Dear Members and Prospective members,

Welcome to the Sandhills Branch of the English-Speaking Union. We are a philanthropic organization dedicated to support students, teachers and administrators at every level of education in Moore County. As a dues based organization, we ask our members for a small financial commitment through an annual membership of $100 / year for a single membership or $195 / year for a couple to help fund the great programs that we offer throughout the year. The fees are a small price to pay to support local and National philanthropies which are aimed at leveraging the ESU mission, both here and around the world. The ESU “Expands minds, Strengthens friendships, Unlocks opportunities – through the use of the English language.”

History of the ESU

The English-Speaking Union of the United States was created to fulfill a mission. It was formally organized in the United States in 1920, two years after the establishment of its counterpart in Britain, the ESU of the British Commonwealth, and arose from the conviction of its founder, Sir Evelyn Wrench and a group of like-minded American and British friends, that maintenance of the close personal and national ties forged during World War I was necessary for the preservation of peace. Sir Evelyn firmly believed that given the opportunity to know one another personally, people who shared a common language would soon discover that they also shared similar values, whatever their differences in nationality or background. Over its century of achievement, the ESU has regularly recast itself in response to the changing context of American society and interests. Entering into its second century, the English-Speaking Union is dedicated to increasing its national and international leadership in education and exchange.

Our Branch’s Role

Since its establishment over 30+ years ago, the Sandhills Branch has supported both national and local programs benefitting Moore County students, their families and teachers. Each year our High Schools participate in our Shakespeare Competition that selects a Branch Winner to travel to New York City to compete in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition at the Lincoln Center. We fund the winning student, their teacher and a parent to attend this prestigious 40-year-old program. The winner of the national program is awarded an all-expense paid trip to study in London at the Globe Theater.
For our Middle School Students the Branch along with our Partners in the local Rotary Chapter host our annual Middle School Debate competition. Teams of our younger students’ study, prepare and present their arguments around a relevant topic. This experience helps them gain confidence in their public speaking skills.

For our youngest students, we help support the Moore County Schools Battle of the Books for our Elementary Students. Our Branch along with the local Rotary Chapter provides a generous grant to help purchase the books used in this program that promotes reading at the elementary level.

Finally, we once again are participating in the annual Travel and Learn Abroad (TLab) program where we help fund the tuition for a local High School classroom teacher to travel to the UK to study at Oxford University, The University of Edinburgh or at the renowned Globe Theater. We were able to send Chase Costin this past summer to study Theater and Performance in Scotland.
To ensure that we are tied to all levels of education, we are engaging with Sandhills Community College and the University of North Carolina – Pembroke to establish a scholarship program to reward deserving graduating seniors who wish to continue their education at the college level. We are also working with these institutions to support their faculty who wish to participate in the international programs for educators through the ESU National Office in New York.

The English-Speaking Union believes every child should be able to make their voice heard. We believe that the ability to progress and to thrive in life relies on oracy – speaking and listening – skills, which are not currently a prominent part of the school curriculum. Our debate, public speaking and cultural exchange programs help young people to engage with the world, to speak more confidently and to listen to and understand different points of view. These skills improve young people’s attainment, emotional intelligence, and social skills, helping them to live their lives to the fullest.

President
Brian Burns

Vice President

Treasurer
Nick Christopher

Secretary
Vicki Hancock

At Large
Karl Ecker

Community Relations
Galen Miller

Development
Sue Baughman

IT
Frank Glauner

Membership
Sue Baughman

Middle School Programs
Mary Lou Siegfried

Speaker Programs
Jim Koenig
Kacky Johnson

Upper School Programs
Andrea Burns