Bright Lights set to honor four locals for positive leadership in community

Published 9:46 am Monday, March 21, 2016

Giving back is important to civic clubs and one group is working to honor local citizens who give back to the community.

Vicksburg Consistory #110 is hosting an event called Bright Lights in Our Community at noon Saturday in the Vicksburg Convention Center. This is the first year the mens group has had this event.

“We will honor four people in our community that we have deemed to be bright lights for their positive leadership and the things they project in our community,” organizer Willie Williams said.

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The four honorees represent one of four categories: law enforcement, religion, education and medicine. The group chose together whom they wanted to honor and did not set a sepcific criteria other than doing good in the community.

The people being recognized are Vicksburg police Chief Walter Armstrong in law enforcement, the Rev. Araneta Spencer from Bethel A.M.E. Church in religion, Cedric Magee principal of Warren Central Junior High School in education and Dr. Gloria Butler in medicine.

“So much the stuff that we read about is negative so we want to honor these four people for what they have done to be good stewards in our community,” Williams said.

Vicksburg Consistory #110 is composed of thirty-second and thirty-third degree Prince Hall Masons.

“It is an organization of elevated nations, as we call them, that is on our local level,” Williams said. “There is a group membership of maybe about 30, 35 members.”

He said money raised for ticket sells would go towards a scholarship the group will give to a student of Magee’s choosing at the end of the school year.

“We will award, hopefully, a $5,000 scholarship,” Williams said.

The event is a brunch that is open to the public. Williams said they are keeping the ceremony simple and short. Tickets are $30, and Palmertree Catering will prepare the meal.