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School club activities do not always stop when school ends. This summer, the James Madison Preparatory High School (JMPHS) Beta Club competed at BetaCon 2018, the annual National Beta Club Convention in Savannah, Ga. More than 20,000 Senior Beta Club members and their sponsors from clubs around the United States attended this year's convention. Savannah newspapers reported that it was the largest convention in Savannah's history.
The competition was friendly but fierce. “Lead Outside the Box” team members Payton Davis, Jadyn Gore, Joseph Mancil and Kayla Reeves pulled together an outstanding presentation that addressed causes of school violence, proposing a detailed program for the prevention of future occurrences. All JMPHS Beta club members from both teams worked together on the project. Principal Scot Bunch directed the discussion on how these events occur and provided information from his past experience as a law enforcement officer. Audience members could feel the passion with which they spoke about this all too common event.
More than 20,000 Senior Beta Club members and their sponsors from clubs around the United States attended this year's convention. Savannah newspapers reported that it was the largest convention in Savannah's history. Pictured, from left to right, are: Jadyn Gore, Payton Davis, Kayla Reeves and Joseph Mancil.
“Rapid Response” team members Mikenzi Plain, Reese McLeod, Leah Androski, Jeremy Law and Payton Davis put their collective rapid reasoning skills to the test in a tough “Escape Room” challenge that ended in a rapid-fire question round from a panel of judges. The difficulty of the task was evident on the faces of the teams as they came out and the animated discussion that followed.
Unfortunately, JMPHS did not place in their competitions, but gave the other teams a run for their money and solidly represented their school. "As a teacher and club sponsor, I could not have been more proud of the level of drive and skill each student demonstrated and the respect and value each placed on the other," said Sponsor and JMPHS teacher Donna Law.
In addition to the convention events, the club made time to explore Savannah's rich history through one of the many trolley tours offered in the city. Club members also had the opportunity to explore the River District, discover the colorful history of the massive old stone buildings and walk streets cobbled with ballast stones from merchant ships long gone.
JMPHS students thoroughly enjoyed their time in beautiful Savannah, Ga. for the 2018 National Beta Club Convention. Pictured, from left to right, are: Leah Androski, Reese McLeod, Kayla Reeves, Jeremy Law, Payton Davis, Jadyn Gore, and Mikenzi Plain.
The much-anticipated highlight of the convention was the 5K Zombie Run. Everyone representing JMPHS participated, including principal Scot Bunch and club sponsor Donna Law. The route included a race track where runners ran a gauntlet of snarling zombies and an obstacle course of abandoned cars with blaring horns. The zombies were up with the times, however, and willingly stopped for selfies with participants. The good news is that everyone survived and returned home. Plans are already being formed for next year's competitions.