2019-09-02 Gretna High School Beta PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
RESOLUTION
#2019-09-02
Gretna High School
Beta Club Nationals
VIRGINIA: At the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors' Business Meeting on Tuesday,
September 17, 2019,the following Resolution was adopted honoring Gretna High School's Beta Club:
WHEREAS, the National Beta Club is the largest independent, non-profit, educational youth
organization in America, and for more than eighty (80) years, it has prepared today's students to be tomorrow's
leaders. Between the Junior Beta(Grades 4-8) and Senior Beta(Grades 9-12), the Beta Club has helped nearly
seven (7) million students learn how to make a life for themselves, and, since 1991, it has awarded over $6
million in scholarships. There are now more than 500,000 active members and more than 8,750 clubs
nationally and internationally; and
WHEREAS, at Gretna High School, students must have a 3.5 GPA to be invited to join the Beta Club
and must maintain a 3.2 GPA to remain a Beta Club Member. Students are also required to complete at least
twenty-five (25) hours of community service per semester, which include things such as the community Trunk
or Treat at Halloween, participating in "Book Buddies" at elementary schools, and raising money for different
families in need; and
WHEREAS, Gretna High School's Beta Club traveled to Oklahoma City, on June 20, 2019, to compete
in the National Beta Convention; and
WHEREAS, Gretna's team that competed in the Engineering Competition was comprised of Kailey
Wertz, Eden Ilconich, Brendan Myers, and Xander Birchfield; and
WHEREAS, in said Competition, the team had to work collaboratively to follow an invention prompt
that had to have at least five (5) steps. They had a list of five (5) items that were required to be used in the
invention, as well as other approved items that could be used, inside a tote. Many of these materials were
household items, such as thread, tubing, zip ties, magnets, and more. Their prompt was to use as many of the
five (5) required materials as they could in their invention but using at least three (3) was mandatory. For this
two (2)-hour competition, the team used their materials to turn on a calculator. The judges based their scores on
the complexity of the team's process, creativity,critical thinking, and communication; and
WHEREAS, through their hard work and determination, these students won First (1St) Place in the
Engineering Competition.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors does
hereby express their deepest congratulations and admiration to the Gretna High School Beta Club for its
accomplishments at the National Competition; and
Given under my hand this 17th day of September, 2019.
Joe =. avis,Chairman
Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisor