Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

National President Of Jaycees Visits Gurdon

As part of the Jaycees "Wake Up America" tour, the national president visited Gurdon, Friday, Jan. 31.

This organization began its tour in mid-January, starting from its Tulsa, Okla., headquarters on a 48-state tour. The idea is to stir the nation into action on important issues.

The five areas of the tour's focus are:

1) Registering one million young Americans to vote;

2) Calling for a bi-partisan commission to study Social Security and capitalizing the system with private funds;

3) Ensuring a federal balanced budget;

4) Curbing merchant's tobacco sales to minors; and

5) Promoting the Jaycees' other goals and objectives.

"There never has been a greater need for young Americans to step forward to make an impact in communities across the nation," Kelly J Wills, U.S. Jaycee Board Chairman, said. "It is vital our generation takes a greater responsibility for the actions of our government. The most effective way of doing this is by registering young people to vote in elections across the country."

He said not only will the Jaycees register one million young voters, but will educate them about major issues and get them active in the political process.

The Jaycees, in its 76th year of operation, has 132,000 members from ages 21-39. It is the nation's largest grass roots organization of young people.

In discussing the Social Security problems, Wills said every American in their 20s or 30s stands to lose thousands of dollars annually which will not be returned until the system is fixed.

Mike Marshall, the 77th national president, was on hand in Gurdon for a meeting with people at City Hall, followed by a luncheon at the Senior Adult Center.

Marshall was elected in June at the group's 77th annual meeting, held in Lexington, Ky. Jaycee presidents serve one-year terms.

He is a native of Princeton, Ind.