“Smoke On The Mountain”/”Sander’s Family Christmas” playing inside the Imax Theater at The Little Opry Theatre is currently looking for a Male Actor/Singer 45-65 to play “Burl Sanders” for the Christmas season starting in November.

Must be musically inclined, harmonize well and be willing to learn/play a few songs on the upright bass and/or banjo. Must live in the Branson area and be able to rehearse some nights from 10:30 pm up to 12 midnight Tuesday-Saturdays (after our regular shows with the rest of the cast) starting in July and some Sunday afternoons.

Regular Show Schedule is Tuesday through Saturday nights at 8:00 pm = Call time: 7:00 pm

This is a paid, professional position. Serious inquires only = please contact Director: Kelly Worley at [email protected] to set up an audition time.

Thank you!

Rockville, Md. (June 21, 2013) – The Comfort Inn & Suites of Branson, Missouri once again captured the prestigious urban Comfort Inn Hotel of the Year award by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH). Choice Hotels is one of the world’s largest hotel companies and the franchisor of the Comfort Inn brand. The coveted award was announced during the company’s 59th annual convention in Los Angeles.

The Myer Family – owners and operators of the Comfort Inn & Suites of Branson, along with several other properties in the Branson area – are long-time Choice franchisees and multiple award winners. Their Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills in Branson was a Hotel of the Year winner in 2012, with several other properties winning similar recognition in 2009 and 2011. The Myer family has been in the lodging business for more than 45 years and has actively contributed to Branson’s hospitality market for almost 30 years.

“The Myer Family and their teams have clearly made a long term commitment to being the best of the best,” said Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president for brand strategy and marketing of Choice Hotels International. ”For more than a decade, Choice Hotels has been proud to count them as part of our franchise family. We congratulate them on their exceptional accomplishments and their dedication to superior customer service.”

Every year, the Choice Hotels Owners Council presents the Hotel of the Year Award to a property that consistently demonstrates lodging excellence with guest experiences that set the standard for the industry. Nominees for this prestigious award all rank among the top hotels within the brand.

“Our staff and the great mountain lodge atmosphere are what make our hotel special,” said Chris Myer, VP of Marketing for Myer Hotels. “Our team does an astounding job of taking care of our guests, which is consistent with our goal: to set the standard for hospitality excellence.”

Gail Myer, VP of Operations added, “We are so proud to have been selected for this award. It underscores what our customers tell us again and again – that we exceed their expectations and provide the very best service possible.”

The 100 percent non-smoking Comfort Inn & Suites is peacefully situated in Branson Meadows near Mansion America Theatre, Sight and Sound Theaters, the Factory Merchants Branson mall, the Tri-Lakes Center multi-purpose complex and the Yakov Smirnoff Theatre. It is minutes from the Branson Variety Theater and Lake Taneycomo. Guests of this 102-room hotel will enjoy spectacular views of the Ozarks and access to a game room, sundeck, heated pool, hot tub and sauna.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises over 6,200 hotels, representing more than 500,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of March 31, 2013, 395 hotels, representing more than 30,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States. Additionally, 81 hotels, representing approximately 7,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 other countries and territories. The company’s Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands, as well as its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, serve guests worldwide.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. website, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.
###

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Choice Privileges®, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Hotel Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

© 2013 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

The first Legacy Youth Institute (LYI) class, a six-session leadership and mentoring program designed to equip student leaders to pass on the area’s “Ozark Mountain Spirit” to future generations, celebrated their completion of the program at a Graduation Banquet held at the Best Western Inn and Conference Center.

Over the course of the school year, LYI students from Reeds Spring, Hollister, Blue Eye, Galena, Branson, School of the Ozarks, Hurley, Crane, and the homeschool community have been equipped to preserve and pass on the legacy values present in Ozark Mountain Country – Family, Faith, Friends, Flag, and a preferred Future. Each LYI session focused on a different value and challenged students to consider how they can champion that value now and in the future.

“We wanted these students to realize that even though they are young, they have a very important role to fulfill in preserving the legacy of our community,” said Jory Rolf, Executive Director of Ozark Mountain Legacy.

As a part of the LYI experience, students from each school were asked to develop and implement an initiative in their schools that champions one or more of the legacy values. These initiatives are designed to encourage fellow students to participate in hands-on opportunities that reinforce the values of the area. The students presented their initiatives at the Graduation Banquet.

LYI students at Reeds Spring, Blue Eye, and Galena plan to champion “Flag” by working with school administrators to include time each day for all students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. They believe that this simple daily act will help remind students of the uniqueness of our country’s heritage and will help grow in them an appreciation for the veterans and active military personnel whose sacrifices have ensured their freedoms.

Other LYI students focused their initiatives on “Friends” by creating programs that will support meeting the needs of those in the community who need extra help. Students in Hollister, Branson, and School of the Ozarks plan to coordinate food drives to support local charities that are focused on eliminating hunger in our area. Students in Galena have coordinating the opening of a “911 Closet” that provides clothing and basic hygiene necessities for those in need.

LYI students in Hollister have developed initiatives that will involve younger students in activities such as making cards for the elderly and veterans and participating in the “Shoeboxes for Soldiers” program. They recognize that as student leaders, they have an opportunity to mentor younger students and to encourage them to live in a way that reflects the values of the area.

Students expressed appreciation at the Graduation Banquet for the opportunity they had to participate in the first Legacy Youth Institute.

“The Legacy Youth Institute has helped me to become a better person and leader,” said Lillie Davis, Blue Eye High School student. “It has encouraged me to pass on the five core values in my school and community and to make a difference.”

“The Legacy Youth Institute helped me realize my ability to actively impact our community both now and in the future,” said Branson High School student Rachel Hanson.

Ozark Mountain Legacy would like to thank all those in the community who made this first year of the Legacy Youth Institute such a success and is looking forward to watching these students continue to engage with their communities during their senior year in high school.

“We have been so impressed with the passion and enthusiasm of these students to intentionally shape the culture around them. Getting to know these outstanding young leaders has given me confidence that our community will be in good hands in the future.”

For more information about the Legacy Youth Institute, please contact Ozark Mountain Legacy at (417) 598-1314, or visit www.LegacyYouthInstitute.org or www.ozarkmountainlegacy.org.

Legacy Youth Institute Banquet opening words shared by Jory Rolf, LYI Founder

LYI Banquet Attendees share a meal

Reeds Spring Students share their Legacy Initiative at the LYI Banquet

Members of the First Legacy Youth Institute Graduating Class

Convoy of Hope is in Oklahoma offering help. Trucks from the Springfield based charity rolled out early Tuesday morning, loaded with relief supplies. The agency responds to disasters across the globe. Although it hurts even more when one hits close to home, the organization can respond especially fast.

Convoy of Hope staff were mentally preparing, even as the tornado hit. “We watched the storm as it was hitting, and based on those reports, we knew it was going to be pretty significant,” says Kirk Noonan, Convoy of Hope Vice President of Communications.

They actually had a crew in Oklahoma assessing the damage from an earlier storm. “So they just drove on over to Moore, and they saw it and they started phoning back in, and we realized this was going to be a major disaster and that we’d need to move into a full scale response,” says Noonan.

An important part of that response is communication, planning where to send supplies. Convoy staff work with federal, state and local agencies. Noonan says, “In a disaster situation, there’s a protocol that you have to follow, and we like to be a part of that protocol and be helping rather than hurting the community when you go down there.”

Two truck loads of non-perishable food, water, Powerade and other emergency supplies left before sunrise. Their mobile command center also headed to Moore.

“They work with partners on the ground, and we find out where we can be utilized the best to help people most efficiently. Once we get that set up, then we start sending down waves of teams that will help with distributing the food and supplies and also getting involved with some of the debris removal,” says Noonan.

Convoy of Hope staff are prepared to be in the devastated community for the long haul. “Obviously, it’s still developing, but based on the storm track, it looks like it could be a Joplin-sized response, and we’re still, 2 years later, still responding to Joplin. We’re still rebuilding homes there,” says Convoy of Hope Executive Vice President Jim Batten.

Convoy of Hope and other relief agencies have set up easy ways to donate dollars to their efforts. To donate to Convoy of Hope, text the word “Convoy” to 50-555. Or visit www.convoyofhope.org

Help Provide Relief For Oklahoma – JMARK IT Technicians & Staff To Aid Moore, Okla.

Dear Friends,

In order to try to help those impacted by the devastation in Oklahoma, JMARK is putting a team together to go and do what we can to help. We plan on sending 8 to 10 people to do everything from chainsaw work to IT work getting organizations and businesses functioning; focusing on medical facilities that we might be able to help.

We ask for your patience over the next few days while we operate with a lighter team, which may cause some of our response times to be delayed.

If you would like to help, we’re accepting donations through a not-for-profit partner of JMARK’s by the name of CommonWorks. They are a 501(c)3. All donations received will be given directly to families we come in contact with. If you would like to help in any way, please send an email here, and we’ll coordinate with you.

As we are able, we’ll update our Facebook page with information about who we’re helping and provide any images possible. You can find us here .

Sincerely,

The JMARK Support Team

Our Mission – Communication & Restoration

JMARK is sending a group to help medical facilities and the community in
Moore, Okla. to get them back online, donate computers and clear debris.

Departing Springfield, Mo. 5/22/2013

Please Join Us – Email Today

JMARK is working in conjunction with non-profit, CommonWorks, to organize all support for the relief effort.

To help send an email to:

[email protected]

Helping Oklahoma Tornado Victims

Hollister, MO…In an effort to provide relief to the victims of the tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore and its surrounding area on May 20th, Connell Insurance is organizing an immediate relief effort drop-off point at its office in Hollister, MO.

Anyone wishing to donate non-perishable food items, and/or bottled water, can bring them to the collection point at the Connell Insurance office at 1691 South Bus. 65 in Hollister, MO between the hours of 9AM and 4PM.

All donated items will be delivered by Connell Insurance on Wednesday, May 29th to the Red Cross facility in the devastated area.

For more information, call (417) 334-2000.

By: Morgan Sowell

Students from College of the Ozarks and the Board of Taney County Child Welfare Advisory Committee joined together in a community service project to help foster children of Taney County. College of the Ozarks students Caleb McElvain, Luke Elfrink, Tim Dickenson, Whitney Garrison, Rachel Denny, Morgan Sowell, Assistant Professor Dr. Stephen Bell and adjunct professor Mrs. Tracy Bell comprised the CALL group “Love is Constant.”

The Leadership Development Track (LDT), a student-led program at College of the Ozarks, organizes a retreat in which students learn about leadership. Groups of eight students and two professors from the retreat are paired together for the remainder of the semester. Each group comes up with its own community service project to plan and implement the remainder of the semester.

Members of the CALL group “Love is Constant” share a heart for children, which influenced their idea to give back to the community by providing suitcases to foster children in Taney County. The team came together with the board of six women from Taney County Child Welfare Advisory Committee to put this vision in action. While working together, the two teams provided 24 suitcases for the foster children ages 7 to 13 in Taney County. The suitcases were donated from college students, churches, organization and groups throughout the community. The Board of the Taney County Child Welfare Advisory Committee provided the essentials for inside the suitcases, which ranged from hygiene items to fun things for the kids to play with while making their transition from home-to-home.

“We would like to thank everyone who helped in making our vision possible,” said project participant Morgan Sowell. “We were truly blessed to have community support.”

For more information on how to help the foster children of Taney County, contact Cindy Rains at 417-335-9233 or Joyce Baker at 417-334-8844.

College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis will autograph copies of his latest book, The Four Generals of Hard Work U.: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Men, during a book signing/reception event on May 27, 1-3 p.m. in The Keeter Center. The public is welcome to attend the book signing/cake and ice cream reception. Copies of the book will be available for sale on site.
Upon learning the inspirational stories of School of the Ozarks alumni Terrence R. Dake, Gary H. Hughey, Jerry W. Ragsdale, and Tommy I. Bell, Dr. Davis set out to write the book.
Recounting each man’s journey from humble beginnings as teenagers attending the work school located in Point Lookout, MO, to the rank of general in the United States Military, The Four Generals of Hard Work U., as General Peter Pace describes in the book’s foreword, “reveals how the same values led four alumni to the very pinnacle of their success.” General Pace, the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served in the U.S. Marine Corps with two of the four general officers, General Dake and General Hughey, profiled in the book.
“The fact that such an Ozarks school provided the gateway to prominence for such a level of leadership has always been intriguing,” explains Davis. “It has been an especially meaningful experience to trace the lives and accomplishments and service of four alumni who rose to such high ranks.”
Generals Dake, Hughey, Ragsdale, and Bell assumed heavy leadership responsibilities. General Dake rose to the position of Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998. Lieutenant General Gary H. Hughey served as Deputy Commander, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Major General Jerry W. Ragsdale was named Commander of the Texas Air National Guard, Hensley Field in Dallas, Texas, 1987. The late Brigadier General Tommy I. Bell, who was buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery in August 2011, started out as a fighter pilot with the 71st Fighter-Inceptor Squadron and eventually served his country in the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
Davis tells each general’s life story through either their own words or those of individuals who know them well. “The purpose of this book is to relate the extraordinary lives of a few leaders,” said Davis. “Indeed, one does not have to be a general in the U.S. military to serve with honor. In fact, the four generals of ‘Hard Work U.,’ would be the first to point this out, for they know the sacrifice of alumni such as Roy Hopper (former POW), Earl Woodard (Army Air Corps), Kaney Willbanks (former Japanese POW), and countless others who gave their lives in service to America.”
The 234-page book does more than simply tell a story. It is dedicated to Veterans of the Vietnam Era who answered their country’s call and served with honor. All proceeds from the book go toward the College’s Patriotic Education Travel Program, wherein the College sends students to accompany Veterans back to their fields of battle in order to learn about history and sacrifice from the men and women who lived it.
To purchase a copy of the The Four Generals of Hard Work U.: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Men priced at $17.95, including tax and shipping, please go to contact www.cofo.edu or call (417) 690-3395.

About the Author:

Jerry C. Davis is President of College of the Ozarks. After graduating from the Berry Schools in Mount Berry, GA, he attended Truett McConnell College in Cleveland, GA, before receiving his B.S. degree from Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, NC; an M.S. degree from the University of Tennessee; and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Prior to coming to College of the Ozarks, Dr. Davis served as President of Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, KY.

By: Turner Brock

School of the Ozarks will hold its first commencement on May 17, at 7 p.m., in the Williams Memorial Chapel, at which time six students will receive their high school diplomas. C of O President Jerry C. Davis will provide the commencement address during the ceremony.

“Being a part of the first graduating class of School of the Ozarks is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said S of O senior Halea Gregg. “We have developed as true learners in order to be poured out into the world as godly influences.”

S of O Headmaster Brad Dolloff looks forward to the historic occasion, as well. “I am really looking forward to celebrating with our inaugural class of seniors,” he said. “God’s providence is amazing as this graduation is 100 years after the first graduation at the original School of the Ozarks. I am excited to see how these students go out and impact the world for Christ and feel blessed to be a part of their journey.”

This historic graduation coincides with the 100th anniversary of the institution’s first commencement in 1913, which included one graduate Joseph R. Gideon. Gideon’s granddaughter, Becky Roberts of Forsyth, will be in attendance at the May 17 commencement.
“We will be celebrating a historic event and sending our seniors out into the world, fully equipped for college and beyond,” said Dr. Sue Head, Dean of Character Education. “All six graduates have been prepared to be influencers and producers and have demonstrated leadership and grit during the School’s inaugural year.”

Chartered in 1906, The School of the Ozarks (now College of the Ozarks) began as a grammar school and high school for deserving Ozarks youth. Work-study has been an integral part of the institution, since its humble beginnings.

School of the Ozarks is a college preparatory lab school for grades 9-12 operated by College of the Ozarks. The S of O vision mirrors the College’s vision “to develop citizens of Christ-like character, who are well-educated, hard-working, and patriotic.”