Owen Flowers spoke this week to the organization that sponsored his participation at Missouri Boys State, the Dexter Kiwanis Club. Flowers was one of four Dexter young men who participated in Missouri Boys State in 2011, along with Dylan Heflin, Tyler Miller, and Zane Olson.
Flowers was elected health inspector of Alcorn City, one of the communities young men are divided into for the Boys State experience. Flowers was then elected as the presiding commissioner of Benton County.
“I represented 120 men at the county level,” Flowers said. “We literally created a state from the ground up.”
He is the son of Kim and Tim Flowers of Dexter and is a senior at DHS.
Boys State gave the young Dexter man not only leadership experiences, but a chance to explore career options. Flowers told the Kiwanians he had the opportunity to attend one of the five Boys State schools of law enforcement.
“It was because of this experience that I developed a stronger interest in criminology. I learned a lot about the benefits and the difficulties of the demanding but rewarding profession,” he said. Flowers said he plans to pursue a degree in criminology in college.
Flowers said that polling of Boys State members in 2011 showed that nearly half the young men said they favored continuation of the death penalty, 44 percent voted for the removal of the military presence in Iraq, 64 percent felt the drinking age in Missouri should remain at age 21, and 81 percent of the Boys State participants felt education should be the top focus for Missouri state government.
“The most influential impact I gained in my week at Boys State were my friendships,” Flowers said. He forged strong friendships with several other young men during the week.
“These individuals have shaped my life; they are friends I will have for a lifetime,” he said. “These connections will be remembered for a lifetime. I am very fortunate to have had this opportunity.”
The community is invited to pause with members of the Dexter First United Methodist on Saturday in an ecumenical service of remembrance for 9-11.
The service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 at the “gathering spot” – the grassy property across from Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home on Stoddard Street in Downtown Dexter. The open-air service is open to all.
“We invite our friends and neighbors to join us Saturday as we pause and remember that tragic day 10 years ago,” said Loretta Reid, of the local United Methodist Church. “Many of us remember our community coming together in grief and fear and shock 10 years ago in a community time of worship. This service will provide us the opportunity to remember the events of that day, and the sorrow and grief that swept across our nation.”
The service, she said, offers a chance to “observe this anniversary in a way that offers hope and to remember that God brings light into all darkness.”
Readers for the service will include Carol Beam, Bill Pippins, Jr., Delores Bailiff; scripture will be given by Dr. Larry Colvin of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the opening and prayer offered by Michael Woods, pastor of the First United Methodist Church.
Music will be offered by the First United Methodist Chancel Choir under the direction of MaryRuth Boone and a special musical tribute offered by Scott Nelson.
The service on Saturday is the culmination of a busy day for United Methodists in Dexter. The local congregation will be participating in SERVE2011, a statewide project amount United Methodist churches.
As a part of SERVE 2011, the church is sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Wesley Hall on the First UMC campus on North Walnut Street in Dexter.
Serve 2011 is a collaborative experience among the congregations of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. Each congregation in Missouri is challenged to serve their community outside the walls of their church the weekend of Sept. 10-11 and beyond. Through Serve 2011, Missouri United Methodists will declare that “the church has left the building” by reaching out to their communities.
In case of bad weather on Saturday afternoon, the 9-11 Service of Remembrance will be moved to the United Methodist Church on South Walnut Street.
Photo Above: Lorette Reid (left) and MaryRuth Boone discuss the plans for the community 9011 Service of Remembrance schedule for Saturday, Sept. 10. (SMT Photo)
On November 21, 1994, after hours of planning, a group of school enthusiasts - some of the most dedicated members of Bearcat Nation - arrived at a Dexter Public Schools board meeting seeking to shine a positive light on the hope of the formation of an “Activities Booster Club”. Clubs of this nature had been resisted by the school administration for many years due to noted bad experiences in other communities.
The original organizing group included:
Other original Dexter Booster Club Members include Dr. Jerry Waddle, Debbie Snider, Joni Burleson, Jim Reiker, Phyllis Howard, Doug Cox, Sharon Guethle, Mark Becker and Bruce Christian.
Overcoming the preconceived notions of Booster Clubs being a ‘bad thing’ was not an easy task. A summary of benefits were presented to the administration that included community events to increase pride and enthusiasm for the school, a relationship ‘bridge’ between students and the community, and an involved method of raising additional funds for extracurricular activities within the district.
Much planning took place prior to this meeting, as these community leaders wanted to build a group that would stand the test of time. Many phone interviews were performed with existing clubs throughout Southeast Missouri schools, including Sikeston, Malden, Cape Central, Kennett and Kelly. Information and organization experiences were collected from a broad group of club members, club organizers, as well as school administrators.
The insight the group compiled became the very foundation of the clubs by-laws and methods of operation. Multiple examples were shared of the positive results of these clubs, as well as areas of caution that were important to avoid.
“[The Booster Club] is the greatest thing and I would recommend it,” shared Dennis Ziegenhorn of the Sikeston Booster Club. “It allows the community to become involved with the programs. It is a wonderful, wonderful thing.”
With the presentation complete, the school board allotted for a one-year probationary period - to allow the club’s formation and operation - with the oversight of the school’s administration. Safeguards were built into the club by-laws with the intention of helping to avoid future conflicts. Noteworthy is the leadership that was given to this project by Dr. Jerry Waddle and Dr. Ray Dowdy. Through the early ‘formation’ years, their ability to trust and offer guidance to the community leadership of the booster club board was critical to the success that the club continues to have today.
Since those early days, the club has continued to meet the purpose and objectives established in the by-laws of the Dexter Bearcat Booster Club. The very existence of the club is to “…lend support to the total student activities program of the Dexter High School and Middle School ….”
The Dexter Bearcat Booster Club has developed a rich history of support to all programs throughout the school district, while avoiding the pitfalls associated with the fears of “Clubs Gone Wrong”. The present leadership of the club continues to carry on the strong virtues of the past each year.
This outreach also coincides with the release of Picking Violets debut single “That Would Be Me” which impacted radio June 15.
Kelly Weston is the former Kelly Miranda of Dexter. She is a graduate of Dexter High School. Her family and friends from home continue to follow her success and kind touch on the world on her Facebook located at KELLY WESTON.
More information on Erica and Kelly can be found at www.pickingviolets.com and/or www.facebook.com/pickingviolets.
