Ihave had the pleasure of knowing the Broadhead family since I moved to Magee in the early 90s. Last week at Lions Club we had Magee High School Principal Bill
Broadhead and Coach Zach Jones on program for the club.
If Bill does not fire you up, there is a pretty good chance you are dead. Bill exudes excitement and I am not sure they could have found a better candidate for principal of Magee High. He takes a profound interest in his students, their education and their well being.
He is working to encourage the students under his leadership. Bill told the group that Magee High is showing growth, which indicates their ratings should be improving. While he started his teaching career in Mendenhall he has a strong background in Magee and is all about the Magee Trojans, having taught in Magee as well as serving as assistant principal at Magee Middle School.
As a guest of Dr. Tom Duncan, Broadhead brought as a guest Zach Jones. Coach Jones told the club that coming to Magee is like being in a place where coaches really aspired to be. He and his wife recently had their first child, who is most likely destined to become a Trojan himself.
Jones said that while the team were not out-right district champs, “don’t count them out as State Champs.” That is presenting a winning attitude. One of the things that registered was his statement that if the Trojans played the game the best they could and lost he had no problems with that. What more could you expect while they crank it up for another round this week against Enterprise at Enterprise.
This week’s program was no less interesting than last week’s.
This Monday we heard Mary Kitchens, founder and executive director of Camp Kamassa.
Camp Kamassa fills a unique void in camp experiences for special campers that has existed in Mississippi, which has taken somewhat of a backseat in the nation to other summer camp programs.
Kamassa, which is Choctaw, means “to be tough or to persevere under difficult circumstances.” The name was the brain child of one of the children who were working to help Kitchens realize the camp.
Kamassa is for children and adults and their families who have been diagnosed with serious illnesses, physical and mental challenges and other special needs.
The camp is located in Copiah County. Kitchens told the group that it is easier for them to make the project work with the facility being located where they live. This allows her and her staff to be on site as need be. She projects that the first camp session will take place in 2023.
Thus far the project is funded through donations. The camp is asking that campers use the funds they would have used elsewhere to offset the cost of the camp that is being built.
Kitchens was also able to recruit assistance from different branches of the service through the Pentagon to oversee construction of the facility which in turn has lead to additional funding for making the project, Camp Kamassa a reality.
