Outside its borders, Mississippi often has an unflattering reputation, much of it earned.
As is often the case, the events that cast our state in a negative light do not always reflect our true nature. For most of us, that has long been a source of frustration. The typical Mississippian can’t do very much to alter the views of those unfamiliar with our state, aside, of course, from not doing the sort of things that attract scorn.
That’s why it is important to seize the opportunity to show off the “better angels of our nature” when those opportunities arise.
In August, folks in the Golden Triangle, will be afforded such an opportunity.
From Aug. 5 through Aug. 11, 156 of the world’s best amateur women’s golfers will compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point. In addition to the golfers, they will bring with them caddies, family members and coaches. For many, if not most, of those hundreds of people, it will be their first visit to our state. And we all know about first impressions, of course. Add to the mix a world-wide audience that will be tuning in to watch 20 hours of live coverage on Fox Sports, and many more hours through the network’s live-streaming of the action and you begin to see the scope of the opportunity before us.
It is a rare opportunity to show an awful lot of people what kind of people we really are. One of the best ways to do that is by volunteering to work at the tournament.
The Women’s Amateur, like all big tournaments, relies on an army of volunteers to perform a multitude of jobs — both on the golf course during the competition and behind the scenes. Chances are, there is a job well-suited to your talents and every job, performed well and cheerfully, creates a positive image.
For our visitors, the interactions they have with volunteers can influence their opinions of our state in a profound way.
It’s not often we have that sort of chance.
We encourage you to go to www.oldwaverly.com and volunteer.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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