Sixty Pike Liberal Arts senior high students were inducted into the school’s Excel Club Wednesday and received certificates of membership and Excel Club pins.

The PLAS Excel Club is the first high school Exchange Club to be chartered in the state, and it is the 14th nationally.

The PLAS Junior Excel Club members were inducted two weeks ago, bringing the total number of Excel Club members at the school to 88.

Dennis Griffith, president of the sponsoring Troy Exchange Club, said the local Exchange Club is interested in the development of youth leaders.

“We want to help get them ready to serve and give them the tools to do so,” Griffith said. “Our club members will be mentors for these young people. We’ll attend their board meetings and provide any needed leadership as they begin to plan and carry out their community service programs and projects.”

Griffith said the Excel Club members will assist the Troy Exchange Club with its child abuse prevention, One Nation Under God and Freedom Shrine programs.

“We will work with the Excel Club to develop its own programs,” he said. “And, they will be invited to work with us on our annual fund-raiser, which is selling Vidalia onions.”

Dr. Maureen Murphy with the Collegiate Exchange Club at Huntingdon College said she is excited that the Troy Exchange Club saw the value in Excel Clubs as training programs for community leaders and servants.

“Huntingdon is the first Collegiate Exchange Club in the state and we are excited to have the Pike Liberal Arts Excel Club as another first in the state,” Murphy said.

“Alabama is a leader in strong community support and we take great pride in that. We welcome the PLAS Excel Club as the school joins the Troy Exchange Club in acknowledging the value of lifelong service.”

Carly Smith, PLAS Excel president-elect, said the students at PLAS are excited to have the opportunity to be Excel Club members.

“When our headmaster, Mrs. (Ceil) Sikes, asked us if we would be interested, we all said that we were,” Smith said.

“This is an opportunity for us to work on service projects together. We are looking forward to working together for our community. We thank the Troy Exchange Club for giving us this opportunity.”