In Honor of a Great Man

The 2015 William P. "Spec" Jones Volunteer of the Year

Last night it was my pleasure and my honor to present Mr. Melvin "Peanut" Parks with the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce William P. “Spec” Jones Volunteer of the Year Award. I first met Mr. Parks in the hallways of Chowan Middle School when he was introduced to me as the most prolific volunteer in our middle school. Mr. Parks greeted me with a huge smile, grasped my hand in both of his and welcomed me to the important work of caring for our children. The principal shared with me that Mr. Parks had been volunteering almost daily for years at the middle school.

The hallways of the middle school are lined with the logos and mascots of colleges and universities. Each was meticulously drawn by Mr. Parks. He explained to me that each one was requested by a student or staff member. To accomplish the drawing he breaks smaller drawings down into a grid and draws it to a larger scale. He often shares the work process with students teaching the concepts of scale, geometry, and taking pride in one's work. The effect of this artwork is to surround our students with possibilities. They see the logos of universities and begin to dream about attending those prestigious schools one day.

Beyond his artwork, Mr. Parks spends most of his time volunteering in classrooms. He "takes" math classes with the students and then helps them during independent work time. I have witnessed Mr. Parks explaining math concepts to students and patiently helping them master the learning objective. He wants a bright future for the children of Chowan County and works to bring about that vision through the time he spends in the middle school.

After encountering Mr. Parks at Chowan Middle School on one of my first visits there, I was surprised to meet him again at a later time at John A. Holmes High School. I quickly found out that he volunteers almost as much time at the high school as he does the middle school. In talking with him, he explained to me that years ago, the students he helped at the middle school had told him that they were struggling with math at the high school. He was determined that they would not fail to succeed and began to volunteer at the high school as well. He told me that he had to learn the math at the high school so that he could help the students with it and unknowingly began to model for our students what it is to be a learner through the way he carefully listened to the teachers and took his own notes so that he would be prepared to help the students with their work.

This is what #allin looks like!

In addition to art work, volunteering in classrooms, and tutoring students for free, Mr. Parks also volunteers with our athletic teams. He takes great pride in being in charge of the game balls for the football team. He typically has a younger student with him. I have observed him charging his helper with paying attention, being ready to run to help, and always being respectful of the referees. These ballgame instructions are really powerful life-lessons gently imparted by a dedicated, caring adult.

I have worked with children in schools for over twenty years. In all of that time, I have met and worked with many volunteers, each deeply giving of themselves for the children. As I think about Mr. Parks in the context of all of those volunteers, I can't help but think of him as the first among equals because of all that he does and because of the spirit with which he does it. If I asked all of those volunteers to line up, Mr. Parks would go to the back of the line, deferring to everyone else present. He does not seek attention or accolades. He simply wants to help and he does.

Mr. Parks is a good man whose choices, action, and composure exemplify the spirit of community service. He has and does make a difference in the lives of children. He has made an outstanding contribution to Chowan County through his volunteer service to the students in our public school system. I believe that he serves as a great role model for our students and I know that he does for me. I aspire to be the kind of servant-leader that Mr. Parks is.

Mr. Melvin "Peanut" Parks

I am extremely grateful for Mr. Parks and I appreciate the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce for selecting him as the William P. “Spec” Jones Volunteer of the Year.