The Optimist Club of Senoia hosted its annual Youth Appreciation Banquet on May 5, 2011 in recognition of students at East Coweta High School and Northgate High School. Senoia Optimist member Laura Bell was the chair of the event which was held at the Senior Citizens’ Center in Senoia. 

Bell explained to the gathering that counselors at the two high schools were asked to select students for this recognition who had achieved a noticeable level of success in school while dealing with difficult situations with which other students typically were not associated. 

Students recognized from the local high schools were Brittany Fears, Matthew Kindle, Kayla Ledbetter, and Rachel Kindle from Northgate; and Madarious Gibbs, Jay Vandiver, Robbie Doolittle, and Austin Torres-Hawk from East Coweta.

The speaker for the evening was Rev. Nathaniel Long, Pastor of the Senoia United Methodist Church and member of the Senoia Optimist Club.  He used the parable of the “talents” (Matthew 25:14-30) to encourage the students to continue using their gifts and capabilities in ways that are uplifting to themselves and others.  Everyone in the crowd was given a “gold coin” to help emphasize the message. 

Senoia Optimist President Hal Sewell also thanked the students for their accomplishments.  He shared one of his favorite quotations: “the life you lead is the lesson you teach”, and went on to say that each student is obviously serving as a positive example to others.

The Optimist Club of Senoia meets at Maguire’s Family & Friends Restaurant which is on the corner of Main and Seavy Streets in Senoia, Georgia.  Meetings are scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month.

If you would like to learn more about the Senoia Optimist Club, please contact club president Hal Sewell at 770-599-6097 or visit the Senoia club’s web site at www.senoiaoptimistclub.org.