Gold Award
Molly Letcher, Orwigsburg, recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting.
Molly is a member of the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Council and has been involved in Girl Scouting for more than 12 years. By earning her Girl Scout Gold A-ward, she has demonstrated her special commitment to excellence in herself, her community and her future. Recipients must complete several activities covering career exploration, leadership skills, community service and specialized interest projects, followed by a comprehensive project selected and designed by the recipient based on her skills and interests.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Molly developed a historical walking tour pamphlet for the Borough of Orwigsburg. She did many hours of research at the local library and also visited with town historians to gather information for the brochure.
Molly then teamed up with a graphic designer to create the brochure using all the information she had gathered through her research. She also led walking tours of the town during Orwigsburg's Borough Day.
As a Girl Scout, Molly has also received her Bronze and Silver Awards. She earned her Gold Award under the leadership of her Gold Award Adviser, Sara Schott.
Molly, a daughter of Mel and Julie Letcher, is a senior at The King's Academy, Mohrsville, Berks County, where she is also a member of the soccer and basketball teams and the drama class. In addition to her extracurricular activities at school, Molly also participates in the church hand bell choir and has competed in several Association of Christian Schools International singing competitions.
Molly plans to attend college upon graduation.
New director
The board of directors of Clinical Outcomes Group Inc. announced Ronald E. Hollm as the organization's new executive director.
Hollm most recently served as lecturer at the Temple University College of Health Professions and Social Work and prior to that was an associate professor at Marywood University, Scranton. He received his bachelor's degree in liberal arts psychology from State University College at Oneonta, N.Y. He graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with his master of science in personnel and guidance and received his master of social work from Marywood. He is a Ph.D. candidate in human development/social work at Marywood and is a Pennsylvania licensed social worker.
Prior to becoming executive director, Hollm was a founding board member of the organization and most recently served as the secretary/treasurer of the board. In addition to his volunteer work for COGI, he is also a disaster mental health volunteer for the American Red Cross.
Speaking on behalf of Clinical Outcomes Group Inc., Tina Zanis, board president, said in a press release, "Ron's dedication to COGI is long-term and his values are matched to our mission. His professional credentials and experience are a perfect fit to assure that we continue the work that we do in the communities we serve. He shares our founder's vision for the organization and shows tremendous leadership - the board is so pleased to see Ron in this new role."
Clinical Outcomes Group Inc. is a private, nonprofit established in 2001 to improve the health of the communities it serves. With offices in Pottsville and Northumberland, COGI provides a wide variety of public health services and programming including workplace wellness, outpatient drug and alcohol counseling, tobacco cessation, abuse intervention services and prison re-entry services. For more information, visit COGI at www.COGInc.org or call 570-628-6990.
Membership
The Society for Modern Psychoanalysis of New York City announced that retired Cmdr. (Dr.) Gene W. Walters, U.S. Public Health Service, has been accepted into SMP membership as a practicing psychoanalyst.
Walters completed a one-year post-doctoral fellowship in psychoanalysis at the Baltimore-Washington Psychoanalytic Institute in 2000. He retired in 2003 after a 35-year military career, 22 years of active duty in the Army and USPHS, and an additional 13 years in the Army Reserve.
Walters has earned several advanced degrees and board certifications and holds a professional license. He is also included in the current edition of "The Strathmore's Who's Who." Acceptance into Strathmore is granted to individuals who have exemplified leadership and achievement in their occupation, industry and/or profession.
Walters and his wife, Sara Jane Alex, reside in Reading. He is a son of the late Wayne C. "Rebel" Walters, Ringtown, and the late Elizabeth Ann Walters, Shenandoah.
He is a 1967 graduate of North Schuylkill High School.
Balloon artist wins
Local balloon artist William "Peanut" Kauffman, Minersville, won third place in both categories of single balloon and multiple balloon creations at a competition held in Williamsburg, Va.
This makes more than 15 awards he has received since he began to compete several years ago, including a first-place title in 2008 for multiple balloon sculptures at the international convention.