The spirit of Johnny Appleseed has been wandering the halls of Shirley Elementary recently. Fairfield Bay Rotary is currently presenting a unit on Andy’s and Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure by Andrew Shoup to 2nd grade students. The unit began with the first chapter being read on Friday, January 13 and a chapter will be read each week until the book is done. This is a highly motivational book that includes a coloring and activity book for students to complete independently. The book introduces the students to the “Four Way Truth”, a plan for living that promotes, truth, fairness, building goodwill, better friendships and being beneficial to all concerned. Students enthusiastically sample four types of apples and prepared a graph to find their favorites. As the unit continues, representatives of the Rotary, along with teachers and students hope to prepare apple dumplings for sampling from Andy and Elmer’s recipe. In addition, they plan to plant two apple trees on the campus in the spring with the help from Mr. Matthews, from the Agri department. This study is an excellent addition to the new common core standards that allow students to become more involved and spend more time on subject or skill. Mrs. Seaton and Mrs. Henderson appreciate the Rotary’s educational promotions!

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During my term as president of the FFB Lions, Lion Phyllis and I had the opportunity to visit the Lions World Services for the Blind in Little Rock. During the visit we were provided information on one of the founders, Lion Roy Kumpe and a couple of months ago fellow FFB Lion, Glenn Shunneson provided us with a copy of a book, “The Lion’s Share”, a history of Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind (now LWSB) by Roy Kumpe written with Jim Lester. Before reading the book we did some research and found that Roy Kumpe (1910-1987) was born in Arkansas and after the onset of blindness at age eight, he attended the Arkansas School for the Blind and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a law degree in 1938. After starting a job placement service which linked federal vending stand sites with competent operators who were blind he realized there were not enough people who were independent enough to be successfully employed which inspired his dream to create a training facility for the blind or visually impaired. “One of the goals toward the fulfillment of Roy Kumpe’s dream was to persuade a state wide convention of Lions Clubs to sponsor a civilian rehabilitation center and to raise $10,000 for its first quarters. Thus, the first rehabilitation center to open under non-governmental auspices in the country was incorporated in 1947 as Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind .” (Hall of Fame Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field). Our first meeting in February will be on Thursday February 9 which will be an Old Time Pot-Luck Dinner followed by game night. Dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. and every one is encouraged to bring a dish to share, if you wish to partake, as there will be no cost for the dinner. At our meeting on February 23, Robert and Pat Reeves will give a presentation on their recent trip to Africa..

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