One of the Mother Goose poems begins, "Monday's child is fair of face" and moves through the days of the week and the qualities the poet associates with being born on each. Accordingly, "Friday's child is loving and giving." If the poem is correct, Lower Macungie Middle School is loaded with Friday's children.

Deirdre Thorp and Kathy Thomas serve as co-advisers for the LMMS Student Council. Thorp, a family consumer science teacher, first assumed her advising duties at Emmaus Junior High is 1983. When the district moved from the junior high to the middle school paradigm in 1988, Thomas, a member of the art department, joined her. Together they have developed an inclusive service program grounded in projects that are "good for the school and the surrounding community."

The group requests each homeroom designate two representatives, but any student may join. Some years the group has incorporated as many as 80 volunteers. Thorp and Thomas encourage council members to take ownership of the various projects by avoiding exclusivity.

"Everybody helps; everybody has a say; everybody works," Thorp said.

Each student learns to cooperate with others for the accomplishment of a single goal. In addition, Thorp and Thomas are unobtrusive role models: their giving of time, energy and initiative radiates to the students.

This semester's projects include the "All Treats, No Tricks" food drive, conference days cookies and cider for the faculty, the "Be An Angel" toiletries collection and the recently completed coat drive. From Oct. 15 to Nov. 12, students piled coats into a drop off box in the main office or in Thorp's room.

Each year Thorp and Thomas add one or two new activities to the existing list. Last year they contacted One Warm Coat, an organization which connects relief programs in need of coats with groups willing to collect them.

In 2011, the LMMS Student Council donated 17 black trash bags loaded with "new and gently used" coats to The Caring Place of Allentown, "a nonprofit youth development center that strives to aid inner city youths."

This success is not an anomaly.

Students and staff saw the collection box overflowing and surrounded by bags of donations Nov. 12. The student volunteers, who generally meet every other Thursday after school, will sort and repackage the coats. The bundles are then transported to The Caring Place for redistribution to those in need.

As various projects unfold throughout the year, council members earn points in a variety of ways. Those involved in activities that preclude regular meeting attendance may opt to collect for drives during lunches or donate time beyond the school day as they are able. Representatives also report to their homerooms and act as cheerleaders to promote events and programs. At the close of the school year, participants who have earned a minimum of half the possible activity points receive a certificate and recognition at LMMS's awards assembly. Their ultimate reward is less tangible, but more durable.

People who positively and significantly contribute to the well-being of others grow. These students are learning about the satisfaction rooted in giving and the independence achieved by serving. If they were not already, they are becoming "Friday's children."