Pleas and tears were shared from parents and students as they asked the Clinton City Schools Board of Education members to leave Junior Beta Club at Sampson Middle School alone and not to replace it with the National Honor Society.
According to Superintendent Dr. Wesley Johnson, people from Sampson Middle School (SMS) and Clinton High School CHS) want an alignment between the two schools, they just can’t figure out what type of alignment they should form or how it should play out.
In 2018, CHS dissolved its Beta Club to give students the opportunity to be members of a nationally-recognized organization — the National Honor Society. Johnson noted that the National Honor Society is more equitable for all students.
“One of the things that I really worked hard on when I was interviewing for this position, and hopefully you have learned about me over the last two years, is that I try extremely hard to base all my decisions on what’s best for all students to be equitable for all,” Johnson explained.
The superintendent discussed that the alignment would recognize academic merit nationally.
Johnson informed the schools that this possible change would occur in the next year and concerns within the community arose accordingly. The schools superintendent explained that the National Honor Society calls attention to scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship.
During Thursday night’s board meeting, parents and middle schoolers pleaded with the board to let them keep their Junior Beta Club as it served as not just an organization, but as a secondary family.
Students explained that the group was a place for all, whether it’s the shy kid who doesn’t like to talk much or the easy-going kid that makes friends easily. Everyone is welcome and a part of something bigger.
Evan Gillespie, an SMS student in Junior Beta Club, noted that as members in the club came together to work on dance rehearsals for the talent competition at the Beta Club Convention, a family was born. She noted that the family grew united and stronger with each rehearsal and meeting.
“It didn’t matter who you were, your grade level, your race, your culture, your socioeconomic background, your religion, your gender, whether you were athletic or not, or how you looked,” Gillespie stated, “we were a family.”
The Sampson Middle students worked hard this year on their Junior Beta Club activities and they brought home several awards for their school. They were very much looking forward to competing in nationals but sadly, nationals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They set their sights on next year’s competition, but now are worried they won’t even have the chance to compete at all with the threat of losing Junior Beta Club all together.
Miss Sampson Middle School Emily Edgerton said she felt honored to be inducted into the Junior Beta Club. She feels that having that honor is what ultimately led her to gain her crown.
“Over the last year, we have learned a lot,” Edgerton expressed through her tears. “But, most importantly, we developed a sense of self-worth and, in such, celebrated our success.”
Johnson stated that there were other ways the students can have that family type atmosphere at school. He proposed a dinner theater-type program that could bring students together. When Johnson was the principal at Hobbton Middle School, they held the dinner theater program. It also served as a type of fundraiser for the school. He stated that the program would bring in roughly $2,500 a year.
“This is, by no means, an apple for apple trade that we are being offered,” Heather Hill, SMS parent, expressed. “The National Honor Society offers no big state convention where our kids would go to compete and network with other kids. So, in turn, there is no national convention either. SMS Junior Beta Club has been very successful and there just seems like no real logical reason to change.”
The superintendent offered to supplement the out-of-town trips with end-of-year field trips for eighth graders.
During Johnson’s time as a teacher for Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School, the faculty and staff would take eighth graders on a field trip to Busch Gardens after their graduation. When he was an assistant principal at Hobbton Middle School, they would take the eighth graders on a multi-day field trip to the Outer Banks to see the lighthouses, he said.
“I want to see more of those types of events and experiences for all students,” Johnson explained. “At its core, I feel that the SMS Junior Beta is an academic merit recognition program and I believe that we are replacing it with a core academic merit recognition program that’s going to be tailored and corresponds and links to our high school.”
After hearing all of the passionate conversations from parents and students, Johnson feels that he understands that some students feel they are losing out. However, he wants to create those experiences for all students in the district, not just ones in a specific club or organization, if possible.
“I do believe that this is a good idea, but why do we have to eliminate one to have the other?” Hill queried.
Hill stated that having the opportunity to be in Beta Club motivates students to work hard on their academics. She feels that a gold cord that the National Honor Society would provide is not going to motivate a sixth grader to strive for academic achievement.
“Honestly, when I heard that Beta Club was replaced by National Honor Society at Sampson Middle School, I was just angry, full of questions,” Gillespie added. “What did we do? Haven’t we lost enough this year?”
Gillespie said the club was for students who needed a creative outlet after school.
“I sincerely ask you to reconsider keeping Junior Beta at Sampson Middle School,” Gillespie concluded.
“Our academic achievements brought us together, but our love for this organization made us stronger both individually and as a whole,” Edgerton added. “Please don’t take this away from us; we haven’t finished what we started and we promise to make you proud.”
Johnson explained that the National Honor Society has a wealth of information and resources for all members.
Board member Clark Hales noted that a lengthy discussion might be in store before any final decision is made. Johnson concurred.
School board chairperson Dr. Linda Brunson noted that the National Honor Society was a very reputable organization and all is not lost, especially if the schools make way for the end-of-year field trips and a dinner theater.
The board noted that the ideas behind Beta Club are not being abandoned. The two groups are academic merit-based.
Johnson plans to work with SMS Principal Robert Turlington to create a game plan for how they wish to proceed with the situation. The superintendent said he has no intention of taking something away from anyone, and will meet or talk with those who have concerns.
“It’s not about taking something away from kids,” Johnson explained. “It’s about having a national recognition that is for academic merit that is the same at the middle school and at the high school.”
For now, the situation is on hold and to be discussed at a later board meeting.
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