Building Good Citizenship Through Civitan

by Patricia Coulter

The motto of the Ardmore, AL/TN Civitan Club is “Builders of Good Citizenship”. Members of the local Civitan Club work together in the community to help make life better for their neighbors. Local members would like to encourage others to participate in Civitan to help make a difference in our community.

The Ardmore, AL/TN Civitan Club was chartered in October 2000 with 46 members. Currently there are 22 active members.

Ardmore, AL/TN Civitan Club officers for 2006-2007 are, from left, John Higgs and Charles Higgs, Sergeants-at-Arms; Laurene Schrimsher, secretary; Mary Cribbs, past president and treasurer; Doc Oliver, president-elect; and Janet Hill, president. (photo by Patricia Coulter)

Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 12 noon at the City Café in Ardmore. Meetings are also held the third Thursday at 6 p.m. at the City Café. Civitan members may choose to attend the day or night meetings, depending on their schedule. Dress is casual. Serving as 2006-2007 Civitan officers are President Janet Hill, President-Elect Doc Oliver, Past President and Treasurer Mary Cribbs, Secretary Laurene Schrimsher, Chaplain H.D. Grubbs and Sergeant-at-Arms John Higgs and Charles Higgs. Members of the Board of Directors are Dihanne Guilbert, Cassie Mistretta, Arnold Parrish and Stefanie Reyer.

Civitan Club members are everyday citizens who meet in their communities throughout the world to make life better for others. Family, friends, neighbors and co-workers meet at local Civitan clubs to socialize, learn and serve in their communities. Civitan began with just a single club and a vision for helping others and has grown to over 40,000 members in 24 counties, including youth and college programs.

Founded on the most basic moral and spiritual values, Civitans’ commitments to identify and address needs in their communities have set them apart from other social and service organizations.

Projects of the Ardmore Civitans include an annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsor of the Ardmore Public Library Reading Program, Clergy Appreciation Week, essay contest for local students, Christmas Toy Chest, flu shots, and canned food drive with Cedar Hill Elementary. The Ardmore Civitans also build ramps for individuals in need of them and help handicapped individuals when possible.

The Civitan Club is involved with local students. They sponsor the Ardmore High School Junior Civitan Club and also provide a $500 scholarship annual to an eligible senior at the school. The Civitans also collect school supplies for students at Cedar Hill Elementary School annually.

Several fundraisers are held each year to finance the Civitan projects. A Civitan International project, the blue boxes with peppermint candies are placed in local businesses. Proceeds go to the club and to Civitan International Research Center in Birmingham, AL. Claxton Fruit Cakes are sold during the Christmas holidays and Vidalia onions are sold annually in the spring. The Ardmore Civitans also sponsor a Turkey Shoot in November and a Bean Day in Spring and Fall. They compile a calendar each year featuring photos of the older Ardmore generations.

Anyone interested in giving back to the community is eligible to join the Ardmore, AL/TN Civitan Club. Applications are accepted throughout the year. There are different levels of membership for individuals as well as business/corporate sponsorship. Initial membership fee is $25.00 and includes a lapel pin, 8”x10” Civitan Creed, an annual subscription to the Civitan Magazine, and the annual fee for project liability insurance. Quarterly dues are $20.00 and include District dues, Civitan International dues and club dues.

For more information about the Ardmore, AL/TN Civitan Club contact Mary Cribbs 931/427-5523, Janet Hill 256/423-6850, Laurene Schrimsher 931/427-6459 or Doc Oliver 256/423-2219.

Information about Civitan is also available on the website www.civitan.org.