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About The Advocate-Democrat. (Crawfordville, Ga.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2024)
PAGE 4 Classic South Quilt Guild Luncheon Laura Toburen put this Quilt of Valor together. Right: Debbis Sutton shows a quilt block she made to start a Quilt of Valor. Classic South Quilt Guild will present at the November 11 meeting of the American Legion in Lincolnton. The Classic South Quilt Guild met Friday, May 17, for its end-of- year luncheon. There was great food that members provided and Doris Ranew set up all the tables with beautiful spring colors. The only business discussed was the retreat on May 20 through May 24 at the FFA FHA Camp in Covington, Georgia. Eleven of the members are going to be there with a some friends from another retreat. Dr. Russell Brock named Assistant Superintendent of GCSS Dr. Russell Brock has been named one of the Assistant Superintendents of the Greene County School System. Dr. Brock, who will continue his current responsibilities which include managing human resources and the district’s school safety program, will share assistant superintendent responsibilities with current Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rotonya Rhodes. This is not the first time GCSS has employed two assistant superintendents. Previously the roles were split between Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources & Accountability. The roles merged into one under Dr. Rotonya Rhodes with the retirement of previous Assistant Superintendent Dr. Thomas McClendon in 2021. However, with the state requirements and assistant superintendent responsibilities relating to school safety, facilities management, climate and culture, attendance, discipline, and several other areas, Superintendent Dr. Chris Houston moved to create more capacity in the role. “Splitting the assistant superintendent responsibilities between two people will create more stability and strengthen GCSS district leadership,’’ Dr. Houston said. “Not only will this create a stronger structure and more support for central office leadership, but it will create more support for our principals and, ultimately, our students and families.’’ Under Dr. Brock’s leadership as Executive Director of Human Resources since 2021, GCSS has maintained an excellent retention rate. In the post-pandemic era when districts across the state and nation have struggled to attract and maintain qualified staff, Greene County has begun each school year fully staffed and experienced less turnover than other nearby districts. A Greene County native, Dr. Brock, a U.S. Army Veteran, began his teaching career at GCHS in 1993, where he taught U.S. History and coached baseball and football. Over the years, he served as assistant principal and principal at several schools throughout the northeast Georgia area before returning to Greene County as Principal of Anita White Carson Middle School in 2016. Under Dr. Brock’s leadership, CMS was named a 2019-2020 Distinguished Breakout Middle School by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals. In 2020, Dr. Brock was named a finalist in the GASSP’s Principal of the Year Program. One of six finalists overall, Dr. Brock was one of just two middle school principals to make finalist. Dr. Brock has also served in the leadership of several statewide professional educators’ associations, most recently as the president of the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals (GAMPS) and an executive board member with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL). “I am honored to serve as assistant superintendent in my hometown,’’ Dr. Brock said. “My goal is to provide customer service that will enable our faculty, staff, students, and parents to have the same outstanding educational experience in Greene County that I have been grateful to have as a student, teacher, and administrator over the years.’’ THE ADVOCATE DEMOCRAT, Crawfordville, GA, Friday, May 24, 2024 Local Sons of the American Revolution Mark the Grave of Compatriot Rev. Silas Mercer The Award-Winning Georgia Society SAR Color Guard Presented Colors A group of program participatents gathered on the church steps Dr John Derden, Professor Emeritus of History at East Georgia College, Provided Historical Information on Rev. Mercer On Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 1:00pm, the Little River and Washington-Wilkes Chapters of the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution conducted a grave marking ceremony and dedicated a Patriot Grave Marker for Revolutionary War Patriot Rev. Silas Mercer. Rev. Mercer served as a Chaplain with the rank of Major in the Georgia Militia during the Revolutionary War and is the father of Rev. Jesse Mercer, namesake of Mercer University in Macon. Silas Mercer was a Baptist Minister, Chaplain, Theologian, and Statesman. He was born Feb 25, 1745 in Currituck County, North Carolina, and died Aug 1, 1796 in Wilkes County, GA. He was converted and baptized around 1775 into the Kiokee Baptist Church near Appling, Georgia. He founded Phillips Mill Church on May 7, 1785 and served as pastor 1785-1796. Later, he founded Bethesda in 1785, Powelton in 1786, Clark’s Station in 1786, Sardis in 1788, and others. Rev. Mercer helped organize the first Georgia Baptist Association. He was a leader in the merger of separate and regular Baptists in Georgia and South Carolina. He also served as a delegate to the Georgia Constitutional Conventions in 1789 and 1795. He established Salem Academy in 1793. Silas and Dorcas Mercer had eight children. Two sons were teachers. Three sons, including Jesse Mercer, were Baptist Ministers. The remains of Silas and Dorcas Mercer were moved from the original site at Ficklen to Phillips Mill on Oct 12, 1976. The ceremony was held at the Historic Phillips Mill Baptist Church in Wilkes County. Around 70 people attended. The award-winning Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard led by Compatriot K. Scott Collins of the Athens Chapter Sons of the American Revolution was in attendance. State Chaplain Edward M. Anderson Sr. led the invocation and benediction, and Dr. John Derden, Professor Emeritus of History at East Georgia College in Swainsboro, provided historical background information on Rev. Mercer and his family. Along with the color guard, the Brier Creek Militia and Artillery “Skunk Brigade” attended and provided 3 cannon volleys. State President Edward P. Rigel Jr. of the Robert Forsyth Chapter Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution and State Regent Betty Brown Harrah of the Georgia Society, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution attended and brought greetings from their respective societies. The Little River and Washington-Wilkes Chapters of the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution enjoyed working on this important project together.
