American Legion Auxiliary Unit 340 at Diamond City received a grant of $300 from South Shore Foundation that helped send girls from area high schools to Arkansas Girls State held at Harding University at Searcy. The grant provided funding for two delegates to attend the six-day program. The five girls attending were: Whitney Methvin and Brittney Parsley from Lead Hill school, Kayla Tindall and Abigail Ellis of Omaha school, and Savanna Smith of Bergman school.

Sandra Wright, chairman of the Girls State project for Unit 340, said the Legion Auxiliary tries to send up to six delegates each year to the educational summer event. The purpose of Girls State is to educate young women in the duties, privileges, and responsibilities of American citizenship and to provide an opportunity for them to participate in the actual functioning of their government.

"It is a pleasure for us to assist girls who display leadership, character, honesty, scholarship, cooperation, community participation and service," said Mrs. Wright. "They enjoy a week at an outstanding Arkansas college campus, and they learn valuable lessons in citizenship," she added. Their participation is subject to the approval of their school administrators.

Jodie Elizabeth Jeffrey, chairman of the board of directors, congratulated Mrs. Wright and the American Legion Auxiliary for giving the girls the opportunity that Arkansas Girls State provides for personal growth and citizenship.

South Shore Foundation is the charitable organization of Northern Arkansas Telephone Company (NATCO). For more information about the foundation or to apply for a grant, call toll-free 1-888-774-6731 or visit the Web site at www.southshore.com/foundation. NATCO is a family owned company since 1951 providing telephone service in six exchanges: Bull Shoals, Diamond City, Flippin, Lead Hill, Pyatt and Omaha. Its NATCO Technologies division is an Internet service provider for the entire Twin Lakes area, also including Mountain Home, Yellville and Harrison.