As we celebrate the 100th birthday of GA this year,  I have pulled out my GA memorabilia and reflected on the powerful influence of Girls Auxiliary, now Girls in Action, on my life.  In GA I memorized scripture, created missions displays, learned to present a program, and began praying for missionaries.  I learned my geography as we found the countries where the missionaries served.  For one of my Forward Steps, I wrote a paper for my notebook on “Why I Am a Tither.”  That lesson has certainly stayed with me!

Among my special GA items are two GA autograph books. Looking through them reveals signatures obtained at camp and in my GA group. There are the typical signatures and crazy notes from other girls.   The last signature I got said “try not to talk so much (if you can).”  But the pages also contain autographs of people who have been significant in missions and the Southern Baptist Convention.  My parents made it a point to take me to association, state, and national WMU and SBC meetings.  I grew up going to events where I heard and met leaders who had an influence on me, though I did not realize how great an influence until much later.  I also met some political leaders along the way.

Some of the signatures in my two autograph books include:
Alma Oates, Brazil
Katharine Bryan (who later became the executive director of Tennessee WMU)
Cathleen Lewis, Alabama GA Director
Mary Essie Stephens, Alabama WMU Director
Mrs. Albert J. Smith, President, Alabama WMU
Barbara Mefford, missionary to the Choctaw Indians
George C. Wallace, Governor of Alabama
Baker J. Cauthen, President, Foreign Mission Board
H. S. Sauls, Association Missionary, Mobile Baptist Association
Davis Thompson, Argentina
Courts Redford, President, Home Mission Board
M. Wendell Belew, Home Mission Board
Marvel Iglesias, San Blas
Mrs. Willie Johnson, Alaska
B. Frank Belvin, missionary to the Apache, Kiowa, Creek and Seminole Indians, Oklahoma
Edgar M. Arendall, Pastor, Dawson Memorial Baptist Church
Mrs. C. S. Cadewallader, Jr., Guatemala
Anis Shorrosh, Jordan
Dewey Merritt, Nigeria
James L. Sullivan, President, Baptist Sunday School Board
Georgia Mae Ogburn, Chile
V.O. McMillan, Japan
Zelma Foster, Philippines
Kathryn E. Carpenter, WMU Director, Louisiana
Charles M. Lowry, Louisiana Baptist Convention
Barbara Elder, WMU
Mrs. C. E. Conrad, President, Louisiana WMU
Mrs. R. L. Mathis, President, WMU, SBC (1956-63, 1969-75)
Mrs. Robert Fling, President, WMU, SBC (1963-69)
Alma Hunt, Executive Director, WMU, SBC (1948-74)

You can tell from the list that my early years were spent in Alabama.  We moved back to New Orleans when I was in high school.  A special memory for me was serving as a page at the national WMU meeting in New Orleans in 1969 where I sat on the platform between Alma Hunt and Claude Rhea.   My parents were friends with the Rhea’s and I can remember Dr. Rhea telling me he could see my dad in the audience.  To prepare for that session, my mother gave me very specific lessons for sitting on the platform.  Who knew how important that lesson would be!

I share these memories to encourage you to take children and youth to missions events. Take them to meetings that are supposed to be for adults and let them take it all in.  You may be preparing the next missionary or convention leader.  Young people absorb far more than we realize!