Old Colony Archives
Group is dedicated to helping others
Community service drives Old Colony Honor Society
By Jonathan Darling, Standard-Times correspondent
December 26, 2004
They are a band of teenagers dedicated to their peers, school, community and ideals.
The Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School's chapter of the National Honor Society has been a winner on the local, state and national levels.
But it's never the recognition that motivates this group to reach out and help someone.
"I think it's important for them to see they can make a difference," said Christine Watling, adviser for the Old Colony chapter. "We just try to do our little bit."
Little bit? Not even close.
Since the start of 2004, the group's service projects have become almost as frequent as homework assignments for the members.
For their dedicated service, members of the National Honor Society at Old Colony Voc-Tech in Rochester have been named 2004 Youths of the Year by The Standard-Times.
Nominations for the award came from the community and members of the newspaper staff. Recipients were selected by a newsroom committee.
"Our goal is to help as many people as we can," said National Honor Society President Stefan Beaulieu, 17, a senior at the school. "We focus on helping people in need."
During the past calendar year, Old Colony received both a state award and a national award for outstanding service projects.
"Blanket Yourself With Love," a project where NHS members made fleece lap blankets for seniors at the Jewish Convalescent Home, was recognized as an Outstanding Service Project Award at the National Honor Society national conference in St. Louis in November.
The project was one of 10 from NHS chapters across the country to be recognized.
"Winning that award was awesome," Mrs. Watling said. "It's the fifth time we've won that award."
National recognition for the Old Colony chapter's service projects began in 1994, and continued in 1998, 2000 and 2003 with the "Sock It To Me Reading" project. The project found members making puppets and using them to read books to elementary school students at Rochester Memorial School.
"Sock It To Me Reading" also won a state recognition award in 2004.
Other projects completed in the last year include "Share a Little Warmth," where students collected socks, canned goods and other items for homeless and needy children, and "Characters Come Alive," where students dressed in Halloween costumes to read holiday-themed books to elementary school students at Rochester Memorial School. Other projects centered around helping the homeless, the elderly and other school-related projects.
"I couldn't be more proud of them," said Old Colony Superintendent-director David Ferreira. "They impact all aspects of the community. They have to have high academic skills to be in the National Honor Society, but it's what they do with those skills that empowers them to help others in the community."
NHS members gathered in the library during their free time to work on their Christmas service project a few weeks ago, school officials said. They prepared gift bags filled with goodies and delivered them to hospice patients and senior citizens in the community on Dec. 17.
"It's really important to help the elderly as much as we can," Mr. Beaulieu said.
"To be able to see the reaction they have. They're so happy to see us," said NHS treasurer Steffanie Neal, 16, a senior. "They definitely feel better after we visit them."
Other NHS members agree that it's all about helping others.
"We're supposed to be good role models for other students at school," said Katie Hagerty, 18, a senior and NHS secretary.
Chapter members point out their success is due to Mrs. Watling, who started advising the group in 1997. She was named Massachusetts Adviser of the Year in 2003.
"She's one of those people who always inspires you to help people," Miss Neal said. "She doesn't just sit there and watch. She gets involved."
"Mrs. Watling teaches very valuable lessons to these kids," he said. "Everything they do is done at a very high level. She has high expectations for the kids."
Mr. Ferreira instituted the NHS chapter at Old Colony in 1987. The school draws its students from Acushnet, Carver, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester and Mattapoisett.
Photo above right: Members of the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School chapter of the National Honor Society hang out in the school library.
(Photo by Peter Pereira, The Standard-Times)