Our thanks to MS Supreme Court Justice Dawn Beam for providing our program on Tuesday.
L-R: Justice Beam; Club President, Lynn Walton, and Justice Beam's host, Shirley Moore.
President Lynn Walton presided over today’s meeting. Ryan Kelly provided the opening prayer. Matt Rumph led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynn led us in the Four Way Test. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn North and on Zoom. Lynn thanked everyone in attendance.
Bill MacLauchlan introduced today’s guests. Mackenzie Parker and Greg Carter are guests of Jerome Brown. Markus Simmons is a guest of Brandon Hodges. Annie Jackson is a guest of Mark Killingsworth.
Lynn is also looking for volunteers to help plan a Christmas event. She also reported on the three quarterly charities selected by the board. They include The Salvation Army, purchasing and distributing Noah Wheeler’s new children’s book, and Wesley Manor. The club will assist Ida survivors and members are asked to bring items they need to club meetings through the October 5 meeting. A list of needed items was distributed. Lynn also reported that Shirley Moore has been added as a new board member.
Shirley then introduced today’s guest speaker: MS Supreme Court Justice, Dawn Beam. She has served on the Supreme Court since 2016.
Judge Beam recognized children in Mississippi need something to hope for while working in the judiciary. Beam and MS First Lady Elle Reeves have developed the “Science of Hope” campaign. The primary purpose of the campaign is to teach children how to set goals, determine a pathway to reach the goal, and develop the willpower to obtain the goal. The Program offers housing vouchers, increased available beds for pregnant mothers who have addiction problems, parenting resources, and employment opportunities. Thus far, more than 150 volunteers from more than forty agencies have been trained.
Justice Beam reports that more than 25% of Mississippi’s children live in poverty. Almost 23% of our children are food-deprived. She says that to move the needle on poverty in Mississippi, we must build an army to strengthen Mississippi families and grow children into healthy, thriving adults. In addition to the Governor declaring 2022 as a Year of Hope, the Governor is expected to appoint a Task Force to fully implement Hope Science in the state’s service agencies. Faith-based agencies have adopted the project. Chip Henderson and Bartholomew Orr are co-chairs of the faith-based effort.
Lynn thanked Justice Beam for his remarks. There being no further business to come before the club, she adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”