Save the Date - Commonwealth Convention - June 14-16, 2023 - Dodge City, KS - Click Here to Register

Blog 4 – Emerson Nichols

For my 10 community service hours, I have done a variety of things. I have been a member of my high school’s Rotary Interact club every year I have been in high school. In the spring of 2021, I was voted to be President of Rotary Interact for the school year of 2021-2022. Rotary Interact focuses on teaching “Service Above Self”. Through my 3 years in Rotary Interact, I have been fortunate enough to participate in many types of community service. One of our most known acts of community service around Russell, is our Rotary Flags. On holidays such as the 4th of July, Flag Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, etc., we place flags all around town at homes that have specified that they would like a flag. There are two sessions available every holiday, the morning session and the afternoon session. I personally like the morning session the best because there is no better way to start your day than starting it with community service. On June 14, 2021, Flag Day, at 6am, I started placing flags around town with one of my classmates and my mother as the driver of our car. We finished around 8am.The hardest part of this community service was actually getting up at 5:30am to put up the flags.  Another one of Rotary’s community service events is working at our local movie theater. On June 18, I volunteered with Rotary Interact at the theater. For my 4-H club, I am the head of the community service department, and one of my favorite community service events is “Socktober”. This event has been done annually by my 4-H Club for the past few years. “Socktober” happens every year in October and my 4-H Club donates fuzzy, grippy socks to rest homes. We roll the socks up in cupcake holders, so that the socks are in a cute design when the elderly get them. Another community service item that I have done is church service. My faith is very important to me and I love being able to help my church.  Our county fair was last week, and I helped set up for the 4-H Dog Show and I also helped hang posters around the fairgrounds, which helped the fair run smoothly. I also helped a fellow 4-H member print off and mount their photos for photography judging. In 4-H, your photos must be mounted correctly or you will be dropped a ribbon placing, so this is a very important part of the photography judging. I love being able to help my community and members of my community through service. I truly believe that community service and volunteering are some of the best ways you can spend your time.

My 4-H Club and I after Preparing the Fuzzy Socks Last October
Volunteering at the Local Movie Theater