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This week we had another group of Bear scouts come trooping through the office. They were here to learn about the basics of reporting, and the history of the second-oldest business in Macon County (yes, that’s the Times).

Well. The scout leaders brought them here to learn those things. The boys were here to see a really big, loud machine and a police scanner.

I’ve spent a little time on the teaching end of a classroom, and having those little badge-hungry fellows in here was a real treat. They guessed all of the five questions a reporter has to answer (What? Where? When? Why? How?) and asked as many questions as any teacher could wish, from “do you ever give stories to the TV stations?” to “and… and… and… what is THAT thing?” They listened, slack-jawed, as general manager Chip Turner walked them through the onsite, decades-old printing process. They reverently touched the yellowed pages of a 1952 Times issue, and clutched their little office gifts (notepads, the latest Times) like they were actually kid-friendly presents.

I’ll never forget the response I got from the last group of scouts that we hosted here. They’d just come in, and the first thing I asked them was, “Now… what kinds of things should we put into the paper?”

Instantly, this one sandy-haired youngster raised his hand and shouted, “TRUE things!”

And at that, I felt it was time to end the lesson. Without going into journalistic protocol, without a discussion of verifiable sources, without explaining that opinions belong on an editorial page and not in news stories—this kid explained the purpose of a newspaper.

This week, in addition to regular news content:

It was Senior Night for basketball programs at both RBSHS and MCHS; see pics on 4B and 6B and online. See a picture of Lori Jones as the cheerleader she is at heart on 3A. On 7B, we have more spelling bee winners—including the winners of a county-wide bee held on Feb 7. Two of our own students have signed to play sports at the college level—see 1B—and you’ll find lots of sports coverage while you’re over there. And don’t look now, but there were lots of babies born recently (6A).

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week!