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John Ketchersid says the bad news is that the world facing youth today is filled with problems. The good news? There are plenty of bright youngsters around to solve them.
The Azle Optimist Club and the community paid tribute to some of those youngsters during the club’s 31st Annual Youth Appreciation Banquet Nov. 10 at Santo Forte Junior High.
More than 160 moms and dads, grandparents and siblings attended as a boy and girl from each of Azle ISD’s 10 schools were honored. School administrators selected the students based on academic and extracurricular involvement, as well as attitude. Several school board and city leaders attended, as mayor Russ Braudis read a proclamation declaring the week of Nov. 9-15 as Youth Appreciation Week in Azle. Ketchersid, representing the Strong Fathers-Strong Families organization, said he appreciates an organization like the Optimist Club that is willing to support the youth of this community.
Ketchersid said it takes a “community effort” to get youth where they need to be, both morally and academically _ but the real work begins at home. “Moms and dads have different roles, but they’re both important,” he said. Mom most often plays the role of caregiver – issuing hugs and support throughout the day, while kids look to dad to see how an adult handles the pressures of the world. “Dad’s job is to set boundaries,” he said. Looking out into the crowd, Ketchersid thanked the parents for caring enough to support their children’s dreams. He also paid a compliment to Azle ISD for achieving “Recognized” academic status from the Texas Education Agency. But success in life isn’t just about making a good score on a test, he said. He said his gradebook includes three objectives: “do right, do your best and treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s not just about A’s and B’s,” he added. “I want everyone to do what’s right – where your word is your bond. “Truth is like a rubber band,” he said. “You start messing with the truth and it’s going to come back and pop you.” It’s best to focus not on money but on the things in life that really matter, he said. “Do you think that when a man dies they’ll put on his tombstone that he died with a lot of money in the bank?” Ketchersid said. “No. They’ll write things like ‘He loved his wife’ or ‘He put two kids through school.’” “We want to lead lives that mean something,” he said. “The good news is that things are a whole lot better than you think they are,” he said. “And that’s because you care. When you care it changes the world.” Larry O’Connor, Optimist Governor for the North Texas District, congratulated Azle Optimists for being an “honor club” – recruiting new members to assisting the area’s youth. “What I’m asking you today is to look at the world around you,” he said. “Just think what you can accomplish over the next 45-55 years.” AISD superintendent Dr. Ray Lea and Optimist Club President Sam Robinson presented certificates to the students. Honored were Ashley Goforth and Weston Fountain of Azle High School; Luke Rodriguez of Boy Scout Troop 175; Triniti Vurich and Cooper Rush of Azle Junior High; Maci Wilbanks and Alex Veleta of Forte Junior High; Rachel Kay and Mason Mendell of Azle Elementary; Hannah Rodgers and Drew McLaughlin of Hoover Elementary; Karleigh Van Gelder and Wyatt Valles of Cross Timbers Elementary; Alondra Ramirez and Nathan Ulshafer of Liberty Elementary; Kalyn Pittman and Jordan McNeely of Walnut Creek Elementary; Payton Geary and Kolton Mooney of Silver Creek Elementary and Lunalili Maldonado and Brent Kennedy of Eagle Heights. Club member Ray Ivey, who also serves as director of administration for Azle ISD, emceed. Longtime Azle Optimist Club member Jackie Carpenter, who along with Henson Dunn were the only two charter club members in attendance, lead the audience in reciting the Optimist Creed to end the event. |
