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Over The Coffeecups
Warren Mitchell - Editor
TODAY'S
PROGRAM
Frank Wells will introduce the speaker, Dr. William
O. Sargent who is a family practice physician and is also
certified in Emergency Medicine. He was born in Worchester,
Massachusetts, and attended Wesleyan University and the
University of Massachusetts/Amhurst. He is married and has 4
children.
Dr.
Sargent enlisted in the Navy in October 1965. From 1966-67 he
served in Vietnam as a Navy Corpsman with the 1st Marine
Division. He earned a Purple Heart, Meritorious Service
Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallentry and several other
decorations.
He
received an active duty medical scholarship at the Chicago
College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he graduated as a
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 1976. His last military
assignment was as a Commander at the Naval Hospital, San
Diego; the largest naval hospital in the world. He retired
with 27 years of military service. He is currently in private
practice as a family practice physician near Jackson Hospital.
LAST
WEEK'S
PROGRAM
Mike Winstead
introduced Larry Colletta, who is with Montgomery
County Youth Development, serving as its facilitator. He is
from South Carolina and served in the Air Force. While in the
Air Force, he earned his Master's degree in Aviation
Management; served until 1995.
He worked in sales, hotel
management, human resources and with the Montgomery
Association for Retarded Citizens. He is active in the Air
Force Association and teaching job skills in the Boys and
Girls Clubs. He is active on the Board of the Montgomery
Quarterback Club and the C.I.T.Y. program.
He went over 2 things he is
doing and that was Youth Development Facilitator for
Montgomery County and the Montgomery Career Link and what it
can do for you. (He gave out a pamphlet on the career link.)
In his capacity as Youth
Facilitator he specializes in the 14-21 year age group in the
work force. They have job developers that work on different
plans helping people on a daily basis. They are in the
process of moving to Employment Services on South Blvd., where
it will be a one stop center; Alabama Career Center System.
They will be serving people who are looking for jobs or career
choices.
In 1998, the Work Force
Investment Act was passed and it is to guarantee a more level
playing field in helping people improve their marketing job
skills. It is a self developing program, not a handout
program, where people actually do for
themselves. People are
dislocated when businesses are closed. The Dislocated Workers
Program tries to help people by retraining them. When K-Mart
closed its doors, due to no fault of their own, the people
were dislocated. Some had not written a resume in year;
recent relative education. It is the center's job to train
these people and link them to services that help them with
resumes, etc. There are computers hooked up to the internet
to help them.
There
are counselors, job facilitators that help people achieve what
they are trying to accomplish. In some cases, they help
people get W.I. funding to go back to school, develop new
skills or take a course correction. In some cases they found
things that people could while they think about what they want
to do. A third class of people found what they were doing,
the same type of work in a follow up job.
The
program is very individualized in that they talk to the people
and find out what their needs and desires are and help them
under the Work Force Investment Act.
The
W.I.A. provides youth 14-21 that are in need of guidance or
some sort of education. The people are not from the East side
or the West side; no particular group. It covers everyone who
is qualified. It is a program based on need. Youth who do
not have families or people to help them, or come to them from
the juvenile authority are helped with employment funds. They
help them get G.E.D.'s and help them get involved in adult
education. If they have made wrong choices and are in a
deadline situation in society, they help them recover and pull
themselves out.
The idea
is to let them know about educational possibilities, by
hooking them up with the Montgomery Public School System, and
Adult Education Programs. Some dropped out of school in the
9th grade and need basic skills training. Basically they take
these people and help find a spot for them.
There
are 34 different trades they can go into and they can be
helped to go to 2 year colleges. They can get certified to
qualify for jobs by different disciplines. They offer
opportunities to youth through the program. They let the
youth know that theses things await them at the end of the
pipeline. The other end of the pipeline they are available
for W.I.A. Aid and they can be W.I.A. customers and clients
until they reach their 22nd birthday. That is a long time for
a 16 or 17 year old to turn themselves around.
The
center tries to meet with potential employers. They ask the
people what they want to be in 10 years and what they want to
do now. They try to plug people into as many positions as
possible or into training programs. There is 4%-8%
unemployment in the state. If we, Club members, meet anyone
that needs help, contact the center.
THOUGHT
FOR
THE
DAY
Mike
Winstead said the thought for today came to him by e-mail;
When Things Go Wrong".
If we
have trouble with the children getting off to school; can't
find car keys; caught in traffic; don't get angry; praise
God. He is watching over you and he has you where he wants
you.
After
9-11, he called a man who was in charge of security at the
towers. These stories are about the little things that
happened to people that worked in the towers. A head of a
company got in late because he took his little son to
kindergarten. One was late because it was his turn to pick up
doughnuts. One stopped at a drug store to buy a Band-Aid,
because he had a blister on his foot. Maybe some day all the
stories will be put in a book. All little things that annoy
us, he thanks God, because he has us exactly where he wants
us.
REPORT
ON
INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION
Ken
Carrick attended the convention and reported the
following. The weather was 75-80 degrees, with low humidity.
Friday and Saturday he attended classes where instructors told
it like it was, talking about real issues. Just because it
worked in Minnesota, doesn't mean it works well in Phoenix. A
member from Troy, Alabama was one of six elected to the
board. Dues were raised to $47 per year.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Due
to miscommunication, several members went to the wrong place
for an interclub with the Montgomery Club. It will be
done again.
Pete
Summer said the new owner of Jose's station, Paul Lee,
said we could store peanuts at the station. Pete asked him to
join the Club, but he said he works 16 hours a day. He said
he would be willing to help the Club anyway he can.
Mike Winstead said he would like us to return the
questionnaires that were distributed to members. If they were
not received, please let him know. He would like to make
committee assignments for next year. He doesn't want to
assign anyone to a committee they wouldn't want to serve on;
rather have them make their own choices. |
