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LIFESTYLE
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, THURSDAY, JAN. 2 - 8, 2020 • PAGE 17
LIFESTYLE YIR Continued From Page 16
percent of those who become Boy Scouts earn Eagle Scout rank, which
it describes as “a lengthy review process.” During the 108 years the Boy
Scouts have been in existence, approximately 2.5 million youth have be
come Eagle Scouts.
To achieve the ultimate rank, a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges
and demonstrate “Scout Spirit,” which the organization defines as “an ideal
attitude based upon the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership.” Each
person aspiring to become an Eagle Scout must also complete an extensive
service project that the scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages.
“For my Eagle Project, I led a team of fellow scouts to build 30 memo
rial flag cases for the families of veterans who can’t afford them,” Doolittle
said. As part of the burial service for a U.S. military veteran, representatives
of the veteran’s branch of the service may perform a ceremony that includes
folding an American flag, which may have draped the coffin during the fu
neral, and presenting it to the next of kin.
“Both the deceased veteran and the family have made a sacrifice for
their country, and the flag is a memorial to that sacrifice,” the young man
noted.
Helping homeless men get back
on their feet
Successfully tackling homelessness in DeKalb County will require the
resources of new and established agencies and individuals as well as better
coordination among entities, according to the head of one charitable group.
Leslie Prince, board chair of Clifton Sanctuary Ministries, said
multiples agencies such as CSM are working hard to provide an array of
services to those without permanent housing in the county but more needs
to be done.
“I think people are doing what they can,” said Prince. “I would like to
see a bit more cohesion. We can always do more. We can do better. We can
learn what resources are out there. We don’t [always] know what exists.
“There must be more conversation so we know who’s out there and what
everyone does.”
Clifton Sanctuary Ministries later this month will celebrate its 40th year
providing shelter and services to homeless men. CSM runs two facilities in
Atlanta’s Lake Claire community off Ponce de Leon in DeKalb County. The
shelter can accommodate 30 men for 30 to 60 days and a transitional house,
Joe’s Place, located across the street houses up to six men for as long as 90
days. Both facilities require the men to work with a case manager and make
progress on their individual case plans with goals of sobriety, completing
work readiness classes, securing work, staying on medication and such. The
goal is to make progress toward independent living.
DeKalb Symphony Orchestra a cultural
note in the community
Although the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra has been part of the
community for 55 years, board member Ann Alperin said it’s still
“Atlanta’s best-kept secret.” The symphony was founded in 1964
concurrently with DeKalb College, a two-year institution in Clarkston that
at the time was governed by the DeKalb County Board of Education. Its
founding president wanted to have a symphony orchestra in residence and
along with community partners helped create the musical group.
DeKalb College expanded to multiple campuses and became Georgia
Perimeter College. In 2016 it became part of Georgia State University. The
Clarkston campus is still the orchestra’s home, although the orchestra is
governed as a separate nonprofit, according to Alperin.
In a process that Alperin describes as “rather like putting a jigsaw
puzzle together,” the orchestra plans concerts that take into consideration
the concert hall’s availability and the availability of guest performers the
orchestra would like to feature.
Fyodor Cherniavsky, music director and conductor, said he especially
enjoys working with a community orchestra because the musicians are
volunteers, most of whom earn their living in some field not related to
music. “The word amateur according to its root meaning is one who does
something for the love of it. That’s exactly what we have and that’s what
makes this so special.”
HAPPY
9
NEW
A
from the Champion newspaper
YEAR