YOKE Folk and kids from 22 schools came together at two separate locations for All County Club—in Knox County (with two Anderson County schools joining as well) and in Blount County. The theme of both events was “School Spirit”, so students and leaders were encouraged to come dressed in their school’s colors and compete for a Spirit Award.
The Knox All County Club was held at Emerald Academy. More than 160 middle school students and leaders packed into the gym for a fun-filled night resembling one of the YOKE clubs that our students attend on a weekly basis—only much bigger. Between Knox and Anderson counties, 16 schools were represented at this event. The night concluded with a devotional talk from Brandon Blair, the Student Pastor at Fairview Baptist Church, and with Halls Middle School taking home the Spirit Award.
The event in Blount County took place at Camp Tipton, a youth camp in Maryville which is a short drive from most of the schools YOKE serves there. More than 70 students and leaders from six schools were represented for an evening of high-energy games, songs, and worship. Adam Crisp, the Student Pastor at RIO Revolution Church, was our guest speaker. At the end of the night, Union Grove Middle School was given the Spirit Award.
It’s always fun to gather so many of our students and leaders into one location, especially this year, with the addition of three new schools. The students who attended got a glimpse of the larger YOKE community beyond their own school. All County Clubs are fun, and they provide one more opportunity for middle school students to develop meaningful relationships with their mentors.