LETTERS: BETA CLUB ACTIVITIES

To the editor:

In light of Random Acts of Kindness Week, I would like to share a few thoughts about the actions of a group of outgoing teen-agers.

For the Central High School Beta Club, acts of kindness are not necessarily random. The dedicated group of juniors and sophomores meets at 7 a.m. every two weeks to plan and prepare for service projects. The projects are designed to improve the school and help others.

These service projects often range out into the community. This year, the club has raked leaves for the elderly, tutored students at the Christian School for the Young Years and held a bake sale for a Schultz student awaiting a heart transplant. They have also guided Christmas tours at the Glenn House, worked at the KRCU telethon, participated in Southeast Hospital's disaster drill, organized an Easter-egg hunt for A Step at a Time Preschool and carried out their annual project, "Caroling for Cans," in which club members go door to door singing Christmas carols in exchange for canned food for the needy.

The club has folded letters for the Red Cross as well as an elementary school counselor, organized a lunch with Parkview State School students, written Valentine letters to U.S. soldiers and worked at the Southeast Missouri Gifted Conference. They assisted St. Francis Medical Center by playing bingo with elderly patients and creating a monthly bulletin board for the extended-care area.

Also, members participated in individual projects such as baking desserts for the Salvation Army's holiday meals, shoveling snow, timing at swim meets and assisting teachers. In total, the 55 club members performed over 640 hours of service this year.

Although these projects are not random, they are acts of kindness nonetheless. This responsible group of students receives no other recognition than their own awards ceremony and the feeling that they've done something to improve the world around them. Thank you for your time.

VICKI VENTRELLA, Chairperson

Service Committee

Central High School Beta Club

Cape Girardeau