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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.
