A vivid green, multi-armed caterpillar has prevailed in the 2005 CC! Akron mascot contest. Out of over 500 designs submitted by K-8 students in a three-county area, judges selected the creation of eight-grader James Hicks: an eye-catching figure with the Six Pillars of Character on its folds.

CC! Akron has made the design into a full costume, available for use at festivals, public events and schools throughout the region. "We are developing skits that can be done in 10-15 minute segments with the mascot," says CC! coordinator Inda Blatch-Geib.

CC! Akron will use finalist Zachariah Szabo’s design along with the mascot in promotional print work. The efforts of other semifinalists will appear in the new edition of the CC! Akron Activity Book in August, 2005. Each finalist received a $100 savings bond, and each semi-finalist a $50 bond.

Now another contest is underway to name the mascot.

Acme Fresh Markets is the sponsor of both contests. Acme announced the first one on 100,000 grocery bags, printed additional entry forms to use in schools, and helped with further promotion. Acme has a strong CC! component, training all employees in CC! during orientation and having them sign a character contract.

Other CC! groups across the country can also order the caterpillar costume. It costs about $1,500.00 -- "very reasonable for a mascot," according to Ms. Blatch-Geib. The costume is washable and the mascot actor can wear it with a cold pack to reduce the heat. The address of the maker is: Akron Design & Costume Co., 3425 Manchester Rd. Akron, OH 44319 tel: 330-644-0425, fax: 330-644-7425. The firm's web address is: www.akrondesign.com

In May, a group of exceptional individuals received the 2005 Outstanding Character and Civic Responsibility Awards (cosponsored by the Youth Services Division of First Tennessee Human Resources Agency and Tusculum College). Each county in the region nominated individuals who exemplify all Six Pillars of Character and give selflessly to their communities. Of all the submissions, 18 received the Award.

At Fairmont Elementary in Johnson City, Carrie Marchant -- director of the Youth Services Division and a CC! national faculty member -- has been meeting monthly with the kids for CHARACTER COUNTS!. Six Pillar activities have abounded and the students have fully participated. At the final session they made a flag using cutouts of their hands, with their own pictures as the stars. The flag was presented to Johnson City Vice-Mayor Dr. Phil Roe during the Youth Services' "Banking on Our Kids" Moral Kombat Heroes Celebration and Fundraiser. The flag is now on display at the mayor's office in Johnson City.

Hancock County, one of the smaller rural counties in Tennessee, is proving itself a stronghold for CHARACTER COUNTS! and in fact has created a CC! Park that features a Six Pillar gazebo. Local vocational school students built the gazebo, with supplies donated by local businesses, and it was dedicated with the help of local children, business leaders, high school guidance counselor Janet Clonse, Carrie Marchant, and Ashley Eicher, the reigning Miss Tennessee.

Christensen Middle School implemented CC! after attending a Character Development Seminar in March. Staff members voted in favor of a 20-minute homeroom time on Tuesdays devoted to ethics and character discussions. During their years at Christensen Middle, students will establish a connection with their CHARACTER COUNTS! teachers. Christensen Middle School hopes CC! will become a school-wide effort in which the Six Pillar values are reinforced across the curriculum.

Teachers will use the Ethical Decision Making Model and a variety of CC! resources. They will also honor students who demonstrate the Pillar values.

The Josephson Institute’s Board of Governors was paid a visit by some special guests while attending a board meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa Youth Training Core stopped by to participate in some CC! activities and get to know the board members a little better. The activities and presentations were led by JI’s national faculty member Kay Augustine (Associate Director, Institute for Character Development at Drake University), Wendy Havemann (Youth Involvement Coordinator, ICD at Drake University), and Scott Raecker, Executive Director, ICD at Drake University.

The GEMS club was founded this year at Bob Courtway Middle School for 8th grade female students to teach the value of respect. The young women were especially impacted by the personal testimonials shared by guest speakers. Local businesses provided beauty and fashions presentations, and other sponsors provided an opportunity for the girls to attend special events. GEMS members also raised money to help a needy family for Christmas. School administrators were pleased with the quantifiable outcome of the club – a decrease in office referrals.

Sixth grade science teachers at Bob Courtway Middle School presented the Six Pillars of Character during their classes. Teachers noticed many students using self-discipline and good decision-making skills to grow as students and friends.

Conway’s mayor acknowledged the benefits of the CC! programs by signing a city proclamation.

The Ames Chamber of Commerce reminds visitors that CHARACTER COUNTS! every day by featuring Six Pillar pictures in the conference room.

Emerson High School’s Marine Corps JROTC conducted its 4th annual Leadership and Character Development Seminar on June 10, 2006. The seminar was attended by present and future leaders of the school and was conducted by mentors invited to share their leadership skills and success in their professional work. Students were divided into small groups to discuss leadership and character development with mentors, and then publicly presented the knowledge they gained.

The Emerson High School Administration encourages students to remain involved with community leaders and professionals throughout the year. Administrators hope to build leadership capacity by reaching out to existing professionals who take part in the school-wide Career Day Initiative, as well as employers who work with our Career to Business Education students, with hopes of including them in future leadership seminars. The ultimate goal is to equip student leaders to follow in their mentors’ footsteps by giving back to their community as mentors themselves.