Interact Club members build future leadership skills

Halley Eldridge, Sarah Beth Lane, Shelby Farrow, Megan Poe, Dawson Walden, Randie Mitchell, Reganne Miller, Kaitlyn Shannon, Paul Gossar and Hannah Leigh-Ann McCall, head out to work on the roadside clean up project where they helped meet their goal of 100 bags of trash from Bald Hill, Ritchie and Johnson roads in rural Nicholas County.

Service Before Self is their motto and the Nicholas County High School Interact Club members have spent numerous hours volunteering their time.

From assisting local charities, to painting fences and cleaning up the scenic roadsides, these volunteers are not only building skills to serve their community they are also learning to become leaders.

Next week is National Interact World Week which celebrates the founding of Interact Club on November 5, 1962.

The name “Interact” was created by combining the words “international” and “action” and is a youth-oriented organization that works to make positive changes within their hometown and to the world. Interact clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs as a program of Rotary International.

Elizabeth Johnson, sponsor for the Nicholas County High School Interact Club, said she became involved in the club two years ago.

“Our Interact Club began two years ago when the past Rotary Club p,resident, Mr. Tom Metcalfe, approached me about considering sponsoring a club at Nicholas County High School. At the time, I had never heard of such a club but it sounded like a fantastic idea to work with young people and encourage them to get involved with serving their community and the world. The Carlisle Rotary Club members have been absolutely instrumental in the success of the NCHS Interact Club through their generous support and encouragement. We truly appreciate everything they have done for us and allow us to serve our community with them. We encourage students to get involved through hands-on service projects, help develop their leadership skills and make international connections” Johnson said.

Johnson went on to say, “Our mission statement “Service Above Self” is also the motto of Rotary Club and reflects our desire to help make a difference in our world. We meet at least once a month and have a several different service opportunities available to young people throughout the year in which they can serve.”

In addition to serving the local community each year, The Interact Club is also committed to completing one international service project that helps further international understanding and goodwill.

“For example, we worked last Spring with the non-profit organization Waterstep that helps provide clean drinking water in areas of the world where it is urgently needed. Being a member of Interact is meaningful to students in so many ways. It helps young people develop personal integrity, demonstrate helpfulness and respect for others, as well as understand the value of individual responsibility, teamwork, and hard work by their service. These are all highly desirable qualities that colleges, universities, and employers are looking for in students who are applying to programs after high school graduation,” Johnson said.

“To be a member of Interact mostly requires dedication and selflessness. Members strive to dedicate their time and service to helping others in need. Interact isn’t just a lot of work, but it’s a way of life. Many of our members have expressed how rewarding it is when they give of themselves to help make positive difference for their community or their world,” Johnson explained.

NCHS Club President, Merrick Johnson, said, “It’s a club I hold dear to my heart because it demonstrates how young, motivated individuals can work together as a team to improve their world. That’s what I love about Interact. It’s a unique experience.”

NCHS Club treasurer, Logan Bechanan, said, “ Being in Interact means being a catalyst for change in your community and the world. It give me an outlet for service to help others and hopefully change their lives for the better.”

The NCHS Interact Club has also served such local community groups and organizations as the Nicholas County Judge Executive’s Office, the Cancer Care Club, the Neal Welcome Center, NCAWS, Enova Premier, and Blue Licks State Resort Park.

The first Interact club began in 1962 by the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Florida.

Today, nearly 200,000 members worldwide participate in more than 8,600 Interact clubs in 110 countries around the world.