
Wikipedia the definition of Moral Courage is this: “Courage,
also known as bravery, fortitude, will, and intrepidity, is the
ability to confront fear, pain,, risk/danger, uncertainty,
or intimidation. "Physical
courage" is courage in the face of physical pain,
hardship, death, or threat of death, while "moral courage" is the
ability to act
rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal,
or discouragement.”
The
website “Ethics in Action” has this to say about Moral courage: “Moral courage
is the ability to put ethics into action. It means standing up and standing out
in defense of principle, even when others are standing aside. Ethical action is
more than whistle blowing. It involves daily acts of integrity, carried out with
dignity, in which individuals stand up for what is right and encourage others to
do the same. “
I am sure that every day we all commit an act of moral courage. Recognize it, celebrate it, and keep it up. You make a difference in our world. | | |