Youth Movement

Youth Movement

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  Proverbs 22:6   Our Daggett Shuler team was proud to sponsor and work the annual Kids for Kids Triathlon this past weekend.  The event had many lessons for all of us.

First and foremost it was refreshing to see all the families promoting healthy fitness lifestyles in our community.  A great cross section of the community turned out for the event.  The kids had a great time, and, by the apparent smiles, parents, family, and friends enjoyed themselves too.  (Photo album here)

Triathlon and the triathlon community are special.  An elite team of local triathletes staged the race with logistical precision.  The event was on par with national caliber events.  The finish line was spectacular.  Each finisher was given a warm welcome complete with each name being announced, a finisher’s medal, and a special souvenir towel.  

Of course we had some special stories too.  Young Toby Linn has been confined to a wheel chair his entire life.  His family teamed up to pull, push, and carry Toby through the race.  The experience of the finish line was special for Toby just as it was for all the other finishers.

     Unfortunately, in contrast to the 185 healthy children who raced on Saturday, there are many who suffer from child obesity and the accompanying epidemic of health issues such as diabetes and heart problems.  It’s not the kids’ fault, it’s our fault.  We have an obligation to turn this negative wave.  Events like the Kids’ Race are steps in the right direction.

We should all be proud of the progress in our community toward a heathy fitness lifestyle.  It is good for all of us and makes us optimistic about our future . . . plus it’s just plain fun!

A Tribute

A Tribute

This past week our Daggett Shuler Team participated in a really special event.  Wednesday evening was the 5th Annual Rusty Harpe Memorial Race at Caraway Speedway.  It was an evening we will remember for a long time.

Rusty Harpe was the driver of the #71 Late Model Stock Car at Caraway Speedway. He was tragically killed in a farming accident in January of 2007.  Rusty’s father, Chip Harpe, put this race together, along with his wife Lynne and many family friends, to honor his son.

Rusty was a much loved part of the racing community.  The drivers, crew, and track support personnel are a tight-knit group who care about and support each other.  Through Rusty and the whole Harpe family we were able share a experience a special bond with this community.

All of us at Daggett Shuler were proud to be part of this event since we are long time friends with the Harpe family, and I was personally acquainted with Rusty.  We enjoyed a great evening, a fun family event, and a tribute to Rusty.  We were honored just to be part of it.

The evening was truly a memorable event and a special evening.  The folks at the track treated us like family.  The members of our Daggett Shuler team who attended the race were proud that we could play a small part in such a special event.

See and Be Seen

See and Be Seen

Bicycling seems to be growing in popularity.  It is a great form of recreation, fitness exercise and, with higher fuel prices, even transportation.  This week we will focus on bicycles and bicycle safety.

The increasing number of bicycle riders makes this a good time to review some safety tips - for drivers and riders.  Motorists need to know that cyclists have the same rights on the road as they do.  Likewise, cyclists have the same obligation to follow the traffic laws as motorists.

First, please wear a helmet whenever riding a bicycle.  It is now the law in North Carolina that helmets are required for riders under 16 years old.  Look for a safety label that the helmet is approved by ANSI or the Snell foundation. This safety certification is also required under the law.

More than half a million people are injured each year in bicycle mishaps and thousands are killed.  Children 15 and younger account for one-third of the deaths and two thirds of the injuries.  Three-fourths of all deaths are due to head injuries.

Cyclists have an obligation to make sure they can be seen.  Selection of cycling attire can affect the distances that cyclists, or pedestrians, are visible.  Amazingly that range can be from a low of around 200 feet to a high of over 2000 feet just by selection of clothing.

Most cyclists try hard to be considerate to motorists and follow the rules of the road.   Experienced cyclists know that obeying the rules and looking out for their own safety also earns more respect from drivers.

Likewise, most motorists really do try to look out for bike riders.  However, both drivers and cyclists need to be aware that they are sharing the road in order to look out for each other.  Lastly, a friendly wave goes a long way toward keeping our roads safe.

We have several avid cyclists here on our Daggett Shuler Team.  Please feel free to call us if you have questions.  Be Safe!

THE HEAT IS ON

THE HEAT IS ON

Wow!  This past week we got suddenly hit with a large dose of mid-summer heat.  Perhaps that means it is a good time for us to review some summer safety tips.

Believe it or not, there are more illnesses, injuries, and deaths due to the heat of summer than to lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes.  Accordingly, the effect of heat on us and our families should not be taken lightly.  There are several heat safety recommendations and tips to help us through the heat such as we have had recently:

1. Drink Water.  Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty.  Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body.

2. Dress For The Heat.  Wear lightweight, light colored clothing.  Light colors will reflect some of the heat’s energy.  It is also a good idea to wear hats, or even use an umbrella.  To make a fashion statement, call it a parasol.

3. Eat Small Meals, and Eat More Often.  Avoid foods high in protein, which increase your metabolic heat.  Increasing metabolic heat is like putting fuel on your internal fire, and also increases water loss.

4. Slow Down.  Avoid strenuous activity.  If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is close to dawn.

5. Stay Indoors When Possible.  When heat is excessive, avoid staying outside for long periods of time.

6. Take Regular Breaks.  When engaged in physical activity on warm days, take time out to find a cool place.  If you recognize if you, or someone else, is showing the signs of heat related illness, stop activity and find a cool place.

7. Don’t Get Too Much Sun.  Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation much more difficult.  Further, too much sun drastically increases the risk for skin cancer.  Be particularly careful with the tender skin of young children.

Remember to have fun!  But, please be safe and stay cool during our hot weather.

Awards and Rewards

Awards and Rewards

Over the last couple of weeks members of our Daggett Shuler team have participated in, been featured speakers at, and presented awards at a number of high school awards ceremonies in the Triad area.

It is fun to honor our local graduating high school seniors including those who have earned additional distinctions and awards.  It is an exciting time for them to continue on the road to success.  We are encouraged by the quality of our local high school graduating classes.

Consistent with a theme from our Safe Sober Prom Night program, we are pleased to participate in the circle of encouragement and support for our young people.  Our teachers, parents, administrators, and community leaders need to continue to come together to offer encouragement and support for our young people.  In this evermore competitive world we need to encourage them to achieve even more.  These achievements will lead to future rewards, personally and for our communities.

Conversely, watching these young people is inspiring and we are encouraged by them to keep achieving ourselves.  As they progress, we too must progress.  Part of our progression is the realization and awareness that we have a whole a new crop of students to encourage and support toward their future successes.

So, please join us in reaching out to our young people.  In particular, our graduating seniors are to be congratulated for their achievements.  We also need to encourage them toward their future successes, and thereby supporting the future successes of our communities and ourselves.  Surely this will lead us to future rewards individually, collectively, and as a society.

Congratulations seniors!  We are proud of you, have high expectations for you, and wish you the very best.

Job Well Done

Job Well Done

        Whew! It has been a fast and furious past eight weeks for Safe Sober Prom Night! There are many stories of teamwork, enthusiasm, participation, passion, and success!

       The students’ participation and enthusiasm make us optimistic about the future of our community. Our students are bright, talented, motivated, and really trying to do the right things fro a successful future. They are well on their way!

       Teams of Daggett Shuler attorneys and staff personally visited approximately 35 area high schools encouraging students to sign a pledge not to drink or use drugs on prom night, distributing student designed t-shirts, and speaking to the students. “Positive messages to our youth ensure the quality of our community for years to come!”

        This year the firm has personally paid for, delivered, and distributed more than 13,500 t-shirts to high school students in the Triad area, and made them available to all high schools throughout North and South Carolina.

        We have also had some technological breakthroughs with the website at www.SafeSober.com, including virtual pledge cards, video contests, and many resources for teens. The SSPN Facebook page has become very popular for the students Next year portends to be even bigger and better!

       Of course there are also the difficult parts. We encounter those who have lost loved ones, or are injured or disabled, in car accidents due to drunk drivers. Meeting those suffering folks and hearing their stories really hits home for us since it was our professional contact with people hurting in these ways that inspired us to start the SSPN program 21 years ago.

        Most of all, SSPN is a story of success. Success for our teens, our community, and our Daggett Shuler team. We are already brainstorming for Safe Sober Prom Night 2012! We look forward to having you join us!

Half Way

Half Way

Doesn't it always seem to feel really good to be half way done?  Well, this past week at Daggett Shuler we passed the half way mark with our 2011 Safe Sober Prom Night program.  So far, so good.   We have had no reports of prom night car accidents of other tragedies.

Part of the fun of SSPN is our interaction with the students.  So far this year we have reached over 10,000 juniors and seniors in the triad area.  All these students have had the opportunity to sign the Safe Sober Prom Night "Do It Right!" pledge and to receive a free t-shirt.  Some of the students have mentioned that they have been waiting since they were freshmen and sophomores and are excited that "now it's my turn!"  These students inspire us.

We are also inspired by the attorneys and staff on our team here at Daggett Shuler.  Out teams lead the program at all of the area high schools.  They do this out of care, concern, and as a way to make a positive contribution to our community.  We certainly thank our many helping hands that make this program so successful.  At the same time, we also thank our in office team members as we all cover for each other during this eight-week period of time when we are all doing double duty.

Although it has been fun to pass the half way point in the Safe Sober program, it is interesting that in life we never really know where half way is.  We always need to be looking up and forward, trying to improve and do better, not just coasting.  In fact, this is a lesson that students teach us at every school we visit.

A hallmark of the SSPN program is positive peer pressure.  Positive friendships and activities with peers help us establish values, and then these influences are a rock of stability as we continue through life.

Peers also push us and help us to be better.  Students do this in a very positive forward looking fashion.  They help to lift each other's spirits and keep each other accountable.  Peers provide a core group of support.  Selecting and encouraging positive peers and providing them support, too, actually goes a long way toward building our own successes.

Half way is certainly exciting!  However, half way also means that we need to keep looking forward, improving, and doing better.  As life progresses and we all look back at our successes, we will see a long list of positive peers that have helped to make us better and have made us what we are.

Personally, I am not sure if I have made it "half way" yet, but I know there are many peers that have helped me every step of the way.  Thank you to all who've helped us get to the half way point, and thank you for the army of peers and peer groups out there that encourage all of us, and particularly our students, in a positive fashion.