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Show rWiSW-ww'. t. ' i . - I t ' ' ' - ' " ''A I V - I : - '- A- I 1 f r i i I --..J . I LOVES YOUTH By TOM BL'SSELBERG SALT LAKE CITY Service Ser-vice especially to youth is what makes life the joy it is for Lucile Reading. JUST MENTION two important im-portant positions she currently holds, president of the Davis County Board of Education and managing editor of the LDS "Friend" children's magazine and you get a glimpse. And although she's past the age many would consider for retirement, the Centerville resident re-sident of 45 years says involvement involve-ment with youth is what helps keep her life vibrant and vital. BUT MRS. Reading says she didn't court the school board job for instance, one that has involved leading the five-member five-member board through the choosing of a new superintendent superinten-dent and some lean financial times adding up to many hours of effort beyond the twice monthly board meetings. "If someone needs me. . that's my weakness," she-says. she-says. And add to that her interest in-terest in youth. "I love children. chil-dren. 1 feci we as adults have not created a very good w orld in a lot of w ays. "OUR responsibility is to help them live in it and change it for the better. The only hope there is for solving the many economic and other problems the only relief will come in the children." And lest the reader thinks that's just a bunch of nice-soundinu nice-soundinu rhetoric she quickly adds. "1 really believe it. 1 think it's just vital to help them. You don't change adults but have hopes (in childien).' Although a bit over the normal retirement age, Lucile Reading, in center receiving plaque, attributes vitalitv and love of life largely to continued involvement with youth. She was recently honored by Davis Board of Education, Edu-cation, having served two terms as its president. Giving their thanks are Bruce Waikins. Theo Italisano. C.henl Allen and Dee Forbes. MRS. READING has never been a stranger to children. She was born into a family of eight brothers and sisters and that was augmented, often, by others who stayed with the family in times of need. She grew up in Logan, a daughter of Louis and Rebecca Rebec-ca Ballard Cardon both from pioneer families. "I came from a large family and one of the many things about it was that we not only were a close, warm family, but we had time to be children," she says. "NOW THEY'RE structured struc-tured so much sometimes it's not that the children want structuring but that the parents want to use them as status symbols. Children love to be prepared by guidance, no pressure, so they can cope with the problems facing them. My parents did that," she adds. Her early life w as spent in a combination farm-city atmosphere atmos-phere everything was that way, then, she says. There were cows, chickens and pigs and chores. "1 got to take the cows to pasture in the morning and bring them back at night. It was a chance for me to do a lot of thinking. "FATHER ALSO liked the mountains and we did a lot of camping. I have the mountains still as my first love. When people become a little oppressive. oppres-sive. I go there and get refreshed." re-freshed." She really believes m the adage. "Look to the hills from whence comet h strength." Early ears also included education. She is a graduate of hometown Utah State University Univer-sity and attended the University Universi-ty of Utah and BYU. maioiing in English. THAT LED to teaching at Provo High School and the old Brigham Young High School, also in Provo. That strain runs in the family with both sons James and Don, holding doctorates docto-rates and pursuing educational endeavors. Dr. James C. Reading is an associate professor in the department de-partment of family and community com-munity medicine at the University Uni-versity of Utah. Brother Don is a professor of economics at the University of Hawaii-Hilo. In addition, Mrs. Reading has five grandchildren. SHE MET her late husband, Keith E. while attending Utah State. "He was in the business field. He liked Zane Gray and I liked Shakespeare." But while their reading interests may have differed she added. "He was wonderfully supportive." He was the district office manager of a steel and mining equipment firm. BUT throughout her life, it has been that interest in people especially the young that has kept her going. "I'm extremely ex-tremely interested in people. I feel I'm very blessed. The best I can do is express gratitude for the opportunities and blessings bles-sings and do something for someone else." That extends to the regular opening of her home to youth each monday night. They meet in an LDS family home evening even-ing group in the 1 0()- car-old-plus rocls home. "I ENJOY mv home and l enjoy letting others enjoy it. Youngsters come a lot. I have a feeling everyone who comes brings a part of themselves and leaves it. My home is full of gosxl memories." Active in her church. Mrs. Reading served in Relief Society Soci-ety and as Mutual president for Davis Counts stakes and wards along with teaching a stake young adult class. She was called into service on the Pnmary general church board and w as a counselor in the general gen-eral presidency of the children's chil-dren's auxiliary. SHE HAS BEEN associated with the church's children's magazine for many y ears, including in-cluding the past ten years as managing editor of the 200.000-circulation monthly. Other writing has centered mostly on preparing lessons for church manuals, as well as two curriculum studies for the Northwest Regional Educational Educa-tional Laboratory in Portland, Ore. Most recently she wasasked to contribute a chapter for a book on LDS women. ALTHOUGH you might not think it. she dses have time for hobbies including homcmak-ing homcmak-ing skills such as knitting and cooking. But it doesn't stop there, she adds. "There's very little in life l don't enjoy. "I enjoy life it's great to be alive. I believe that attitude and the association of young people can help an older person per-son stay vital and vibrant." AND MRS. Reading adds. "1 think youth is great that experience the balance is good. I think wc need people of all ages. Each has something unique to contribute." |