Halls Middle Beta Club Headed To Junior National Convention
The Halls Middle School Beta Club placed in seven events at the Tennessee Junior Beta Club Convention last month and will compete in the National Convention next summer.
Beta Club is a service-oriented organization for middle and high school students that focuses on academics, leadership, and character. There are chapters all over the United States, and schools compete once a year at the state level with the hopes of continuing to the national competition.
The students in the HMS chapter have an impressive resume that has led them to Nationals for the past several years. So far this year, the club has volunteered at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Nashville, purchased Christmas gifts for a family in need, made a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and promoted breast cancer awareness, decorated a tree for the Fantasy of Trees, and organized a 9/11 memorial assembly — just to name a few.
These volunteer opportunities are what led the club to earn first place in the Service Learning Showcase.
“They work hard, and they give it their all,” Beta Club sponsor Dina Lane said.
In addition to placing in the Showcase, HMS also placed:
- 1st in Color Photography (Lillian Holt),
- 1st in Quilling (Lillian Holt),
- 2nd in Living Literature (Katie Evans and Craye Newman),
- 2nd in Portfolio (Katie Evans),
- 2nd in Technology (Ben Tyson and Ben Keaton), and
- 5th in 7th Grade Mathematics (Ben Tyson).
The group will compete in Louisville, Kentucky, next summer.
While succeeding at this level is exciting for these middle school students, the members enjoy the other aspects even more.
“I like helping people, so that’s probably my biggest thing for Beta,” said Landon Chittum, who gave a speech at Junior Convention on “unsung heroes.”
Eight-grader Ella Miller said her favorite part of Beta Club is “probably when we do things for Children’s Hospital. It’s really nice when we’re able to do that for them.”
The next step for the eighth-grade students is to start a chapter at Halls High School.
“Beta Club can actually allow you to get scholarship money,” Lane said. “I know they would love to have one at the high school. I’ve offered to help.”
Other KCS students who placed at the state convention are:
- 1st in 7th Grade Spanish (Miguel Escobar, Carter Middle)
- 1st in Jewelry (Emmalee Long, Carter Middle)
- 2nd in Onsite Art Painting (Kameryn Lee, Carter Middle)