“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.”  Benjamin Franklin.

I have survived through several months of extensive travel and experiential education.  My trips abroad have been many and varied.  I will be writing of them as quickly now as I can give air-wings to words and post them to this site.  I have missed many opportunities for communication because of overlapping and very conflicting duties and responsibilities.

I am writing today to post my good news of meeting with a group of fellow horticulturists engaged in the education and certification of more practitioners to the trade:  the Lehigh and Carbon Technical Institute.  I serve as an advisor to their academic program.  It is a pleasure and an honor for me.  I do not necessarily know of the effects my service of volunteerism has on the students impacted.

The photographs below illustrate the level of technical support this group enjoys.  The sophistication of materials and equipment far exceed my grasp of how to, what to, and where to.  They are a privileged group of children.  I hope their level of gratitude extends to the same depth of my own public support.   I cherish this opportunity to “Pay it forward!”

The tools almost always look neat and clean.  In my experience, it takes the authority of a strong teacher and mentor to make this happen at the end of a long and tiring day.  Professor Mario Galanti is the authority figure in these classes and my knowledge of him defines him as the perfect mentor for these students.

The Banner on the wall says it all:  The doors are open to your personal journey of discovery.  Enter and find a future.  Make an attempt and secure your brightest dream.

I will join my group of co-administrators for a marvelous feast on this coming Wednesday evening.  The culinary arts are well-represented among the category of educable students.  The meal is hearty.  The company good.  And the opportunity to challenge, opine, teach and be taught is unparalleled in my worlds of travel.  Thank you LCTI!