This week’s Chatham Rotary Program featured a presentation by Rotarian Robert Adams and two students from Chatham High School INTERACT who participated in the Rotary District 7570 RYLA youth event in December. 

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RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leaders Awards and this past year’s event was held in Blacksburg, Virginia.  The conference was attended by 153 high school juniors and seniors from all over western Virginia and Tennessee.   Also participating were six foreign exchange students. Chatham High INTERACT and Chatham Rotary sponsored Hanna Goins and Elizabeth Triggs and together with Robert Adams they gave an overview of the activities and events of this year’s conference.

Rebecca Parsons, the Chatham High School faculty sponsor for INTERACT also participated in the program today.

The February 12^th Rotary Program for Chatham Rotary Club was present by Chatham Rotarian Lisa Tuite.  Lisa has been the Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library since 2016.

Previously, she worked for Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia in a number of capacities, and prior to that, as an imagery analyst and branch chief at the National Photographic Interpretation Center for the Central Intelligence Agency. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, and the University of Alabama. Lisa lives in Gretna with her husband Jim. They have one daughter, Rachel.

In July 2018, the library and an ad hoc committee of interested citizens presented a report to the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors entitled “Expanding the Reach” that outlines the need for additional library facilities for underserved areas of the county. The Board agreed to conduct a feasibility study, which is kicking off in March. Ms. Tuite outlined the community engagement and outreach portions of the feasibility study, during which Rotarians and the public can offer their views on the need for expanded library services in the county.

In addition…

Ben Paris, a teacher at Hargrave Military Academy and one of the main facilitators for the the newly formed Young Life program for high school students throughout the county gave a summary of the progress Young Life is making with area youth.  Chatham Rotary has been one of the sponsors of Young Life since its inception and Dick Camp presented Ben with a Chatham Rotary Check for $1000 to assist in their continued development.