The Washington Rhinestone Club, Inc. will host their Annual Scholarship Luncheon at 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 3 in the Jessie Shields Fellowship Hall at Mount Zion Baptist Church – 1634 Rev. Dr. McKinney Avenue in Seattle.
Founded in 1952, the Washington Rhinestone Club has continued to perpetuate its legacy of encouraging young women to pursue a college education or further higher educational programs.
The keynote speaker for the luncheon will be Dr. Calvin J. Watts, Superintendent of the Kent School District. Dr. Watts is the first African American to lead the Kent School District. He is considered to be one of our “native sons” because of the strong ties that he and his family have with the community, the city of Seattle and Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Prior to becoming Superintendent of the Kent School District, Watts served assistant superintendent in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Suwanee, Georgia, the 13th largest school district in the United States, Dr. Watts was an integral part of a leadership team with a district enrollment of 174,500 students, 15,600 certificated and classified staff members, and a $1.7 billion budget. During his tenure at GCPS, he developed a reputation for excellence in K-12 district level leadership, turnaround and strategic planning, school improvement, and civic engagement. His results-oriented leadership practices contributed to GCPS receiving the Broad Prize for Urban Education (awarded to urban school districts that significantly narrow achievement gaps among underrepresented student populations) in 2010 and 2014. Under his leadership, 100 percent of general education schools in his administrative area met or exceeded state performance standards.
The luncheon will also feature a popular and continuing tradition: The Hat Contest — selecting “THE MOST BEAUTIFUL” and “THE MOST UNIQUE” hats worn by luncheon guests and selected by judges from the audience.
In addition, the program will feature “A SILENT AUCTION” featuring many items that will enrich and enhance your lives. Some of these items include: A soul food luncheon with King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, A catered dinner for four provided by master caterer Darren Belcher, and a family portrait provided by Flyright Productions.
Luncheon reservations are $45 and can be obtained by calling (206) 329-3951. The deadline for purchasing tickets is March 26.
All proceeds from the luncheon will assist in providing scholarships for deserving young college women at the Washington Rhinestone’s Debutante Ball to take place on December 23, 2016.
