By Alex
McRae
For the
Times-Herald
(Tuesday, March 14, 2001, Newnan, Georgia) -It’s a
school day, but these kids aren’t in class. As the mob
mills around, eating fast food and watching TV, it looks
like a recipe for trouble. But these aren’t just any
kids. And this isn’t just any TV program.
The 130
students from five Georgia counties are members of
Achievers International and were in Newnan Monday to
greet Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as he came to
town to preside over the grand opening of the
Slumberland USA mattress manufacturing company in Coweta
County’s Shenandoah Industrial Park
As the
Prince’s black Lincoln Town Car pulls up in front of
them, the students shuffle anxiously behind the
restraining barrier to get a look at the grandfather of
England’s Prince William, teen heartthrob and son of the
late Princess Diana.
The
prince chats with several students and comments on the
matching T-shirts they wore to commemorate his visit
before moving down the reception line to greet other
dignitaries on hand for the occasion.
As the
prince enters the Slumberland facility, the students are
transported to the nearby State University of West
Georgia’s Newnan Center to watch the rest of the
proceedings on TV.
Bette
Hickman, of Newnan, is executive director of Achievers
International-Georgia, and shortly after learning that
the Prince would be visiting Newnan, began making
arrangements for selected Achievers to participate.
Although it was impossible for the Achievers group to
attend the indoor ceremonies, Hickman arranged with
Ellis Cadenhead of Newnan Utilities for the entire event
to be transmitted to the students at the State
University of West Georgia’s Newnan Center via a closed
circuit TV link operated by Newnan’s NewsChannel 9.
In
planning the Achievers" participation in the royal
visit, Hickman worked closely with Mark Owen, executive
vice president of Slumberland, USA. Owen was introduced
to the Achievers program several months ago by local
banker Sam Edwards, who is active with the local
Achievers International. Owen said Slumberland chose to
affiliate with the Achievers program because it closely
resembles the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Program, which
honors high-achieving students in the United Kingdom.
Hickman
said of the visit, "This is an example of how we’re
trying to create a bridge with our partners in the U.K."
Other
efforts to build those bridges include an ongoing
exchange program between local Achievers and their
counterparts in Ayrshire, Scotland. In recent years, the
Scots have hosted Newnan dignitaries and students and
the locals have returned the favor. Last year’s visit by
the Scottish contingent included a performance by the
Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra. Another exchange is planned
for this summer.
In
addition to arranging for the Achievers to be on hand to
greet Prince Philip, Slumberland also celebrated the
Prince’s visit by donating a mattress valued at more
than $3,500 to the Achievers to be raffled off to help
raise funds for the group. Other items donated to be
raffled off include a race package from Chateau Elan/Road
Atlanta, a flight package from Sky’s Aircraft of Newnan,
and a suit of clothes from Bleyle of America. In
addition to funding ongoing Achievers programs, a
portion of the raffle’s proceeds will fund the first
Achievers International college scholarship, which will
be presented to a local Achiever this spring.
Many of
the students had gotten up long before daybreak to make
the trip, but all seemed to think it was worth the
effort.
Meagan
Peacock, a 13-year-old ninth-grader at Dodge County
Middle School, said it was "a neat experience." Her
friend and classmate, Annalyn Peele, said "He looked a
lot like Prince Charles."
Nine-year-old Paige Janke of Brookstone School in
Columbus, barely caught a glimpse of the Prince, but
said, "I had a day off school and it was a lot of fun."
Her
school principal, Cassandra Kennon, said, "It was
exciting, a great opportunity for our kids."
