FLIPPIN, Ark. - Seventeen ninth grade students in Marion County schools completed the first year of Youth Leadership Team activities by taking part in a graduation ceremony the evening of May 17 at the Flippin High School Cafetorium. This was the first class of graduates of the Marion County Youth Leadership Team. In the future, the leadership team will be known as South Shore - Marion County Youth Leadership Team due to the financial support from the South Shore Foundation.

A member of each school's group of ninth graders gave a report on one or more of the monthly leadership sessions conducted since last August with the students, with topics as follows: Flippin, Civic Responsibility and the trip to the State Capitol, by Wendie Choudary; Bruno-Pyatt, True Colors personality assessment and Team Building by Mary Beth Patton; and Yellville-Summit, NATCO Technology and ASUMH Career Awareness, by John Cortez and Jo Jo Rinker.  

Businesses were recognized as first-year donors to the program as follows: Animal Adventures, Ark Plas, Clinic Pharmacy, Entergy, First Federal Bank, Harps of Bull Shoals, Hudson Foods, J&P Auto, Lake River Land Realty, Marion County Adult Leadership Team, Marion County Cooperative Extension Service, North Arkansas Abstract, Northern Arkansas Telephone Company, SLM, Sav-A-Lot Foods, South Shore Foundation, and Town & Country Discount Foods. Sponsors announced for next year will be Entergy and South Shore Foundation.

Students receiving certificates of completion of the program, and their schools are: Bruno-Pyatt students Laura Bardsley, Noah Chagnon, Amanda Hobbs, Mary Beth Patton, Valerie Settlemoir, Andrew Stroud, Jeff Trogdon; Flippin students Wendie Choudary, Brookee Davis, Amy Herbst, Amanda Lee, Ashley Myers; Yellville-Summit students Katie Bertotti, Joshua Brandow, John Cortez, Terra Layton, and Jo Jo Rinker. Youth Leadership Team members Ashley Stevens of Flippin and Geric Fatheree of Yellville-Summit were unable to attend the graduation ceremony.

County Extension Agent Renee Myers welcomes guests.

Marion County Adult Leadership Team (from left) Steve Hobbs, John Carey, Terry Davis, Dale Queary, Janell Kirkwood, Renee Myers, Suzan McCracken, Joyce Boggan, Cathy Long, Mike Ragland, and Ricky Walker

Graduate participants from Bruno-Pyatt School with advisors Mary and Rick Walker (far left and far right)

Graduate participants from Flippin School with advisor Cathy Long (at right)

Graduate participants from Yellville-Summit School with advisor Joyce Boggan (second from right)

Students who are eighth graders and have at least a 2.0 grade point average may now apply to be a part of the South Shore - Marion County Youth Leadership Team for next school year. Those interested should contact their school offices as the team is forming, or the Marion County Extension Office at (870) 449-6349 by mid-June. Students must make a commitment to completing the course, school sponsors said.