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James D. Kitchel of the Independence Kansas Branch, Tulsa Oklahoma Stake, took first-place honors in the Kansas Kids Wrestling Federation State Tournament. He then went on to win the national championship at the Southern Plains National Wrestling Tournament. James competed in the 110-pound division. At school, he also plays soccer and baseball.

A family night activity at a swimming pool could have ended in tragedy except for the quick action of 12-year-old Mike Kinder.

The Kinder family was visiting some friends who had access to a pool. Four-year-old Kyle was holding onto the edge, watching his older brothers and sisters play in the deeper section of the pool. The youngster tried to swim for a short distance and couldn’t make it. Mike found his brother floating face down and pulled him to the edge of the pool and yelled for his dad. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation revived little Kyle, who was taken to the hospital and later released.

Mike attributes his fast thinking to things he has learned in church and Scouting. He said that his leaders “teach you to use your head and to make decisions so that when the time comes to use what you’ve learned, your mind is already made up.”

Mike is a deacon in the Baytown Ward, Houston Texas East Stake.

Scott Clawson of Batesville, Indiana, has excelled both in sports and in academics. He led his high school basketball team to its best record ever. He was chosen as an all-conference player as well as an academic all-stater.

Scott also knows his way around the tennis courts. He broke school and conference records for the most tennis victories in his four years in high school.

In addition to his sports activities, Scott graduated second in his class. He represented the seniors at the commencement exercises, where he quoted from the four standard works in his speech. He was also congratulated by the faculty for a presentation he made to his high school on the purpose and origin of the Book of Mormon.

Scott has served as the ward organist in the Batesville Indiana Branch of the Cincinnati Ohio Stake.

Fans attending sports events at Amador High School in Pleasanton, California, will find the school bleachers have a new coat of paint thanks to the efforts of the Pleasanton 3rd Ward. As a community service project, 35 youth, their advisers, and the bishopric took paintbrushes in hand and alternated 40 gallons of purple and gold paint on the bleachers. The school bleachers never looked better for the beginning of another year of sporting events.

Marie Troseth of Grace, Idaho, knows her way around an art canvas. She has taken many first-place awards for her artwork, including first in the county and state Olympic Youth Art Competition. She also received first-place awards from a literary club in the district, region, and state.

Marie is a member of the Grace 2nd Ward, Grace Idaho Stake.

Doug Scott of the Tarboro Branch of the Goldsboro North Carolina Stake has received several awards for his music. He received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award as an outstanding jazz instrumentalist. He also received the John Philip Sousa Band Award for achievement and interest in instrumental music. In addition, he received recognition as the best trombone soloist at a state jazz band competition.

Douglas Lynn Anderson of the Holladay 6th Ward, Salt Lake Olympus Stake, was chosen as the Outstanding Young Businessman for Junior Achievement in the state of Utah. He was also chosen as the Sterling Scholar in Business Education for his high school, where he was active as president of DECA Club.

Doug served as second counselor in his high school seminary class. He was also assistant to the president in his priests quorum.

The youth of the North Logan Third Ward, North Logan Utah Stake, completed a service project that literally changed the life of one sister in their ward.

Carol Hansen has degenerative palsy, which has confined her to a wheelchair. Every one of the 67 Young Men and Young Women in the ward participated in a fundraising effort to buy Sister Hansen a motorized scooter, which she needed because she did not have the strength to manipulate her wheelchair by herself. The scooter has fingertip controls and a hydraulic lift, providing her with a degree of independence.

The youth power raked lawns, cleaned away orchard prunings, and did general yard cleanup for neighbors and ward members. They cleared gardens; took down fences; washed windows, walls, and floors; prepared and painted house trim; catered a barbecue; and sold donated apple juice. Whatever needed to be done, they did.

The money was raised, the scooter purchased, and the presentation was made one activity night. A delighted sister now “drives” herself to church, does her visiting teaching, and is able to get around her own house. And every time the youth of the ward see her, they feel good knowing they helped.

Burt Call made headlines in southern California. His hometown newspaper called him one of Orange County’s best all-around athletes. He was Capistrano Valley High School’s award-winning quarterback, point guard, and center fielder.

Burt’s name is at the top of some lists in national statistics. Although he does well at baseball and basketball, he says football is the sport he intends to concentrate on.

Burt is secretary of his priests quorum in the Mission Viejo Second Ward, Mission Viejo California Stake.

Sisters Terri and Sherri Jackson of Burley, Idaho, concluded high school on a high note. Terri was involved in drill team, National Honor Society, Bel Canto Choir, concert band, and thespians. She played the lead in the school musical and had straight A’s.

Sherri was selected as salutatorian for her class. She was yearbook editor, pep band vice-president, and a member of thespians and National Honor Society. She also performed with the Dance Factory Clogging Team.

Cassandra March of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, took first place in her division in a nationwide poster contest sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to celebrate the launching of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft.

A budding artist, Cassandra draws or paints whenever she gets the chance. Her winning poster will be displayed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., during a celebration held to commemorate the launch of the space probe.

Cassandra is a member of the York Second Ward, York Pennsylvania Stake.

Michael T. Shoemaker of the Fontana 2nd Ward, Rialto California Stake, received the National Math Award from the U.S. Achievement Academy. He also received awards from the California Mathematics League and the San Bernardino County Author Award Writing Celebration.

Michael is the deacons quorum president and sings tenor in the ward choir.

Over 2,000 LDS Scouts from Nebraska, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, and Wisconsin camped in a clearing near historic old Nauvoo. The encampment was the largest Aaronic Priesthood meeting ever held in the Midwest.

The main purpose of the camp was to help Scouts appreciate the perseverance and faith of the early Saints who lived in the area. “Make something of your lives for having been here,” Elder Robert L. Backman, Young Men General President, told them. He recommended that they keep a journal to keep them in the spirit of the camp after they returned to their homes.

Learning about the early Saints wasn’t too hard. The weather was hot and muggy, and there were chores to do. Scouts had to cook their own meals and wash dishes in much the same manner as early pioneers. Scouts were able to visit Nauvoo to see the temple site and walk through homes originally built by Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, and Heber C. Kimball. Trips were also arranged to Carthage, 25 miles to the southwest, to visit the jail where the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred.

History wasn’t the only subject that concerned the Scouts. A crowd catcher was a 60-foot rappeling tower built especially for the encampment. Other Scout-skill attractions were a Merit Badge Midway that featured 24 booths, a “confidence course” made of ropes slung over gullies and strapped high above the ground between trees, and a pioneer field sport competition that included stone throwing, arm wrestling, and leg wrestling.

Entertainment was part of the agenda with a performance of the musical pageant “The City of Joseph,” a laser light show, a multimedia presentation about Nauvoo, and a performance by a singing and dancing group from Ricks College.

But Sunday was the best day of the week. Under a clear, blue sky, Elder Featherstone spoke to a combined sacrament meeting for the entire group. Later that night outdoor testimony meetings were held. In smaller groups, Scouts related the struggles and triumphs of their growth in the gospel. As they prepared to leave, many remembered the words of Elder Featherstone at the first evening’s campfire. “When you leave this encampment, you’ll never be the same again.”

Ruth Gill, 13, of Blackpool, Lancaster, England, is an outstanding competitor in both school and church athletics. She is overall junior champion in athletics in the lower part of senior school. To achieve this she won the long jump, 100-meter sprint, 100-meter hurdles, and the 100-meter skipping race. She is also overall physical education champion and is on all team sports including netball, rounders, swimming, gymnastics, cricket, tennis, and hockey.

Ruth won the long jump in her age group for the town of Blackpool in an interschool competition, nearly setting a new record.

In addition to her athletics and church activities, Ruth enjoys tap, ballet, and modern dance.

“Peace is a tranquility; a calmness.” This was one of the first sentences of an essay by Robbie Hoch of Fair Oaks, California, that won in a contest sponsored by the Children as Teachers of World Peace Project of the Roundtable Foundation. His prize was $1,000 and an opportunity to meet Jihan Sadat, the widow of late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

Robbie read about several great world leaders before writing his composition. He defined a peace leader as one who truly loves and cares for his people.

Robbie is a member of the Fair Oaks 1st Ward, Fair Oaks California Stake.

It all started because Sister Carol Bowes, the seminary teacher in the Roxboro Branch, Raleigh North Carolina Stake thought she’d like to teach her class the theme song for the seminary year. The four young men in the class, Marty Tompkins, Todd Fuqua, Wesley Stone, and Deron Harris learned the song and practiced conscientiously. Then the opportunity came to sing at seminary graduation. The young men, who had never sung in public before, practiced once a week for four months. They performed so well that when a floor show number was needed for a regional dance, they were asked to sing. Their group increased to five when Mike Tompkins became old enough to join them.

These five young men, with two nonmembers, formed the first basketball team the Roxboro Branch has ever had.