Comedy for a cause: HCBE Superintendent Mark Scott roasted for charity

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Thursday night was one for laughs and goodwill, as the Warner Robins Rotary Club gathered together with Houston County movers and shakers in the Wellston Center with two goals in mind: Roast HCBE Superintendent Mark Scott, and raise money for charity. Both tasks were done with rounding success.

Proceeds from the night’s affair were used to provide funds for several rotary club programs surrounding local children’s education, including the:

– Houston County Pre-K Book Project; this new initiative, in partnership with Gottwals Books, will provide 1,255 reading books to pre-k students in Houston County in 2023, one for each of them. This number will only grow in following years.

– Rotary’s annual college scholarships, given to four high school seniors.

– Rotary’s annual donation to media centers in Houston County elementary schools.

– Rotary’s former dictionary project; for the last 20 years, this initiative has endeavored to provide every 3rd grader in Houston County with a dictionary —a tool many students have continued to use through their education and into their adult years.

After a quick introduction from Club President Amy O’Cain, the roast began.

Assistant Superintendent Zabrina Cannaday, a long-time employee and friend of Scott, was the first to turn the spit. She poked fun at Scott’s specificity with numbers, his intense love of the Georgia Bulldogs, his mannerisms at work and his ability to “problem solve.”

CGTC President Ivan Allen’s time roasting Scott burned fast and bright, as he described Scott as “the little magic blue pill,” that ensures all of Houston County’s students “rise to the occasion” regarding their education.

Retired County Commissioner, Tommy “The Chairman” Stalnaker relived some of his most embarrassing moments in his time knowing Scott, recounting the superintendent’s inability to block on the football field, and his skill at hunting quail — despite wearing a Northside High School hoodie and hat in the process.

Finally, former HCBE Chairmen Fred Wilson took the stage; protesting against a roast’s combative nature, he instead recounted the intense work and attention to detail Scott carries as superintendent.

Despite their jesting, each speaker left the podium with the same declaration: Scott is a man of character. He’s a hard worker. He loves the students of Houston County, thinks about them and their future each day, and according to Stalnaker, is the best superintendent in the state of Georgia.

Allen said it best:

“At the end of the day, for all the jokes we tell tonight, all the things we do to roast him — at least, at a low temperature, cause he’s such a big guy — he cares so much,” Allen said. “This guy cares so much about each and every kid.

“For every school system in the state, I got to admit they’re second best — don’t tell anybody in Macon I said that, I have to be up their tomorrow — they’re second best, and they’re second best because we have a superintendent who not only, as Rick Flare says, ‘talks the talk,’ but he walks the walk.”

After each speaker had their fun, Scott rose to speak. He thanked each of his roasters and addressed some of their jabs. He closed by thanking everyone present for their support, whether they were his fellow district employees or members of the community.

“There’s a lot of school districts across the state of Georgia, and I just talked to a board member from another district a couple days ago. They’re saying, ‘we’re just trying to be like Houston County,’” Scott said. “I don’t really think any of our board members go about saying they want to be like some other county. It’s an awesome responsibility, but our board does an outstanding job, and I just thank them for allowing me to serve as superintendent, and I appreciate the support we get in the community.

“Thank you. It means the world to me.”

With the night coming to a close, Warner Robins Rotary presented Scott with some final gifts. With their meeting adjourned, a night of comedy for a cause was brought to an end.

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