People & Events

By Messenger Staff Reports

Published: August 6, 2008

Darlington native graduates basic training

Army Reserve Pvt. James L. Mack has graduated from Basic Combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.
Mack is the son of Vivian Mack of Darlington.
The private is a 1986 graduate of Mayo High School, Darlington.
Editor’s Note: To help boost morale, please mail any clippings of service members to: Army and Air Force Hometown News Service, ATTN: Print Division, 203 Norton St., San Antonio, Texas 78226-1848.
Members of the local chapter of Friendship Force hosted guest from Canada in Hartsville.

Canadians visit Hartsville as part of Friendship Force International

A different language was spoken in Hartsville on May 2, as Sherbrooke, Canada’s Friendship Force joined Hartsville members of Florence’s Friendship Force. There was no language barrier, however, as the Canadians also spoke English. Guided tours were provided for the visitor’s from the North at The Hart House, Kalmia Gardens and Pearl Fryer’s topiaries at Coker. The guests made many comments about the beauty in the local area.
Four of the visitors were hosted in Hartsville for a week.
The guests felt they reaped the benefits of Southern hospitality while visiting in Hartsville, Florence, Mullins, Columbia and Bishopville and by discovering southern cooking, frogmore stew and chicken bog.
The Florence Chapter has home- hosted inbound groups from Japan, England, Russia, New Zealand, Canada and Spokane ,Wash. Florence members have been on outbounds to Japan, New Zealand, China, Costa Rica and Spokane, Wash. The next inbound will be from Costa Rica, and the next two outbounds are to Brazil and England.
Home hospitality - the heart of a Friendship Force exchange - provides the opportunity for people of different countries and cultures to connect at a personal level. More than half a million participants have experienced the personal enrichment and cross-cultural understanding that results from a Friendship Force exchange.
For more information about The Friendship Force International, please visit http://www.thefriendshipforce.org/ and http://friendshipforceflorence.org/. Lewis and Allene Reep may also be contacted at 332-3115.