The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

Two articles submitted for the newspaper this week caught my attention. Both detail voluntary prayer opportunities at Jenkins County High School.

One meets in the school cafeteria before school. The other meets in a ninth grade classroom every Wednesday before school. Students organized both, and both are student-led.

How ironic is it that decades after "adults" allowed prayer to be taken out of our public schools, it is the "students" who are taking the initiative to bring it back. We adults could take a lesson from our young people on this one. If we don't like something, then we need to do something to try and change it!

Kudos to JCHS students for their initiative and to the staff members who support them!

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Sunday, Nov. 11, is Veterans' Day. So, I thought a little "history lesson" might be in order.

Nov. 11 is the anniversary of the Armistice that was signed by the Allies and the Germans in 1918, ending World War I, after four years of conflict. However, it was not until 1938 that Congress passed a bill that each Nov. 11 "shall be dedicated to the cause of world peace and ...hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day."

After World War II, there were many new veterans who had little or no association with World War I. So, leaders of veterans' groups decided to try and make Nov. 11 a time to honor all who had fought in American wars, not just in World War I. The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress on May 24, 1954.

Sunday is a day to remember the sacrifices made by all who are serving and have served our country. They are the reason we enjoy the freedoms we have today.

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Happy birthday this week to: Jennifer Jones, C. J. Waters, Johnny Johnson, Virginia McBride, Carolyn Law, Wilkes Black, Billy Hydrick, Gavin Glisson, Ed Fuller, Erica Thompson, Heather Hodges, Judy C. Joyner, Lisa Padgett, Chase Thompson and Susan J. Hooks.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are: Mr. and Mrs. Math Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Herrington Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Rackley.

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Military Active Duty List: PV2 Ashley Clifton, U.S. Army, Yongsan, Korea; Airman First Class Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marine Division, F.A.S.T. Company, Bahrain, Persian Gulf; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Ali Al Salem AFB, Kuwait; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; SPC Grade E4 Arthur Lamont Milton Jr., HHC 1-36 Infantry Support, Friedberg, Germany; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Ft. Stewart; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, AGang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.